WASHINGTON, Feb 9 - Lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee will hear competing testimony Tuesday on whether to preserve or dismantle an 85-year-old national television ownership rule that prevents broadcasters from reaching more than 39% of U.S. TV households.
Representatives of broadcast television stations and executives from conservative cable news channel Newsmax are scheduled to make contrasting cases before the committee as they weigh the future of the rule.
Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy is slated to tell lawmakers the ownership cap "remains one of the last meaningful protections for competition and diversity in the broadcast and cable ecosystem," underscoring the channel's view that the restriction serves to limit concentration of audience reach.
On the other side, the National Association of Broadcasters will press Congress to remove what it calls an outdated constraint. The trade group will tell the committee it is "past time to level the playing field and eliminate this antiquated restriction," and will argue that the cap should not hinder broadcasters' ability to compete for audience, advertising and programming.
The hearing centers on a rule that has governed national television ownership for decades and currently bars any single broadcaster from reaching a share of U.S. TV households above the 39% threshold. Lawmakers will hear testimony articulating how the rule affects broadcasters' strategies, market competition and the distribution of programming.
Both sides will present their positions directly to senators, framing the issue in terms of competition, diversity and the capacity of broadcasters to compete in audience and advertising markets. The session is expected to illuminate the arguments for preserving longstanding limits and for removing them to enable broader consolidation or expansion by broadcast companies.
Context and next steps
The committee hearing represents a formal step in congressional consideration of the national ownership rule. Lawmakers will have the opportunity to question witnesses and assess the competing claims about how the rule influences market dynamics and content availability.