Nab Files Delete Delete Delete Comments Calling For Fcc To Reform

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Call: (866) 682-0276 Email: legal@nab.org Join our team of broadcast advocates. When legislative issues arise that could impact your station and career, we'll reach out and give you simple steps to contact your legislators. Sign Up Today When Brendan Carr asked for suggestions about rules to cut, the NAB was ready As the Federal Communications Commission reviews the broadcast regulatory environment, NAB President/CEO Curtis LeGeyt says this moment calls for “bold ideas.”

In an 80-page filing, the NAB urges the FCC to seize the moment and fundamentally modernize its regulatory framework, beginning with reforms to the national television ownership cap and the local radio and TV... Chairman Brendan Carr’s “Delete Delete Delete” initiative seeks to help the FCC remove outdated rules, part of a broader push by the Trump administration to review and modernize regulations. “The FCC’s rules should reflect today’s media landscape, not one from decades past,” LeGeyt said in an NAB summary. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) filed comprehensive comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response to the agency�s call for public input under its Delete, Delete, Delete initiative, launched in accordance with... NAB�s filing urges the FCC to seize this moment to fundamentally modernize its regulatory framework, beginning with long-overdue reforms to the national television ownership cap and the local radio and TV ownership rules. The 80-page filing, supplemented by a 60-page appendix of proposed rule revisions, details burdensome or obsolete regulations that hinder local broadcasters� ability to invest in vital journalism, compete with unregulated digital platforms and serve...

�This is a moment for bold ideas, and NAB is proud to lead the charge,� said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. �The FCC�s rules should reflect today�s media landscape, not one from decades past. Our filing lays out a clear, actionable path to modernize regulations and empower local radio and TV stations to better serve their communities. We appreciate the Commission, especially Chairman Carr, for launching this important effort. Reforming outdated ownership rules is the essential first step to strengthening local journalism and ensuring broadcasters can continue to survive.� NAB�s submission is structured around the FCC�s directive to reduce regulatory barriers that inhibit investment, competition and innovation.

The centerpiece of NAB�s comments focuses on ownership reform, calling on the FCC to modernize rules that were designed for a pre-internet era. The FCC�s Delete, Delete, Delete initiative stems from a broader federal push for retrospective review and regulatory modernization across agencies. NAB�s comments respond directly to the FCC�s call for input, offering a clear roadmap to eliminate antiquated rules, reduce unnecessary burdens and better reflect the realities of today�s media marketplace. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) filed a comprehensive response with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as part of the agency’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative, which was launched under former President Trump’s executive orders... In its filing, NAB pressed the FCC to undertake sweeping reforms to its regulatory structure, with an emphasis on updating the national television ownership cap and the local radio and TV ownership rules. The submission included an 80-page comment document and a 60-page appendix of proposed rule changes, outlining regulations that NAB argued were outdated and impeded broadcasters' ability to invest in journalism, remain competitive with unregulated...

“This is a moment for bold ideas, and NAB is proud to lead the charge,” said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “The FCC’s rules should reflect today’s media landscape, not one from decades past. Our filing lays out a clear, actionable path to modernize regulations and empower local radio and TV stations to better serve their communities. We appreciate the Commission, especially Chairman Carr, for launching this important effort. Reforming outdated ownership rules is the essential first step to strengthening local journalism and ensuring broadcasters can continue to survive.” NAB’s comments were organized to align with the FCC’s directive to identify and reduce regulatory barriers that stifle investment, innovation, and competition.

The cornerstone of the submission was ownership reform, with NAB asserting that current rules were crafted for a bygone, pre-internet media environment and no longer served their intended purpose. The FCC’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative was part of a broader government effort encouraging agencies to conduct retrospective reviews and modernize regulatory frameworks. NAB’s filing directly responded to the Commission’s request for input, providing what it described as a detailed roadmap to eliminate antiquated rules, minimize unnecessary compliance burdens, and better align FCC policy with the realities... The National Association of Broadcasters says it filed comprehensive comments with the Federal Communications Commission in response to the agency’s call for public input under its “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative. NAB says its filing “urges the FCC to seize this moment to fundamentally modernize its regulatory framework, beginning with long-overdue reforms to the national television ownership cap and the local radio and TV ownership... NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt states, “This is a moment for bold ideas, and NAB is proud to lead the charge.

The FCC’s rules should reflect today’s media landscape, not one from decades past. Our filing lays out a clear, actionable path to modernize regulations and empower local radio and TV stations to better serve their communities. We appreciate the Commission, especially Chairman Carr, for launching this important effort. Reforming outdated ownership rules is the essential first step to strengthening local journalism and ensuring broadcasters can continue to survive.” See the entire filing here. FCC Chair Brendan Carr said nothing is off the table as part of his deregulatory initiative titled “Delete, Delete, Delete.” And judging by the comments filed, broadcasters had plenty of ideas of where they’d... But some rules are better left in place, says the National Association of Broadcasters.

It’s urging the FCC to reject a series of proposed changes that it says could disrupt the broadcast landscape and harm localism and service reliability. In newly filed comments, NAB opposes several initiatives advanced by low-power FM advocates, including proposals to allow LPFM stations to run commercial advertising and to boost their maximum power from 100 watts to 250... NAB argued that permitting LPFM stations to air commercials would fundamentally alter their noncommercial mission, originally envisioned by the FCC to meet hyper-local needs unmet by traditional broadcasters. “Airing ads would shift LPFM operators’ incentives away from serving small, diverse communities,” NAB said, warning it would erode the unique role LPFM stations play. “The airing of ads would change the incentives of LPFM operators, and in turn, potentially reduce the type of hyper-local programming that LPFM is intended to provide,” it said. Similarly, NAB criticized proposals to create a new 250-watt LPFM service class, noting that Congress specifically capped LPFM power levels in the Local Community Radio Act to protect existing FM services from interference.

NAB also cited technical concerns, warning that raising LPFM power would overcrowd an already congested FM band and jeopardize FM translators, which are vital for AM broadcasters’ survival. “Allowing LPFM stations to dramatically increase power would undermine the careful balance that Congress struck between promoting opportunities for LPFM stations and protecting other FM services from interference,” it said. Delete: The FCC needs to take ongoing broadcast regulation off autopilot and quickly deregulate TV and radio station owners facing mounting pressure from Big Tech – whether it’s YouTube TV, Amazon Prime Video, or... That was the message sent to the FCC on Friday by the National Association of Broadcasters in yet another strongly worded appeal that a status quote replete with “tedious” and “oppressive” regulations was unsustainable. “No longer can broadcasting remain the Mount Everest of communications services that the Commission – akin to mountaineers – regulates because it is there,” NAB said in the 145-page filing. “This is a major policy failure that NAB has long urged the FCC to correct.” NAB’s comments came in response to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s decision to launch a “Delete, Delete, Delete” docket inviting...

So far, more than 600 individuals or organizations have weighed in. Top of the list for NAB was elimination of the 39% cap – which is the maximum percentage of TV households a single TV station owner is allowed to reach nationally. “The time to repeal this harmful rule is now,” NAB said, adding that unregulated streaming platforms do not face a similar constraint. NAB also targeted the FCC’s rule that bars the common ownership of more than one Top Four TV station (measured by audience ratings) in the same local market. It also called for broad relaxation of FM radio ownership rules and the complete removal of all restrictions on AM ownership. “No broadcast regulations are more devastating to the viability and future vitality of TV and radio broadcasters than the national TV ownership restriction and the local radio and TV ownership rules,” NAB said.

The scope of NAB’s filing was so extensive that at one point it said, “Congratulations if you made it all the way to the end. The list is long.” Following is a rundown of what other trade groups recommended for deletion: Broadcasters, cable, and wireless groups have extensive wish lists for the FCC’s ‘Delete, Delete, Delete’ initiative. WASHINGTON, March 14, 2025 – FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's sweeping deregulatory effort, known as ‘Delete, Delete, Delete’, has elicited varied responses from industry stakeholders since it was announced Wednesday. One of the first groups to publicly back the initiative was the National Association of Broadcasters, applauding Carr’s deep dive into expelling FCC’s rules and regulations that “no longer serve any meaningful public interest...

Among NAB’s top priorities for deregulation: The national TV ownership cap, which currently prevents a single broadcaster from reaching more than 39% of U.S. households; and, local radio and TV station ownership rules, which limit how many stations a single company can own in a given market. Those “must be reformed as soon as possible,” NAB spokesman Alex Siciliano told Broadband Breakfast. The National Association of Broadcasters has submitted extensive reply comments in the Federal Communications Commission’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” proceeding, presenting a case for significant regulatory relief for radio and television broadcasters facing increasingly intense... NAB’s filing emphasizes the sheer volume of regulations burdening broadcasters compared to their competitors. Part 73 of the FCC’s rules, which governs broadcasting, spans 423 pages – more than any other regulated communications service and more than double the regulations for cable and satellite providers under Part 76.

FCC’s Carr signals tougher broadcast regulation incoming with focus on empowering local stations “The rules governing broadcasting are not only excessive, but they are also obsolete and counterproductive,” NAB argued in its filing. “They discourage investment, hinder innovation, and place broadcasters at a structural disadvantage.” A significant portion of NAB’s reply comments focuses on opposing what it characterizes as “tired, retrograde, rent-seeking proposals” from the pay TV industry and music industry interests. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr asked for ideas to cut outdated broadcast regulations – and the NAB has now given him plenty to work with. In an 80-page filing backed by a 60-page appendix, the NAB delivered a sweeping blueprint for deregulation under Carr’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative, targeting everything from local ownership caps to Equal Employment Opportunity requirements.

“This is a moment for bold ideas, and NAB is proud to lead the charge,” said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “The FCC’s rules should reflect today’s media landscape, not one from decades past. Our filing lays out a clear, actionable path to modernize regulations and empower local radio and TV stations to better serve their communities. We appreciate the Commission, especially Chairman Carr, for launching this important effort. Reforming outdated ownership rules is the essential first step to strengthening local journalism and ensuring broadcasters can continue to survive.” At the top of NAB’s list is a demand to abolish local broadcast ownership rules that restrict how many radio and television stations a company can own in a single market.

NAB argues that these caps were created in the analog era and have no place in today’s vastly expanded media environment. “No broadcast regulations are more devastating to the viability and future vitality of TV and radio broadcasters than the national TV ownership restriction and the local radio and TV ownership rules,” NAB wrote. Deletion of the ownership caps is viewed as a non-negotiable for NAB, saying on page 14, “Despite the insightful ideas that follow… THE FCC SHOULD NOT PROCEED UNTIL IT ELIMINATES THE NATIONAL TV AUDIENCE... As for those other ideas, in tandem with ownership deregulation, NAB is urging the FCC to modernize or scrap the Online Public Inspection File rules, describing them as outdated and disproportionately burdensome for broadcasters,...

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