Washington Beat

As the old adage goes, what is one man's trash is another one's treasure. For featured Media Information Bureau columnist Ken Benner, a rescue from the trash heap of some old radio station equipment led to a radio show. The radio show opened Benner's eyes to just how things may work in Washington, sparking a fire under his belly that continues today, at age 80. In this column, Benner shares how he emerged as the industry's "Ralph Nader."

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has responded to an Aug. 14 letter from the House Energy & Commerce Committee's top Democrats that raised a series of concerns about allegations of favorable treatment toward Sinclair Broadcast Group and its planned merger with Tribune Media. The response from these Members of Congress? Pai's response falls short of what they need answers on — including a possible new e-mail controversy on Capitol Hill.

With the end of an agreement with American University to use W288BS at 105.5 MHz in Chevy Chase, Md., for its "Bluegrass Country" programming, licensee Reston Translator LLC — owned by D.C. communications attorney John Garziglia — needed new programming. Callers came, and eventually Sputnik — a News/Talk format funded by the Russian government — was launched. That's made three House Democrats hot.

Lessons learned from Hurricane Irma across the state of Florida will help improve the reliability and resiliency of our nation's communications networks. That was the message delivered Monday morning by Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, who joined FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in a tour of Miami-area FCC-regulated facilities as the storm-battered region saw its students return to school and typically horrific rush hour traffic punctuated by still-inoperable traffic lights.

That's the conclusion from a newly released report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) that addresses actions the Commission has taken since 2012 to update its enforcement program. What does the GAO recommend? Click here for the details.

Doug Ferber of DEFcom Advisors LLC and Erwin Krasnow of Garvey Schubert Barer have created a special podcast series exclusively for RBR+TVBR members based on a series of articles centered on the topic "Broadcast Deal Myths Debunked." In this second episode, Ferber and Krasnow discuss the following topic: "It's Not Negotiable."

The FCC's Deputy Chief of the Enforcement Bureau, who previously served as Acting Bureau Chief for five months, has been selected by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to serve as Special Counsel at the Commission.

The powerful U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, headed by Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.), has promoted two staffers while adding a new member to the staffing team. The moves came as word surfaced regarding the death of former Sen. Pete Domenici, who FCC Chairman Ajit Pai paid tribute to.

How can a broadcast television C-Suite executive best explain the post-Spectrum Auction TV repack process to Telly Watcher? They can direct them to a brand-new website created by the NAB to best inform Americans on how they can continue to receive their local broadcast TV stations during the incentive auction repack process. We've got some thoughts, too, and it's in an RBR+TVBR Observation just for members.

Sadly, this trip to the Sunshine State won't involve Mickey Mouse, Harry Potter or any "toes in the sand." FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn will be in Florida on Monday to jointly inspect the damage caused by Hurricane Irma. Meanwhile, JVC Media is dealing with outages and issues in three different markets, CEO John Caracciolo tells RBR+TVBR.

The Commission's push to pounce on unlicensed radio operators once and for all has continued with great vengeance and furious anger from newly emboldened Enforcement Bureau Regional Directors. The latest flurry of Notice of Unlicensed Operation letters to be distributed to pesky pirates comes from Region One — where one can easily find Patriots, Red Sox, Bruins and Celtics merchandise.

An 11-year veteran of the FCC has been tapped by FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to serve as Deputy Bureau Chief and Chief of Staff of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. This results in this individual's shift from her current role as the FCC's Deputy Managing Director.

A U.S. Senator's term of office is six years. It's therefore fitting that a former senator who now serves as President/CEO of the NAB will be staying on for another six years, thanks to a contract extension announced this morning by NAB Joint Board Chair and Beasley Media Group CEO Caroline Beasley.

Broadcast Deal Myths have long been a popular Media Information Bureau topic with RBR+TVBR readers, thanks to the insight and analysis offered in a clear, concise manner by Garvey Schubert Barer attorney Erwin G. Krasnow and DEFcom Advisors CEO Doug Ferber. Krasnow and Ferber have now developed an exclusive podcast series focused on the myths often tied to transactions, and we are pleased to offer the first in the series exclusively to RBR+TVBR subscribers.

In the view of Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner, the FCC's cooperation in support of the Alternative Broadcast Inspection Program (ABIP) has always been helpful. "It was my policy to visit the Commission's Compliance Bureau in Washington, D.C., every three years to update my part of the program," Benner says. In this column, he recalls his first such meeting — with then-FCC Chairman Michael Powell.