Washington Beat

Some media industry C-Suiters may not be too pleased with the FCC, for a variety of reasons. There are the fines and forfeitures. There's the scrutiny over deals (just ask Chris Ripley at Sinclair Broadcast Group what he may be thinking about the FCC right now). Yet, the FCC and its hard-working staffers should be appreciated, Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner writes.

The recent announcement from the FCC advising the proposed expansion of the Equal Employment Opportunity FCC office with additional staff and lawyers has many licensees on edge. Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner has some things to say about it.

By far, the three subjects noted in this Media Information Bureau column by Ken Benner cover 95% of the inquiries this "Mock" Inspection Program pro receives. The query associated with fines, fees and forfeitures? "What can I do to prevent the consequences?" Here are some suggestions that could save your stations thousands of dollars in payments to the United States Treasury and/or the FCC.

The top Democrat on the House Commerce Committee on Monday called on FCC Inspector General David L. Hunt to investigate Chairman Ajit Pai’s failure to disclose a conversation he had with White House Counsel Donald McGahn. What was the conversation about? The Sinclair-Tribune merger — and it happened after Pai committed to this Democrat during the committee's July FCC Oversight Hearing that any such conversations would be disclosed in the public docket.

Philadelphia-based Prometheus Radio Project describes itself on its Twitter page as a non-profit that wishes to "build, support and advocate for community radio stations that empower local voices and movements for social change." It supports hundreds of low-power FM radio stations. It's also emerged as the No. 1 headache for commercial broadcasters seeking to get FM translators granted in the last FCC filing window processed and ready for sign-on.

For three hours and change on Thursday, the four voting members of the FCC entertained questions in the second oversight hearing to involve the Commission in the last three weeks. This time around, it was the upper body of Congress that offered questions and requested answers from the FCC's decision-making quartet.

In remarks made Tuesday at the Michigan Association of Broadcasters conference in Mackinac Island, the head of the FCC revealed that he's shared with his colleagues a draft Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that contains new proposals regarding interference protection for Class A stations.

Four leading House Energy and Commerce Committee Democrats have sent a letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai demanding to know when he and his staff learned that the Commission had provided inaccurate information about why its comment system went down during the net neutrality repeal public comment period.

RBR+TVBR went through the fees associated with Tribune Media's decision to terminate its merger with Sinclair Broadcast Group, and the dollars total in the millions. Meanwhile, Tribune's $1 billion suit filed Thursday in a Delaware Chancery Court is a sign to one respected D.C. communications attorney that it chose to avoid the worst thing that can happen to a pending deal: a delay.

At 99.1 MHz in the Lancaster-Palmdale, Calif., area is a 10-watt translator designed to give licensee Ondas de Vida Inc. just enough output to cover these High Desert cities. But, that wasn't the case, and now it's received a Forfeiture Order from the FCC. Could iHeartRadio be involved?

Between May 7 and 8, 2017, an unspecified incident involving the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS) resulted in an independent investigation by the Office of the Inspector General. The office of Chairman Ajit Pai has been aware of and cooperating with the Inspector General's investigation for "several months." On Monday, he made it known to the public -- and he's fingering David Bray.

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.