Washington Beat

The FCC denied an appeal by Comcast, which argued that its practice of charging customers separately for a DTA (digital terminal adapter), or converter box that allows subscribers with older TVs to receive digital channels, which the company said would be provided at no charge, is not subject to rate regulation, because it is a service fee.

Here’s a list of the FCC’s latest licenses, construction permits and transfers of control—granted and dismissed—for TV, AM and FM. This list is current as of 4/9/14 and includes all of the revised Hoak Media and Mission TV station deals to Gray Television:

WTRI Holding, Inc. was issued a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $5,000 for unauthorized discontinuation of operations of Station WTRI-AM 1520, Brunswick, MD (suburban DC).

Cochise Broadcasting, owner of Omaha AM KOMJ 1490 has been fined $17,000 by the FCC for

Here’s a list of the FCC’s latest licenses, construction permits and transfers of control—granted and dismissed—for TV, AM and FM. This list is current as of 3/24/14:

The Commission notified Boonville Broadcasting’s Adult Hits WEJK-FM Boonville/Evansville, IN of its Apparent Liability for Forfeiture in the amount of $4,000 for failure to conduct a contest substantially as announced, including undue delay in concluding the contest and more. Said Theresa Cavanaugh, Chief, Investigations and Hearings Division Enforcement:

Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise is the GOP standard-bearer in the House for vigorous reform to the nation’s

So far this year, there have been over 1,050 CPs granted for new LPFM stations, but this week 14 previously granted LPFM CP applications were pulled in Southern states for reasons including

On 3/11, The House of Representatives approved H.R. 3675, the FCC Process Reform Act, by

Here’s a new one under the header of “It’s worth a try”: The FCC has rejected North County Broadcasting’s petition for reconsideration of a $4,800 fine for EAS violations at Business Talk KFSD-AM Escondido/San Diego. North County appealed, saying that the fine could not be enforced because it is a small entity and the Commission has never complied with its obligation under the

Here’s a list of the FCC’s latest licenses, construction permits and transfers of control—granted and dismissed—for TV, AM and FM. This list is current as of 3/7/14:

House Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) released

Shortly after NABOB Executive Director Jim Winston proposed a potential policy shift in an ex parte filing with the FCC that might help the state of African American commercial television station ownership via JSAs and JSAs, FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai met with WLOO-TV (My TV network) in Jackson, MS. He sang the praises of how a JSA with American Spirit Media’s WDBD-TV (Fox) has worked well for the station. Said Pai:

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler announced his intent to appoint Travis LeBlanc as acting

FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn defended the controversial "Multi-Market Study of Critical Information Needs" (CIN) newsroom study in a speech at the Media Institute 2/26. The proposed FCC study of how media organizations gather news incited a powerful backlash from both liberal and conservative media and pundits, who said that it could be part of an official effort to intimidate or second-guess journalists.