FCC moves to deliver long-sought win for Trump-aligned broadcasters | CNN Business

The Federal Communications Commission is changing its rules so that local TV station owners can get much, much bigger. The looming vote, which is likely to be challenged in court, is a long-sought victory for media moguls who are aligned with President Donald Trump and the Republican Party. The change is a priority for FCC chair Brendan Carr, who says it is necessary for broadcasters to better compete with tech giants and other competitors. Carr announced on Wednesday that the FCC will vote next month to repeal its national broadcast ownership rule, which prohibits a single company from reaching more than 39% of US TV households. As a result, a broadcast network like NBC has affiliated stations across the US that are owned by a variety of companies, rather than all being owned by NBC. The rule is intended to encourage local ownership, but Carr says it is “outdated” because it is preventing station owners “from gaining the same scale that their competitors are free to enjoy.” The FCC has waived the so-called ownership “cap” in the past, and now Carr’s office says he wants to implement a “case-by-case” review process that “will empower the FCC to approve deals tha