As the FCC wraps up a dynamic and often contentious year, Chair Brendan Carr has released a comprehensive list of 75 key achievements in 2025, emphasizing advancements in deregulation, innovation, and support for local broadcasting.
Carr described 2025 as a "historic year," stating: “2025 was a historic year for the FCC and I am proud of all the wins we were able to achieve for the American people. I want to express my thanks and appreciation to the agency’s talented staff for the great and efficient results that they delivered all year long. But this is just the beginning. The FCC is firing on all cylinders, and we will build on this momentum to deliver even more wins in 2026.”
Among the highlights most relevant to broadcasters, the FCC:
- Approved the Skydance acquisition of Paramount (including CBS), with commitments from the new owners to promote diverse viewpoints, address perceived bias in national news media, enhance local reporting, and strengthen affiliate partnerships.
- Launched a broad inquiry—the first in over 15 years—into relationships between major national programmers and local broadcast TV stations, aiming to empower affiliates and ensure they can fulfill public interest obligations.
- Granted 84 construction permits for new noncommercial TV, FM, and low-power radio stations, while processing over 7,600 other licensing matters, including 887 assignments/transfers and 714 renewals.
- Approved the first new ownership combinations of two full-power, top-four-ranked television stations in the same market in more than five years, followed by another such approval, enabling greater operational flexibility for station groups.
- Advanced the transition to NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0), supporting modernization of over-the-air broadcasting to deliver enhanced services, interactive features, and improved local news access.
- Eliminated 98 obsolete or outdated broadcast rules, plus 11 additional provisions tied to antiquated technologies.
- Held broadcasters accountable to public interest obligations while empowering them to better serve local communities.These actions reflect a focus on reducing regulatory burdens, fostering innovation, and prioritizing localism amid evolving media landscapes.
The full list of 75 wins is available on the FCC website.