Kathmandu— The United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has voted to lift the cap that bars local TV station owners from reaching more than 39 percent of U.S. television households, a move critics argue will lead to excessive market power among media companies. The FCC's decision was made on Thursday with a vote of 2-1 in favor of rescinding the rule and adopting a case-by-case approach instead.

Critics' Concerns

Many critics argue that lifting the cap will concentrate media ownership, giving fewer companies control over public airwaves. FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez, the sole Democrat on the commission, said the proposal was illegal and only Congress can lift such a cap. Clayton Weimers of Reporters Without Borders North America stated that this move abandons safeguards against excessive concentration of media ownership, benefiting powerful conglomerates rather than serving the public interest.

FCC's Rationale

The FCC argues that lifting the cap will help local broadcasters survive and invest in programming. Chairman Brendan Carr emphasized that outdated restrictions have contributed to the decline of local newspapers and that similar fates should not befall local broadcast TV. The agency plans to evaluate future mergers on a case-by-case basis, aiming to remove artificial barriers to attracting capital and generating revenue for broadcast television.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.