Conservative Groups Urge FCC to Modernize Ownership Rules

RADIO ONLINE | Friday, May 16, 2025 | 10:05am CT

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

More than 20 conservative organizations and individuals, led by Heritage Action for America, have sent a joint letter to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr urging the Commission to overhaul long-standing broadcast ownership regulations. The coalition argues that current rules, which date back to the 1940s, are outdated and hinder the competitiveness of local radio and TV broadcasters in today's digital media landscape.

"These rules may have served the public interest in last century's marketplace," the letter states, "but they have long since become antiquated and harmful by stifling investment and innovation in broadcasting."

Specifically, the groups are calling for the repeal of the 39% national television ownership cap, restrictions on local TV duopolies, and local radio ownership caps. The letter contends that such reforms would allow broadcasters to "achieve the scale and efficiencies necessary to compete - and to attract vital investment - in a fragmented and rapidly evolving information market."

The letter emphasizes the asymmetry in regulation between broadcasters and Big Tech platforms, noting that "broadcasters are limited by the ownership rules in how many households and consumers they can reach," while platforms like YouTube and Facebook face no such constraints.

Curtis LeGeyt, President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, praised the show of support. "Americans across the political spectrum agree that burdensome, arbitrary regulations are limiting local TV and radio stations' ability to compete with Big Tech in the modern media landscape," he said. "We are grateful for the wide-ranging support to modernize these outdated broadcast ownership rules and echo the call for the FCC to level the playing field so local broadcasters can provide the most-trusted news, live sports and entertainment to every listener and viewer."

The letter also commended Chairman Carr's past opposition to the FCC's decision to uphold existing rules, citing his prior dissent: "Despite a record bursting with evidence of a vibrant media marketplace, the Commission continues to advance the fiction that broadcast radio and broadcast television stations exist in markets unto themselves."

This latest appeal joins a growing chorus for reform, with recent letters to the FCC from more than 70 members of the House, 22 U.S. Senators, and several community organizations advocating similar changes.

Supporters say that without regulatory modernization, "valued local broadcast radio and television services could disappear entirely," potentially jeopardizing access to trusted information and emergency communication.