The FCC is considering relaxing several station ownership rules, including the ban that prohibits one company from owning a newspaper and a station in the same market. The commissioners feel that even though there are many more media now than 25 years ago when it crafted the ban, “the changes have been insufficient” to justify repealing the rule.
The commission plans to review how it defines radio markets and how it counts the number of radio stations owned in a market. It plans to issue a Notice of Proposed Rule Making soon that will ask whether the FCC should use Arbitron market definitions, rather than its current overlapping signal contours standard.
Local radio ownership rules, revised with passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, should be retained, said the commission.
The proposed modifications stem from the FCC’s biennial review of its broadcast ownership rules, delivered to Congress Tuesday.
Leslie Stimson
Station Ownership Changes Pending?
Station Ownership Changes Pending?
