Report: Sen. Paul Introduces Broadcast Deregulation Bill

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, September 15, 2022

U.S. Congress

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced The Local News and Broadcast Media Preservation Act of 2022 that would invalidate the FCC's current multiple station ownership limits and prevent the FCC from restoring the prohibition on common ownership of broadcast properties and newspapers, reports Broadcasting & Cable's John Eggerton.

In November 2017, the FCC voted to eliminate the newspaper-broadcast and the radio-TV cross-ownership rules, but Eggerton writes if the FCC ever gets a Democratic majority -- currently it is tied 2-2 -- Republicans fear that prohibition could return.

Paul's bill would also mandate that mergers among broadcasters not be considered to lessen competition or create a monopoly. Paul said in a press release, that it "would allow local broadcast companies to merge without government interference to allow those broadcasters to better compete against these tech giants."

The bill would also incorporate an ongoing effort to give broadcasters an antitrust exemption to collectively negotiate with online content distributors for compensation for the online use of broadcasters' local news content.