Review of Foreign Ownership Policies for Broadcast, Common Carrier and Aeronautical Radio Licensees

What it does

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) adopted a Report and Order to update foreign ownership rules for common carrier and broadcast licensees to clarify the Commission's review under section 310(b) of the Communications Act of 1934. With regard to common carrier licensees, the Report and Order adopted rules to codify existing policy regarding which entity is the controlling U.S. parent; codify the Commission's advance approval policy regarding certain deemed voting interests; require identification of trusts and trustees; extend the remedial procedures and methodology to privately held companies; add requirements regarding the contents of remedial petitions; require the filing of amendments as a complete restatement to petitions for declaratory ruling; and clarify U.S. residency requirements. For broadcast licensees only, the Report and Order covers: how the Commission should process applications filed by a broadcast licensee during the pendency of a remedial petition for declaratory ruling under section 310(b)(4); and other foreign ownership considerations related to processing applications for NCE and LPFM stations. Regarding broadcast licensees only, the Report and Order directs the Media Bureau to issue processing guidelines detailing how the Commission would process applications filed by a broadcast licensee during the pendency of a remedial section 310(b)(4) petition; and clarifies other foreign ownership considerations related to processing applications for noncommercial educational (NCE) and low power FM (LPFM) stations.

The Federal Communications Commission's summary, as published in the Federal Register.

What changed in the regulation

1 part of Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations:

47 CFR 1

Wording on eCFR: the day before it took effect and from the day it took effect (first part listed).

Compared with

The Federal Communications Commission has published 57 final rules in 2026 so far, compared with 78 in all of 2025.

Counted by the Tribune from Federal Register records since Jan. 1, 2025.

What happens next and when

Effective date: These rules are effective May 11, 2026.

The agency's dates, word for word.

Check it yourself

• The document in the Federal Register
• Title 47 on eCFR

The record as published

Source: the Federal Register (public domain). The document in the Federal Register