8th Circuit Keeps FCC’s Local Radio Rules, Strikes ‘Top Four’ TV Rule

By InsideRadio.com, 7-23-25

In a closely watched decision with major implications for broadcasters and the FCC’s open quadrennial rulemaking on media ownership rules, a federal appeals court has upheld much of what the previous Commission decided. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals said it would not “second-guess” the FCC’s decision to leave radio ownership limits intact, with a more nuanced outcome for TV ownership limits.

The court gave a partial win for television broadcasters seeking updated rules. It struck down the agency’s continued ban on same-market ownership of top-rated TV stations (the provision known as the “Top-Four Prohibition”) and a newly tightened restriction on network affiliations. » Read More