Washington Beat

Is your company participating in the filing of "Auction 99" applications for new cross-service FM translators? An online tutorial is being provided by the FCC to help you in this process.

Garvey Schubert Barer (GSB) has expanded its Communications, Telecom & Media practice in the Washington, D.C., office by adding two individuals who are formerly partners in the firm Schwartz, Woods & Miller.

Davis Wright Tremaine, known for its communications and cable practice groups, has expanded with the addition of a lawyer with two decades’ experience in government, in-house, and private practice.

Starting in July 2018, broadcasters and pay-TV providers carrying one of the top networks must provide 87.5 hours of described programming per calendar quarter. This averages out to roughly one hour per day of description on each included network.

A March 8 House Communications and Technology Subcommittee oversight hearing of the FCC was scrubbed, as it was scheduled just hours after a similar hearing conducted by the Senate Commerce Committee. It has yet to be rescheduled, despite assurances it would be held by the end of July. Now, Democratic leaders are pressing hard for a date.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune (R-S.D.) will convene a nomination hearing at 10am on Wednesday, July 19, for FCC Commissioner nominees Jessica Rosenworcel and Brendan Carr.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has looked under a Black Rock to find his Press Secretary at the Commission. This PR pro has previously worked for the likes of Sen. John Cornyn and in Brussels for Weber Shandwick.

Last week RBR+TVBR reported on a proposal from computing giant Microsoft to use TV white space to provide wireless broadband services in rural areas. Specifically, Microsoft wants the FCC to reserve a vacant UHF white space channel in every market nationwide, following the post-auction repack of broadcast television stations. The NAB is less than thrilled, and issued a statement on the matter Tuesday. We also have some thoughts on the matter, via a RBR+TVBR OBSERVATION.

Connoisseur Media chief Jeff Warshaw wants changes to the embedded market rule that affects New York and Washington, DC. He’s addressing the issue to the FCC, including a July 5 letter to the Commission. The NAB is backing the move. Warshaw has been championing the cause for several years, seeing it as being against the public interest and competition, and another example of the radio industry laboring under outdated, pre-Internet regulations.

The FCC has received a bounty of comments regarding its proposal to do away with the main studio rule. Leading the way was the NAB, which had this to say ...

In one month, the term of the FCC's lone Democratic Commissioner will come to an end. With Jessica Rosenworcel and Brendan Carr all but confirmed as the newest Commissioners, the FCC will again have five decision-makers. This begs the question of what lies ahead for Clyburn, whose exit would result in a 2-2 deadlock on contentious votes.

Forget Seth Meyers or Stephen Colbert. The late night chatter among politicos and wonks from Gaithersburg to Fredericksburg and across Capitol Hill was all about Brendan Carr. Unless something highly unusual transpires, the current General Counsel of the FCC is all but set to become the next Republican Commissioner.

Tuesday may be Independence Day, but that doesn't give any ol' person the independence to become an unlicensed radio station operator. Just in time for the Fourth of July, the FCC on Thursday issued no less than five Notice of Unlicensed Operations to a half-dozen buccaneers of broadcasting. Three involve Boston-area pirates. The other two are tied to fake FMs in South Florida.

PBS and America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) are getting financial assistance during the post-incentive auction repack period to translator stations that extend public television signals into hard-to-reach rural areas. No, it's not coming from ongoing pledge drives at many of the nation's noncommercial classical music stations.

He faces the most difficult challenge in the history of the Commission, as he travels the nation seeking support from the broadcasting community. He is FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who Media Information Bureau featured columnist Ken Benner is beyond a doubt in support of, as he writes in this "tribute" to the Commission's leader.