National Television Multiple Ownership Rule

What it does

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) repeals the national television multiple ownership rule (national cap), which prohibits a commercial television licensee from having a cognizable interest in television stations that have an aggregate national audience reach above 39%. The Commission finds, given seismic changes in the modern media marketplace, that the rule's repeal will help empower local broadcast television stations to operate in the public interest and to better serve the needs and interests of their local communities. The Commission will review on a case-by-case basis proposed transactions that would have been prohibited under the national cap to determine whether a proposed transaction would serve the Commission's media ownership goals of localism, competition, and viewpoint diversity.

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 73

Compared with

The Federal Communications Commission has published 59 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

The repeal of 47 CFR 73.3555(e) is effective January 11, 2027.

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