Chairman Wheeler Quibbles With Stations’ Share Tactics

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler is on a mission to crack down on TV station sharing arrangements, particularly ones that look like efforts to skirt the rules.

With local caps on ownership and no rules explicitly against them, broadcasters have used joint sales agreements (JSAs) and shared news and other services agreements to extend their reach, and profits, without violating FCC rules.

But Chairman Wheeler has made it clear to broadcasters, in private meetings and public notices, that such arrangements will soon have a higher hurdle to overcome. Chairman Wheeler’s sword and shield is the public interest standard, which permits the commission to disallow deals even when they do not violate antitrust laws -- or even FCC rules, apparently.