The FCC is expected to vote at is next Open Meeting on September 30, to formally commence or advance its long-delayed 2022 quadrennial media ownership review.
This aligns with Chairman Brendan Carr's deregulatory push, potentially leading to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) or direct rule changes. The timing comes amid broader FCC efforts, including a March 2025 "Delete, Delete, Delete" initiative reviewing all regulations for repeal.
Brendan Carr, appointed FCC Chairman in January 2025 following President Trump's inauguration, has been a vocal advocate for deregulation since joining the FCC in 2017. In his Project 2025 chapter on the FCC (a conservative policy blueprint), he called for a "market-friendly regulatory environment" to foster innovation, explicitly targeting media ownership limits as barriers to competition from tech giants like Google and Meta.
- Local Television Ownership Rule: Limits the number of TV stations one entity can own in a Designated Market Area (DMA), e.g., no more than two of the top four rated stations in markets with 20+ full-power stations.
- Local Radio Ownership Rule: Caps radio station ownership based on market size (e.g., up to 8 stations in markets with 45+ stations, with sub-caps on AM/FM).
- National Television Ownership Cap: Restricts a single entity to owning stations reaching no more than 39% of U.S. TV households (with a 50% "UHF discount" for ultra-high-frequency stations).
- Dual Network Rule: Prohibits mergers between the top four TV networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC).
Historically, these reviews have been contentious. Carr has criticized past FCC timidity, stating in a 2024 statement: "It is past time for the FCC to confront the harms that its own media ownership policies have caused," arguing rules designed for a pre-digital era stifle local broadcasters' ability to invest in journalism and compete.
Relaxing local TV and radio sub-caps would allow more consolidation in smaller markets. Modernizing rules to reflect streaming's dominance, potentially allowing more mergers like the blocked 2023 TEGNA-Standard General deal, which Carr opposed blocking.
Broadcasters overwhelmingly back deregulation to enable scale against digital rivals. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), representing over 8,300 stations, has been a key ally. On September 8, 2025, NAB President Curtis LeGeyt praised Carr: "We commend Chairman Carr for jump-starting the long-overdue 2022 Quadrennial Ownership Review. Outdated rules have held broadcasters back for too long. Modernizing them means stronger local journalism, more investment in communities and the live sports fans count on." NAB has long argued rules from the analog era ignore multicast, streaming, and audience fragmentation.