Recently, eight radio companies, namely Connoisseur Media, LLC, Townsquare Media, Inc., Mid-West Family Broadcasting, Midwest Communications, Inc., Frandsen Family Stations, Forever Media, Inc., Neuhoff Communications, Eagle Communications, Inc., Patrick Communications, LLC, and Legend Communications, LLC, submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding ownership caps.
These caps limit the number of radio stations that an entity can own in a particular radio market. The comments were submitted by the top executives of these radio companies, including founders, CEOs, senior vice presidents, general counsels, presidents, chief operating officers, and managing partners.
As per a report by Radio Ink, the broadcasters are requesting the FCC to eliminate the local radio ownership rules say they were implemented 27 years ago in a different media landscape. The current regulations restrict the consolidation of local radio and, according to the submissions, hinder the ability of radio stations to compete with tech giants.
The broadcasters argue that the competition for audience and advertising has intensified since 2021 and is expected to continue as non-broadcast media outlets, owned and controlled by the largest companies in America, continue to expand. Unless outdated and overly restrictive ownership restrictions are removed, over-the-air radio stations will struggle to provide current service levels, which is not in the public interest.
The executives collectively urge the FCC to remove the antiquated regulatory barriers hindering radio’s ability to compete in the modern market. They are endorsing a proposal from 2019 to eliminate local radio ownership rules.
The remarks were expressed and endorsed by a group of industry leaders, including Jeffrey D. Warshaw, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Connoisseur Media, LLC; Thomas A. Walker, President of Mid-West Family Broadcasting; M. Kent Frandsen, President of Frandsen Family Stations; Michael Hulvey, Chief Executive Officer of Neuhoff Communications; W. Lawrence Patrick, Managing Partner of Patrick Communications, LLC; Allison Zolot, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Townsquare Media, Inc.; Michael Wright, Chief Operating Officer of Midwest Communications, Inc.; Lynn Deppen, President of Forever Media, Inc.; Gary Shorman, Chairman of Eagle Communications, Inc.; and Susan K. Patrick, Managing Partner of Legend Communications, LLC.
