Washington Beat

The National Association of Broadcasters and The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences are collaborating on an event that will educate television professionals on new developments in mobile television and the opportunities they present.

A great attention-grabber in a broadcast commercial is the insertion of the emergency alert signal or a reasonable imitation of it. The only problem is that it’s completely illegal. Recent cases have caused the FCC to issue an advisory, a fine and to enter into a consent decree.

The 12-year run of Gigi Sohn at communications watchdog Public Knowledge is all but over as she moves to the staff of new FCC...

New FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler hit the ground running by announcing key staff members that he says will also hit the ground running. The appointments are for his own staff in three other areas. The Media Bureau is not one of them.

New Jersey faces perhaps the most challenging broadcast environment of all 50 states, and the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) used his seat on the Senate Commerce Committee to press the case for his state. The state has a new voice there in the person of Sen. Cory Booker.

Advertisements for HCG Platinum claim that the product can help users lose a pound a day and have helped the manufacturer to multiple millions of dollars in sales. But the FTC wants to see the manufacturer in court.

The unanimous Senate approval of the nominees Tom Wheeler to become the next Chairman of the FCC and of Michael O’Rielly to be the second sitting Republican Commissioner generated the usual round of congratulations and commentary for interested parties inside the Beltway. Here’s what people and organizations had to say.

The Federal Trade Commission comment window was scheduled to close 10/21/13 for those wishing to weigh in on Nielsen’s big $1.26B acquisition of Arbitron. The government shutdown has led to an extension.

Obtaining capital for broadcast investment has long been a major hurdle for those wishing to enter the broadcasting business, and it is hoped that...

There are 53 million Hispanics in the US, comprising 17% of the total population, and the FCC is going to conduct a study to determine how well their television needs are being met.

Once again, confirmation of nominees to the FCC is on ice because of one disgruntled senator. This time, the New York Times is calling on the colleagues of Ted Cruz (R-TX) to pressure him so Tom Wheeler and Michael O’Rielly can get to work.

If a company is going to claim that its wares are made in the USA, it had better be able to back up that claim – and the claim better refer not just to the finished products, but to all of the components of the finished product.

In an address to National Religious Broadcasters, FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai said the organization’s members should not need to seek FCC permission every time they want to collect donations for a local soup kitchen or shelter for battered women.

But its October Open Meeting is out of business – after a forced two weeks-plus vacation, FCC staffers aren’t going to be able to get the session together. It was originally scheduled for 10/22/13. And guidance is forthcoming if you missed a filing deadline due to the shutdown.