HOUSTON — Intrigue, betrayal and drama left and right. No, there was no discussion about a Spanish-language telenovela at the 2025 Hispanic Radio Conference, which concluded on Thursday. But, those themes certainly set the tone for this year’s regulatory panel moderated by Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth Partner Francisco Montero.
An annual session at the Hispanic radio industry event, this year’s discussion felt especially urgent amid a volatile District of Columbia under President Trump. Indeed, what began as a discussion on policy direction under a new Republican administration quickly morphed into a comprehensive and urgent call for broadcasters to remain vigilant as the FCC’s power dynamics shift.
With the departure of both Republican Commissioner Nathan Simington and Democratic Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s deregulatory vision, “Delete, Delete, Delete,” is on hold until a quorum is restored. The plan aims to scale back or eliminate several longstanding FCC rules, including ownership caps.
Entravision Deputy General Counsel Christopher Wood addressed the potential changes in market dynamics. “In Los Angeles and Phoenix, Entravision and Univision have four FMs each,” said Wood. “The NAB is proposing raising the limit to eight FM stations in a market — or even more.”
But other panelists, including Latino Media Network Chief Legal and Compliance Officer Aleksandra Cuprys and Colorado Broadcasters Association President and CEO Justin Sasso, cautioned that lifting local radio ownership caps could trigger rapid market consolidation. Major groups, already at their legal limits, would likely move quickly to acquire additional FM stations. Such a shift, they suggested, could drive up the value of FM properties in key markets. At the same time, others warned of potential unintended consequences, including the risk that AM stations could be deprioritized or offloaded entirely as operators focus their resources on growing FM portfolios.
While policy reform remains in limbo, panelists emphasized that FCC enforcement under Carr is intensifying. Montero pointed to recent Commission actions against public radio stations and certain ethnic broadcasters for allegedly misclassifying advertising as underwriting or reporting ICE enforcement actions on air; the latter involves KCBS Radio in San Francisco, owned by Audacy.
Cuprys warned that Spanish-language broadcasters are especially vulnerable. “Stations trying to inform their communities about immigration or public safety could be placed under scrutiny,” she said. The panelists agreed that while the First Amendment protects editorial discretion, enforcement actions are increasingly being framed through alternate regulatory violations, such as file maintenance or technical compliance. Sasso cautioned, “It’s the reverse of what this country was founded on. You have to prove yourself innocent to the FCC.”
The FCC’s evolving stance on foreign ownership and programming sponsorship also emerged as a major area of legal concern. Under current law, foreign entities may own up to 25% of a U.S. broadcast licensee without FCC approval. In recent years, that threshold has effectively been raised, so long as the investors come from “friendly” nations like Canada, Mexico, or Great Britain.
But panelists noted a dual track: while ownership restrictions are loosening, content regulation is tightening. The FCC’s foreign sponsorship identification rule requires broadcasters to disclose if content is provided by foreign governments. A second phase, now scheduled to take effect this year, places the burden on broadcasters to verify their clients are not agents of foreign states. “You have to verify that your buyer is not representing a foreign government,” said Wood. “It puts it all on the broadcaster. For every immigration lawyer or infomercial buyer, you’ve got to confirm they’re not tied to Venezuela or China.” Cuprys added, “It’s a huge undertaking when you think about all the legal ways that you can perform. I don’t think broadcasters should have the burden to prove where all their content is coming from.”
Lastly, the potential removal of Democratic FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez was discussed. Gomez, who has been outspoken in her defense of the First Amendment, is increasingly bold in her stance against what she views as a “weaponized” FCC under Trump. While traditionally, commissioners could only be removed for cause, the current administration has asserted broader executive powers over independent agencies. “This administration believes the president can fire a commissioner for no reason,” Wood said. “The Supreme Court will likely decide that.”
The eagerly anticipated roundtable followed an inspirational keynote from sales trainer Peter Remington and a high-impact session with automotive dealer experts discussing modern sales strategies amid tariffs and economic uncertainty out of Washington – conversations available exclusively to conference attendees.
