WASHINGTON, D.C. –? In his opening statement at today’s Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing, “We Interrupt This Program: Media Ownership in the Digital Age,” Chairman Ted Cruz (R-Texas) asks whether media ownership rules need to change for the digital era. 

In a fragmented media market, broadcasters must compete against web sites, streamers, and other tech companies that have a far broader reach. Unlike their competitors, however, broadcast owners are restricted on the number of households and markets they may touch. No single station owner may reach more than 39 percent of U.S. television households nationwide. Supporters of the current restriction argue that it helps support viewpoint diversity. The hearing explores whether lawmakers should revisit underlying statutes, and whether the FCC has the appropriate authority and flexibility to respond to an evolving media landscape. 

Here are Sen. Cruz’s remarks as prepared for delivery: 

“Good morning. We interrupt this program for a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on media ownership in the digital age.  

“For over a century, broadcast media stood at the epicenter of American historical and cultural life.  It brought the nation classics like I Love Lucy and shaped the music landscape with Elvis on The Ed Sullivan Show.  It showed Americans the realities of war, the wonder of the Apollo 11 moon landing, and the defining political moments of their time, from the Nixon-JFK debate to Reagan’s call to “tear down this wall.” Through these shared viewing experiences, broadcasters helped to embed iconic moments in the collective American consciousness. 

“The media’s power to frame events and shape public perception is substantial, so it is understandable why Congress placed limits on broadcast media ownership, intending to prevent a monopoly on programming and viewpoints.  Indeed, for much of the last century, holding a broadcast license was often called “a license to print money.” With limited competition, station owners commanded massive audiences and steady profits. 

“But that era has passed. Cable and satellite ushered in 24/7 news, while the internet and mobile technologies unleashed a wave of streaming services, news and entertainment sites, and social media, flooding American screens with endless content and fragmenting what were previously universal audiences. 

“Today, broadcasters are fighting to stay competitive against media and tech companies with national, and often global, reach. This raises an important question: are long-standing broadcast media ownership rules still relevant in the digital age, and, if so, to what extent? In recent years, some of these rules have been rolled back or eliminated. Whether more reform is needed or if today’s status quo remains sound policy is what we will explore today. 

“In the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress anticipated the rise of today’s competitive market by directing the FCC to periodically review its broadcast ownership rules with an eye towards deregulation. Every four years, the FCC was to decide whether to repeal or modify any regulation that no longer served the public interest. 

“One rule, however, was deliberately set apart: the national TV audience reach cap. In 2004, Congress specifically directed the FCC to set this cap at 39 percent of U.S. television households, and it has remained at that same level for 22 years. Now, as several major mergers loom, the FCC is considering lifting or eliminating this cap. 

“Some argue lifting the cap will allow broadcasters to scale, invest more in local news outlets across the country, and better compete with deep-pocketed tech companies. Others say lifting the cap will consolidate viewpoints and hand control over to newsrooms in New York and Hollywood, choking out local views.  

“But more fundamental than the optimal policy is the law. It may be the case that the FCC cannot modify the 39 percent cap because Congress set that number in statute. I look forward to hearing these perspectives and more today.  

“If there’s one thing that’s clear, it’s this: current media ownership rules were written in a vastly different technological age.  The days when broadcasters built a uniform global village across America’s living rooms is over, as media has splintered into thousands of websites, TikTok accounts, podcasts, and other forms of content, each catering to its own niche audience.  Yet even in this fragmented landscape, the media’s ability to shape national discourse remains powerful, making questions about market concentration as important as ever.  

“This hearing is to inform Congress in answering those questions. Should Congress revisit underlying statutes and does the FCC have appropriate authority or flexibility to address today’s evolving media landscape? I am grateful to our witnesses for being here today to help us in this effort.”