FCC Chair Proposes Ending 39% National TV Ownership Cap

Overview

• FCC Chairman Brendan Carr filed the repeal plan and set an August 6 vote after publishing an op-ed that framed the move as a way to help local news outlets, with the action announced on Wednesday.
• Under the proposal the 39 percent national cap would be removed and major station deals would undergo individualized public-interest reviews instead of being barred by a bright-line limit.
• The Nexstar–Tegna merger, which exceeds the cap and received a media bureau waiver in March, remains frozen under a federal injunction while related appeals proceed.
• Commissioner Anna Gomez and other opponents say only Congress can lift the national cap and have signaled legal challenges that would likely focus on the FCC's statutory and procedural authority.
• If adopted, the rule change could speed consolidation decisions for broadcasters, alter advertising and local news funding, and prompt court fights and possible congressional intervention before any mergers proceed.