Barrett Media: Why One Analyst Believes the Nexstar/TEGNA Merger May Face Stiff Legal Challenges
Tom Basile — a Newsmax host who previously worked as Executive Director of the Republican Party in New York state — believes that the limits which were put in place under the Reagan administration are still needed today.
“(Reagan) had a good reason for — way back then — being concerned about viewpoint diversity in America,” said Basile. “And how individual or corporate interests — or special interests — could create monopolies that weren’t just about business, but about monopolies over the dialogue that is so critical to our form of government. So that’s why the caps were originally established.
“We need to look at this in the context of what is best for the free exchange of ideas in this country,” continued Basile. “The guardrails were put in place for very legitimate reasons, and even though, yes, we’ve seen an expansion and a democratization of our media, the concerns about a few corporations or individuals of interest having a monopoly over broadcast television are still very valid today.”