Washington Beat

The non-voting Delegate for Washington, D.C., in the House of Representatives and a California House Member have taken lead roles in a group of Congressional leaders seeking a FCC investigation into whether a local radio station aired propaganda sponsored by the government of Russia.

It's official: FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has appointed several members to serve on the 2019 Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment. Among those taking some of the biggest roles is the head of Beasley, and the VP/Counsel for Global Public Policy at Comcast.

The woman who has most recently served as the Register of Copyrights and Director of the U.S. Copyright Office is joining the Motion Picture Association as Senior EVP and Global General Counsel. “I can think of no better person," says MPA Chairman/CEO Charles Rivkin.

The FCC has certified four Spectrum Access System (SAS) Administrators, paving the way for full commercial operations in the 3.5 GHz band. The Commission in 2019 approved these SAS Administrators for initial commercial deployments, and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai says today's action allows for full commercial use of this critical mid-band spectrum for broadband connectivity and 5G.

The FCC on Friday approved a proposal that brings forth targeted changes to its "White Space" device rules — a move the agency believes will pave the way for greatly improved broadband coverage for rural Americans.  The Commission also wants input on methods it could use to allow higher power operation by White Space devices when adjacent TV channels are occupied.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced those who would normally attend a Passover seder or Easter Sunday religious services to maintain physical distancing.  Some television stations have stepped in, with broadcasts of holiday activities in lieu of live in-person attendance. Concern as to whether such broadcasts would run afoul of "KidVid" rules have been erased.

America's Public Television Stations on Monday filed comments as an interested outside party with the Commission in response to a NPRM and draft ruling that would bring improved broadband connectivity to rural areas via TV spectrum "white spaces." The organization urged the FCC to adopt the NPRM and a draft resolution, paving the way for "Broadcast Internet."

Thanks to an amendment, there will be no application of a levy on the purchase of advertising in the Nation's Capital, including the business costs associated with its planning, creation, placement and display of advertising. No other state in the nation has this tax.

The COVID-19 pandemic will not stop the NABOB Conference. It just won't be an in-person gathering this year. As such,the NABOB 44th Annual Fall Broadcast Conference and 20th Power of Urban Radio Forum will be held virtually, over three days in mid-October.

Much has been said about Section 230, with Democrats and Republicans taking differing positions on a topic that's about as divisive as reproductive rights for women. Now, non-partisan technology think tank Tech Freedom has chimed in on what it believes the role of Section 230 should be.

On Tuesday, the soon-to-depart Chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, addressed the Media Institute in a virtual luncheon that saw him quip about a Commission predecessor before offering "some thoughts on where the federal government should go" once he departs on January 20, 2021.

The FCC has released what it's calling the "anticipated agenda" for the next virtual meeting of its Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE). The online gathering is scheduled for February 11, and the meeting will be available to the public via the Internet.

With a Public Notice released March 25, the Media Bureau announces that notice of the effective date for the rule changes adopted in the R&O was published in the Federal Register on February 23, 2021.

A pair of low-powered digital television stations in the Sunshine State — one due east of Panama City and the other to the northwest of this one-time Spring Break capital — have each been warned by the FCC that they could face a financial penalty for failing to file their license renewal applications in a timely manner.

With the discussion heavy on closing the digital divide and an incubator program for potential media property owners, six former FCC Commissioners participated Monday in a live Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) symposium. Their appearance came as the MMTC is welcoming a new Policy Counsel to its Washington, D.C., headquarters.