Washington Beat

On Tuesday (2/11), FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks will host a roundtable discussion on the "Future of Work." This event will convene a group from civil society, academia, and industry to orient the FCC’s role in the Future of Work conversation. The agenda for the event can be found by clicking here.

Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner has written countless words related to the practice of how keeping something complicated keeps things profitable, and how "most legislation" serves one party at the expense of another. Benner's at it again, and points to a 35-page "classic example of this" issued Thursday by the FCC.

The Enforcement Bureau on Thursday mailed out the first of its Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) audit letters for 2020 to randomly selected radio and television stations. We've got the full list of the radio and television stations included in this audit, as well as the text of the audit letter.

The licensee of one of the Philadelphia market's principal radio brands serving Spanish-speaking consumers was granted a license by the FCC for an FM translator in Camden, N.J., giving its Class B AM further "revitalization." The biggest pro-LPFM group objected, and wanted the FCC's Media Bureau to reconsider its argument. It did, and it's decision is hardly surprising.

The FCC is opening a window for applications under its Honors Engineer Program that was launched in 2018.  During this window, the Program is open to recent graduates with an engineering degree and current students who will graduate this spring.

Section 1003 of the recently adopted Television Viewer Protection Act directs the FCC to adopt rules that allow the negotiation of retransmission consent between "qualified MVPD buying groups"' and "large [broadcast] station groups." But, how should the Commission define "large station group" or "qualified MVPD buying group"? That's largely up to you.

In 2014, it was a finalist for Legendary Station of the Year at the NAB Marconi Radio Awards. In 2016, it took home the "AC Station of the Year" Marconi. Now, a heralded 3kw FM serving the Michigan cities of Adrian, Blissfield, Clinton and Tecumseh can take pride in knowing its on the radar of the Chairman of the FCC.

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 a widely expected vote held at its January Open Meeting today in Washington, the FCC agreed to modify its rules for cable and satellite TV providers by transitioning certain notices to broadcast TV stations from paper to electronic delivery. 

With the 2020 U.S. presidential election fast approaching, Nielsen has rolled "an enhanced cross-platform version" of its Nielsen Voter Ratings platform, which is designed to give media buyers and sellers ways to best reach and understand the media preferences of potential voters.

As the U.S. enters a heated 2020 presidential election year, a new Pew Research Center report finds that Republicans and Democrats place their trust in two nearly inverse news media environments. What could this mean for your broadcast media station, and the implications on ratings and long-term ad revenue?

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has announced his intent to appoint a Associate Chief of the Office of Economics and Analytics, as well as a Senior Economic Advisor to the OEA Chief and Chief of OEA’s Auctions Division.

The NAB has spoken up against public advocacy groups that do not want the FCC to abide by an association request to reconsider its recently adopted orders regarding political file rules for broadcast radio and television. In particular, NAB refuted the advocacy groups’ "erroneous claims" that the FCC’s new rules did not burden broadcasters or raise any First Amendment concerns.

The NAB Leadership Foundation is accepting entries for the 2020 Celebration of Service to America Awards, recognizing outstanding community service by local broadcasters. Winners will be honored at a black-tie gala attended by prominent broadcast industry executives and influential policymakers and regulators on June 9, 2020 in Washington, D.C.

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.