Cable lobby groups representing Comcast, Charter, and other operators plan to sue the FCC to block its repeal of the National Television Ownership Rule, which caps how many broadcast TV stations a single company can own. Cable companies argue the repeal will let larger station groups demand higher retransmission fees, raising consumer bills. The FCC published the repeal order on October 1 after an unusually long delay, likely to shore up legal defenses against anticipated challenges.
Background
The FCC has long maintained the National Television Ownership Rule, which limits a single entity to owning broadcast stations reaching no more than 39% of US TV households. In August 2026, the Trump-era FCC voted to repeal this cap, replacing it with a case-by-case merger review process.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Oct 6, 2026 at 04:47 AM
- Score
- 5.0 / 10