The Powers That Be: Daily The Foxification of the F.C.C.
Jun 25, 2025
Eriq Gardner, a legal expert covering media and entertainment, joins Julia Ioffe to discuss the implications of Olivia Trusty's confirmation to the F.C.C. They explore how the new Republican majority could lead to deregulated media ownership, favoring conservative local media consolidation. Eriq also delves into NPR's ongoing legal battle with the Trump administration regarding federal funding, shedding light on the challenges faced by public broadcasting. Their insightful conversation highlights the evolving landscape of media in today’s political climate.
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Republican FCC's Media Ownership Agenda
- The new Republican majority at the FCC aims to loosen media ownership caps for broadcast stations.
- This move could boost conservative local media consolidation and increase their political influence.
Why Republicans Target Ownership Caps
- Republicans want to lift national ownership caps to empower local conservative broadcasters.
- This strategy would strengthen their negotiating leverage and shift broadcast TV content rightward, especially in rural areas.
Conservative Consolidation & Local News
- Conservative media consolidation parallels trends seen in local newspapers, often hedge fund-owned and conservative-leaning.
- Local news still matters, but broadcasters argue scaling up is needed to compete with streaming services.