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The Fcc Wants To Change Ownership Rules For Abc Cbs Fox Nbc

Leo Migdal
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the fcc wants to change ownership rules for abc cbs fox nbc

In a significant move that could reshape the landscape of local television in the United States, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has initiated a process to overhaul the rules governing ownership of local ABC,... The agency announced it will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking as part of its quadrennial regulatory review, aiming to modernize regulations that dictate who can own these influential broadcast outlets. The FCC is seeking public input on whether the current rules should be retained, modified, or entirely eliminated, citing the rapidly evolving media marketplace as a driving factor behind the review. The existing broadcast ownership rules, established decades ago, were designed to promote competition, diversity of voices, and localism in media. They place limits on how many stations a single entity can own in a given market and restrict cross-ownership of television stations, radio stations, and newspapers. However, the media landscape has undergone dramatic changes in recent years, with the rise of streaming services, social media platforms, and digital news outlets challenging the dominance of traditional broadcast television.

The FCC’s review acknowledges that these shifts may have rendered some of the current restrictions outdated or overly restrictive, potentially stifling innovation and investment in local broadcasting. The proposed rulemaking will evaluate whether loosening ownership caps could allow broadcasters to better compete with tech giants and streaming platforms that face fewer regulatory constraints. For instance, relaxing rules could enable companies to own multiple stations in a single market, potentially leading to cost efficiencies and greater investment in local programming. However, such changes could also raise concerns about media consolidation, potentially reducing the diversity of viewpoints and giving a handful of large corporations greater control over local news and information. The FCC’s review will also consider the impact on smaller broadcasters and underserved communities. Current rules aim to ensure that minority-owned and independent stations have opportunities to thrive, but critics argue that outdated regulations may inadvertently favor larger conglomerates.

The agency is expected to examine whether modernizing the rules could foster greater inclusivity or, conversely, exacerbate existing inequities in the industry. Public comment will play a critical role in shaping the outcome of this review. The FCC has emphasized that it wants input from a wide range of stakeholders, including broadcasters, advocacy groups, and viewers, to ensure any changes reflect the public interest. The agency has not set a timeline for finalizing new rules, but the process is expected to spark heated debate as stakeholders weigh the balance between competition, innovation, and preserving local voices in an... Imagine turning on your TV and realizing every channel features the same anchor, the same jokes, and the same commercials for an insurance company that somehow owns half the media landscape. Sounds dystopian?

Maybe. But that’s the world we might be inching toward if the FCC ever decides to toss out the long-standing rules that prevent the four major broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox—from merging, and the... Before you grab your popcorn (or your remote), let’s unpack what such a change could mean—for viewers, advertisers, and the smaller broadcasters just trying to keep their antennas above water. In a move that could reshape the U.S. media landscape, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently announced plans to reconsider its longstanding prohibition on mergers among the four major broadcast networks — ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox. The agency is also seeking public comment on whether to revise or eliminate other media-ownership rules, including caps on local station ownership and national reach limits.

Currently, the FCC has a few key guardrails to keep broadcast television from becoming a media monopoly. First, no merger among the “Big Four” broadcast networks. Second, one entity can’t own more than two broadcast networks in the same local market. Any fundamental change to the current rules would mark one of the most transformative regulatory overhauls in the history of the broadcast industry. The stakes are high: under current rules, no single entity may own more than one of the “Big Four” networks, and ownership of multiple top-rated TV stations in the same local market is tightly... The Federal Communications Commission on Monday voted to begin a review of several long-standing broadcast ownership rules to determine whether they should be retained, modified or eliminated as the media landscape continues to evolve.

In a unanimous 3-0 decision at its monthly open meeting, the FCC adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that will seek public comment on multiple regulations governing radio and television station ownership. The rules under review include local television restrictions that limit how many broadcast stations a single company can own in a given market, along with the so-called “dual network” rule that prevents any of... Also up for consideration is the local radio ownership rule, which places caps on the number of radio stations one entity may control within a market. Current FCC policy prohibits one broadcast group from owning stations that collectively reach more than 39 percent of U.S. television households. That threshold can be exceeded under two provisions: the “UHF discount,” which reduces the coverage area of certain television stations for ownership calculations, and the “duopoly” rule, which allows a single company to operate...

FCC officials said the review is intended to solicit input from broadcasters, consumer advocates and the public on whether the rules continue to serve the public interest at a time when streaming platforms and... FCC is required to review TV rules and is more likely to scrap them under Carr. Fresh off his crusade against Jimmy Kimmel and ABC, the chair of the Federal Communications Commission may eliminate TV station ownership limits in a potential gift for station owners like Sinclair and Nexstar. When FCC Chairman Brendan Carr threatened ABC affiliates with license revocations for carrying Jimmy Kimmel’s show, he said that national networks exert too much control over local TV stations and that he’s trying “to... on their ABC affiliates even after ABC and its owner Disney ended Kimmel’s suspension. Within days, Sinclair and Nexstar decided to put Kimmel back on the air.

Pressure from viewers and advertisers likely played a major role in the reversal. But for Carr, the episode might reinforce his belief that station groups should have more influence over national programming. Today, Carr’s FCC voted to seek public comment on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that could result in certain broadcast ownership limits being scrapped or changed. This includes the Local Radio Ownership Rule that “limits the total number of radio stations that may be commonly owned in a local market” and the Local Television Rule that “limits a single entity... The broadcast television industry knows it needs to consolidate. It's just struggling with how to do it.

In August, Nexstar Media Group, the largest owner of broadcast stations in the U.S., announced a proposed $6.2 billion deal to buy Tegna — a combination that would bring together more than 260 stations... Last week, Sinclair, the owner of 179 local TV affiliates, made a hostile offer to acquire its smaller peer E.W. Scripps after buying up nearly 10% of the company on the open market. Both potential deals remain in limbo, and executives are getting antsy. Companies like Sinclair and Nexstar run the affiliate stations of the major networks across the U.S. known for local news, sports and other broadcast content.

They face the same headwinds as their cable and content studio counterparts — the shrinking number of pay-TV customers due to the rise of streaming and tech options. The Federal Communications Commission voted Sept. 30 to launch its quadrennial review of broadcast ownership regulations, asking whether decades-old rules limiting station consolidation remain relevant as streaming services and digital platforms reshape how Americans consume audio and video content. The notice of proposed rulemaking examines three core regulations: the Local Radio Ownership Rule, which caps the number of stations a single entity can own in a market; the Local Television Ownership Rule, which... The commission seeks comment on whether these rules continue to serve the public interest or instead prevent broadcasters from achieving operational efficiencies needed to compete with digital alternatives. Chairman Brendan Carr framed the review as essential to keeping regulations aligned with market realities.

“The old regulatory silos have been breaking down for quite some time, so the commission must move forward with a keen understanding of today’s converged markets,” Carr said in a statement. He added that the commission intends “to take a fresh approach to competition by examining the broader media marketplace, rather than treating broadcast radio and television as isolated markets.” NAB applauded the move, which could lead to significant changes in national station ownership caps When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission’s Media Bureau has issued a public notice seeking comments on national broadcast ownership caps, a move that was immediately applauded by the NAB as an “important step towards modernizing a...

As previously reported, FCC Chair Brendan Carr has been increasingly vocal about his willingness to deregulate broadcast ownership rules as a way to help station owners better compete against big tech companies and strengthen... The notice seeking public comment on ownership caps was issued one day after Olivia Trusty was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the second Republican FCC member. That will give Carr a 2-1 GOP majority on the commission.

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