The ownership limit will be replaced by a case-by-case approach. The 39% cap has been in place since 2004, when Congress boosted a previous 35% limit set in the 1990s. “Eliminating the cap does not free local broadcasters from economic pressure, it just changes who is doing the squeezing,” Gomez said in a statement. “The large station groups positioned to grow even larger under this decision are not local broadcasters, they are national companies that own local stations and increasingly dictate what airs on them.” The vote pitted Gomez against Carr and a third commissioner, Olivia Trusty, a Republican who was also appointed by Trump.