The Supreme Court today issued a unanimous decision in Prometheus Radio Project vs FCC, upholding 2017 reforms that streamlined and modernized the Federal Communications Commission’s media cross-ownership rules, including a 1970s-era rule that repealed a ban on the ownership of a newspaper and a television or radio station in the same market.
The U.S. Supreme Court today (10:00 a.m. ET) will hear oral arguments in Federal Communications Commission v. Prometheus Radio Project, a case concerning whether a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulation that prohibits the cross-ownership of a daily newspaper and broadcast station in a local market should be repealed.
The Supreme Court today announced that it will hear petitions filed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and a group of industry stakeholders (including the News Media Alliance) seeking to reinstate the FCC’s steps to modernize the country’s media ownership rules, including the repeal of a 1970s-era rule that prohibits common ownership of a newspaper and a television or radio station in the same market.
Today the FCC repealed the 1975 ban on media cross ownership between a newspaper and broadcast or radio station in the same market.
Chairman Pai circulated an Order repealing the 1975 ban on cross-ownership between a broadcast television or radio station and a newspaper in the same market during today’s House Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Communications and Technology FCC Oversight Hearing.
While we applaud Chairman Blackburn in proposing such language, we are disappointed the bill was passed without addressing the cross-ownership rule.
The cross-ownership ban also prevents newspapers from receiving the investment they need to be able to compete against the social media giants, who are free to invest, acquire and merge at will.
Today, the News Media Alliance again filed in support of the National Association of Broadcasters’ Petition for Reconsideration of the FCC’s decision to keep in place a 41-year-old rule preventing cross ownership between newspapers and radio or television broadcast stations in the same market.
The News Media Alliance filed comments in support of the National Association of Broadcasters’ Petition for Reconsideration of the FCC’s August 2016 decision to keep in place its ban on newspaper/broadcaster cross-ownership.
We applaud the expected appointment of Ajit Pai as the next Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Commissioner Pai has been an avid supporter of the news media industry, recognizing the importance of investment in journalism.
