Washington Beat

House Energy and Commerce Committee minority leader Greg Walden (R-Ore.) has finalized the senior staff for the committee Republicans in the 116th Congress. It sees several Capitol Hill veterans returning in key roles.

Curious as to what Geoffrey Starks has to say about media ownership and everything else on the FCC's main agenda? On March 6, Broadcast & Social Justice Summit attendees will get their chance, as Starks makes one of his first appearances as a Commissioner.

The FCC's February Open Meeting, a statutorily-required affair, had been originally scheduled for Feb. 21. However, there's a chance that a partial shutdown of the Federal government could come again on Feb. 16. As such, the Commission has reacted.

With the 116th Congress ushering in a divided government, broadcasters will be met with new challenges and opportunities. A Thursday webcast for NAB members will offer an opportunity to ask questions about what's new in the new Senate and House, and what this means for their business.

Courtesy of Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, RBR+TVBR is pleased to provide list of deadlines* facing broadcasters and telecommunications providers during February, March, and April. Why the asterisk? The temporarily halted partial government shutdown may affect many of these deadlines.

Subcommittee assignments and senior staff have been solidified by the all-important Senate Commerce Committee. Here's who's who and all that you'll need to know as the GOP-led authority with oversight of the FCC in the upper body of Congress kicks off its legislative year.

The FCC's "Auction 101," which will provide spectrum in the 28 GHz band for 5G wireless services, just ended. And, by all means, it was indeed a success — even as the partial government shutdown has crippled much of the agency's day-to-day operations.

Without appropriations, many government programs went dormant. For Boston College Law School associate professor Daniel Lyons, a visiting fellow at conservative D.C. think-tank AEI, there’s a more fundamental problem with the shutdown, which just ended until mid-February: Pruning the regulatory state.

Just how much impact is the partial government shutdown having on the affected agencies within the jurisdiction of the House Energy and Commerce Committee? The answer, according to the Democrats in control who call it a "Trump Shutdown," is scheduled to arrive at a full committee hearing on Jan. 31.

The former Senior Public Interest Counsel under Ill. Attorney General Lisa Madigan has moved from the Land of Lincoln to the land of the partial government shutdown. He's the newest Partner at Wilkinson Barker Knauer, and is being welcomed for his background in privacy and data security.

The FCC on Wednesday confirmed that it will hold a January Open Meeting on January 30, but 30 minutes later than originally scheduled. What about the partial government shutdown? If it continues through Tuesday, a conference call will be held. What will be discussed? Not much.

The partial shutdown of the Federal government has led some to ask if the FCC will still hold its January Open Meeting. For the U.S. House of Representatives, life goes on. With the 116th Congress now seated, the new House Energy & Commerce Committee is ready for an organizational meeting.

On Tuesday, the FCC’s Order eliminating broadcasters’ obligation to file paper copies of contracts pursuant to Section 73.3613 of the Commission’s rules goes into effect. As Eve K. Reed of Wiley Rein notes, covered contracts include those related to network affiliations, control of station licenses, certain employment agreements, joint sales agreements, and local marketing agreements.

As CNN's Reliable Sources with Brian Stelter notes, the partial shutdown of the Federal government has resulted in a near-cessation of activities at the FCC. How this has impacted the Commission was shared by Jessica Rosenworcel.

Rep. Yvette D. Clarke has written to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai urging the Commission to enforce employment discrimination protections for furloughed FCC employees. In the letter, Clarke encouraged the FCC to waive or extend the applicable complaint filing periods for the duration of the shutdown.