For Immediate Release

Carr Welcomes Unanimous Supreme Court Decision Upholding Media Regulations
Calls for Immediate Reinstatement of Incubator Program to Promote Ownership Diversity

RULEVILLE, MS, April 1, 2021—FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr issued the following statement on the U.S. Supreme Court’s unanimous decision to reinstate the FCC’s commonsense decision to modernize the nation’s media regulations.

“Today’s unanimous opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court leaves no doubt that the FCC’s modern approach to media regulation that we adopted in 2017 was the right decision.

“For years, newsrooms have been shuttering in communities around the country, and journalists that have worked for decades to bring truth to light have been laid off at an alarming pace.  This continuing decline in local news gathering is part of a broader and disruptive trend in media.  The Internet and digital platforms fundamentally reshaped the business of collecting and disseminating news and information.  Yet for years the FCC’s media regulations failed to account for this disruption.  In the meantime, our outdated rules only made it harder for traditional media outlets to invest in local news gathering, while providing their digital competitors with another regulatory advantage.  

“In 2017, the FCC finally acted.  We did so by modernizing our media ownership rules and incentivizing greater investment in journalism and additional resources for local reporting in the face of dramatic new competition from digital platforms.  The benefits of our reforms were worth fighting for, and I am glad that the Supreme Court unanimously agreed that the revised rules must be upheld. 

“The FCC must now embrace the modern approach to media regulation vindicated by the Court and, in the context of our current quadrennial review proceeding, ensure that our remaining broadcast ownership rules reflect the realities of the marketplace.  

“Finally, I call on the FCC to immediately reinstate the broadcast incubator program in order to help promote new entry and ownership diversity in the broadcast radio industry.”

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Office of Commissioner Brendan Carr: (202) 418-2200
www.fcc.gov/about/leadership/brendan-carr

Media Contact:
Benjamin Arden, (202) 418-0288 or benjamin.arden@fcc.gov