The National Association of Broadcasters is calling out the musicFIRST Coalition and Future of Music Coalition for what it describes as obstructionist and self-serving behavior in the FCC’s ongoing review of outdated local radio ownership regulations. In a recent filing, NAB accuses the groups of pushing stale arguments designed to protect the recorded music industry’s dominance at the expense of struggling local broadcasters.
NAB’s comments were submitted in response to the FCC’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative, which aims to modernize broadcast rules in light of today’s digital media environment. Rather than offer new ideas, NAB says the music groups relied on “copy-paste advocacy” and entrenched positions that ignore the economic realities of AM/FM stations operating in a hyper-competitive landscape.
“The recorded music industry will do whatever it can to preserve dominance over broadcast radio stations that face overwhelming and still growing competitive pressure,” NAB wrote, citing that the three major music companies collectively earned $2.9 million per hour in 2023, while most radio stations took in less than that annually.
The association argues that local radio’s ability to compete with Big Tech and streaming giants is being stifled by outdated ownership restrictions. In particular, NAB dismissed claims that loosening those rules would hurt diversity or local content. Instead, it pointed to post-1996 data showing that consolidation actually led to increased format variety and better service for many communities.
NAB sharply criticized what it called musicFIRST’s rent-seeking behavior, claiming the group is less concerned with the public interest and more focused on forcing local broadcasters to pay a performance royalty Congress has repeatedly rejected. “The Coalitions are rehashing old grievances to punish radio stations for political outcomes they dislike,” NAB wrote.
The filing also highlighted industry challenges, citing a BIA Advisory Services study showing that only 4.5 percent of AM stations were among the top-five local stations in 2018, and that smaller FM stations in markets ranked 151-246 averaged under $500,000 annually in ad revenue.
NAB further opposed a separate proposal by GeoBroadcast Solutions to allow FM stations to operate entirely through boosters instead of a central transmitter. NAB warned this could fragment coverage, neglect rural communities, and undermine emergency alert systems.
The group urged the FCC to move forward with reforms that reflect today’s competitive media landscape and to disregard outdated arguments from groups tied to powerful music industry interests.