NABET-CWA Commends FCC Vote to Strengthen Television Ownership Rules

NABET-CWA Commends FCC Vote to Strengthen Television Ownership Rules

Washington, D.C. -- The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians-CWA applauds today’s vote by the Federal Communications Commission to effectively curb abuses by television broadcasters that are using joint sales agreements to evade the Commission’s ownership rules designed to preserve localism, diversity, and competition.

The Commission voted 3-2 to ban new joint sales agreements (JSAs) in which one station sells 15% or more of the advertising time of another separately owned station in the same market. In addition, existing JSAs generally will be required to unwind within two years, unless an exemption waiver is granted by the FCC.  Further, the FCC will ask for public comments on whether broadcasters should be required to fully disclose details about another form of media consolidation, shared services agreements, (SSAs) and whether SSAs should come under additional regulation.

NABET-CWA President Jim Joyce said, “We applaud the FCC’s action and these meaningful steps to slow down media consolidation by closing a loophole that has enabled some broadcasters to do an end run around laws intended to limit multiple TV station ownership.  These maneuvers by stations, in the form of JSAs and SSAs, should not continue to go unchecked.”

NABET-CWA will participate in the comment process regarding shared services.  Joyce affirmed that, “It is NABET-CWA’s view that SSAs have resulted in consolidation that has led to communities losing one or more important sources of information in their TV market, and have caused significant job loss.  We will tell the FCC that the use of SSA’s is outsourcing at its worst, and skirts ownership cap rules meant to protect the public interest.”



NABET-CWA represents 9,000 workers in the broadcast industry. CWA represents 700,000 workers in communications, media, airlines, manufacturing, and public service.