Nab Urges Fcc To Eliminate Outdated Broadcast Rules

Local broadcasters keep you connected and informed. Learn about how we serve Americans every day, the economic impact we have on local communities, read stories of broadcasters' public service and more. Local television and radio stations played an indispensable role in 2024 connecting communities to trusted journalism and verified information during an election year. Take a look back at all that we accomplished together in 2024. Questions? NAB members can call our free Legal Hotline to learn more about legislation, filings and updates from Washington.

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 Sign Up Today FCC Chairman Brendan Carr asked for ideas to cut outdated broadcast regulations – and the NAB has now given him plenty to work with.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 Reforming outdated ownership rules is the essential first step to strengthening local journalism and ensuring broadcasters can continue to survive.”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,... The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) is continuing their campaign urging Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to modernize their very old broadcast ownership rules. This not only affects television, but radio as well.

According to the NAB, the outdated restrictions are making it difficult for local stations to compete against Big Tech companies. These rules were implemented MANY years ago. Radio and television properties have changed significantly, and so should the rules. NAB has been campaigning since April to Congress and the FCC, trying to be heard. Since then, they’ve aired almost 250,000 television and radio ads to inform the masses on how keeping these rules is killing local media; and just as important, how it will effect consumers. Since the campaign, people have sent more than 174,000 emails and 34,000 tweets to members of Congress and FCC commissioners in support of the NAB campaign.

This right here shows the listeners and consumers care where their information and entertainment is coming from. The overall goal is to modernize the outdated rules, which would help local broadcasting compete with Big Tech. 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. Sunsetting ATSC 1.0, reducing paperwork, cutting rules relating to children’s programing, EEO and other areas, and updating EAS are among the many NAB proposals When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters has filed a massive document with the Federal Communications Commission detailing rules that it would like the agency to delete or revise, with the complete abolition of national and...

Earlier this year, the FCC has opened a docket called “Delete, Delete, Delete” seeking comments on rules that need to be eliminated as part of a larger deregulatory push. The action has prompted a massive response from industry organizations, non-profits and individuals, with over 880 comments filed by 3 pm on Monday April 14. It is currently the most active FCC docket on the agency’s site. In the filing the NAB continued its full court press for eliminating national and local broadcast ownership rules. It repeated many familiar arguments against the rules, asserting that the antiquated limits no longer reflect the realities of the media landscape and make it impossible for broadcasters to effectively compete against more lightly... 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.

Local broadcasters keep you connected and informed. Learn about how we serve Americans every day, the economic impact we have on local communities, read stories of broadcasters' public service and more. Local television and radio stations played an indispensable role in 2024 connecting communities to trusted journalism and verified information during an election year. Take a look back at all that we accomplished together in 2024. Questions? NAB members can call our free Legal Hotline to learn more about legislation, filings and updates from Washington.

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 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.

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