Chairman Pai Remarks to the Media Institute

Content is moving online and the government needs to keep pace. This accelerating shift toward Internet-based platforms is transforming the media marketplace, and the regulatory framework must change accordingly.  In 2020, for example, Google and Facebook are each expected to bring in more ad revenue than every TV and radio station in the U.S. combined.

I believe the time has come for Congress to consider broader reforms, starting with a top-to-bottom re-write of the Cable Act. When you ask the intellectually honest questions, the answers raise serious doubts about whether the Federal Communications Commission should have media ownership regulations at all. Again, it’s hard to think of other sectors of the economy where the government pre-emptively decrees market structure. Suffice it to say I’m skeptical of pre-emptive ownership limits in the media marketplace.