Repealing TV Ownership Cap Would Give Liberals Even More Control Over the Media

Ken Buck
Tue, 30 Dec 2025 15:39:16 -0800
Opinion

In today's digital economy, where opaque algorithms prioritize inflated hyperbole and facts often trail fast-moving news cycles, independent media is more important than ever — and Americans know it. In the 2024 election, two out of three voters cited freedom of speech as the deciding factor of who they voted for, higher than crime, immigration and health care.

Nexstar's proposed acquisition of fellow television network conglomerate Tegna — for which it's seeking to rewrite federal law — poses a serious threat to the news and information everyday families receive. It's time Congress assert its authority and stop this hostile takeover of our airwaves.

The merger, first announced in August, would give the network titans ownership of over 250 television stations in 44 states. About 80% of U.S. households would find themselves under the resulting company's grip.
Updated: Wed Dec 31, 2025

In today's digital economy, where opaque algorithms prioritize inflated hyperbole and facts often trail fast-moving news cycles, independent media is more important than ever — and Americans know it. In the 2024 election, two out of three voters cited freedom of speech as the deciding factor of who they voted for, higher than crime, immigration and health care.

Nexstar's proposed acquisition of fellow television network conglomerate Tegna — for which it's seeking to rewrite federal law — poses a serious threat to the news and information everyday families receive. It's time Congress assert its authority and stop this hostile takeover of our airwaves.

The merger, first announced in August, would give the network titans ownership of over 250 television stations in 44 states. About 80% of U.S. households would find themselves under the resulting company's grip.

That level of dominant market share provides immense latitude to gouge prices and dictate content. And in no industry is such consolidation of power more concerning than broadcast media, where most Americans still get their news.

Competition is a cornerstone of the marketplace of ideas, where information and opinions can contend and individuals can make informed decisions. Monopolies are fundamentally antithetical to that kind of open exchange. When one or even a few companies control the market, they can quickly snuff out dissenting views.

Congress specifically understood the importance of stopping disproportionate control of the media. In the 1990s and early 2000s, it passed legislation to prohibit any network from owning stations that reach over 39% of homes.

That limitation is a roadblock for Nexstar and its intended merger. The network giant has been busy lobbying lawmakers and regulators to overturn the rule — not because it would be good for consumers but because it would grant them near unanimous jurisdiction over Americans' local television stations.

Alarmingly, Nexstar has found a sympathetic ear in Federal Communications Commission chairman Brendan Carr, who has indicated he may take up revoking the protection — a move that would put him at odds with his boss, President Donald Trump, and, not to mention, can only be done by Congress.

Trump — who himself has been the victim of fake news attacks — understands the importance of a competitive media landscape. Just last month he said he opposes nixing or raising the ownership limit, which, in his words, would "allow the Radical Left Networks to 'enlarge.'"

The law supports the president's position. The TV ownership cap was written to protect local and regional networks, ensuring that conglomerates like Nexstar don't censure programming that gets aired from coast to coast.

Local networks are vital to ensure that viewers get news and information that pertains to them. It's why Americans trust their local news more than national outlets; the independence holds the media more accountable and helps ensure that viewers are receiving various perspectives and the stories that matter most to them.

Few would believe that headline pushers in New York or Los Angeles ought to decide what news individuals in America's heartland receive — except for maybe the liberal elite.

Americans have seen this movie before, and it did not end well. In 1996, Congress repealed a similar cap that limited how many radio stations a company could own. The result was a sprint for control.

Eager to gain the upper hand, buyers significantly over-leveraged themselves to swoop up a greater share of the market. To cut costs, they replaced local programming with nationally syndicated shows, making it more expensive for small and family-run businesses to reach their audiences.

Carr has suggested that allowing this kind of free-for-all is a necessary response to Big Tech's growing dominance over users. But you don't stop one monopoly by creating another. That only reduces competition in both arenas.

The FCC is right to be wary of Big Tech's growing grip on the information ordinary Americans see. But removing the one last firewall protecting competition in the media is no way to go about it. Instead, it should focus on enforcing U.S. antitrust law in the tech industry, where it's desperately needed.

Trump understands the importance of a free and fair press, which is why I expect he will direct his FCC to keep the TV ownership cap in place. But Congress shouldn't wait to act. It should demand answers and get to the bottom of who's driving this misguided anti-consumer campaign.