FCC May Throw Out Limits on Radio Station Ownership
The Federal Communications Commission is considering whether to do away with its rules restricting the number of radio stations a single company can own.
Broadcast owners now are limited to 12 AM, 12 FM and 12 TV licenses by a rule designed to prevent control of the airwaves by just a few big companies.
But an FCC staff report sent to the commission last week points out that the radio stations are in tight competition for limited advertising revenue and that the industry is ailing.
The report claimed that lifting the ownership rule would enable small, financially strapped stations to pool resources and stay on the air.
The FCC is expected to vote on the issue March 12, but opposition is likely to be voiced before then by members of Congress.
“If the FCC tries to do this, it is sure to elicit strong backlash from Congress,” said Larry Irving, senior counsel to the House telecommunications subcommittee chaired by Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.).
In the Senate, a hearing on the radio industry has been scheduled for Tuesday.
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