Why does Fox still have an FCC license?

Fox came to power precisely because Ronald Reagan and his affiliated congress got rid of broadcast regulations.

As a foreigner, Rupert Murdoch would not have been allowed to control any aspect of the U.S. media. You can clearly see how this eventually progressed to the situation we have now with Trump and Putin.

Fox News is a cable network, not a broadcast network. And networks don't have licenses, individual affiliates do.

Cancel your cable if they’re in cahoots with that garbage. They’re making tons of money from it.

"Fox News is a cable network, not a broadcast network. And networks don't have licenses, individual affiliates do."

Fox still owns broadcast channels, unless the deal with ABC has gone through without people noticing. Shows like "The Simpsons" "Family Guy" and "The Orville" might be some shows you've heard of here on Datalounge and elsewhere if you are new. There is also an FX channel and an FXX channel. I believe there is also a Fox sports channel and movie channel and so forth.

Incidentally, broadcasting via cable is still considered boradcasting.

"And networks don't have licenses, individual affiliates do."

Meanwhile a network can defined as collective ownership of affiliated channels. To build a network, you need the affiliates. It's always been that way. A foreigner COULD NOT buy any portion of an affiliate's license until the Reagan era changed that.

Furthermore, even if or when ABC merges with Fox, it is only acquiring the entertainment division. Fox (Murdoch) will still own the news division. I say if because there seems to be some current impediment with merger. Trump and the Republican controlled congress seem to be hell bent on eliminating on business regulations. And they have been successful at it. Even a Democratic congress is not expected to stop the merger.

If my typing mistakes are confusing, I apologize. If anyone decides to be an asshole about mistakes, you are as of this point in time well within your rights to be an asshole.

I have no interest in taking your rights away from you.

I hate Fox News as much as anyone, but attacking their TV channels which Fox actually doesn't own and are licensed is like attacking Amazon for what the Washington Post publishes because they are both owned by Jeff Bezos.

Normally individual TV stations are not owned by the networks, yes there are a few exceptions but they are owned by companies like Sinclair, Gray, and Tribune. Each local tv station has its own license, each would be have to be pulled individually as they expire, which would be censorship by the government which is illegal.

R4, the point you are missing is that a FCC license is only needed to when you are broadcasting over the airwaves from a tower. The only people that do this are the local affiliates. The network, ABC or CBS or FOX, don’t actually broadcast the content. They sell it to smaller distributors who have the FCC licenses to broadcast it over a particular channel. Owning a cable or satalite channel does not involve a FCC license because it does not use publicly-owned airwaves for transmission. That’s why you can show nudity and curse on cable channels which you cannot show over the air.

Enough with the mergers already. There needs to be more media companies, not less.

Im OP. I have not had a tv set since I left my parents' home many years ago, well before there was even such a thing as cable tv. I don't quite understand the difference between a cable network and an affiliate, or ...whatever. It is all foreign to me. Does anyone who has a better understanding of the way broadcasting works -- which could, conceivable, be everyone! -- know what would be the weak link when trying to penalize Fox news for lying? Or are you saying there is absolutely no responsibility to tell the truth, and no punishment for broadcasting lies? If that is the case, we really are fucked, aren't we. Double plus good.

[quote]Normally individual TV stations are not owned by the networks, yes there are a few exceptions but they are owned by companies like Sinclair, Gray, and Tribune.

"A few?" Back in the day, each network was limited to five o&o's (owned and operated.) Now, apparently the sky's the limit. (Actually, the limit is supposed to be 39% of the potential viewers in the US.)

Currently:

ABC - 8

Fox - 17

CBS - 16

CW - 8

NBC - 11

Lots of smaller networks (Ion, Telemundo, TBN, etc.) also own stations. NBC -

r10 The airwaves are owned by the government. All broadcast stations (local stations that have four-letter call signs that begin with K or W) transmit their content over the public airwaves and hence need a license from the government. These are the stations that can be received over-the-air, with an antenna, for free.

Cable is transmitted through CABLES, surprisingly. These are not owned by the government and therefore are not regulated by the FCC. Cable carries broadcast station content as well, but that's regulated because it's also broadcast over the air. (Same with satellite and streaming.)

I honestly think Fox News is ground zero for a lot of the mess we're in right now. They are irresponsible. Why has the Murdoch family not been harassed, the way White House employees have been harassed? I think the old man will be stubborn and double-down, but his sons don't seem to be as right-wing inclined. So why not make their lives hell? I usually prefer civility, but not any more. I think we need to do whatever is required to restore order.