One of the most influential faith-based media organizations in the country has formally urged the Federal Communications Commission to reject proposals that would loosen national and local television ownership limits.
The filing by the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) delivers a setback to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's agenda to help the broadcast TV industry consolidate at both the national and local levels.
The NRB's filing puts a key part of President Donald Trump's base effectively opposed to FCC efforts to approve the controversial merger of Nexstar-Tegna — a combination that would create the largest TV station group in the nation.
In detailed comments filed with the FCC as part of its 2022 Quadrennial Review of broadcast ownership rules, the NRB made clear it "opposes any changes" to the national television ownership cap and strongly warned against weakening local television ownership restrictions.
NRB represents more than 1,100 evangelical Christian broadcasters and media organizations across radio, television, and digital platforms.
In its filing, the group emphasized that policies favoring consolidation would disproportionately harm faith-based, educational, and mission-driven broadcasters that lack the scale and capital of large national station groups.
"The removal of the Cap would allow for massive television consolidation at the national level, further undermining the Commission's mission to support competition, diversity of viewpoints and localism," NRB wrote.
The organization added flatly, "NRB opposes any changes to the Cap. ... Any changes to the Cap should be undertaken by Congress ..."
The national ownership cap was set by law in 2004 and currently limits any single television group from reaching more than 39% of U.S. households.
The cap was first promulgated by President Ronald Reagan to block large networks and station groups from owning most of the TV stations across the nation and giving them unusual control of local news.
Several studies show most Americans get their community news from local television stations.
Industry giants, including Nexstar Media Group, have pushed for the cap's elimination or modification, arguing that it is outdated and that other media companies, including Big Tech, can reach most Americans.
At the local level, NRB urged the FCC to preserve existing limits on how many stations one company can own in a single market, including the long-standing "Top Four" prohibition that prevents ownership of multiple top-rated stations.
"In mid-sized and smaller television markets, a single ownership group can come to control multiple top-rated stations across major networks," NRB cautioned.
"As consolidation increases, independent operators face higher barriers to entry, reduced negotiating power, and growing pressure to exit the industry altogether."
The NRB's move seeks to protect religious broadcasters and televangelists who reach tens of millions each week by purchasing air time on local television stations.
Consolidation would limit choices for such advertising buys and risks that major television groups could simply deny programming time for religious broadcasters.
The NRB's comments are particularly important given their longstanding role within conservative politics.
Faith-based broadcasters were a key part of Trump's electoral coalition, providing both media infrastructure and grassroots support.
Other major conservative organizations, including Newsmax, CPAC, OAN, Zionist Organization of America, and dozens of members of Congress are opposing changes to the national ownership cap.
Last week, Rep. Elise Stefanik, a member of the Republican House Leadership, wrote to Carr urging the FCC not to remove the cap.
"Allowing these station groups and networks," Stefanik wrote, "many of which have biases towards liberal viewpoints, to consolidate would give them the ability to control and coordinate local news against Republicans."
The significant opposition to consolidation places pressure on Carr and Republican regulators who have sought to appease the TV industry and grant them control over the nation's broadcasting licenses.
Currently seven media companies control almost all major TV licenses in the top 100 markets across the nation. If Carr's plan is approved, two or three media conglomerates will likely gain control over all of these key licenses in the next few years.
Critics of FCC efforts to "deregulate" claim the Commission is not deregulating at all – as they would continue to oversee all broadcast licenses as they simply turn over their control to a handful of media conglomerates.
NRB also warned that broader changes in the television distribution marketplace — including cord-cutting and the rise of streaming services — have already placed independent broadcasters at a disadvantage.
The organization also cited public opinion data showing bipartisan opposition to increased broadcast consolidation, including a December 2025 poll indicating strong voter resistance to local television station mergers.
NRB concluded its filing by urging the FCC to retain existing television ownership rules and to recognize that consolidation threatens not just competition, but the availability of public-interest programming that serves local communities.
"Protecting independent broadcasters is not simply a matter of competitive fairness," NRB wrote. "It is essential to preserving a diverse, multicultural, and community-focused media landscape."
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