FCC Chair Brendan Carr has set a date for a pivotal media ownership vote. The FCC plans to consider repealing the national television ownership cap on August 6.
What We Know: FCC Chair Brendan Carr disclosed the timing of the vote in a Wednesday morning op-ed published by Breitbart. The proposal would repeal the long-standing 39% national television ownership cap and replace it with a case-by-case review process. Instead of automatically blocking transactions that exceed the existing threshold, the FCC would evaluate whether larger station combinations serve the public interest. If approved, the move would mark one of the commission’s most significant media ownership actions in years and could reshape how broadcast television groups pursue acquisitions and expansion.
What They Said: “It’s time to restore balance to the broadcast airwaves. And the FCC has a plan to do just that. On August 6, the FCC will vote on eliminating the outdated national cap in favor of a new case-by-case approach. Previously, the cap operated as a blanket prohibition on any and all deals that would combine stations in excess of the 39 percent limit—regardless of whether it was a good deal or a bad one for the country. Our new proposal would allow the FCC to approve deals that exceed the 39 percent cap, but only if doing so would promote the public interest.
“Repealing the national cap will provide essential relief for local broadcasters by restoring a healthy counterbalance to the growing leverage of national programmers. Increased scale will enable broadcasters to attract the capital and advertising revenue needed to sustain and produce trusted and community-focused news and programming.” -Brendan Carr
What Remains Unclear: It’s unknown how the commission’s other members will vote or whether any changes could emerge before the August meeting. In addition, the FCC hasn’t detailed the specific standards it would use when evaluating transactions above the current ownership threshold.
What It Means: If the proposal passes, broadcast television owners could gain new flexibility to pursue larger mergers and acquisitions. Supporters argue greater scale would help local broadcasters compete against national programmers and digital media companies. However, critics will likely raise concerns about additional industry consolidation and its potential impact on local competition and viewpoint diversity.
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Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing daily news stories, features, and opinion columns. He joined Barrett Media in 2022 after a decade leading several radio brands in several formats, as well as a 5-year stint working in local television. In addition to his work with Barrett Media, he is a radio and TV play-by-play broadcaster. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.