WASHINGTON: Also at the end of its term, the Supreme Court has left in place a lower court ruling on media ownership, saying the current rules are constitutional.
The justices declined to hear broadcasters’ appeal.
Dennis Wharton, Executive Vice President of Communications for the National Association of Broadcasters, said the trade group was disappointed the court declined to review rules “that limit local broadcasters’ ability to compete with our national and multinational pay programming competitors. NAB will continue to advocate for modernizing ownership rules that stem from an era of ‘I Love Lucy.’”
The case was based on the agency’s 2008 decision to leave in place radio ownership caps, radio-TV cross-ownership limits, and TV duopoly rules and to vacate the agency’s proposal to relax the broadcast/newspaper cross-ownership rule.
The decision clears the way for the commission to complete its review of the media ownership rules. ~ Radio World
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