The Republican-led Federal Communications Commission voted Thursday to make it easier for some companies to own numerous news outlets in specific media markets.
The FCC’s 3-2 vote along party lines rolls back a decades-old rule that prevented one company in a specific media market from owning both a newspaper and broadcast TV station.
The vote lifted a rule that prevented TV stations in the same media market from merging unless there are eight competing stations in the area. Under the change, media companies will be allowed to own more TV and radio stations in a specific media market.
The FCC’s Chairman, Ajit Pai, a Republican, said smaller media outlets and location stations will benefit the most from the controversial decision.
“It’s a simple proposition: The media ownership regulations of 2017 should match the media marketplace of 2017,” Pai said in a statement. “That’s the proposition the FCC vindicates today — nothing more, nothing less. And it’s about time.”
The National Association of Broadcasters, a trade group, praised the vote.
“These rules are not only irrational in today’s media environment, but they have also weakened the newspaper industry, cost journalism jobs and forced local broadcast stations onto unequal footing with our national pay-TV and radio competitors,” the group said in a statement.
However, Democrats were not fans of the change.
“Instead of engaging in thoughtful reform, which we should do, the agency sets its most basic values on fire. They are gone,” said Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. “As a result of this decision, wherever you live, the FCC is giving the green light for a single company to own the newspaper and multiple television and radio stations in your community.”
The vote comes as the FCC is considering the merger of Sinclair Broadcast Group with Tribune Media. The $4 billion pending deal would mean the new behemoth company would have 233 stations reaching 72 percent of U.S. households.
A group of 15 Democratic senators wrote a letter to the FCC inspector general this week asking for a probe into whether Pai — who was appointed by President Trump — has been working to clear regulatory hurdles for the Sinclair-Tribune merger.
Reps. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and Frank Pallone Jr., D-N.J., asked the inspector general to probe whether “actions taken by the FCC under Chairman Pai’s leadership show a pattern and practice of preferential treatment for Sinclair.”
