Supreme Court Rules FCC Can Loosen Media Ownership Regulations
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a ruling stipulating that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) can relax media ownership rules and reverse a court decision handed down by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals.
Before the April 1 Supreme Court ruling, the lower court ruling had blocked the FCC’s repeal of some media ownership regulations in 2017 for failing to consider the effects of the regulations on ownership by racial minorities and women. Critics of the industry have said further consolidation could limit media choices for consumers.
The Prometheus Radio Project and other public interest groups challenged the FCC’s changes, arguing that the body used flawed data.
WASHINGTON (CN) Settling a regulatory spat that dates back decades, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Federal Communications Commission did not turn a blind eye to women and minority ownership when it changed merger rules.
“In light of the sparse record on minority and female ownership and the FCC’s findings with respect to competition, localism, and viewpoint diversity, we cannot say that the agency’s decision to repeal or modify the ownership rules fell outside the zone of reasonableness,” Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote for the unanimous court.
The case stems from various rules that the commission adopted at a time when radio and television were king, to promote more independent outlets. One rule from 1964 restricts how many local television stations a single entity may own in one market. In 1970, the FCC also set a limit on the total number of radio stations and television stations an entity may own in a single market. And in 1975, it banned cross-ownership, say
The justices said the commission had adequately considered whether easing rules on cross-ownership of radio and TV stations and newspapers would hurt female and minority ownership of media outlets.
Supreme Court upholds FCC s repeal of limits on media ownership upi.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from upi.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.