NAB Ex Parte Refutes Erroneous Claims About Ownership

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, February 16, 2022

National Association of Broadcasters

NAB has filed an ex parte communication with the FCC regarding the Commission's 2018 quadrennial review of its media ownership rules. The agency is currently in the midst of its congressional mandated review of the rules governing broadcast radio and TV station ownership after the Supreme Court unanimously ruled in April, 2021 that a lower court erred in blocking changes to broadcast media ownership regulations, while the trade group demonstrated that the current local radio ownership rule has no valid basis.

In NAB's filing, the trade group:

• Corrects numerous misstatements and mischaracterizations by other parties about the Supreme Court's media ownership decision;

• Shows again that broadcast radio stations compete for audiences and advertising revenues with myriad other content providers and ad platforms, including digital;

• Refutes erroneous claims that the FCC should artificially limit its consideration of competition in its quadrennial reviews only to the competition between local broadcast stations;

• Demonstrates the need for radio broadcasters to achieve greater local scale to support their programming and other services, especially in mid-sized and small markets; and

• Explains that maintaining outdated radio ownership caps does not address the problems new entrants, including women and minorities, experience in accessing capital, the primary barrier to their entry into broadcasting.

To read the complete filing, click here.