It’s time to speak up loudly to the FCC to save our local TV news! The newly captured and Trump-led Federal Communications Commission is taking comments right now from the public about any and all broadcast regulations we think should be changed or removed entirely. It sounds innocuous enough, but…the so-called “Delete, Delete, Delete” initiative is aimed at nothing less than destroying all competition in local TV news, effectively destroying local news itself…

There are two issues of note here, both designed to prevent a single giant corporation from having too large of a voice in both our local communities and our national zeitgeist. Nationally, the 1996 Telecommunications Act provides that one TV broadcaster may reach no more than 39% of the total U.S. population. Locally, FCC Rules mandate that broadcasters may license One network TV station (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) plus one non-network (think CW) station in a single local TV market unless they obtain a waiver from the Commission. The National Association of Broadcasters are trying to upend both (and falsely claiming the 39% cap is an FCC rule, when it is actual statutory law.)

How many of you switch from one local TV station to another, only to see the exact same report? Not just the same reporter, but the exact same report? It’s happening all across the nation. I have witnessed it, and so have millions. This is the model Big Broadcasting (Sinclair, Nexstar, Tegna and others) are already using. Now, potentially with the help of their own regulators on a captured FCC, they’re trying to expand that model.

This pattern plays out in dozens of local TV markets across the United States, and not just with Sinclair, a notorious right-wing outlet. As my organization, Media Action Center, pointed out in Comments to the FCC and an Amicus Brief to the U.S. Supreme Court, when Nexstar, Sinclair, Tegna and others control two or three stations in the same town, they merely broadcast the exact same stories across all of their stations.

Last month, the new Trump-confirmed FCC Chair Brendan Carr put out a statement on X/Twitter describing his deregulatory “Delete, Delete, Delete!” initiative. The text of the tweet with the attachment statement trumpeted: “NEW: Chairman Carr has announced a massive new deregulatory initiative, opening up a docket to seek comment on every rule, regulation or guidance document that the FCC should eliminate to alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens.” The statement itself explains: “The FCC is committed to ending all the rules and regulations that are no longer necessary. And we welcome the public’s participation and feedback throughout this process.”

Isn’t this great? A Federal Agency asking We the People what we think! Except…Most people don’t know that much about broadcast policy or regulations, burdensome or otherwise. Most don’t know that We the People own the airwaves and Big Media must be licensed to broadcast over our airwaves, and there are laws and rules protecting our interests.

So what did Nexstar Media Group do in response?…

The company, which most Americans likely haven’t even heard of, is actually the largest licensee of TV stations in the nation. It operates 200 stations across 116 markets, raking in more than $5 billion a year. It was also fined $1.2 million last year by the FCC for deceitfully trying to operate more US TV stations than the law allows.

In addition to licensing airwaves for two or more stations in many major markets, running the same stories on each, they also run websites to go with them. Those websites are also duplicative. Here, for example, are screenshots taken recently at the same moment on Nexstar’s two Little Rock, Arkansas news stations, Channel 16, a FOX affiliate and Channel 4, the local NBC affiliate. Both are reporting the exact same stories. (Click to enlarge):

So, what did Nexstar do after Carr’s announcement seeking public comment on deleting any and all broadcast rules and regulations? They ordered their dozens of TV newsrooms across the country to put out a “news” story, ending with a website address that resolves to a page asking the public to comment on their behalf to the FCC via X/Twitter with misleading, ready-made tweets such as “@FCC Eliminate the regulations that are threatening the growth of my local TV station. #deletedeletedelete” and “@FCC I am worried about the long-term health of my local television stations. Please protect our local news and our local TV stations by eliminating any regulations that prevent them from growing and continuing to provide great service to the community. #deletedeletedelete”.

(If the idea of must-run “news” stories forced on local newsrooms sounds familiar, it’s because Sinclair did something quite similar in 2018.)

The time to fight back is NOW, though time is short. There are two ways to do so, even if we don’t have control of some 200 television stations to help us get the word out.

MORE DIFFICULT, BUT MORE EFFECTIVE WAY: File an Official Comment with the FCC by 11:59PM EDT Monday, April 28, 2025. (Comments made after that date will still be received by the FCC but will not have legal standing for further action.)

1. Go to the FCC’s Electronic Comment Filing System, Fill out all starred categories. Non-starred categories are optional.
2. In the first section, where it reads “Proceeding(s): Select the FCC Proceeding(s) to which your filing refers” write 25-133. Then click on “In Re: Delete, Delete, Delete”.
3. Also required is your name and address and “Type of filing.” Under “Type of Filing” choose “Reply to Comments”
4. Tell the FCC your stories! Especially that…
• We need more local TV news voices, not fewer controlled by national media corporations.
• If you are seeing the same news stories replicated on 2 or more local TV stations, provide details and try to take photos or screengrabs to include with your comment.

EASY WAY: Just use X/Twitter to comment to the FCC!

1. In your tweet, be sure to include “@FCC” and “#deletedeletedelete”.
2. Say something like: “When Sinclair, Nexstar, Tegna and other broadcasters control 2 or three TV stations in the same town, they just put the exact same news stories on all their stations. @FCC, don’t just #deletedeletedelete rules that protect us. #SaveLocalTVNews”

Please share this action! The TV doomsday clock is ticking.

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ED NOTE 4/23/2025: Sue appeared with me to discuss this matter and much more related, on today’s BradCast. — BF

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APTRA, RTNDA, PRNDI and Emmy-winning Sue Wilson worked at CBS, PBS, NPR and Fox before directing the documentary Broadcast Blues, writing the blog Sue Wilson Reports and founding the Media Action Center. Reach her at SueWilsonReports@gmail, or via Bluesky or Twitter.