FCC to repeal 39% TV ownership cap in boost for Trump-friendly news orgs

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has proposed eliminating the 39% national television station ownership limit, which currently prevents any single company from reaching more than that share of the audience. Instead, the commission intends to adopt a case-by-case review process, allowing mergers to exceed the cap if the deal promotes localism, viewpoint diversity, and competition.

The change, scheduled for a vote at the commission's August 6 meeting, is expected to face legal challenges. Commissioner Anna Gomez, the only Democrat on the three-member FCC, described the plan as an unlawful effort to hand control of public airwaves to billionaire allies of the administration. She said it would destroy local newsrooms and drive up costs for families who depend on local stations for news and emergency alerts.

Gomez noted that in 2003, the FCC tried to raise the cap to 45% on its own authority, but Congress intervened within months, setting the cap at 39% and making clear the FCC lacked authority to change it. She argued that a new attempt would violate that congressional directive.

Carr, however, wrote that the current rule prevents local broadcasters from achieving the scale needed to compete. He believes switching to individual reviews will shift focus back to local communities and away from Hollywood content.