FCC Sets Aug. 6 Vote to Repeal 39% TV Ownership Cap
Updated
Updated · Variety · Jul 15
FCC Sets Aug. 6 Vote to Repeal 39% TV Ownership Cap
3 articles · Updated · Variety · Jul 15
Summary
Aug. 6 is the date the FCC set to vote on scrapping the 39% national TV-station ownership cap and replacing it with case-by-case review of future broadcast deals.
Brendan Carr argued the cap no longer fits a market where streamers, virtual pay-TV services, cable channels and social platforms can already reach 100% of the country.
Nexstar could be among the biggest immediate beneficiaries: a federal court blocked its Tegna acquisition because the deal would have pushed its local TV reach beyond the current limit.
The FCC said repeal would not guarantee approval for every merger, saying transactions that exceed the old cap could still be denied if they fail the public-interest test.
Broadcasters and the National Association of Broadcasters backed the move as overdue deregulation, which could further expand station owners' leverage over programming and distribution.