WASHINGTON - Modernizing Local Broadcast Competition: Brendan Carr's Agenda
FCC's Carr Declares Ownership Caps on Stations as 'Outdated' and 'Contrived'
In a candid chat at the Milken Institute, Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr put forth his vision of loosening ownership regulations for local broadcast stations, asserting they stifle competition against tech heavyweights and streaming platforms.
During the interview, Carr once again took aim at the broadcast networks for their perceived bias and efforts towards diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). He accused Disney, pointing to preliminary data in an FCC investigation, of intentionally discriminating based on race and gender in their DEI practices.
Carr reiterated his goal to shift the balance of power in affiliation agreements from the broadcasters to the affiliates. The benefits of ownership reform, Carr suggested, could boost local broadcasters by empowering them to serve their communities more effectively.
A Fresh Look at Local Broadcast Stations
- Challenges amid a Shifting Landscape: The broadcast industry faces stiff competition in the digital arena, where big tech titans like Google and Facebook dominate the advertising market. These challenges intensify due to ownership restrictions that hinder local media's growth and efficiency.
- Ownership Cap Removal: Carr advocates repealing national television caps, local TV duopoly rules, and local radio ownership caps to give broadcasters more room to expand, thus enabling them to take on big tech head-on.
Glimpse of the Future
- Liberating Local Broadcasters: By loosening ownership constraints, local stations could enjoy economies of scale, invest more in local content, and offer better services to communities, strengthening the local journalism sector.
- Increased Competition and Consolidation: Relaxed ownership rules might encourage consolidation among local broadcasters, potentially resulting in operational efficiencies and a wider variety of content options.
In essence, Carr's push for modifications in ownership rules focuses on liberating local broadcasters from outdated regulations, aiming to put them on equal footing with tech giants and streaming companies. By enhancing their competitive edge, Carr aspires to preserve and enrich local broadcast journalism as well as entertainment in the contemporary media landscape.
- The Federal Communications Commission Chair, Brendan Carr, advocates for removing ownership caps in national television, local TV duopoly rules, and local radio ownership to enable broadcasters to expand and compete more effectively against tech giants like Google and Facebook.
- By loosening ownership constraints, local broadcasters could potentially invest more in local content, offer better services to communities, and enjoy economies of scale, thereby strengthening the local journalism sector.
- Carr's goal is to shift the balance of power in affiliation agreements from the broadcasters to the affiliates, a move he believes could empower local broadcasters to serve their communities more effectively and take on big tech head-on.
- In a shifting digital landscape, Carr believes that the relaxation of ownership rules might encourage consolidation among local broadcasters, potentially resulting in operational efficiencies and a wider variety of content options.
- Carr's push for modifications in ownership rules focuses on liberating local broadcasters from outdated regulations, aiming to put them on equal footing with tech giants and streaming companies to preserve and enrich local broadcast journalism and entertainment in the contemporary media landscape.
