NBCUniversal urged the FCC to maintain uniform ownership rules for all broadcast stations, rejecting the idea of different regulations for stations owned by major networks like NBC versus those owned by non-network groups.
In its filing, NBCU did not address whether the FCC should eliminate ownership caps, as advocated by the National Association of Broadcasters and many broadcasters, focusing instead on opposing differential treatment based on ownership.
NBCU’s filing responded to an FCC question about whether stations unaffiliated with major networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) should be exempt from national audience reach caps. NBCU argued that such a two-tiered system lacks legal or policy basis and violates the First Amendment by targeting specific broadcasters for disfavored treatment.
The company emphasized that its 36 owned-and-operated (O&O) stations across 16 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico are vital local broadcasters, employing over 4,000 people and delivering more than 150 hours of daily local news, weather, and sports. These stations, NBCU asserted, serve their communities comparably to non-network-owned stations, and disparate rules would undermine localism.
Carr has suggested relaxing ownership caps for non-network station groups to empower local broadcasters while constraining national networks.
NBCU countered that favoring non-network groups would harm local broadcasting, as its O&O stations are integral to local markets. The company argued that the FCC lacks authority to impose ownership rules selectively and that such actions would be unconstitutional. With Comcast’s planned 2026 split into two entities—one holding cable networks, the other broadcast networks, streaming, studios, and stations—NBCU stressed that equal treatment for all broadcasters is essential to promoting localism.