NABET-CWA Issues Statement on FCC Ownership Rules

Last week, NABET-CWA joined six public-interest, media reform, media justice, and other labor organizations to file an amicus curiae brief defending the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) broadcast ownership rules.

The FCC’s media-ownership rules are designed to promote competition, viewpoint diversity, ownership diversity, and the delivery of local content by broadcast stations licensed to serve communities all across the United States. Broadcasting conglomerates and the trade groups representing them argue that the FCC should eliminate more of the few ownership limits that remain on the books.

In the brief, NABET-CWA President Charlie Braico responded to the argument for fewer ownership regulations, saying, “Locally-owned broadcast television and radio stations and the jobs they create are critical to the well-being of our communities. Consolidation in the media industry and Wall Street's downsizing and stripping of local news operations for profits, along with the 'narrowcasting" of information on the internet, has left Americans more isolated and divided than ever. The FCC's ability to enforce local broadcast ownership rules is critical to preventing further harm.”

Click here to read the full press release.