FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty has strongly defended the FCC's push to overhaul outdated media ownership rules, arguing they hinder broadcasters' ability to compete for advertising revenue and reinvest in local news and communities.
In a recent fireside chat at the Brookings Institution's Center for Technology Innovation with Senior Fellow Nicole Turner-Lee, Trusty stated that the agency aims to "modernize our broadcast regulatory framework and empower broadcasters to compete for viewers for programming and ad revenues and reinvest those resources into their news gathering operations, hopefully with the ability to expand access to local content and communities across the country."
She credited FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's "Delete, Delete, Delete" initiative for driving the elimination of "outdated, unnecessary, and unworkable rules" to foster investment, innovation, and competition.
Broadcasters, including the NAB and radio groups, have long contended in the ongoing 2022 Quadrennial Review that local radio ownership caps harm the industry. They argue radio now competes with unregulated digital platforms for audience, ads, and capital—not just other stations—making current limits damaging in today's marketplace.
Citing a recent Gallup poll showing trust in media at a record low of 28% (down from 31% the prior year and 40% five years ago), Trusty emphasized the FCC's statutory duty to enforce rules like avoiding broadcast hoaxes, providing equal time opportunities, and not distorting news—guided by facts, precedent, law, and the First Amendment.
On AI policy, following a new directive from President Trump, Trusty warned that a patchwork of state laws could create "haves and have-nots," with heavy regulation stifling investment in some states while lighter approaches attract it elsewhere. She advocated for a national framework to offer predictability, reduce compliance costs, and support innovation.
Reflecting on her legacy, Trusty hopes the current FCC era will be "defined by results"—connecting more people, improving infrastructure resiliency and security, and positioning the U.S. to lead in local broadcasting and beyond.