The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals has tentatively ruled to vacate certain Federal Communications Commission policies related to broadcast ownership.
Chris Kline with the Arizona Media Association says this may help some networks like ABC and NBC, and local Arizona affiliates, collaborate or even merge.
“With the hope that it results in stronger more sustainable newsrooms with fewer cutbacks over time," Kline said.
Those network giants and others petitioned the court to loosen certain FCC rules they claim are arbitrary, and ignore modern TV market landscapes.
Kline says this ruling may lead to more newsroom collaborations that could dominate local markets.
“We may have more duopolies like what you see from Channel 3 and Channel 5, where those two newsrooms work collaboratively together. And we could see that same thing happening with Fox, or 12, or 15, and obviously down in Tucson or Yuma," Kline said.
The court didn’t grant the networks’ full request, like issues with radio ownership. The FCC has 90 days to challenge the ruling.
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