Washington Beat

Several lawmakers signed a brief supporting the FCC’s Open Internet rules.

It's a first in space debris enforcement by the Commission, which has stepped up its satellite policy efforts, including establishing the Space Bureau and implementing its Space Innovation Agenda. And, DISH is forking over hundreds of thousands of dollars as part of a Consent Decree, with the money going to the U.S. Treasury.

The owner of a Class A radio station in rural Seward, Alaska has been issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $66,000 for what the FCC says are "numerous apparent violations" of its rules — including actions that undermine the effectiveness of the Emergency Alert System.

He's known for his "NewsCentral Nebraska" TV operation and for championing Spanish-language radio in the Omaha market. Now, he's one step closer to gaining a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The FCC wants stations to use all that EAS gear they’ve paid for and installed.

The Washington, D.C. conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute has played the role of chief influencer at the FCC since the transition in power from President Obama to President Trump. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Mark Jamison -- an individual who questioned the very existence of the Commission in late October 2016 -- is in favor of the abandonment of Title II classification for broadband. It's an important topic for broadcast media groups, and here's why Jamison is pushing for the end of "net neutrality."

On December 14, SiriusXM received what some might call a lump of coal as a Christmas present, courtesy of the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB). New royalty rates and terms for satellite-delivered services (SDARS) such as SiriusXM, and Preexisting Subscription Services (PSS) for services such as Muzak and Music Choice, were issued. SiriusXM's rate soared. SiriusXM then roared, and a rehearing motion is presently under consideration.

Hemisphere Media Group is trying to push the boundaries of the FCC’s foreign ownership benchmark.

As forthcoming FCC Chairman Brendan Carr sees it, the nation's airwaves are a public resource. Retired communications attorney Erwin Krasnow couldn't disagree more. In fact, in May 2011 he penned a report for The Media Institute that established the argument that the broadcast public interest standard may not be in the public interest after all.

Featured Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner has received several requests for a comprehensive Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program document that covers the services he provides for radio and TV stations. He's obliged, while also taking time to explain why he has the right to do what he does.

In November 2012, Bruce James and his Vermont Broadcast Associates engaged in a transaction that saw the sale of a 100-watt FM serving a small town some 100km south of Sherbrooke, Quebec. Just over nine years later, the FM is officially defunct.

Free Access & Broadcast Telemedia, LLC wants a nebulous deadline date for submitting comments on LPTV and the incentive auction