President Donald Trump has expressed his opposition to raising or eliminating the Federal Communications Commission’s cap on national broadcast TV station ownership.
Under the current rule, which was first implemented in 1941 and was raised by Congress in 2004 to ensure viewpoint diversity and prevent monopolization, the cap limits entities from owning or controlling broadcast television stations that, in aggregate, reach more than 39% of TV households in the United States.
But the FCC’s chairman Brendan Carr has expressed a willingness to modify or eliminate the cap to empower local broadcasters, who have argued consolidation would help them better compete against legacy media and Big Tech.
In September, the FCC advanced its review of broadcast ownership rules, seeking public comment on retaining, modifying or eliminating the local radio, television and dual network rules. In June, it also refreshed the record and asked for public comment on whether to retain, modify or eliminate the national broadcast ownership cap.
“If this would also allow the Radical Left Networks to “enlarge,” I would not be happy,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Sunday. “ABC & NBC, in particular, are a disaster – A VIRTUAL ARM OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY. They should be viewed as an illegal campaign to the Radical Left. NO EXPANSION OF THE FAKE NEWS NETWORKS. If anything, make them SMALLER!”
Despite Carr’s support, the FCC’s sole Democrat Anna Gomez has previously said that the move would “drastically alter the media ecosystem and the number of voices that are a part of it” and that only Congress has the authority to modify or eliminate it.
Meanwhile, Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy has said it would be a “disaster for conservatives around the country.”
“The answer to Big Tech consolidation is not to give left-wing TV broadcasters massive consolidation and power, too. You don’t fix Big Tech consolidation by creating another industry with massive left-wing consolidation,” Ruddy said. “Congress alone should handle it and not allow these big networks to get more power.”
Ruddy previously warned that the only thing the FCC will get if it alters the ownership cap is a “permanent injunction.”
Sinclair Broadcasting CEO Chris Ripley has said he expects the regulator to take action on the cap in the first half of 2026.
In August, the company launched a strategic review of its broadcast business, which is looking at opportunities including acquisitions, strategic partnerships and business combinations with potential partners in the broadcast and the broader media and technology ecosystem. It is also evaluating the benefits of separating its ventures business through a “spin-off, split-off, or other transaction.”
Sinclair is currently in talks to acquire rival E.W. Scripps after taking an 8.2% stake in the company. Scripps has said it would “take all steps appropriate to protect the company and the company’s shareholders from the opportunistic actions of Sinclair or anyone else.”
Meanwhile, Nexstar and Tegna have filed broadcast license transfer applications with the FCC as part of their pending $6.2 billion merger, which would create a combined entity reaching 80% of U.S. TV households. Both deals would be subject to raising or eliminating the ownership cap.
In a statement, Nexstar said it continues to believe that the landscape is “ripe for regulatory reform” and that it remains on the path to completing its transaction with Tegna.
“We agree with President Trump that the status quo is no longer acceptable, nor should the government do anything to strengthen the stranglehold of legacy media and Big Tech on the marketplace of ideas,” the company said. “Those platforms already reach into every pocket, purse, and backpack in America, and the best way to disrupt their monopolistic power is to allow local broadcasters an opportunity to compete on a level playing field. Americans want more access to local news and a variety of voices without the filter of the coastal elites. ”
It argued that by modernizing the FCC’s rules, regulators will ensure that local communities benefit from “an array of fact-based local journalism—the anti-fake news—for years to come.”
“This is an historic opportunity to change the status quo and deliver a win for Americans across the country who are weary of legacy media’s leverage over local broadcasters,” the statement concluded.
Shares of Nexstar and Sinclair fell 3.4% and 3.29%, respectively, during Monday’s trading session following Trump’s comments.
