The FCC just repealed a 42-year-old rule blocking broadcast media mergers - The Washington Post

Coincidentally, Comcast Said to Be in Talks to Buy 21st Century Fox Assets (NYT)

"Federal regulators rolled back decades-old rules on Thursday, making it far easier for media outlets to be bought and sold — potentially leading to more newspapers, radio stations and television broadcasters being owned by a handful of companies.

The regulations, eliminated in a 3-to-2 vote by the Federal Communications Commission, were first put in place in the 1970s to ensure that a diversity of voices and opinions could be heard on the air or in print. But now those rules represent a threat to small outlets that are struggling to survive in a vastly different media world, according to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. With the rise of blogs, websites and podcasts, Pai said, traditional media outlets now face more competition than ever — and rules that once enforced a diversity of viewpoints are no longer needed."

The FCC just repealed a 42-year-old rule blocking broadcast media mergers - The Washington Post