Recent regulatory changes that increase the number of media outlets a company can own could spark changes in Des Moines at media properties and the companies that own them, including Meredith Corp.

Meredith Corp., which owns 11 television stations across the country, said it is studying the new rules, passed 3-2 last week on a party-line vote by the Federal Communications Commission, and that it might consider buying or selling television properties and getting back into radio station ownership. Meredith already owns two television stations in Portland, Ore.

“Radio stations are something we’re willing to look at, particularly in the markets where we already operate,” said Art Slusark, a company spokesman.

Most observers expect the new rules to be challenged on a variety of fronts, including in the courts and by other branches of the government.

Indeed, late last week, there were reports that an influential subcommittee of the U.S. Senate intended to ask Congress to overturn some of the rules.

Under the new rules, companies would be able to boost their ownership of television stations to reach 45 percent of U.S. TV homes, up from the 35 percent previously allowed.

In markets with five or more TV stations, one company could own two stations. In markets of 18 or more stations, a company could own three, provided only one of them was rated among the top four.

For radio, a company would be allowed to own as many as eight stations if the market has at least 45. The limits decrease for markets with fewer stations.

In markets with more than eight TV stations, a company would be allowed to own both a TV station and a newspaper. In markets with four to eight stations, such as Des Moines, some restrictions still apply.