D.C. could get a triopoly

Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Washington, D.C., appear to be candidates for
three-station TV "triopolies," according to the details of new Federal
Communications Commission broadcast-ownership rules unveiled Wednesday.

The new rules for the first time permit triopolies, as long as the market
contains at least 18 TV stations.

Those three markets meet the 18-station quota because relatively distant
cities or towns are considered part of their Nielsen Designated Market Areas.

In the case of Salt Lake City, the 36th-ranked DMA, the market also includes
Provo and Ogden, Utah.

Phoenix, ranked No. 16, includes Flagstaff, Ariz., and Washington, with only 10 stations
serving the city directly, encompasses Virginia’s Front Royal and Maryland’s
Frederick and Hagerstown.

Six of the seven largest markets are also eligible for triopolies: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston and Dallas/Fort
Worth, Texas.