Deal or No Deal: Reinterpreting the FCC\u27s Foreign Ownership Rules for a Fair Game

With the changing racial and linguistic composition of the American market and the emerging strength of the Mexican market, American broadcast companies are facing a new competitive playing field.. Section 310 of the Communications Act of 1934 ( Act ) establishes the guidelines for when a foreign national is eligible to apply for a broadcast license from the FCC. The FCC currently interprets these limits on foreign ownership very leniently, favoring a policy of deregulation in an attempt to further open up the United States market. This Note argues that once foreign nationals have cleared the hurdle of § 310\u27s foreign ownership requirements, the licensing standards under §§ 301 and 307 are weakened, allowing foreign applicants to engage in anticompetitive behavior in order to obtain broadcast licenses over domestic applicants