Multiple Ownership refers to ownership of more than one AM or FM radio stations by a single entity or company. In Section 202(b)(1) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress directed the Commission to revise its local radio ownership rule to relax the numerical station limits. This page provides information about the multiple ownership requirements as set forth in 47 CFR Section 73.3555.

Multiple Ownership Items       skip items

Items under this heading will be added or updated as needed. Check here for new or updated information.

March 23, 2006 Star Broadcasting, Inc. and Cumulus Licensing, LLC, Letter, DA 06-645, released March 23, 2006. [ PDF | Word ]. Petition and informal objection were denied, and assignment applications granted. March 23, 2006 Galaxy Communications, L.P., Letter, DA 06-644, released March 23, 2006. [ PDF | Word ]. Waiver request denied and minor change application dismissed for failure to comply with the local radio ownership rule. December 1, 2005 WASK, Inc. and Stay Tuned Broasdcasting Corporation, Letter, DA 05-3093, released December 1, 2005. [ PDF | Word ]. Petition to deny alleging undue concentration was denied, assignment applications were granted. August 11, 2005 Pacific Radio Group, Inc. and Big Island Radio, Letter, DA 05-2270, released August 11, 2005. [ PDF | Word ]. Petiton to deny was denied, waiver for overlap over water granted, and assignment applications granted. May 9, 2005 Media One Group II, LLC, Vox Allegany, LLC, and Cross Country Communications, LLC, Letter, DA 05-1318, released May 9, 2005. [ PDF | Word ]. Petition to deny alleging a near-monopoly was denied, assignment applications granted. May 9, 2005 Inland Northwest Broadcasting LLC and Palouse Country, Inc., Letter, DA 05-1314, released May 9, 2005. [ PDF | Word ]. Petition to deny was denied and assignment applications granted. May 4, 2005 Eagle Broadcasting Company, Inc. and Saga Communications of New England, LLC, Letter, DA 05-1284, released May 4, 2005. [ PDF | Word ]. Objections alleging undue concentration were denied and assignment applications granted. January 3, 2005 Media Bureau Announces Requirement to File Certain Radio Joint Sales Agreements, Public Notice, DA 04-4035, released January 3, 2005. [ PDF | Word ]. Filing deadline was February 22, 2005. November 18, 2004 Media Bureau Announces Dismissal of Unamended Form 301, 314, and 315 AM and FM Applications; Amendment Deadline Set for Certain Other Commercial Radio Station Applications, Public Notice, DA 04-3647, released November 18, 2004. [ PDF | Word ]. Attachment: [ PDF | Word ]. October 8, 2004 Revised FCC Forms 301, 314, and 315 Approved and Available for Use; Media Bureau Announces End to Freeze on the Filing of Forms 301, 314, and 315, Public Notice, DA 04-3204, released October 8, 2004. [ PDF | Word ]. Temporary freeze lifted; pending FM commercial radio and television applications must be amended within 30 days. September 8, 2004 Media Bureau Announces Temporary Freeze on the Filing of Forms 301, 314, and 315 for Commercial Radio Broadcast Stations, Public Notice, DA 04-2901, released September 8, 2004. Freeze was effective September 8, 2004. [ PDF | Word ]. July 2, 2003 Limits on Media Concentration, Report and Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 03-127, MM Dockets 02-177, 01-235, 01-317, 00-244 and MB Docket 03-130, released July 2, 2003. [ PDF | Word ] Attachment: [ PDF | Word ] Powell Statement: [ PDF | Word ] Abernathy Statement: [ PDF | Word ] Copps Statement: [ PDF | Word ] Martin Statement: [ PDF | Word ] Adelstein Statement: [ PDF | Word ]    Adelstein July 2, 2003 News Release: [ PDF | Word ] [ 68 FR 46286 (R&O), 68 FR 46359 (NPRM) ] June 2, 2003 FCC Sets Limits on Media Concentration: Unprecedented Public Record Results in Enforceable and Balanced Broadcast Ownership Rules, News Release, released June 2, 2003. [ Word | PDF ]    Attachment: [  Excel | PDF ] Powell Statement:      [ Word | PDF ] Abernathy Statement: [ Word | PDF ] Copps Statement:       [ Word | PDF ]   Copps Bench Remarks: [ Word | PDF ]   Copps News Release:   [ Word | PDF ] Martin Press Statement: [ Word | PDF ] Adelstein Statement:     [ Word | PDF ] How to Replay June 2, 2003 Commission meeting from the FCC's Website

Summary

In Section 202(b)(1) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress directed the Commission to revise its local radio ownership rule to relax the numerical station limits. Specifically, Section 202(b)(1) of the 1996 Act provided the following ownership limitations:

1. in a radio market with 45 or more commercial radio stations, a party may own, operate, or control up to 8 commercial radio stations, not more than 5 of which are in the same service (AM or FM);
2. in a radio market with between 30 and 44 (inclusive) commercial radio stations, a party may own, operate, or control up to 7 commercial radio stations, not more than 4 of which are in the same service (AM or FM);
3. in a radio market with between 15 and 29 (inclusive) commercial radio stations, a party may own, operate, or control up to 6 commercial radio stations, not more than 4 of which are in the same service (AM or FM); and
4. in a radio market with 14 or fewer commercial radio stations, a party may own, operate, or control up to 5 commercial radio stations, not more than 3 of which are in the same service (AM or FM), except that a party may not own, operate, or control more than 50 percent of the stations in such market.

Since 1996 the Commission has granted thousands of assignment and transfer of control applications proposing transactions that complied with the new limits. In certain instances, however, the Commission faced concerns regarding the competitive impact of the proposed transactions. In response to these concerns, the Commission concluded in written decisions that it had an independent obligation to consider whether a proposed pattern of radio ownership that complies with the local radio ownership limits would otherwise have an adverse competitive effect in a particular local radio market, such that it would be inconsistent with the public interest.

In August 1998, the Commission began "flagging" public notices of radio station transactions that, based on an initial analysis by the staff, proposed a level of local radio concentration that implicated the Commission's public interest concern for maintaining diversity and competition. Under this policy, the Commission flagged proposed transactions that would result in one entity controlling 50% or more of the radio advertising revenues in the relevant Arbitron radio market or two entities controlling 70% or more of such advertising revenues. In such cases, the Commission indicated that it would conduct further competitive review of the flagged transaction and invited interested parties to file comments addressing the competitive impact of the proposed merger. On November 8, 2001, the Commission adopted the Local Radio Ownership Notice of Proposed Rule Making, MM Dockets 01-317 and 00-244, FCC 01-329, 16 FCC Rcd 19861 (2001) [ PDF | Word | Text ], to undertake a comprehensive examination of our rules and policies concerning local radio ownership, and to develop a new framework that will be more responsive to current marketplace realities while continuing to address the core public interest concerns of promoting diversity and competition. The Local Radio Ownership NPRM sets forth an interim policy to guide the Commission's actions on radio assignment and transfer of control applications pending a decision in the proceeding. (This proceeding has subsequently been incorporated into the Commission's 2002 Biennial Regulatory Review / Review of the Commission's Broadcast Ownership Rules and Other Rules Adopted Pursuant to Section 202 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, MB Docket No. 02-277, FCC 02-249, released September 23, 2002 [ PDF | Word | Text ].) Under the interim policy, applications that fall below the "50/70" screen are deemed not to raise competition concerns unless a petition to deny raising competition issues is filed. For applications identified by the "50/70" screen, the interim policy directs the Commission's staff to conduct a public interest analysis, including an independent preliminary competition analysis.