FCC Eliminates Broadcast Ownership Cap, Marking Major Shift in Media Consolidation Rules
The Federal Communications Commission has officially ended the era of set broadcast ownership limits, voting Thursday to eliminate the national ownership cap rule that has constrained media consolidation for decades.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty, the agency's two Republicans, voted in favor of ending the rule, which had restricted broadcast owners from holding stations that together reached more than 39 percent of US TV households. Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez dissented from the decision.
The change formalizes a policy direction Carr had long criticized. Last month, Carr announced his intention to pursue elimination of the ownership cap at Thursday's open FCC meeting.
Under the new framework, the FCC will replace the fixed percentage limit with an alternative approach to regulating broadcast ownership. The commission's decision marks a significant shift in how the government oversees the television broadcasting industry, potentially opening the door to increased consolidation among major broadcast groups.
The ownership cap had been a cornerstone of FCC media ownership rules designed to promote diversity in broadcasting and prevent any single entity from dominating the television landscape. Its removal represents one of the most substantial policy changes to the FCC's regulatory approach in recent memory.