Mergers and acquisitions in radio and television broadcasting: Consistent goals and adaptive regulation

Radio and television broadcasting regulatory policy is fraught with challenges due to rapidly changing technologies and therefore potentially fluid markets. The evolution of regulatory policy in the United States has been relatively adaptable, while policy goals remain constant by comparison. This paper seeks to identify the most important issues regulators face when considering the broadcasting industry generally, and to provide a guide to an adaptive regulatory environment in which mergers and acquisitions in the radio and television industries can exist, based on the U.S. experience.