Some radio broadcasters are taking their case for ownership reform directly to Federal Communications Commission officials, with executives from Beasley Media Group and Connoisseur Media holding separate meetings last week to argue that local radio ownership rules adopted nearly 30 years ago no longer reflect today’s competitive marketplace.
The meetings come as the FCC considers changes to its local ownership rules as part of its long-running 2022 quadrennial review (MB Docket No. 22-459). A number of broadcasters have urged the Commission to eliminate or relax ownership caps, arguing they now compete with streaming services, podcasts, satellite radio and digital advertising companies that face no comparable restrictions. Public interest groups, labor organizations and music industry advocates have urged the FCC to keep the existing limits.
Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley met July 16 with Commissioner Olivia Trusty and members of her staff, arguing the ownership rules have remained unchanged since 1996 despite what the company described as a dramatic transformation of the media and advertising marketplace. According to the filing, Beasley said broadcasters now compete directly with streaming audio, podcasts, satellite radio, social media platforms and digital advertising companies while continuing to provide local news, weather and emergency information.
A day earlier, broadcast attorneys David Oxenford and Jennifer Tatel met with the Media Bureau on behalf of Connoisseur Media, advancing many of the same arguments. Connoisseur said over-the-air radio competes daily with digital companies and other local media for both listeners and advertisers, and that many of radio’s biggest competitors did not exist when the current rules were adopted.
Connoisseur also argued that easing ownership limits could help revive what it called “zombie stations” by allowing financially stronger operators to acquire underperforming stations, invest in local programming and restore community service.
The discussions come as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has proposed eliminating the national television ownership cap, a move some broadcasters view as a sign the Commission may also be willing to revisit radio ownership rules.
In support of its position, Connoisseur submitted a 22-page report citing the industry’s economic pressures. It says local radio advertising revenue fell 43% between 2013 and 2025, while radio’s share of local advertising declined from 7% in 2017 to an estimated 4.7% in 2025. The report also cites changing listening habits, declining station values, fewer transactions and nearly 500 AM and FM stations leaving the air since 2019.
At the same time, Edison Media’s Share of Ear research shows AM/FM radio remains the single largest source of daily audio listening, accounting for 33% of listening, although that share has declined over the past decade as streaming, podcasts and YouTube have gained audience.