FCC scraps 39% cap on broadcasters reaching US TV households Move critiqued as fundamentally illegal Local news will suffer as larger broadcasters swallow competition Back in 2003, Republican leaders were enraged at what they saw as a partial sell-out of the US constitution to pacify powerful businesses like News Corp and Viacom. The cause of this historical ire was the FCC’s proposed media ownership ruling, which prevented media organizations from reaching more than 39% of the US population. The media ruling was formally instated in 2004, and 22 years later, Republicans have got their way. The FCC has voted to scrap the cap on the share of US TV households, sending the country’s most powerful broadcasters rejoicing. The 39% cap…