Newsmax's Ruddy to Testify at Expected Senate Hearing on Broadcast-Ownership Cap
Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy confirmed to us Monday that he will be among the witnesses at an expected Senate Commerce Committee hearing later this month examining the FCC’s national TV station audience reach cap. Ruddy has vocally opposed proposals for the FCC to eliminate or ease the 39% cap (see 2512150046).
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Senate Commerce has “greenlit” plans for the ownership-cap hearing but hasn’t settled on a date, media industry lobbyists told us. Panel members brought up the issue during an FCC oversight hearing in December, during which Democrats castigated Chairman Brendan Carr over his media regulatory actions (see 2512170070).
Ruddy emailed us that he's “looking [forward] to joining with” Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and other panel members “to have an open and frank discussion about the dangers of media consolidation in the television broadcast industry.”
Lobbyists also mentioned Center for American Rights President Daniel Suhr and an NAB official as potential witnesses who would testify in favor of eliminating the ownership cap. A public interest group official will likely be part of the panel as well, testifying in opposition to killing the cap, lobbyists said. Suhr and Senate Commerce didn’t immediately comment.