Washington Beat

As controversy around AI legislation arises from President Donald Trump's "Big, Beautiful Bill," the U.S. House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology has scheduled a hearing on Wednesday morning focused on how artificial intelligence is reshaping communications.

The head of the group representing the interest of the nation's noncommercial broadcast TV stations Inside the Beltway has derided the fiscal year 2026 budget proposal presented by the Trump Administration that eliminates all federal funding for these over-the-air FCC-licensed facilities.

The Bronx is New York City's latest borough to draw the attention of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau, which says an unlicensed FM radio station has been operating there on 91.3 MHz. With no license issued and no cooperation from the individuals behind the broadcasts, the FCC is now putting the pressure on the property owners.

FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez will bring her First Amendment Tour to Los Angeles next week, marking the campaign’s first stop outside Washington as she prepares to become the ranking - and only - Democrat on the Commission.

In a unanimous vote Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission advanced a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to establish a formal process for identifying communications license holders under the control of foreign adversaries. The move is part of a broader push by the Commission to enhance national security protections.

A federal appeals court has all but squashed a Biden-era effort to allow the FCC to reinstate "Form 395-B," a document advocates said would assist in increasing employment in broadcast media of women and minorities but opponents claimed would improperly disclose detailed employee data.

Deregulation. The end of the FCC's current ownership rules. These were the dominant topics of conversation an overflow audience at the Media Finance Management Conference heard the latest insights about, while gaining information about what's transpired in Washington since January 20, from two Inside the Beltway experts.

On Thursday and again on Friday, the FCC Commissioner used consecutive speaking appearances to double down on her belief that the agency where she will soon serve as the lone Democrat has gone way too far.

In October 2022, a Class B radio station at 1080 kHz serving the Monterey-Salinas-Santa Cruz market was handed a $20,000 proposed fine for improper power output — a problem that extended across some 25 years. Now, the station is in potential hot water with the FCC again for antenna tower lighting issues.

The Acting Chief of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau has signed off on a Consent Decree that will settle a matter involving a pirate broadcaster in Broward County, Fla.. And, the FM buccaneer will pay a small price for his felonious airwave use.

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) has issued a statement in which the Washington, D.C. advocacy group "strongly believes" that the recent attempts to mischaracterize and eliminate the Digital Equity Act (DEA) "misses the point of the legislation."

The honor will be awarded during the 2025 Celebration of Service to America Awards, presented by Bonneville International and Hearst Television, on June 10 at The Anthem in Washington, D.C. The event will also honor the essential role that local TV and radio broadcasters play during times of emergency.

The Chairman of the House E&C Committee is readying for a full markup of budget reconciliation text scheduled for Tuesday afternoon that would go a long way toward bringing spectrum auction authorization back to the FCC. But, the spectrum being authorized for auction doesn’t include broadcast TV spectrum.

Sen. Jerry Moran, along with 22 other signatories, submitted a letter to the FCC encouraging the Commissioners to update the broadcast ownership rules. "By modernizing broadcast ownership restrictions, the FCC can empower broadcasters to fulfill their essential role in American democracy," they say.

The Springfield Gardens area of Queens is a residential zone adjacent to bustling John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. Here, a pirate radio station at 91.9 MHz was confirmed by Enforcement Bureau agents. They couldn't stop the buccaneer behind the elicit operation. Now, they're going after the property owner.