FCC Repeal of the 39% National TV Ownership Cap Published in the Federal Register, Effective January 11, 2027
The Federal Communications Commission's final rule abolishing the national television station ownership cap was published in the Federal Register on November 12 (document 2026-23040). The repeal of 47 CFR 73.3555(e) takes effect on January 11, 2027 — the first change to the cap in more than two decades, ending the across-the-board limit on how much of the national audience a single TV station group may reach.
The old rule barred any television licensee from holding an interest in stations aggregating more than 39% of U.S. television households (up to 78% under the UHF discount). In its order, the FCC wrote that Congress left adjustment of the cap in the Commission's hands, and that streaming services now reach more than 80% of U.S. adults with no audience cap at all — a fundamentally changed competitive landscape for broadcasters.
Under the new framework, the FCC will review transactions case by case against three public-interest standards — localism, competition and viewpoint diversity. Deals that may harm the public interest can be denied, while transactions the cap would have blocked outright can now be proposed and approved individually. The FCC said the standard captures cross-market considerations that the existing local ownership rules do not.
The order, FCC 26-53 in MB Docket No. 17-318, was adopted on August 6, 2026 and released on October 1: Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioner Olivia Trusty voted to approve, while Commissioner Anna M. Gomez dissented. The FCC said in August that the change is meant to give local broadcasters the scale to compete with streaming giants and invest in local news and community service.
Broadcast industry groups have since filed for a stay of the order, questioning the FCC's statutory authority; the order itself answers that Congress never withdrew the Commission's power to adjust the cap. GSM will follow the litigation and any station-group deals that follow.
Source: Federal Communications Commission
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：联邦通信委员会主席Brendan Carr官方肖像。美国联邦通信委员会供图（公共领域）。 / Official portrait of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr. Photo by the Federal Communications Commission (public domain).
