FCC Commissioners Olivia Trusty (Republican) and Anna M. Gomez (Democrat) have expressed sharply differing views on the FCC's ongoing review and potential relaxation of broadcast ownership rules. These rules limit how many radio and TV stations (or national reach) a single entity can own, aiming to promote competition, localism, viewpoint diversity, and prevent excessive media consolidation.
The FCC is in the midst of its 2022 Quadrennial Regulatory Review (required every four years under the Telecommunications Act of 1996), examining rules like local radio ownership caps (e.g., limits on stations per owner in a market), local TV ownership limits, the national TV audience reach cap (currently 39% of U.S. households), and the dual network rule. Broadcasters often argue for deregulation to better compete with streaming giants and digital platforms amid declining ad revenue.
Commissioner Olivia Trusty's Position: Trusty supports modernizing (and likely easing or removing) these outdated rules to help broadcasters stay competitive. She emphasizes empowering local stations to attract viewers, generate revenue, and reinvest in newsgathering and operations. In a February 2026 Brookings event and other statements, she described the FCC's efforts as creating a "dynamic, vibrant, and competitive" media ecosystem that supports local news without unnecessary regulatory barriers. She views deregulation as a way to boost competition rather than hinder it.
Commissioner Anna M. Gomez's Position: Gomez, the lone Democrat on the Commission, strongly opposes broad deregulation and consolidation. She warns that fewer owners lead to fewer independent voices, reduced local perspectives, and diminished editorial diversity—ultimately harming consumers and communities. In speeches (e.g., at the State of the Net Conference in February 2026) and statements, she compares potential outcomes to the "hollowing out" of local newspapers through consolidation, cost-cutting, and distant decision-making.
She argues for targeted, market-specific policies to address streaming competition and ad revenue shifts without sacrificing local ownership or public interest goals. Gomez stresses that the 39% national TV ownership cap is statutory law (set by Congress), not something the FCC can simply waive. She has expressed concerns that large media companies, dependent on FCC approvals, face pressure to align content with regulatory favor, and that consolidation could exacerbate declines in local journalism.