Count Nexstar Chairman and CEO Perry Sook as a fan of incoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
“Congratulations to Commissioner Brendan Carr on being named incoming Chairman at the FCC. He is an outstanding choice who understands the needs of local broadcasters and we look forward to working with him during this transformational era,” Sook said in a statement to press.
Carr has served as a member of the Federal Communications Commission since 2017. The Republican regulator is best known for his support in banning TikTok due to national security concerns and also as the author of the FCC section of Project 2025, a plan for Trump’s first 100 days in office his administration has said he has no involvement in. He is largely aligned with the incoming administration’s views on governmental communications oversight, including punishing TV networks for having a political bias, an issue that Donald Trump has spoken about repeatedly.
Sook and Nexstar’s interest in the appointee has more to do with Carr’s other policies, namely slashing regulation and limiting the technology industry in the space. These are two issues Nexstar has been outspoken about. At the moment, no one television station owner can cover more than 39% of U.S. television households, as defined by Nielsen research. That limitation is one that Nexstar is currently fighting based on the argument that this cap, which was implemented in 2004, is outdated. Now news stations aren’t just competing against their peers in the space; they’re competing against largely unregulated tech giants when it comes to news and entertainment. Nexstar has already created a government relations team in Washington D.C. to fight that market cap.
“We see this as a bipartisan issue,” Sook said during the company’s third quarter earnings call for 2024. “Republicans would see it as deregulation, so good for business. Democrats and, in fact, all people would see it as an avenue to preserve local journalism.”
In addition to Sook, Verizon chairman and CEO Hans Vesterberg congratulated Carr, calling him “a champion for policy approaches that unleash robust investment and deployment in next-generation broadband networks that benefit all Americans.”
“During his years on the FCC, Commissioner Carr has shown that he understands how policies and regulations affect investment decisions and has pursued approaches that benefit American consumers and American competitiveness,” Vesterberg continued. “He has also championed smart spectrum policies, and has consistently recognized the huge stakes in ensuring that the wireless industry has access to the robust pipeline of spectrum that is so essential to the United States’ global wireless leadership.”
His comments come as Verizon is currently challenging the FCC over the agency’s decision to fine the telecommunications giant $46.9 million in 2020 for illegally sharing access to customers’ location data.
The company is also in the process of closing a $20 billion deal to acquire Frontier Communications for $38.50 per share in cash, which would extend its reach to 25 million premises across 31 states and Washington D.C., with Frontier’s 2.2 million fiber subscribers joining approximately 7.4 million Verizon Fios connections. The transaction is expected to close by the first quarter of 2026, subject to receipt of certain regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions.
“We look forward to continuing a productive working relationship with Mr. Carr and his FCC colleagues as they pursue smart, forward-looking telecom and technology policies that will make a huge impact on American consumers and the American economy for years to come,” Vesterberg added.
Lucas Manfredi contributed to this report
