Sinclair Broadcast Group has filed extensive comments with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), pushing for significant deregulation of broadcast ownership rules and a quicker transition to NextGen TV (ATSC 3.0). Their April 11 filing, responding to the FCC’s “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative, argues that broadcasters face an uneven playing field against largely unregulated Big Tech platforms.
“Broadcasters are competing with Big Media and overpowered and unregulated new Big Tech entrants with both hands tied behind our backs due to archaic regulatory structures that fail to reflect current competitive conditions,” Sinclair stated. The group prioritizes eliminating both local and national ownership caps.
Sinclair argues the National Ownership Cap, limiting ownership to stations reaching under 39% of U.S. households, is flawed. “The Commission is in fact required by the plain language of the statute to reduce or eliminate regulatory constraints in light of competition to serve the public interest,” they stated, referencing the FCC's four-year review mandate.
Sinclair emphasizes the competitive disadvantage: “True national reach is an opportunity accessible to virtually all video programming platforms other than broadcast television, putting broadcasters at a severe competitive disadvantage.” They warn that maintaining current regulations jeopardizes local journalism, potentially leading to budget cuts mirroring newspaper closures.
Sinclair supports the National Association of Broadcasters’ petition for an ATSC 3.0 transition deadline (top 55 markets by February 2028, others by February 2030), suggesting rule modifications for smoother implementation. “Broadcasters will need greater flexibility in hosting arrangements in order to extend the transition to the remaining (more complicated) markets,” they noted.
Further, Sinclair seeks changes to children’s programming requirements and public file regulations. They propose granting broadcasters more discretion regarding E/I programming and eliminating Section 73.3526, deeming many public file obligations unnecessary.
David Gibber, Sinclair’s EVP and Chief Legal Officer, and external counsel signed the comments, highlighting that current regulations threaten “the future viability of many stations and local news” by “obstructing TV broadcasters’ ability to operate and compete at scale.” Sinclair points out the massive disparity in market power, noting analysts’ estimates valuing YouTube at $475 billion to $550 billion—exceeding the entire local broadcast industry. They also highlight that Google, Meta, and Amazon's U.S. advertising revenues individually surpass the entire local broadcast industry's combined ad revenue, with their combined global advertising revenue share reaching 51% in 2024.