An Australian couple have received approval to increase their 20 per cent interest to 100 per cent, marking a first for foreign ownership of US radio stations.
The Federal Communications Commission recently approved a request by Richard and Sharon Burns to increase their interest in 29 radio stations in Alaska, Texas and Arkansas from a combined 20 per cent to 100 per cent.
It's the first time the agency has permitted this and comes after the FCC clarified rules that some broadcasters viewed as too severely restricting outside investment.
The couple sought to fully acquire ownership in the stations from the family who provided the opportunity that brought them to the US, wanting someone with international experience to operate the stations and help move the company forward, Mr Burns said.
The couple has lived and worked in the US since 2006 on special visas and consider Alaska home.
The Burnses' request to acquire full ownership was unopposed. The acquisition includes AM and FM stations and relay stations known as translators that help provide reception.
The couple consider Alaska home and are pursuing US citizenship.
"Our life is here in Juneau, Alaska, every single day," said Mr Burns, who serves on the board of the Juneau Chamber of Commerce and in 2010 was named its citizen of the year.
Mrs Burns co-hosts a morning show on a Juneau country station the couple owns, and does on-air work for two of their other stations in southeast Alaska and one in Texas, her husband said.
Richard is the stations' CEO and a host on their Juneau classic hits station.
The federal law restricting foreign ownership dates to the 1930s and initially was seen as a way to thwart the airing of foreign propaganda during wartime, according to the FCC.
In 2013, in response to broadcasters, interest groups and others who considered the commission's application of the law too rigid, the FCC clarified it has the authority to review on a case-by-case basis requests exceeding that threshold, and it is open to doing so.
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