Sinclair’s Smith: Ownership Cap ‘Kind of Ridiculous’

David Smith, Sinclair Broadcast Group president and CEO, voiced his interest in mobilizing broadcasters to petition elected officials to support hopes for a change in ownership limits.

Smith called the 39% US households cap “kind of ridiculous.” People receive content from the phone company, cable and broadcast, he said, yet only broadcast is subject to stiff restrictions.

“The reality is, the phone company reaches 100%, the satellite guys reach 100% and the cable guys do whatever they want to do, and broadcasters are constrained,” said Smith. We think it’s completely lopsided in terms of the ownership cap.” Smith urged broadcasters to use their local democracies to make change.