NRB Urges FCC to Keep TV Ownership Caps, Ease AM Limits

RADIO ONLINE | Monday, January 19, 2026 | 5:20pm CT

National Religious Broadcasters (NRB)

The National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) is urging the Federal Communications Commission to reject further consolidation of television station ownership while adopting a more flexible approach to AM radio ownership, according to comments filed in the FCC's 2022 Quadrennial Regulatory Review.

In its filing, NRB argues that additional consolidation at the national or local television level would disproportionately harm independent, faith-based, and educational broadcasters that lack the scale and capital of large station groups. The organization warns that relaxing ownership limits would reduce viewpoint diversity, weaken localism, and threaten public-interest programming that relies on local commitment rather than national efficiencies.

NRB opposes any changes to the national television ownership cap, currently set by Congress at 39% of U.S. television households, and urges the Commission to maintain existing local television ownership rules, including safeguards that prevent a single owner from controlling multiple top-rated stations in the same market. The group says loosening those rules would raise acquisition costs, concentrate advertising markets, and make it harder for independent operators to compete.

On radio, NRB takes a split position. The organization supports eliminating local ownership caps for AM radio, citing longstanding technical and economic challenges facing the band and arguing that greater flexibility could help preserve service, encourage investment, and sustain local news and emergency information-particularly in rural and underserved communities.

By contrast, NRB urges the FCC to retain existing FM ownership limits, warning that further consolidation in FM could erode local ownership and reduce opportunities for mission-driven programming tailored to community needs.

The filing also highlights broader marketplace changes, including the decline of traditional cable and satellite distribution and the rise of streaming platforms, which NRB says place independent broadcasters at a growing disadvantage. The group contends that these trends make strong ownership safeguards more important, not less, if the Commission is to preserve local control, diversity of voices, and educational and community-focused programming.