A bipartisan group of 73 U.S. House members is appealing to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr to “modernize outdated ownership rules that hinder broadcasters nationwide.” The letter says, in part, “While the FCC has made incremental adjustments over the decades, the
fundamental ownership restrictions have remained largely unchanged since the 1990s, imposing undue constraints on broadcasters’ ability to innovate and invest in local content. These regulations are a relic of an era when broadcasters were the only electronic media. Today, any one of the largest Big Tech platforms dwarfs the entire broadcast industry – yet they are held to no similar limitations on their reach. This imbalance places broadcasters at a severe disadvantage in competing for advertising dollars and audience engagement… 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.” Read the full letter here.
