Tag: Nexstar

  • The End of Local News? Why I’m Saying Alarm Bells are Ringing at the New FCC Policy

    by Winston Wendell

    For years, I studied the relationship between information and society. But the latest policy changes in Washington are deeply troubling. This week, the Federal Communications Commission, in a 2-1 vote, overturned a key media ownership rule protecting the diversity of viewpoints in our news and entertainment. This decision, which has been made by a Republican majority, allows bigger corporations to acquire a significantly greater share of local news.

    1960s RCA Victor television displaying a black-and-white show with a man and woman on screen

    If this is to be achieved, local news outlets will no longer be truly local. As someone who has fought for years for a better environment for local news to survive, I believe this development to be an existential threat to it. This is why I am raising this alarm bell about the end of local news.

    What Just Happened? (The 39 Percent Cap Was Lifted)

    For more than two decades, companies have been restricted to 39 percent of all television households as a result of a certain law. It was designed to prevent a single entity from dominating the news and information space.

    The chairman of the FCC, Brendan Carr, a Trump appointee, argued that this decision was made to “restore fairness” to the system, giving local news a better chance to compete with big tech conglomerates.

    Many, however, do not share this point of view. During the debate in the FCC, democrat commissioner Anna Gomez said, “This is not local broadcasting; it is Big Media muscling in to replace Big Tech as the gatekeeper – neither of which is in the public interest.”

    Who Wins from This?

    In this tug of war, there are always winners and losers, but the main beneficiaries of this policy shift were already predicted by its supporters. With this FCC decision, Nexstar, for example, will be able to merge with Tegna, so that around 80 percent of all households in the USA will receive their local news from one company. Such concentration of power in one media holding threatens the diversity of views in society.

    Another media conglomerate that wins from this is Sinclair Broadcasting Group. This company has a reputation for forcing “must run” news stories on its affiliated local TV stations, so that the news coming out of them reflects a particular point of view selected by the company’s bosses. With the repeal of the 39 percent rule, Sinclair will be able to disseminate its political narratives even more widely through dozens of local news outlets.

    Not Entirely Legal either (Challenges to the FCC Decision are Being Considered)

    In addition to being “unfair,” this FCC decision may also be illegal. This is what the court in Washington will have to decide in one of the lawsuits challenging the new FCC rules. This case, brought by the media watchdog group Free Press, claims that Brendan Carr does not have the authority to repeal the 39 percent rule.

    According to the complaint, the FCC’s move violates the Communications Act of 2004, which was adopted by a decision of Congress. Moreover, this law prevented the FCC from overturning the 39 percent cap unless Congress voted to repeal it. According to Matt Wood of Free Press, Carr’s initiative is an attempt to help Trump allies grab local news markets by any means.

    How Does This Affect the Local News?

    The importance of this decision for the future of local news can’t be overestimated. When a large national media company buys a popular local news outlet, it rarely means that it will begin to provide more comprehensive coverage of local events. Such mergers usually lead to the opposite: cuts in the number of local news shows, journalists’ salaries, and much more remote management decisions.

    In other words, the audience will have less information about what is happening around them and about their region in general, since coverage of local events will be controlled by people who speak for themselves. John Bergmayer of Public Knowledge said, “News consolidation leads to less local news, fewer journalists, and more top-down management.”

    The FCC as an Agency that Makes Politically Motivated Decisions

    Perhaps the most annoying aspect of all this is that the FCC itself seems to serve primarily as an instrument for advancing the policy preferences of the current administration.

    By promoting his candidates to the post of FCC chairman, Trump has ensured that the FCC will be willing to loosen regulations whenever they see fit. This week, commissioner Brendan Carr, for example, accused ABC and CBS of “anti-conservative bias” in the coverage of certain news. In essence, it is a call for these federal networks to change their narratives in favor of the Trump administration. By politicizing the FCC, Trump has turned it into an auxiliary instrument for pursuing his policy in Congress.

    From my point of view

    This decision to repeal the 39 percent rule is another step toward greater corporate control of the news, which is why I am raising this alarm bell about the end of local news. This is because it allows companies to buy more local news outlets and cover fewer local issues than before. In addition, the coverage of news will be subject to the control and management of officials from these companies, which will have an even greater impact on the polarization of opinions in society.

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  • The Unacceptable Silence: Why We Must Boycott ABC and Nexstar

    Blue Press Journal – In a move that has sent shockwaves through the media landscape, ABC has pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live” from the airwaves of its Nexstar affiliates. This isn’t just a scheduling change; it is a stark, chilling capitulation to political pressure, a profound attack on the fundamental principles of free speech, and a betrayal of the public trust that demands an immediate, unequivocal response: a boycott of ABC and Nexstar.

    The decision, made by Disney CEO Bob Iger and Entertainment chief Dana Walden, comes in the wake of escalating threats from FCC Chair Brendan Carr. As Status’s Oliver Darcy reported, Carr’s intimidation tactics were explicit and alarming. He didn’t mince words, stating, “This is a very, very serious issue right now for Disney. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. These companies can find ways to take action on Kimmel or there is going to be additional work for the FCC ahead.” This is not the language of a regulatory body upholding standards; it is the language of coercion, a thinly veiled threat designed to bend corporate media to a specific political will.

    And whose will might that be? None other than President Donald Trump, who, after previously attacking Kimmel, celebrated ABC’s move. Not content with this victory, Trump then urged NBC to similarly drop late-night shows featuring Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers. This pattern is deeply concerning and unmistakably clear: a deliberate attempt to silence dissenting voices and consolidate media narratives in favor of a particular political agenda. This must stop, and we – the American public – must be the ones to stop it.

    The Dangerous Precedent: Free Speech Under Siege

    This isn’t merely about a late-night comedian or a specific set of comments attributed to Charlie Kirk that supposedly triggered this chain of events. This is about the chilling effect such actions have on the entire ecosystem of free expression. When major media corporations, supposedly bastions of information and diverse viewpoints, bow to political threats, the very foundation of a democratic society is eroded. The free press serves as a check on power, a platform for debate, and a mirror reflecting the realities, however uncomfortable, of our nation. To allow it to be manipulated by political strong-arming transforms it into a propaganda machine.

    The historical echoes are deafening. The suppression of independent media, the demonization of critical voices, and the push for a monolithic narrative are not new tactics. As the provided context rightly warns, “Hitler did this same thing in the 1930s by eliminating all news but this propaganda machine.” While such comparisons must always be made with extreme caution, the underlying principle of silencing opposition and controlling information is a dangerous path, regardless of who walks it. It is a path that every citizen who values a vibrant, open society should recognize and resist with every fiber of their being.

    A Glaring Double Standard and the Call for Consistency

    Adding insult to injury, this swift and decisive action against Kimmel and ABC contrasts sharply with how other media outlets handle equally, if not more, egregious controversies. Political commentators have highlighted this hypocrisy, stating, “Fox News continues to employ people who called for the murder of homeless people… This is so utterly pathetic.” They rightly ask, “When was the our rage in that he is still on Fox with little more that a slap on the wrist?”

    Why is one show yanked over comments from a figure, while other personalities making offensive statements continue broadcasting without repercussions? The motivation is clear: it’s not about protecting public sensibilities, but about political control and silencing dissent. The banning of Jimmy Kimmel was set in motion by Donald Trump’s FCC Chair Brendan Carr, whose threats were a direct order to “take action on Kimmel or there will be additional work for the FCC ahead.” This is not regulation; it is weaponization.

    Our Moment to Act: Boycott ABC and Nexstar

    We cannot sit idly by and watch as our media landscape is reshaped by political intimidation. This is not a partisan issue; it is an issue of principle, of protecting the integrity of our press and the sanctity of free speech. The time for passive disapproval is over. We must take concrete action.

    Boycott ABC and Nexstar.

    Yes, Boycott ABC and Nexstar.

    Don’t watch their channels. Don’t engage with their content. Make a conscious choice to stand up for press freedom and free speech. We must send an unmistakable message to these corporations: their choice to bow down to the Trump Administration and the MAGA crowd will not come at a cost only to Jimmy Kimmel or a few late-night hosts. It will come at a cost to them – a cost measured in viewership, advertising revenue, and ultimately, public trust.

    We are not a silent majority that approves of the direction this nation is taking under such pressures. On the contrary, the data suggests that 56 percent of the American public disapproves of his administration.We are a powerful majority, and our silence must now become a roar of dissent.

    This is our moment to demonstrate that the American people will not tolerate the erosion of free speech and the weaponization of regulatory bodies against independent media. We must make ABC and Nexstar feel the weight of our collective disapproval.

    Boycott ABC and Nexstar. Let our actions speak louder than any silenced voice.