FCC Ends National Broadcast Ownership Cap
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to eliminate the national ownership cap that limited the reach of broadcast stations controlled by a single entity.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officially ended the national ownership cap rule on Thursday, removing a long-standing restriction on how many U.S. television households a single broadcaster could reach.
The commission's two Republican members, Chair Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty, voted to scrap the rule. This cap previously limited owners to stations reaching no more than 39 percent of U.S. TV households.
Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez dissented from the decision. The move formalizes a policy Carr has long criticized, and which he announced last month he would seek to end at Thursday's open FCC meeting.
In place of the previous cap, the FCC stated that new measures will be implemented to foster competition and diversity within the broadcast market. Further details on these regulatory adjustments are expected soon.