Lawmakers urge FCC to update broadcast ownership rules

Seventy-three members of the U.S. House of Representatives are urging the Federal Communications Commission to modernize broadcast ownership regulations, describing the current rules as outdated and harmful to local television and radio broadcasters.

In a letter led by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.), the bipartisan group of lawmakers called on FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to initiate immediate regulatory reform. The National Association of Broadcasters distributed the letter on Monday.

The legislators argued that ownership limits, which originated in the 1940s and have seen minimal change since the 1990s, no longer reflect the realities of the current media environment. “While the FCC has made incremental adjustments over the decades, the fundamental ownership restrictions have remained largely unchanged,” the letter stated.

According to the lawmakers, the rules hinder local broadcasters’ ability to expand, innovate, and invest in journalism.

“When broadcasters cannot combine or expand operations, they struggle to maintain sufficient newsroom staff and invest in journalism,” they wrote. “This increasing lack of access to local information leaves communities vulnerable to misinformation from unverified sources on social media.”

The current cap prohibits a single entity from owning broadcast stations reaching more than 39 percent of U.S. television households. The letter did not suggest specific new limits but emphasized the competitive imbalance between broadcasters and large technology companies that are not subject to similar constraints.

NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt supported the congressional request, stating, “America’s local TV and radio stations are facing a radically transformed media landscape where global tech giants operate without restriction while local stations remain shackled by decades-old rules.”

The FCC has not yet responded to the letter. However, Carr has previously expressed support for deregulation and has signaled openness to reevaluating ownership limits. The NAB is actively promoting its “Modernize the Rules” campaign, aimed at encouraging the FCC to revise ownership regulations to support broadcasters’ sustainability.

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The effort comes as the commission undertakes a deregulatory initiative titled “Delete, Delete, Delete,” aimed at reducing regulatory burdens across the communications sector.