FCC Commences 2018 Quadrennial Review of Media Ownership Rules

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking commencing the 2018 Quadrennial Review of the Commission’s media ownership rules. The FCC is legally required to review certain broadcast ownership rules every four years to determine whether they “are necessary in the public interest as the result of competition” and to “repeal or modify any regulation [the Commission] determines to be no longer in the public interest.” The rules subject to this quadrennial review obligation are the Local Radio Ownership Rule, the Local Television Ownership Rule, and the Dual Network Rule. (The statute specifically excludes the national television ownership cap from the quadrennial review.) The Local Radio and Local Television Ownership Rules limit the total number of broadcast radio and television stations, respectively, that may be commonly owned in a media market. The Dual Network Rule prohibits a merger between or among the Big Four broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC). In this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the FCC seeks comment on whether these three rules continue to serve the public interest or whether they should be modified or eliminated in light of changes to the media marketplace. In addition, the notice seeks comment on three proposals relevant to promoting diversity in the broadcast industry.