FCC Scraps Rule Aimed at Keeping TV, Radio Local

The Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday voted to scrap a decades-old rule requiring radio and television broadcasters to maintain a studio in the localities where they have a license, sparking fears of further media consolidation on the part of large companies. “Technology allows broadcast stations to produce local news even without a nearby studio,” FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said. Free Press, a consumer advocacy group, said the decision would allow “conglomerates to move even more resources away from struggling communities and further centralize broadcasting facilities and staff in wealthier metropolitan areas.”