Broadcaster Sinclair Advocates for Elimination of Ownership Limits on Stations, Proposes Phase-out of ATSC 1.0 Standard
Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Here's the skinny on Sinclair's plea to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for some good ol' deregulation. You know, the kind that levels the playing field and lets broadcasters compete without a ton of regulatory baggage causing them grief.
In their recent plea, Sinclair sang the praises of the FCC's push towards deregulation and pointed to a double whammy – a rapidly evolving competitive landscape and outdated regulatory burdens that are giving broadcasters and consumers a hard time.
So, what does Sinclair think the FCC should do? Eliminate those local and national ownership caps and get cracking on setting a sunset date for ATSC 1.0, pronto. Why? Well, if broadcasters are smothered under a blanket of excessive rules, they'll have no choice but to gut local news budgets, just like what happened to many a struggling newspaper. And who wants fewer local news options or less local journalism, eh?
But that ain't all – the FCC needs to act fast to cut the chains off the broadcast television industry, or it might be too late, Sinclair warned. Shout-out to local communities everywhere that would be left high and dry with less local news and fewer alternatives.
Sinclair's got money – they're doling out more than $300 million for local news productions, pumping out over 2,500 hours of local news programming per week in the communities they serve. They're also big on high school sports, having produced or aired over 1,400 hours during 2024-2025.
Next up on Sinclair's wishlist? Moving full steam ahead with NextGen TV by following the National Association of Broadcasters' (NAB) petition. Quick transitions to ATSC 3.0 in the top 55 markets by 2028 and all other markets by 2030, please! They also think the FCC should wave goodbye to the simulcast and "substantially similar" requirements, along with other rules that are making the transition more burdensome.
TV Tech's got all the details on Sinclair's filing, as well as their take on the FCC and NextGen TV. Interested? Check it out here.
- The media outlet TV Tech provides details about Sinclair's filing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), advocating for deregulation, and their perspective on NextGen TV.
- Sinclair has invested more than $300 million into local news productions, generating over 2,500 hours of local news programming per week, uplifting the communities they serve.
- In addition to local news, Sinclair takes a keen interest in high school sports, airing over 1,400 hours during the seasons 2024-2025.
- Sinclair requests the FCC to adopt the National Association of Broadcasters' (NAB) petition and expedite the transition to NextGen TV, with ATSC 3.0 implementation in the top 55 markets and all other markets by 2030.
- Sinclair also calls for the FCC to abolish the simulcast and "substantially similar" requirements, in an effort to alleviate the regulatory burden on broadcasters during the transition to NextGen TV.
- Sinclair emphasizes the urgency for the FCC to act swiftly, believing that failure to deregulate the broadcast television industry may result in a paucity of local news options and limited alternatives for communities across the nation.
