Washington Beat

The FCC on Wednesday entered into a Consent Decree with Mountain Broadcasting Corp. that resolves issues tied to the license renewal application of the company's full-power UHF station serving the New York Tri-State Area. The agreement was struck after the station was found to be deficient in its failure to display the "E/I" symbol throughout the duration of all educational programming.

The U.S. Senate on Thursday officially brought the FCC back to four Commissioners while ensuring Ajit Pai remains Chairman. Pai congratulated Rosenworcel on her reappointment as a Democratic Commissioner, and applauded Carr's arrival at the FCC.

The FCC on Thursday adopted a hearing designation order pertaining to an FM radio station in north-central Michigan to determine whether the station's license renewal application should be granted. The station has operated just one day a year since it was initially licensed in 2010, most recently on Oct. 17, 2016. It's owned by Radioactive LLC, led by the flamboyant former CEO of Tribune Co., Clear Channel and Jacor Communications.

The first filing window for AM broadcasters to obtain new FM translator stations officially closed yesterday, concluding another chapter in the FCC's ongoing efforts to revitalize AM radio. According to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, more than 1,000 AM stations took advantage of it.

Should a local broadcasting company be granted a brand-new station serving a small town some 75 miles south of Jackson Hole, Wyoming? The FCC is now seeking comments on the plan.

"Stop whatcha doin', cause I'm about to ruin, the image and the style that ya used to ..." OK, maybe it's not time for The Humpty Dance. But, RBR+TVBR Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner insists you should read his latest column, and pronto. Why? "To save substantial funds in fines, fees, forfeitures and, most significantly, legal expenses, I can recommend no better source of information."

Come next Wednesday, Jessica Rosenworcel and Brendan Carr will be one step closer to getting new offices at The Portals. That's when the Senate Commerce Committee will hold an executive session to consider their appointments, as well as the renomination of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and David Redl as the head of the NTIA.

Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas on Wednesday introduced legislation that would establish a new "Viewer and Listener Protection Fund" within the U.S. Treasury to make certain broadcasters nationwide can stay on air. The move follows the introduction of similar legislation in the House of Representatives by Rep. Frank Pallone.

That's an assertion made by House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) on Tuesday in his opening remarks at a Communications and Technology Subcommittee hearing focused on oversight and the reauthorization of the FCC.

Rep. Marsha Blackburn has emerged as a leader on communications and technology issues in the House of Representatives, primarily through her role as Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee's Subcommittee devoted to those two business areas. That's why her thoughts on key issues such as net neutrality carry strong sway with Congress. She was vocal on the end of Title II reclassification, while also taking a swipe at the leadership of former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler.

It's official: The FCC's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau has set Sept. 27 as the date for the next nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System. With a notice released Monday, the EAS Test Reporting System is now open for 2017 filings. Perhaps most importantly for radio and TV stations, the latest edition of the EAS Operating Handbook has been released. 

As of July 14, the FCC’s Incentive Auction Task Force calculated the aggregate amount of the estimated costs of reimbursement-eligible TV stations and MVPDs faced with new post-incentive auction channel assignments. Their estimate: $2.12 billion. The amount Congress allocated? That's $1.75 billion, and Commissioner Michael O'Rielly is convinced more funds are needed—in particular to assist FM stations impacted by the repack.

Less than 24 hours after the FCC restored the UHF discount, allowing broadcast TV companies to effectively own more stations, Sinclair Broadcast Group on April 21 agreed to acquire the Randy Bongarten-led Bonten Media Group Holdings for $240 million. That deal, and its approval by the FCC, was slammed by Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn in her opening testimony at a House Oversight and Reauthorization of the FCC.

Under the FCC's current rules, all commercial and noncommercial radio and TV licensees, as well as attributable interest holders in those licensees, must file ownership reports by Dec. 1 in odd-number years. That means the clock is ticking. However, there's much going on at the Commission, and given "numerous recent proposals" to change the frequency of ownership reporting — among other things — the NAB requests that the biennial ownership reports be suspended.

A House Member representing Wisconsin's Fifth District could be doing the entire radio industry a big favor as legislation that would establish new royalty fees for the airplay of recorded music makes it way across Capitol Hill. With H.R. 3350, a database of nondramatic musical works and sound recordings would be created in an effort to help identify and compensate the rights holders. Could this be the answer for those opposed to Darrell Issa's efforts?