The distinction between owned-and-operated stations (O&Os) and network affiliates has never been more consequential — and with the FCC signaling openness to loosening ownership rules, it may soon determine which stations thrive and which struggle.

Without enforceable accountability, the move to ATSC 3.0 risks becoming ATSC 1.0 “2.0” — another costly cycle of broken promises, obsolescence, and squandered public value.

If Brendan Carr’s vision prevails, local TV risks becoming both homogenized and politicized — consolidated into a few large conglomerates, and pressured to avoid programming that might displease those in power.

The real question is whether broadcast ownership rules written for a world of media scarcity can still make sense in a world of communications abundance.

“KidVid” rules were born of good intentions — to ensure children weren’t shortchanged by profit-driven commercial broadcasters. But three decades later, they’ve morphed into an outsourced compliance exercise dominated by a single producer.

Should broadcasters be allowed to bulk up to compete with tech platforms, even if it means fewer owners controlling the bulk of local stations? Or should ownership caps remain a bulwark against consolidation, even if that risks leaving broadcasters weaker in the face of digital disruption?

Nexstar wants Tegna, the FCC’s Carr wants deregulation and the industry wants to know what’s really going on. A deep dive into what the future might bring.

Local broadcast television is edging toward one of the biggest consolidation waves in its history; it’s beginning with the construction of co-owned station duopolies in markets across the country.

If FCC Chairman Brendan Carr truly believes in the importance of media localism, then he should stop treating it as deregulatory wishful thinking and start advocating for policies that directly support it.

In today’s world of streaming, mobile viewing, personalized advertising, and advanced digital broadcast technology, the TV DMA has quickly become anachronistic.

Not all local stations are created equal, and the paths ahead for network-owned stations and independently owned affiliates couldn’t be more different.

If broadcast regulation truly needs reform — and it surely does — then retransmission consent must be on the negotiating table.

If history has taught us anything, it’s that aggressive deregulation often carries unintended — and sometimes irreversible — consequences.

A looming legal battle next month pits broadcasters seeking deregulation against public interest groups advocating for competition and diversity in local media markets.

At its core, this investigation is not about sponsorships or underwriting rules. It is about power—the power to intimidate, destabilize, and ultimately silence voices that provide a public service free from the dictates of profit or political agendas.

TV station ownership rules were originally established to preserve localism, diversity, and competition in local marketplaces. Have they outlived their usefulness?

NBCU is doubling down on contextual and shoppable, the years two biggest trends. But will they stick? Meanwhile, Dish and Direct are looking at how to ditch broadcast. But can they?