A coalition of conservative and free-market organizations is urging the Federal Communications Commission to eliminate long-standing media ownership limits. In a letter sent on May 14, more than 20 advocacy groups and individuals called on FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to act swiftly in removing caps on how many radio and television stations a single company can own. They argue the current rules are outdated and place local broadcasters at a serious disadvantage in the modern digital media environment.
The signatories include leaders from Americans for Tax Reform, Heritage Action for America, and the Competitive Enterprise Institute. Together, they claim that broadcasters are being unfairly constrained by regulations that no longer reflect the realities of a competitive media market dominated by global tech platforms like YouTube, Spotify, and Facebook—none of which face the same audience-reach restrictions. “Without reform, valued local broadcast radio and television services could disappear entirely,” the coalition warns.
The letter cites Commissioner Carr’s past dissenting opinion in an earlier FCC decision that upheld the existing ownership limits. In that dissent, Carr criticized the agency for ignoring Congress’s deregulatory intent and for failing to acknowledge that today’s media ecosystem is interconnected, not siloed by medium.
Supporters of deregulation argue that relaxing or eliminating these limits would allow broadcasters to scale operations, attract investment, and remain viable in a competitive environment. They emphasize the vital public service that radio and TV still provide, especially during emergencies and in underserved communities, and say that current rules are preventing innovation and sustainability.
The National Association of Broadcasters echoed the call for reform. NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt welcomed the coalition’s support, stating that broadcasters must be allowed to compete fairly with Big Tech. “Americans across the political spectrum agree that burdensome, arbitrary regulations are limiting local TV and radio stations’ ability to compete with Big Tech in the modern media landscape,” LeGeyt said. “We are grateful for the wide-ranging support to modernize these outdated broadcast ownership rules.”