NAB Wants More Deregulation From FCC

RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, March 6, 2012 | 8:16am CT

This probably won't go over too well with those radio owners who feel deregulation has reduced the localism factor in radio. The NAB has filed comments with the FCC asking for more deregulation and even more relaxed rules than are already in place. In a letter sent from NAB President and CEO David Rehr to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, Rehr writes: "As the commission approaches its next review of the broadcast ownership rules, NAB wants to emphasize the importance of reforming these broadcast-only restrictions."

The letter continues, "The existing local radio ownership rules are not necessary to promote the commission's goals of competition, diversity or localism. Recent developments in the audio marketplace have made it competitive by any metric, but certainly in comparison to the less competitive and less diverse marketplace that existed when Congress enacted the restrictions in 1996."

Rehr then goes as far as to say that the competition in the audio marketplace has rendered the current ownership restrictions obsolete and that local radio ownership restrictions are likely inhibiting localism. The comments continue: "As shown by a 2010 government accountability study, radio programming decisions are locally-made, based on the interests and preferences of local listeners, and are not determined by ownership structures. In other words, the current local radio ownership restrictions are unnecessary because, even in their absence, local radio stations will do what they have always done - respond to local listeners. Studies in fact have shown that local restrictions are more likely to inhibit localism than foster it."

Meanwhile, U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., chair of the House subcommittee on telecommunications and the internet, continues to push the FCC to move quickly in raising the limit on the number of radio stations broadcast companies can own in some markets.