Advocacy groups concerned about media consolidation and the American Cable Association, concerned about broadcasters' leverage in retransmission consent negotiations, want the FCC to tighten up its
rules to break up virtual duopolies, running multiple stations in a market, though the FCC rules limit broadcasters to owning just one, or prevent the formation of new ones.
The ACA
railed against virtual duopolies last month in an FCC inquiry into whether new rules or procedures are needed to protect small cable operators from being gouged by stations in retrans negotiations.
The extent to which virtual duopolies are to be allowed is likely to be revisited in the FCC's quadrennial review of all its broadcast ownership rules. Broadcasters, however, will ask to relax its
duopoly rule so that they can own multiple stations in small markets and convert virtual duopolies into real duopolies.
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