OCA Condemns FCC Removal of Broadcast Station Ownership Cap
For Immediate Release
August 6, 2026
Media Contact:
Socheata Sun, Senior Communications Associate
socheata.sun@ocanational.org
Washington, D.C. — OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates is deeply disturbed by the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) overreach of authority in its vote to remove broadcast television station ownership caps. The FCC did not have the authority to take this action, as the U.S. Congress had already established a 39 percent cap in the 2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act. In the bill, Congress also removed the review of ownership caps from the FCC’s purview.
The FCC cannot override a statute passed by Congress. Calling the repeal a “case-by-case standard” does not change who holds that authority. Rather, it makes the FCC’s overreach harder to see.
“Through this vote, the FCC is openly supporting the consolidation of media in our country, which undermines the United States’ commitment to free, non-monopolized media,” said Thu Nguyen, Executive Director of OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates. “Americans have the right to a variety of media and perspectives on television, yet the FCC is attempting to take away one of the freedoms that makes this country great.”
OCA submitted comments to the Commission last August, warning that another round of consolidation would narrow the range of voices on the public airwaves. Nothing since has changed that. When station groups combine, local newsrooms are often the first to face cuts, while higher retransmission fees are passed directly on to families through higher monthly TV bills. OCA calls on Congress to act swiftly to defend its authority on this issue.
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About OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates
Founded in 1973, OCA–Asian Pacific American Advocates is a national, member-driven social justice organization of community advocates dedicated to advancing the sociopolitical and holistic well-being of all Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders (AANHPIs). Learn more about our work at ocanational.org/about.
