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FCC on Two Proposed Acquisitions of Broadcast Stations By Foreign Entities

Y2kTheNewOldies

Y2kTheNewOldies

https://www.broadcastlawblog.com/20...s-of-broadcast-stations-by-foreign-companies/

Note this is being proposed for discussions though.

The FCC this week announced the filing of two applications seeking broadcast acquisitions by non-US based companies. In one available here, a company controlled by Mexican citizens would go from 25% to 100% ownership and control of a company that owns 2 FM stations in California and Arizona. In another, available here, an Italian company would acquire a number of radio stations in Florida. Each of the FCC notices ask for public comment on the proposed acquisitions.

As we wrote here, early this year, the FCC allowed an Australian couple to acquire a number of US broadcast properties, and (as we wrote here, here and here) the FCC has otherwise liberalized its rules to permit up to 100% foreign ownership of US stations where there would be no security risk to US interests from the purchase of the stations by foreign individuals or companies. This is a dramatic reversal of past precedent restricting “alien” ownership of US broadcast stations, and we have expected more foreign companies to make US investments in broadcast companies
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As I've said on this subject before, other countries allow US ownership of their broadcast stations, and in fact allow the US government and its military to own stations in their countries. It's unfair that we don't allow foreign countries to do the same here. At one time, the US owned a radio station in Iraq.
 
TheBigA said:
At one time, the US owned a radio station in Iraq.
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Still do. There are about seven FM's and two MW stations currently: VOA and Radio Sawa. Sawa stations do pop music with Arabic language newscasts. Studios are located in Springfield, VA.
 
TheBigA said:
As I've said on this subject before, other countries allow US ownership of their broadcast stations, and in fact allow the US government and its military to own stations in their countries. It's unfair that we don't allow foreign countries to do the same here. At one time, the US owned a radio station in Iraq.
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Generally, those military stations are on the air for the US military audience and there is, of course, the shadow audience of the local population.

In the case of VOA and the BBG Radios, the target audience isn't US citizens, but the local population.

As Kelly points out, there are a handful of Radio Sawa outlets in Iraq, run by Middle East Broadcasting Networks, a BBG grantee organization and there are other locations, some FM, some medium wave, in the Middle East and Africa.

VOA also has a number of 24/7 FM outlets in a number of countries, operated under license from the host country governments. There are also dozens of affiliate broadcasters running not only VOA English but also a number of other languages available on the BBG satellite feeds. Most are under affiliate agreements and I suspect there are other broadcasters who downlink BBG programming and never bother to tell BBG about it.



As for your thought about it being unfair, I've often thought the same thing.
 
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