FCC Moves to Eliminate 39% National TV Ownership Cap

The Federal Communications Commission under Chair Brendan Carr initiated a proceeding to eliminate the national television broadcast ownership cap, which has limited any single company from owning stations reaching more than 39% of U.S. households. The move would clear a path for a potential Nexstar-TEGNA megamerger and represented the most significant deregulation of broadcast media concentration rules in decades. Critics warned the change would accelerate consolidation and reduce local news diversity.