Washington, D.C. – In response to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) announcement that it will refresh the record on the national cap – a 21-year-old rule that restricts TV broadcast ownership – the following statement can be attributed to NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt:
“NAB thanks Chairman Carr for taking this important step towards modernizing a decades old rule that limits television broadcasters’ ability to compete in today’s media marketplace. We appreciate Chairman Carr’s willingness to tackle this critical issue, which will allow us to better serve our communities with trusted news and information. We look forward to working together to bring outdated ownership rules into the 21st century and give local stations a fair chance to compete with Big Tech.”
The current national ownership cap limits broadcasters’ ability to serve more than 39% of U.S. households, an arbitrary threshold that hinders local stations from achieving the scale needed to compete with unregulated Big Tech platforms that reach 100% of Americans without restriction. These outdated rules ignore the vast and growing competition local broadcasters face for audience, programming, talent and advertising revenue.
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at nab.org.
###