Congress is currently considering numerous legislative issues that significantly affect broadcasters, including changes to the retransmission consent process as part of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA), levying a performance tax on local radio stations and restricting the deductibility of advertising costs for businesses.
At the same time, the Federal Communications Commission has broadcasters in its sights. Recently, the commission has banned television stations’ joint sales agreements and the ability of stations in the same market to jointly negotiate retransmission consent. All while actively encouraging TV stations to go out of business by selling their spectrum to wireless providers in the incentive auction.