Washington Beat

Washington's favorite acerbic octogenarian from Arizona is back with another fun column that asks the questions few are willing to voice in public. In this Media Information Bureau column, Ken Benner gifts RBR+TVBR Members with this fact: "Have you recently pulled up the FCC website? If not, please do it now. The first most prominent item that pops up includes how to file a complaint."

Earlier this month, the FCC released an Order on adjustments to the application fees that the Commission collects from applicants. Fletcher Heald & Hildreth attorneys offer their explanation on what this means for broadcast media companies such as yours.

Under FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, there has been a change in how the Commission offers a peek at what will be up for discussion at its Open Meetings — and possibly be approved, thus becoming a rule of law. Pai's "glasnost" is voluntary. An Illinois House member wants to make it the law, and one Commissioner approves.

In mid-April, the FCC handed a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture for violations tied to the license renewal of a Class D AM south of San Antonio. This station is one of eight that comprise a network of classic Country stations. What's the verdict? A financial penalty has been affirmed, but at a slightly lower price.

A 22-page Hearing Designation Order released Thursday by the FCC details how, among the applications filed with the Commission, three stick out like sore thumbs. These deals raise "significant questions as to whether those proposed divestitures were in fact 'sham' transactions," the FCC writes.

Last week, the FCC proposed changes to its rules governing children’s programming. "While the proposal is not as sexy as internet regulation, it is an important and overdue step toward updating the law to reflect the realities of the modern video marketplace," says Daniel Lyons, a visiting fellow at a D.C. think tank with lots of FCC sway.

A Class A noncommercial facility with an unusual Construction Permit is in the process of being sold. Before doing so, it needed to renew the facility's license. This uncovered some serious violations of the FCC's rules. The result: A pair of hefty Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture decision handed to the licensee from the FCC's Media Bureau.

The Next Gen TV local simulcasting rules have received the approval of the Office of Management and Budget. This means that permissive voluntary use of the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard is a go — another milestone for TV operators seeking an addressable advertising solution and superior audio and visual quality.

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) holds its 16th annual Access to Capital and Telecom Policy Conference on Thursday in Washington, D.C. Among the anticipated highlights of the event are the bestowing of the MMTC's Everett C. Parker Lifetime Achievement Award to the newest former FCC Commissioner.

To the applause of the NAB, a bipartisan pair of Senators have introduced legislation they say would ensure more people receive relevant emergency alerts across their communications devices — including radios, televisions, smartphones and even OTT platforms including Netflix and Spotify.

Six weeks after the two top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee urged its Republican leadership to reschedule a FCC Oversight Hearing originally scheduled for February 16, action has finally been taken.

In light of yesterday’s news that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has proposed that portions of the acquisition by Sinclair Broadcast Group of Tribune Media's TV stations would be designated for hearing, one question many have asked David Oxenford and his team of attorneys at Wilkinson Barker Knauer LLP is this: "What does designation for hearing mean?" Oxenford was happy to answer.

On June 5, the Commission released a Notice of Inquiry in the matter of proposals for a new FM radio broadcast class. This would create a Class C4 radio station, in addition to modifying the requirements for designating short-spaced assignments. The FCC is now ready to receive your comments on the proposal.

Veteran D.C. communications attorney Erwin Krasnow was just as surprised as many of the brokers and attorneys RBR+TVBR contacted following the release Monday morning of a statement from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai that reveals he has "serious concerns" over Sinclair Broadcast Group's planned merger with Tribune Media. A draft hearing designation order was circulated by Pai. Is this a "deal killer?" Krasnow had some things to say about that.

Two leading Democrats in the U.S. Senate have called on the Federal Trade Commission to launch an investigation into the privacy policies and practices of "Smart TV" manufacturers. In their view, Smart TVs can track the content users are watching, but manufacturers may not provide sufficient information about their privacy practices.