Consolidation of Voices: The Siren Song of Deregulation
The Hill reports that senators are once again reviewing the FCC's broadcast ownership cap, particularly in light of a proposed merger between Nexstar and TEGNA. This discussion frames itself as a necessary adaptation to a changing media landscape, but the historical record suggests a more deliberate pattern of deregulation. CASE A: The Call for Deregulation Today Today's arguments for loosening
ownership caps often center on two main points: the alleged economic necessity for broadcasters to compete with digital giants, and the idea that local markets are now oversaturated with information sources, thus making traditional caps obsolete. The notion is that fewer, larger entities are more efficient and can better invest in quality local journalism. Proponents, like former FCC Commissioner
Ajit Pai (appointed 2017), have vocally advocated for such changes, arguing that existing rules are 'outdated' (Pai, 2017 remarks). CASE B: The Telecommunications Act of 1996 This isn't the first time such justifications have been put forward. The Telecommunications Act of 1996, signed into law by President Bill Clinton, dramatically relaxed media ownership rules. Before 1996, a single company
could own a maximum of 40 radio stations nationwide. After the Act, this cap was eliminated entirely, leading to a massive consolidation wave. According to Robert W. McChesney's documented research, within a decade of the Act, major corporations like Clear Channel (now iHeartMedia) acquired thousands of stations, transitioning radio from a locally-focused industry to one dominated by national