Washington Beat

Last week the FCC “took a historic and long overdue step to increase ownership diversity in the broadcast industry.” An incubator program designed to establish greater broadcast media ownership diversity will come to fruition. Democratic FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel dissented. Now, one individual close to the push for the program tells RBR+TVBR it has a fatal flaw.

One of two petitions to the FCC that played an integral role in the Commission's eventual proposed changes to its translator rules is a petition for rulemaking from Aztec Capital Radio Partners. Now, Aztec's comments to the proposed changes in what the Commission has labeled MB Docket No. 18-119 have been made available for public view. What Aztec says may not sit well with some broadcasters.

There's nothing like a business trip to a cool destination, where one can do some sightseeing while focusing on the need to bring more broadband to some of the nation's most difficult-to-serve communities. That's exactly what FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr will do from Sunday (8/5), when he arrives in Alaska for a broadband tour of the "Last Frontier." A KTUU visit is on tap.

Thursday, August 16, is the new date for the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee's FCC oversight hearing. It will be a morning event, designed to allow the upper body of Congress to examine policy issues before the Commission and review the FCC’s ongoing duties and activities.

For the first five years he conducted Alternative FCC Compliance Certification inspections, 90% of the questions Ken Benner was asked pertained to FCC-required public files. As he notes in this exclusive Media Information Bureau column, some 90% of the radio station personnel he worked with "had virtually no idea of what was required or where to turn to become compliant."

The FCC Thursday morning moved forward with plans for its first 5G spectrum auctions. Why is this of importance to broadcast media? The arrival of 5G wireless technology will likely revolutionize how consumers enjoy both audio and video content, paving the way for -- perhaps -- the ultimate end of over-the-air broadcasting in the coming decades.

An LPFM serving a popular Spring Break destination never saw the light of day. Even so, the licensee asked the FCC for a little leniency and more time to get its act together. It appears the Daytona Beach Broadcasting Association blew it.

It can't hurt to ask, right? An individual recently sought the reconsideration of the FCC's deletion of a license for a low-power TV station in San Antonio. The Commission has spoken on the matter, and it was rather blunt in its response. Why? This matter began nearly three decades ago, prompting an RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION as to why this has dragged on since our editor-in-chief was in high school and Milli Vanilli had the No. 1 hit in the U.S.

A partner in Wiley Rein LLP’s Telecom, Media & Technology Practice who serves as co-chair of the firm’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Practice was named Vice Chair of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE) by the FCC.

For several hours on July 25, the four voting members of the FCC answered questions and, in a handful of instances, sparred with House of Representatives members who wanted assurances that the White House would not sway the Commission on its decision to send Sinclair Broadcast Group's intended merger with Tribune Media to an Administrative Law Judge. Should we be preparing for a reprise by Senators in two weeks?

For the last nine years, an antitrust and technology and telecommunications law expert has enjoyed million-dollar views from her Malibu perch as the associate dean for faculty research and development as a Pepperdine University law professor. Now, she'll have an office within walking distance of L'Enfant Plaza. But, this person is no stranger to regulatory D.C.

The FCC today selected a new Chief Economist, and in doing so chose a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute — the think-tank that directed the FCC's transition following the 2016 presidential election. Another prominent figure at the AEI is Roslyn Layton, who writes in this column about the importance of the Commission's mid-band spectrum strategy.

The FCC will hold its August Open Meeting next Thursday, and the Commission late Thursday offered a peek at what the Commissioners will debate and discuss at the monthly session. Of the seven items on the agenda, two involve the Media Bureau — and possibly your radio and/or TV station. Discussion of an incubator program to encourage diverse media ownership has already seen the NAB and MMTC lobby the Commission for its extension to TV.