FCC主席称将投票取消美国电视台39%全国覆盖上限

The chair of the Federal Communications Commission said Wednesday the agency will vote to ​rescind the 85-year-old rule that bars broadcasters from reaching more than ‌39% of the total number of U.S. TV households.

FCC Chair Brendan Carr confirmed Wednesday the agency will vote to lift the cap in favor of a new case-by-case approach. "Our ​new proposal would allow the FCC to approve deals that exceed ​the 39 percent cap, but only if doing so would ⁠promote the public interest," Carr said in a essay published Wednesday.

Under current ​rules, stations with weaker over-the-air signals can be partially counted against a company's ​ownership cap.

Critics say only Congress can lift the cap and argue it will lead to excessive concentration among station owners.

In March, the FCC approved the $3.54 billion sale of local television station ​owner Tegna to Nexstar (NXST.O) despite objections from Democratic-led states.

The acquisition, if ​not reversed by courts, will expand Nexstar's presence to cover 80% of U.S. TV households. ‌The ⁠FCC said it was waiving the 39% rule in approving the deal.

A judge has halted the deal pending a court challenge.

In February, President Donald Trump said he supported the deal. Trump has repeatedly pressured Carr to revoke ​the licenses of Comcast-owned (CMCSA.O) ​NBC and ⁠ABC stations and Carr ordered an unusual early license review of Disney's (DIS.N) eight company-owned ABC stations.

Critics have said ​Carr is violating the free speech rights of broadcasters.

FCC Commissioner ​Anna Gomez, ⁠a Democrat, said the "cap reflects Congress’ judgment that excessive concentration threatens competition, localism, and viewpoint diversity. It is not a suggestion. It is the law."

The ⁠National ​Association of Broadcasters praised Carr's action saying it "reflects ​the understanding that decades-old ownership restrictions that apply only to broadcasters – and none of our competitors – are ​out of step with today’s media marketplace. "