NAB backs FCC ownership cap repeal, warns local TV could follow newspapers’ decline

The National Association of Broadcasters threw its support behind the FCC’s plan to eliminate the 39% national television ownership cap, with President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt framing the move as necessary to prevent local broadcast television from suffering the same contraction as the newspaper industry.

“We have already watched one cornerstone of local journalism — the newspaper industry — struggle under the weight of profound marketplace change while policymakers were slow to respond,” LeGeyt wrote in a blog post published on July 21, 2026. “We should not make the same mistake with local broadcasting.”

The post echoed arguments FCC Chairman Brendan Carr made last week when he announced the Aug. 6 vote, including the comparison to newspapers and the contention that streaming platforms, social media companies and digital competitors face no equivalent limits on audience reach.

“This debate is not about giving broadcasters a special advantage,” LeGeyt wrote. “It is about ending a unique disadvantage.”

The NAB represents the interests of broadcast station owners, including large station groups such as Nexstar, Sinclair and Gray Television that could pursue further consolidation if the cap is removed. The trade group has long advocated for relaxing ownership restrictions.

LeGeyt argued that increased scale would strengthen local journalism, expand emergency coverage and support investment in broadcast technologies such as NextGen TV.

He did not address whether consolidation under fewer corporate owners has historically resulted in more local news production or less. Research on the subject has produced mixed conclusions, and critics of media consolidation have argued that past rounds of station group mergers led to cuts in local newsroom staff and greater reliance on centralized content.

The newspaper comparison, which both Carr and LeGeyt have cited, also carries a complication: the elimination of cross-ownership restrictions in 2017 did not reverse the decline of local newspapers. LeGeyt’s post did not argue that removing ownership limits alone would be sufficient, but described the policy change as giving broadcasters “every opportunity to compete, invest and continue serving America’s local communities.”

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LeGeyt opened his post with a reference to the FIFA World Cup final between Spain and Argentina, which aired on local broadcast television, and pointed to upcoming NFL and college football seasons and fall elections as examples of content that depends on the local broadcast model.

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“That is what local broadcasters do. We bring Americans together for the moments we celebrate, keep communities informed during the moments that matter most and provide lifesaving information when disaster strikes,” LeGeyt wrote.

The FCC is scheduled to vote on the ownership cap change at its open meeting on Aug. 6. The proposed rule would replace the blanket 39% cap with a case-by-case public interest review of transactions that exceed the current threshold.