Oxenford: Broadcast Ownership Bill Won't Move this Congress

A bill proposed by Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., that would repeal broadcast ownership rules and prevent antitrust authorities from treating broadcasting as a unique market is unlikely to be approved any time soon, said Wilkinson Barker broadcast attorney David Oxenford in a blog post Wednesday. “Being introduced so late in the Congressional session with no other declared political support, the bill has little chance of becoming law in this session of Congress,” Oxenford said. The proposed Local News and Broadcast Media Preservation Act also contains elements similar to the proposed Journalism Competition and Preservation Act (see 2209130054), and would allow broadcasters to collectively negotiate with tech companies for use of their content. “With the rise of social media and an ever-changing media landscape, it is imperative that our local newspapers and broadcasters are given the freedom to adapt,” said Paul last week in a news release on the legislation.