FCC Kills TV Ownership Cap, Claiming Authority Over Limit Set By Congress
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 today to eliminate the National Television Ownership Rule, claiming authority to repeal a limit that was set by Congress over 20 years ago. The rule prohibits any single broadcast station owner from reaching more than 39 percent of all TV households in the US. Under Chairman Brendan Carr, the…
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to eliminate the National Television Ownership Rule, which caps the amount of TV households that any single broadcast station owner can reach at 39 percent. Chairman Brendan Carr made this decision, stating that the FCC now has the authority to review proposed mergers on a case-by-case basis, allowing them to approve deals that benefit the public interest while rejecting those that do not.
Carr argues that this change will help broadcasters compete against streaming companies, who do not face similar limits. However, critics argue that Congress set the cap and only Congress has the authority to change it. Democrats, former FCC commissioners, and Republican officials with knowledge of the issue all agree that the FCC does not have the authority to modify the cap.
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