What are the laws regarding media ownership?

In North Carolina, media ownership laws are determined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC is the federal agency responsible for regulating radio, television, and other forms of communication. The FCC has strict limits on media ownership, known as cross-ownership rules. These rules prevent a single entity from owning multiple types of media outlets in the same geographic area. For example, the FCC prevents the same company from owning both a radio station and a television station in the same local market. The FCC also has regulations on how many media outlets a single entity can own in a specific market. Generally, the FCC limits a single entity to owning no more than 8 television stations, no more than 25 radio stations, and no more than a combination of 5 television stations and 35 radio stations in the same local market. Additionally, the FCC has limits on how many media outlets a single entity can own nationwide. The FCC sets limits on the number of television stations, radio stations and newspaper outlets a single company can own nationwide. Currently, the FCC limits a single entity to owning no more than 45 television stations, no more than 8 radio stations, and no more than one daily newspaper outlet in the entire country. The FCC also has rules that prevent media owners from owning stations that are in too close of a proximity to one another. This is known as aDuopoly rule and essentially states that no two stations owned by the same entity can be located in the same city or nearby towns. Overall, the FCC has strict rules in place to ensure that media outlets are not monopolized by a single entity. Understanding and abiding by these rules is necessary for any entity looking to own a media outlet in North Carolina or nationwide.

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