House Lawmakers Urge FCC To Update Ownership Regs

A bipartisan group of 73 members of the U.S. House of Representatives led by Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-09) Monday sent a letter to the FCC calling for immediate action to update outdated ownership regulations that hurt local TV and radio stations. The lawmakers emphasized the need for rules that reflect today’s competitive media landscape, where local broadcasters face unprecedented challenges competing with unregulated Big Tech platforms.

“America’s local TV and radio stations are facing a radically transformed media landscape where global tech giants operate without restriction while local stations remain shackled by decades-old rules,” said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “NAB is grateful to Rep. Hudson and his bipartisan colleagues for urging the FCC to bring its ownership regulations into the modern era. Quickly updating these rules is essential to preserving local journalism, strengthening public safety and ensuring that broadcasters can continue to serve the communities that rely on them every day.”

The letter reads, in part:

“Reforming outdated ownership rules is essential to ensuring that broadcasters remain viable, competitive, and capable of fulfilling their essential role in American democracy. By modernizing these regulations, the FCC can empower broadcasters to better serve their communities, promote local journalism, and compete in the modern media marketplace. Updating these rules is not just an urgent economic necessity, it is a public service imperative.

“We urge the FCC to act swiftly in eliminating antiquated ownership restrictions and to embrace a broadcast regulatory framework that reflects the realities of today’s dynamic media ecosystem.”

Click here to read the letter in its entirety.

Recent Context and Bipartisan Sentiment

Historical Efforts: Over the past decade, there have been recurring bipartisan calls to revisit these rules. For instance, in 2017, under Chairman Ajit Pai, the FCC (with Republican support and some Democratic dissent) relaxed several ownership restrictions, including eliminating the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership ban. This move was overturned in 2019 by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which criticized the FCC for not adequately assessing impacts on minority and female ownership—a decision that underscored the need for a balanced approach, a concern shared across party lines.

2023 Quadrennial Review: The FCC’s 2018 Quadrennial Review, finalized in December 2023, retained most existing ownership rules with minor tweaks, disappointing broadcasters who sought deregulation. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and others argued that the rules fail to reflect the modern media marketplace. While the decision was not overtly bipartisan, dissenting Republican Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington criticized it as overly cautious, aligning with sentiments from some Democrats who favor competition but also worry about consolidation’s effects on diversity.

Congressional Interest: In early 2025, figures like Representative Rich Hudson (R-NC) have publicly urged the FCC to reform ownership caps, citing the disadvantage faced by local broadcasters against streaming services. Posts on X and public statements from lawmakers suggest a growing bipartisan frustration with the FCC’s pace. For example, Hudson’s call for a "level playing field" echoes concerns from Democrats like Senator Byron Dorgan, who in 2007 pushed for delays in FCC deregulation to ensure public input—a sign that both parties have historically sought a balanced update, albeit with different emphases (competition vs. diversity).

Key Issues at Stake

• Competition: Broadcasters argue they’re hamstrung by caps (e.g., TV stations limited to reaching 39% of U.S. households) while tech platforms face no such limits.
• Diversity and Localism: Critics, including some Democrats, worry that easing rules could reduce minority ownership and local content, a tension that requires bipartisan compromise.
• Public Interest: Both sides agree on the need to update rules but differ on execution—Republicans lean toward deregulation, Democrats toward targeted reforms.