NAB expands campaign to alter FCC broadcast ownership rules

The National Association of Broadcasters has announced a new push in its ongoing campaign to update federal rules that govern broadcast ownership.

The campaign calls on Congress and the Federal Communications Commission to revise regulations that NAB describes as outdated and limiting for local broadcasters. According to NAB, these restrictions prevent stations from competing effectively with global technology companies that do not operate under the same regulatory requirements.

Since the campaign launched in April, nearly 250,000 television and radio spots have aired in 192 media markets.

NAB estimates that this effort has generated more than 1 billion impressions and the equivalent of $43 million in airtime contributions from participating stations. The campaign has also resulted in more than 174,000 emails and 34,000 tweets sent directly to lawmakers and FCC commissioners, according to NAB.

The latest campaign materials highlight the potential loss of live sports on free broadcast television as a critical concern.

NAB cited a national survey of likely voters conducted in August that found 83% of respondents with a firm opinion prefer to watch games on local broadcast stations over paid streaming services. This preference was consistent across all demographic and political categories.

However, it’s unclear how or why this metric matters regarding deregulation and the removal of the ownership cap. A broadcast group expanding via deregulation in a media market to “create efficiencies” does not prevent a major sports league from signing a rights deal with Netflix or a streaming platform. 

It’s unclear if deregulation, as currently proposed, even creates the scale needed to “compete” with streaming platforms, given that local stations are not the same as streaming providers.

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“Local stations are serving communities with live sports, trusted local news and life-saving emergency coverage — all available for free to every American,” said Curtis LeGeyt, NAB president and CEO, in a statement. “But outdated rules are shackling these stations from growing and innovating at a time when Big Tech operates with limitless scale and zero public interest obligations.”

NAB is asking the FCC to update ownership rules to ensure local broadcasters can continue to provide access to news and entertainment without requiring consumers to pay for subscriptions.