Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has introduced a bill to deregulate broadcast ownership laws.
The Local News and Broadcast Media Preservation Act of 2022 would prevent the FCC from limiting how many radio, television, or newspapers one entity could own in a given market.
In November 2017, the FCC eliminated the newspaper/broadcast and radio/television broadcast ownership rules. Republicans fear if a Democratic majority ever happens at the FCC, the rules would be returned to their old standing.
In a statement, the Senator said the bill “would allow local broadcast companies to merge without government interference to allow those broadcasters to better compete against these tech giants.”
Broadcasting+Cable’s John Eggerton says it’s unlikely the bill will pass unless Republicans secure both the House and the Senate in the upcoming mid-term elections.
Gigi Sohn, who President Biden nominated as a Commissioner of the FCC in October of last year, supports station ownership limits. Sohn has yet to be confirmed by the Senate.
