FCC's Carr Favors Relaxing Ownership Rules

David Farber, anchor CNBC and Brendan Carr, FCC chair

In a detailed interview at the Milken Institute on May 7, 2025, FCC Chair Brendan Carr strongly advocated for dismantling ownership rules and caps, arguing they hinder local broadcast stations’ ability to compete with tech giants and streaming platforms. 

Carr, a Trump appointee, emphasized empowering local broadcasters, whom he views as vital for community-focused, unbiased news.

Carr reiterated his criticism of broadcast networks, accusing them of news bias and problematic diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. Referencing an FCC investigation into Disney’s DEI policies, he claimed preliminary data suggest “intentional discrimination” based on race and gender, calling it a “really big deal.” He also pushed for rebalancing affiliation agreements to favor local affiliates over networks, which he believes deliver more objective reporting.

On ownership reform, Carr proposed relaxing “arcane, artificial limits” on how many TV stations a company can own, noting these restrictions don’t apply to tech giants like Google and Facebook. “Local TV station groups are competing with big tech in advertising,” he said. “I want to empower those local stations and constrain the power of national programmers.” Ownership reform, he suggested, is one way to strengthen local broadcasters against dominant streamers and tech platforms, aligning with his broader vision to reshape the media landscape.