The FCC will vote August 6 on repealing its 39% national television ownership cap, a move that could trigger widespread consolidation in the broadcast industry.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced the proposal in an op-ed Thursday, saying the agency will replace the long-standing national limit with a case-by-case review. Under the new approach, the FCC would evaluate proposed mergers individually, approving those that serve the public interest and blocking those that do not.
Broadcasters and the National Association of Broadcasters immediately praised the plan, which they have sought for decades. The change is expected to make it easier for station groups to expand beyond the current 39% national audience reach limit.
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| Brendan Carr |
“Local TV stations today lack the power to preempt or refuse to air national programming that does not fit their communities’ values,” Carr wrote. He said larger local groups would gain leverage to produce more trusted local news and resist what he called partisan national content.
The lone Democrat on the commission, Anna Gomez, signaled she will vote against the order, calling it bad policy and unlawful. Gomez said the FCC lacks authority to lift the national cap. The 39% rule has restricted how many TV stations a single company can own nationwide. Replacing it with granular reviews is intended to foster competition, localism, and investment in news while still allowing the agency to reject harmful deals.