WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, has announced that he will convene a full committee hearing titled “We Interrupt This Program: Media Ownership in the Digital Age” on Tuesday, February 10, 2026, at 10:00 am EST that will examine the Federal Communications Commission’s current broadcast media ownership rules.

The hearing comes at a time when the FCC is considering whether to modify current ownership rules as part of its Quadrennial 2022 Review. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has indicated his willingness to modify the rules as a way of strengthening local broadcasters but the regulator has made no final decision.

Several broadcasters, most notably Nexstar have also announced major deals that would require changes in the ownership rules.

Cruz announced that witnesses will include Chris Ruddy, CEO of Newsmax, who has filed comments with the FCC arguing that current ownership caps should be retained and Curtis LeGeyt, president and CEO of the NAB, which has long argued that the rules need to be eliminated.

Cruz said that the hearing would pay particular attention to one rule limiting a single broadcaster from reaching beyond 39 percent of U.S. television households nationwide in light of today’s evolving media landscape.

“The media market is changing rapidly, leading many to wonder if broadcast media ownership rules should reflect this new reality,” Cruz said in a statement. “This hearing is an important opportunity to discuss whether existing rules are legally sound, antiquated, or need to be updated to promote competition and protect against corporate censorship against conservatives.”

In announcing the hearing, the Committee noted that “as more Americans consume video content through streaming services and social media, the original intent of media ownership rules—to promote competition and diversity by limiting the number of media outlets a single entity may own—warrants review. Some telecommunications experts contend, however, that the current 39 percent cap is statutory, meaning it can only be changed by an act of Congress and not through regulation. Other critics worry possible changes to media ownership rules will result in fewer conservative voices on broadcast television.”

Opponents of changing the rules have argued that the FCC lacks the authority to eliminate the caps while the NAB and other larger broadcast groups have argued the agency has the power to eliminate them.

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission has released an updated agenda for its Open Meeting on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.

The agenda includes a vote on proposals for “a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would advance the Commission’s quadrennial regulatory review of its broadcast ownership rules and seek public comment on whether, given the current state of the media marketplace, it should retain, modify, or eliminate any of these rules.”

The agency has not yet released materials relating to the Open Meeting and the various items on the agenda, including the NPR for the ownership review.

The FCC described the items on the agenda as follows:

• Accelerating Wireline Infrastructure Buildout (WC Docket No. 25-253)
• SUMMARY: The Commission will consider a Notice of Inquiry that would examine whether state and local statutes, regulations, and legal requirements have an unlawful prohibitive effect on the provision of wireline telecommunications services, particularly through the imposition of excessive delays and fees that impede infrastructure deployments and disincentivize investments in them.
• Freeing Wireless Infrastructure from Unlawful Regulatory Burdens (WT Docket No. 25-276)
• The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that advances its Build America Agenda by seeking comment on reforms that would free towers and other wireless infrastructure from unlawful regulatory burdens imposed at the state and local level.
• Phone Jamming Solutions in Non-Federal Correctional Facilities (GN Docket No. 13-111)
• SUMMARY: The Commission will consider a Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on removing regulatory barriers to deployment and viability of existing and developing technologies that combat contraband wireless device use in correctional facilities.
• Modernizing Broadcast Ownership Rules (MB Docket No. 22-459)
• The Commission will consider a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would advance the Commission’s quadrennial regulatory review of its broadcast ownership rules and seek public comment on whether, given the current state of the media marketplace, it should retain, modify, or eliminate any of these rules.
• Deleting Obsolete and Duplicative Wireline Rules (GN Docket No. 25-133)
• SUMMARY: The Commission will consider as part of the In re: Delete, Delete, Delete proceeding a Direct Final Rule that would move to delete nearly 400 primarily wireline-related rules and requirements that govern obsolete technology, are duplicative, and are no longer used in practice. These rules pertain to a wide variety of now-defunct topics including regulatory reporting requirements, distinctions between wireline carriers that are no longer applied, technology that has been eclipsed, and dates pertaining to pricing, universal service, pilot programs, and equipment requirements that have long ago passed.
• Modernizing the E-Rate Program for Schools and Libraries (WC Docket No. 13-184)
• SUMMARY: The Commission will consider a Declaratory Ruling that would align E-Rate eligibility with section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and clarify that the provision of Wi-Fi, or other similar access point technologies, including the equipment needed to provide such service, on school buses is ineligible for E-Rate funding.
• Addressing the Homework Gap through the E-Rate Program (WC Docket No. 21-31)
• SUMMARY: The Commission will consider an Order on Reconsideration that grants a petition for reconsideration and finds that section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, does not permit the funding of off-premises use of Wi-Fi hotspots and Internet services and makes them ineligible for E-Rate support.

The Open Meeting is scheduled to commence at 10:30 a.m. in the Commission Meeting Room of the Federal Communications Commission, 45 L Street, N.E., Washington, D.C.

Open Meetings are streamed live at www.fcc.gov/live and on the FCC’s YouTube channel.

WASHINGTON—The National Association of Broadcasters is applauding the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to put the delayed 2022 quadrennial review of broadcast ownership rules on its agenda this month.

“We commend [FCC} Chairman [Brendan] Carr for jump-starting the long-overdue 2022 Quadrennial Ownership Review. Outdated rules have held broadcasters back for too long,” said NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt. “Modernizing them means stronger local journalism, more investment in communities and the live sports fans count on. Broadcasters welcome this long-awaited step forward.”

The NAB and other broadcasters have long been pushing the FCC and Congress to abolish ownership caps on broadcast station groups, which they contend put broadcasters at a competitive disadvantage to big tech companies. As part of that effort, the NAB launched another campaign last week to end those ownership rules.

It isn’t immediately clear, however, the 2022 Quadrennial Review will proceed. As of 7 p.m. ET, the FCC had not posted an agenda for its Sept. 30 Open Meeting or supplied materials relating to the items that will be under consideration at the meeting.

In a Sept. 8 blog post, however, Carr listed a number of items that will be under consideration in September. Near the bottom of his blog, in the fourth of five items on the list, he provided a few details regarding the quadrennial review.

“For our fourth item on the agenda, we will vote to kick off the commission’s quadrennial review of our broadcast ownership rules," Carr wrote. "The FCC is required by law to review certain broadcast ownership rules every four years to determine whether the rules remain ‘necessary in the public interest as the result of competition.’ We will be seeking comment on the Local Radio Ownership Rule, which limits the total number of radio stations that may be commonly owned in a local market; the Local Television Rule, which limits a single entity from owning more than two television stations in the same local market; and the Dual Network Rule, which prohibits a merger between or among the Big Four broadcast networks.”

Very notably, Carr did not mention national ownership caps, which is the primary focus of broadcast lobbying efforts.

The FCC is considering those national ownership caps in a separate docket.

In July, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the FCC’s rules against a station group owning more than one of the top-four TV stations in audience share in a given market. Both Carr and the NAB applauded that decision.

Eliminating those rules will help certain recently announced station swaps and sales pass regulatory review.

WASHINGTON—In an important development in the battle over broadcast ownership regulations, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has vacated the Federal Communications Commission’s rules against a station group owning more than one of the top-four TV stations in audience share in a given market.

The St. Louis-based court also vacated an amendment to “Note 11” in the FCC rules that tightened how the top four stations are determined, but declined to undo rules governing radio stations and denied the petition for review of all other issues.

Under the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the FCC is required to review its broadcast ownership rules every four years and repeal or modify any that are no longer in the public interest. Following a December 2023 FCC order retaining existing regulations as part of its 2018 quadrennial review, the National Association of Broadcasters and a coalition of local broadcasters challenged the order, arguing that the FCC’s approach ignored the competitive pressures broadcasters face from digital platforms and failed to meet the statutory requirements for review.

The 8th Circuit ruling found that the FCC’s rationale for retaining the rules was “arbitrary and capricious,” “unsupported by the record” and relied on “outdated” or insufficient evidence. The court wrote that “in light of the evidence against the Top-Four Prohibition and in the absence of any record-supported reason for keeping the rule,” the Commission failed to justify its continued enforcement of that regulation.

The ruling comes at a time when broadcasters have been hopeful that the FCC might significantly revise or eliminate the ownership rules. FCC Chair Brendan Carr has vowed to eliminate rules that make it harder for broadcasters to fund local news and the agency has opened a docket calling for public comment on the rules.

In response to the ruling, Carr and the NAB applauded the decision.

“NAB is extremely pleased with the Eighth Circuit’s decision to vacate the previous FCC’s arbitrary and outdated top-four prohibition,” NAB president and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said. “This is a major step forward for local television broadcasters seeking to compete and thrive in a vastly transformed media marketplace.

“At the same time, we are disappointed that the court stopped short of addressing the decades-old radio ownership restrictions that defy economic reality and weaken broadcasters’ ability to compete, invest in local journalism and serve their communities,” he added. “Fortunately, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has long been a champion for empowering local stations, and we look forward to working with this FCC to modernize its local radio ownership rules and ensure local broadcasters can thrive in the communities they serve across the nation.”

When Carr was a commissioner, he opposed the 2023 FCC Order.

In response to the 8th Circuit ruling, Carr said: “For decades, the FCC’s approach to regulating the broadcast industry has failed to promote the public interest. That has only made it harder for trusted and local sources of news and information to compete in today’s media environment. And that is why I dissented from the Biden-era FCC’s decision to retain a regulation that does not match marketplace realities. I am pleased to see that the court agrees and has vacated that regulation.”

The FCC has approved some recent transactions allowing broadcasters to own more than one top-four station. In July, Gray and Scripps also have entered into station swaps that would require a waiver of the rule.

The full ruling is available here.

WASHINGTON—The FCC has officially launched its 2018 Quadrennial Review of the its media ownership rules to determine whether they “are necessary in the public interest as the result of competition” and to “repeal or modify any regulation [the Commission] determines to be no longer in the public interest.”

The rules subject to this quadrennial review obligation include the Local Radio Ownership Rule, the Local Television Ownership Rule, and the Dual Network Rule. The Local Radio and Local Television Ownership Rules limit the total number of broadcast radio and television stations, respectively, that may be commonly owned in a media market. The Dual Network Rule prohibits a merger between or among the Big Four broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC).

In its Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the commission said it was seeking comment on whether the three rules continue to serve the public interest or whether they should be modified or eliminated in light of changes to the media marketplace. In addition, the notice seeks comment on three proposals relevant to promoting diversity in the broadcast industry. The statute specifically excludes the national television ownership cap from the quadrennial review.

[Read: FCC To Kick Off Quadrennial Broadcast Reg Review Next Month]

The national ownership rules pertaining to the 39% cap on national audience reach or the UHF discount from that cap, are not part of the inquiry because they are not part of the rules that Congress requires the commission to review.

In a statement, Chairman Ajit Pai said “our rules must keep pace with the modern media marketplace,” noting that, for example, the commission’s elimination of the newspaper-radio cross-ownership rule in 2017 has helped media enterprises such as Colorado’s “Grand Daily Junction Sentinel” expand its reach by allowing it to acquire a radio station group in Grand Junction.

“I recently met Jay Seaton, who runs the ‘Daily Sentinel,” Pai said. “He told me that this transaction will help him disseminate news across more formats and appeal more to advertisers [revenue from which can be poured back into the busines]). As he put it, ending the cross-ownership ban was ‘15 years overdue.’””

Four of the five commissioners concurred with the launch of the review with Democratic commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel dissenting, saying the review is inadequate.

Emphasizing the importance of localism, competition and diversity in the broadcast ownership marketplace, Rosenworcel said much of the review “hits the mark” but misses it in other aspects.

“To the extent this rulemaking offers thoughtful reform, I approve,” she said. “But in other aspects, I dissent. It fails to honestly assess the impact of too many changes we propose on the values of localism, competition, and diversity that have informed this agency’s media policies in the past—and I believe should still inform our efforts in the future.“

Pai responded that he was “disappointed” with Rosenworcel’s dissent but that Congressional rules require the commission to include the Dual Network Rule.

“Whatever one’s opinion of it, refusing to include [the Dual Network Rule] in our quadrennial review would have violated the law,” Pai said. “As a result, a request to remove it from the Notice doesn’t constitute a good-faith attempt to reach consensus but rather gives the appearance of looking for an excuse to dissent for political reasons.”

NAB said the review is timely in light of the increasing crowded media marketplace.

"NAB looks forward to participating in the FCC’s congressionally-mandated quadrennial review of broadcast media ownership rules,” the association said in a statement. “We are not seeking wholesale elimination of these regulations, but rather a modernization that reflects today’s fiercely competitive marketplace. We trust the Commission will update these rules with an understanding that free and local broadcasting now competes head-to-head with powerful Internet, pay TV and audio companies that didn't exist when many broadcast ownership rules were first written."

WASHINGTON--As expected the FCC on Dec. 12 will officially launch its latest congressionally mandated "Quadrennial" review of broadcast ownership rules.

FCC chair Ajit Pai did the unveiling Tuesday (Nov. 20) in his monthly blog post on the items the FCC plans to vote on at its next public meeting, which he does when the tentative agenda is released 21 days before the meeting.

"On the media front, we’ll be kicking off a review of our media ownership rules — a review we’re required by statute to conduct every four years," he said. "The 2018 Quadrennial Review, as it’s called, will begin with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which seeks public input on the relevant rules, such as the Local Radio Ownership Rule, as well as several diversity-related proposals."

Senior FCC officials speaking on background said the review would not include either the 39% cap on national audience reach or the UHF discount from that cap.

The reason is that they were not among the rules the Congress requires it to review. They said the cap and discount would continue to be reviewed on a parallel track.

The rules up for review in the Quad are the local radio ownership rules, local TV ownership limits and the dual-network rule. But they said it was an open-ended review with no tentative conclusions.

It will ask whether the rules should remain, be modified, or eliminated.

The FCC will also review a trio of diversity-related proposals--one is whether to extend the cable procurement EEO regs to broadcast, whether to identify a "tipping point" of source diversity in lieu of ownership rules and on tradeable diversity credits, all issues MMTC has raised.

Chairman Ajit Pai had told Congress that the review was coming by year's end, so it was no surprise that it was teed up for the meeting. The FCC has let the quadrennial deadline for concluding the review slip in the past for a variety of reasons--including having to repeatedly respond to court decisions on rule challenges--only wrapping up a combined 2010 and 2014 review in November of last year.

So the chairman is getting what could arguably be called an early start even though the lookback will clearly be primarily a 2019 review. A senior official said they did not want this review to drag on for years, but would not put a deadline on it.

Also at the meeting, the FCC will vote on a declaratory ruling that wireless text messages are information services, not telecom services, so that service providers can continue to protect their customers from span and scam robocalls, said senior FCC officials.

That ruling would deny petitions to declare text messages a telecom service. Texts had not previously been classified and the petitions gave the FCC a chance to weigh in.

The FCC says a text messaging service provides for storing and retrieving information, so it is like email. It also finds that text messaging, like wireless broadband service, is a commercial mobile service, not a private service, because it is not connected to the public-switched service.

WASHINGTON—The FCC released the text of its quadrennial review order, and the responses are flying in. The order kept in place restrictions on broadcast TV and radio station ownership. Among the first to offer their opinion was FCC's Republican Commissioners, who were strongly against the decision.

Read the full story on TVT's sister publication B&C.