President-elect Donald Trump announced Sunday that he would nominate Brendan Carr to serve as president of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) upon taking office in January.

The decision to appoint Carr to the post comes two weeks after Trump won a second non-consecutive term in the White House. Trump first nominated Carr to the FCC in 2017, and his nomination was then unanimously approved by the U.S. Senate.

Carr will be able to serve as FCC chairman moments after Trump is sworn in, as the role does not need legislative confirmation. His positions have largely favored corporate broadcasters and telecommunications providers, and he has been outspoken about policies adopted under current FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in recent years.

Related: Trump’s victory is a major victory for broadcasters and telecom operators

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Broadcasters say they will find it easier to push for a relaxation of media ownership rules and new regulations that force streaming services to directly negotiate the distribution of local TV channels with the owners of those stations (currently , the majority of television distribution contracts on streaming services like Fubo and YouTube TV involve network owners or the boards of directors of network affiliates).

Critics say easing media ownership rules will open the door for a few commercial broadcasters to become the dominant players in the field, in a way that will reduce competition and reduce incentives to invest in local news and broadcasting. other programs. Several major broadcasters have already consolidated or shut down entire newsrooms in recent years, a trend which is likely to get worse with media deregulation and consolidation.

Consumer advocates also say requiring streaming services to negotiate directly with broadcast station owners will lead to higher fees and programming conflicts that already plague cable and satellite TV platforms. Cable and satellite companies have long been forced to negotiate directly with broadcast station owners, and broadcasters have increased their rates on these services over time to cope with the current slowdown in the television advertising market.

Broadcasters say the current regulatory environment is not fair because the shift to streaming services has left them unable to recoup the fees needed to support their operations, including their continued investments in local and national sports rights. In programming disputes with pay television operators, broadcasters typically assert that the fees they seek are reasonable given the programming carried by their stations.

On Sunday, the National Association of Broadcasters – the main lobbying arm of the commercial radio and television industry – congratulated Carr on his victory.

“Commissioner Carr has been a steadfast leader in holding ‘Big Tech’ accountable and supporting policies that will allow local broadcast stations to better compete with these giants and thrive,” an NAB spokesperson said in a press release sent by email to The office. “We are excited to continue our work with the President-elect to level the playing field and remove regulatory barriers that hinder investment in local newsrooms.” Together, we will ensure that local television and radio stations can innovate and continue to serve communities across the country.

Even without Trump’s victory and Carr’s nomination, there were signs that the FCC was likely moving toward favoring broadcasters over cable platforms and consumers. The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the Chevron doctrine earlier this year allowed commercial actors to challenge whether certain FCC regulations which were not directly related to an act of Congress were legally authorized. Nexstar Media Group, the country’s largest independent broadcaster, has already used the Supreme Court order to contest an FCC fine linked to a dispute over cable transport.