The U.S. Supreme Court today refused to rule on a lower-court judgement that found against the Federal Communications Commission and a Repug-led attempt to ease TV and radio station ownership limits.
The decision was a loss for broadcast and newspaper companies and a victory for critics of media consolidation.
Without comment, the justices let stand a ruling by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that blocked the 2003 rules change.
The Supreme Court’s decision not to intervene sends the rules back to the Federal Communications Commission for revision.
The rules, adopted by the FCC on a 3-to-2 Republican-led party-line vote, aimed to let companies own more TV and radio stations in a single market, and to own a daily newspaper and nearby broadcast station.
FCC: “Curses! Foiled again!”
