美国联邦通信委员会（FCC）以2比1的投票结果废除了实施超过20年的电视台所有权集中度限制规则。[3][4]该规则曾禁止任何单一广播电台所有者的电视台覆盖人口超过美国电视家庭总数的39%。[1][2][3][4]FCC主席布伦丹·卡尔（Brendan Carr）和专员奥利维亚·特拉斯蒂（Olivia Trusty）投票赞成，民主党专员安娜·戈麦斯（Anna Gomez）反对。[2]
卡尔表示，新政策将改为对每项拟议并购案进行逐案审查，以帮助广播公司与流媒体公司竞争。[3]这一决议被视为Sinclair广播集团和Nexstar等大型媒体集团的胜利。[1]根据报道，Nexstar Media Group已计划以62亿美元收购竞争对手Tegna，该并购完成后将覆盖至少60%的美国家庭。[4]
然而，这项决议引发了重大争议。[4]民主党专员戈麦斯称投票"在其表面上是非法的"。[4]消费者权益组织Free Press表示计划对FCC的决议提起诉讼，参议员伊丽莎白·沃伦批评称这是"特朗普政府为亿万富翁铺红地毯的又一次反垄断灾难"。[4]Nexstar发言人则辩称这些规则在Netflix、iPhone和Instagram出现前制定，已过时。[4]
The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 along party lines to eliminate the national television ownership rule that had restricted any single broadcaster from reaching more than 39 percent of American television households.[1][2][3] FCC Chair Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty voted in favor, while Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez opposed the measure.[2] The rule, which had been in effect for over 20 years, marked a significant victory for media conglomerates including Sinclair Broadcasting Group and Nexstar.[1][3][4]
Under the previous regulation, no broadcaster could own stations covering more than 39 percent of U.S. television households.[1][2][3] The FCC will now replace this cap with a case-by-case review process for proposed mergers, according to Carr's intention to help broadcast companies compete more effectively with streaming services.[3]
The move is expected to accelerate consolidation in the media industry and has already prompted pushback from regulatory critics and lawmakers. Democratic Commissioner Anna M. Gomez characterized the vote as "on its face, unlawful," while consumer advocacy group Free Press announced plans to sue over the decision.[4] Senator Elizabeth Warren criticized the action as "another antitrust disaster from the Trump administration laying out a red carpet for billionaires."[4] A Nexstar Media Group spokesperson defended the change by arguing that the rules were outdated, having been created before Netflix, the iPhone, and Instagram emerged.[4]
