A bipartisan letter from 22 US Senators is urging the FCC to update broadcast ownership rules, citing increasing pressure local radio and television stations face as they compete against larger, unregulated digital players in a fast-evolving media environment.
“Now is the time for swift FCC action to level the playing field for local broadcasters by modernizing the broadcast ownership rules,” the letter states. “As newspapers continue to shutter across our country, local broadcasting remains the last bastion of trusted news for local communities. But creating news requires substantial resources: without the opportunity to combine or expand operations, broadcasters struggle to invest in journalism, retain sufficient newsroom staff, and strain to compete against their unregulated global Big Tech competitors.”
The campaign for deregulation around ownership caps continues to gain momentum on Capitol Hill.
In April, 73 bipartisan members of the US House of Representatives signed a similar letter to the FCC calling for immediate reform. Additionally, several advocacy groups, including the National Urban League, Hispanic Federation, National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, and MANA, have all recently voiced support for ownership rule modernization.
Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), one of the lead signatories, emphasized, “The fast-evolving media marketplace has made broadcast ownership regulations in urgent need of modernization. By modernizing broadcast ownership restrictions, the FCC can empower broadcasters to fulfill their essential role in American democracy, foster local journalism, and benefit local communities and the public interest.”
NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt stated, “We are grateful to Sen. Moran and his colleagues for their leadership in urging the FCC to modernize decades-old broadcast ownership rules that impede local stations’ ability to invest in our newsrooms, innovate, and serve our communities.”
“Local broadcasters compete every day with trillion-dollar tech companies, yet we remain shackled by ownership restrictions that are premised on the outdated notion that broadcasters compete only with one another for audience and advertising. We urge Chairman Carr and the full Commission to act expeditiously to empower local stations to deliver the most-trusted news, emergency information, and vital content Americans rely on.”
