Regulate Radio Title For Free

Federal law generally prohibits radio broadcasts without a license issued by the FCC. Anyone found operating a radio station without FCC authorization can be subject to a variety of enforcement actions, including seizure of equipment, fines and other civil and criminal penalties.

The Federal Communications Commission regulates interstate and international communications through cable, radio, television, satellite and wire. The goal of the Commission is to promote connectivity and ensure a robust and competitive market.

Limitations on the number of radio stations a single entity may own in an area are based on a sliding scale that varies by the size of the market: In a radio market with 45 or more stations, an entity may own up to eight radio stations, no more than five of which may be in the same service (AM or FM).

In 2017, the FCC concluded that three of its ownership rules were no longer necessary to promote competition, localism, or viewpoint di- versity. The Commission further concluded that the record evidence did not suggest that repealing or modifying those three rules was likely to harm minority and female ownership.

In 1975 the Federal Communications Commission initiated the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule, which bars a single company from owning a newspaper and a broadcast station in the same market.

"Beginning in 1975, FCC rules banned cross-ownership by a single entity of a daily newspaper and television or radio broadcast station operating in the same local market." The ruling was put in place to limit media concentration in TV and radio markets, because they use public airwaves, which is a valuable, and now ...

In addition to promoting diversity, the FCC aims, with its broadcast media ownership rules, to promote localism and competition by restricting the number of media outlets that a single entity may own or control within a local geographic market.

Complaints can be filed through the FCC's Consumer Complaint Center, which educates consumers about communications issues and guides them through the complaint process. Other options for filing a complaint with the FCC include: Phone: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322); ASL: 1-844-432-2275.