Trump Opposes FCC TV Ownership Cap Changes

President Donald Trump voiced opposition on Sunday to potential changes in Federal Communications Commission rules that would relax limits on television station ownership, warning that such moves could expand the influence of networks he described as biased toward Democrats. His comments, posted on Truth Social, cast uncertainty over a proposed $6.2 billion merger between Nexstar Media Group and TEGNA Inc., which would create one of the largest U.S. broadcasters.

Trump's post responded to a report highlighting FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's efforts to review the agency's longstanding national ownership cap. That rule, established in the 1980s and adjusted to its current level in 2004, prohibits any single company from owning or controlling broadcast television stations that collectively reach more than 39 percent of U.S. television households. "If this would also allow the Radical Left Networks to enlarge, I would not be happy," Trump wrote, specifically naming ABC and NBC as examples of outlets he accused of functioning as extensions of the Democratic Party. He called for no expansion of what he termed "fake news networks" and suggested they should instead face reductions in reach.