Transcript: FCC Ownership Rules

The FCC will review six broadcast ownership rules at its June 2 meeting. Here are the rules and the years they were originally adopted.

Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Prohibition (1975)

Television broadcast companies may not buy newspapers in communities where they own stations.

Local Radio Ownership Cap (1941)

Limits the number of radio stations a company may own in a single market. For large markets, the limit is eight.

National TV Ownership (1941)

Remanded by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. A television broadcast company may not own stations that reach more than 35 percent of the national audience.

Local TV Multiple Ownership, aka "Duopoly rule" (1964)

Remanded by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. A single company may own two television stations in a single market only if one or both of the stations is not rated among the top four and there will still be at least eight remaining independent stations after the acquisition.

Radio/TV Cross-Ownership Restriction (1970)

Limits ownership in the largest single markets to seven radio stations and one television station or six radio stations and two television stations; the limits are lower in smaller markets.

Dual Television Network Rule (1946)

Prevents one company from owning two of the top four television broadcast networks.

Source: Federal Communications Commission