FCC Considers Jettisoning Longstanding Rule Limiting Broadcasters

Millions of Americans may soon see changes to their television programming if a decades old broadcast restriction that impacts TV station ownership is modified.

The Federal Communications Commission currently caps an entity from reaching more than 39% of U.S. TV households, but the federal agency is considering changing that rule. The longstanding federal regulation will likely be the topic of a Dec. 17 Senate Commerce Committee hearing, chaired by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, where all three FCC commissioners are set to testify.

The federal rule has divided Republican leaders. FCC chairman Brendan Carr has considered modifying the federal agency’s cap on commercial broadcasters in the past.

“Over the decades, as the media landscape has evolved, the Commission has revisited these rules to account for new competitors and advances in technology,” Carr said in a statement released in June.

“Those changes have only accelerated in recent years with the advent of online offerings. Broadcasters now compete for eyeballs with YouTube stars, social media platforms, and streaming services like Hulu and Netflix, not to mention traditional cable and satellite offerings,” the federal regulator continued. Carr went to explain that he believed the FCC had the authority to change the cap without further legislative action by Congress.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has expressed concerns about left-wing networks potentially expanding their footprints in the United States if the FCC cap is discarded.

“If [lifting the FCC cap] would also allow the Radical Left Networks to “enlarge,” I would not be happy,” the president wrote in part on Truth Social, adding, “ABC & NBC, in particular, are a disaster–A VIRTUAL ARM OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY.”

“They should be viewed as an illegal campaign to the Radical Left. NO EXPANSION OF THE FAKE NEWS NETWORKS. If anything, make them SMALLER!” Trump added.

However, the National Association of Broadcasters, a trade organization that includes major media companies, is in favor of ending the cap. 

“Local broadcasters are not asking for special treatment; we are asking for the ability to compete in today’s media landscape,” NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said in a statement provided to The Daily Signal. 

“Lifting the arbitrary 39% limit, which applies only to broadcast stations, will allow station groups to invest in local journalism, sports rights and the technology that keeps communities informed during emergencies, especially in smaller markets,” LeGeyt continued.

“The national cap was imposed during an era before broadband and streaming reshaped how Americans get their news, and the longer Washington delays addressing it, the harder it becomes for local stations to sustain the trusted local news and reporting that Americans rely on every day. We appreciate Chairman Carr’s recognition that empowering local broadcasters will require modern ownership rules, and we look forward to swift FCC action,” the NAP president concluded.

The Daily Signal reached out to Cruz’s office and the FCC for comment.

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