In April, the FCC made a new rule requiring online disclosure about political ad purchases by campaigns and outside groups like super PACs. Pro Publica reports that on Monday, attorneys representing 12 media companies filed a petition asking the FCC to modify the transparency measure.
The petition argues: It is axiomatic that disclosure of price information is anti-competitive and disrupts markets — in this case, not only the local political advertising marketplace but also the local commercial advertising marketplace more generally, because stations’ political ad rates, by law, must be based on commercial advertising rates (and based on their most favorable rates during the political “windows”).
The disclosure rule is also the subject of a lawsuit by the National Association of Broadcasters and a defunding effort by Republicans in Congress.
Read the whole story on Pro Publica: Media companies make yet another push to defang transparency rule