Carr, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, justified the proposal in a Breitbart op-ed, claiming the repeal would "restore balance" to the airwaves. However, Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez condemned the maneuver as an unlawful power grab. She warned that the proposal would effectively hand control of public airwaves to industry interests, threatening the survival of local newsrooms and increasing costs for viewers who rely on regional stations for critical updates.
FCC Chair Faces Backlash Over Plan to Repeal Broadcast Ownership Caps
Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr is facing sharp criticism following his announcement of an August 6 vote to repeal a long-standing federal rule that limits television broadcasters from reaching more than 39% of U.S. households, a move critics argue bypasses Congress to favor media conglomerates.
Legal experts and advocates suggest the agency lacks the authority to override the 39% cap, which Congress explicitly codified into federal law in 2004. This legislative intervention followed a 2003 attempt by the commission to unilaterally raise the limit to 45%. Matt Wood, general counsel at Free Press, argued that the commission cannot simply ignore statutory constraints, noting that the existing cap is essential for maintaining competition and protecting local journalism jobs from national consolidation. If approved, the policy change would likely pave the way for massive mergers, including the contested $6.2 billion acquisition of Tegna by Nexstar, which would expand a single broadcaster's reach to approximately 80% of the country.
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