Last week, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) took a step to give the media a reprieve from nagging, archaic government restrictions that have not kept up with the current reality of media. Paul introduced the Local News and Broadcast Media Preservation Act to enable news publications to flourish in a 21st-century world.
“With the rise of social media and an ever-changing media landscape, it is imperative that our local newspapers and broadcasters are given the freedom to adapt,” Paul said. “My Local News and Broadcast Media Preservation Act gets the government out of the way and frees broadcast media from the restrictions currently hindering their ability to better serve their customers.”
“To repeal the limitations on multiple ownership of radio and television stations imposed by the Federal Communications Commission, to prohibit the Federal Communications Commission from limiting common ownership of daily newspapers and full-power broadcast stations, and for other purposes,” reads the opening of the legislation.
According to a press release last week, Paul’s bill would exempt print, broadcast, and digital news organizations from federal antitrust laws. Additionally, Paul’s proposed legislation would restrict government interference in mergers between any potential broadcast companies to “better compete against these tech giants.”
Another benefit of this legislation would be removing any radio and television ownership restrictions, spurring innovation while also permitting “maximum flexibility for competition and negotiation.”
In today’s era of Big Tech dominance, Paul’s bill is an essential step in creating a level playing field for legacy media. As it currently stands, Big Tech is not held to the same standards and restrictions as legacy media. Paul believes this is not fair — and has for quite some time now — and decided to act. All things considered, Paul’s legislation is a much-needed, positive step toward guaranteeing a fair future for all media.
