s ▁have ▁also ▁used ▁a ▁shell ▁company ▁to ▁circum vent ▁certain ▁ownership ▁restrictions ▁by ▁way ▁of ▁a ▁local ▁market ing ▁agreement ; ▁groups ▁can ▁cover ▁up ▁to ▁ 7 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁with ▁their ▁signals ▁under ▁the ▁" U H F ▁disc ount " ▁( origin ally ▁passed ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁to ▁benefit ▁U H F ▁television ▁stations ▁that , ▁prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁digital ▁transition , ▁often ▁had ▁spot ty ▁signal ▁quality ), ▁which ▁allows ▁broad c aster s ▁to ▁count ▁ownership ▁of ▁U H F ▁stations ▁by ▁ 5 0 % ▁of ▁the ▁station ' s ▁audience ▁reach . ▁( The ▁" dis count " ▁was ▁repe aled ▁by ▁the ▁F CC ▁under ▁Chair ▁Tom ▁Whe eler ▁and ▁his ▁Dem ocrat - led ▁board ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁but ▁was ▁re inst ated ▁by ▁Whe eler ' s ▁successor ▁and ▁former ▁board ▁colle ague , ▁A j it ▁P ai ▁and ▁his ▁fellow ▁Republican ▁commission ers ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 7 .) ▁ ▁All ▁four ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁television ▁networks ▁directly ▁own ▁and ▁operate ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁stations , ▁concentr ating ▁mostly ▁on ▁the ▁largest ▁metropol itan ▁areas . ▁The ▁largest ▁ownership ▁group ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁coverage ▁of ▁the ▁U . S . ▁is ▁I on ▁Media ▁( cor por ate ▁parent ▁of ▁names ake ▁flags hip ▁network ▁I on ▁Television ), ▁whose ▁stations ▁cover ▁ 6 5 % ▁of ▁the ▁nation ▁and ▁are ▁entirely ▁cent