FCC Eliminates National TV Ownership Cap, Moves to Case-By-Case Evaluation of Broadcast TV Ownership – What You Need to Know
October 6, 2026
On October 1, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) released an Order to repeal the current national television ownership cap in favor of a case-by-case approach for evaluating national broadcast television ownership levels. The Order will take effect 60 days after publication of the decision in the Federal Register and is expected to be subject to requests for reconsideration and/or court challenges.
The current National Television Multiple Ownership Rule restricts a single entity from owning television stations that reach greater than 39% of television households in the United States. The purpose of the rule was to promote localism by maintaining the balance of power between networks and their affiliates. Elimination of the ownership cap is expected to usher in a new era of broadcast television transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions or station swaps.
Cahill’s client alert examines the reasoning behind the FCC’s decision and potential implications of eliminating the ownership cap for broadcast television transactions.
Read the full client alert below.
