FCC Chair Brendan Carr said the repeal of the current 39% ownership cap of broadcast TV stations stops the "hamstringing" of the industry. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 6 (UPI) -- The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday voted to remove a cap on the number of TV stations that can be owned by a single company nationwide, which critics say could result in more industry consolidation.
In a 2-1 party-line vote, the agency that regulates broadcast airwaves repealed the rule that limited ownership of stations that reach more than 39% of the total television audience in the country. The law had been in place since 2004.
The FCC said in a press release that acquisitions will be considered through a "case-by-case review."
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said he plans to back local TV markets and "stop hamstringing this one segment of the broader market with outdated restrictions."
