Washington Beat

The Strategic Communications and Policy Advisor for former Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel will now hold the same role for the junior Democratic Commissioner on the new FCC, under the leadership of Brendan Carr.

What does a 79-year-old federal law enacted to combat racketeering in labor/management disputes have to do with the FCC and its ability to collect forfeiture payments for rule violations or pass new rules based on delegated authority? A lot, it turns out, thanks to a case presently in front of the U.S. Supreme Court. 

“I am grateful that these talented professionals have agreed to step in and serve the FCC in these important roles," FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said in announcing the appointments. "I look forward to working with them as we advance the Commission’s agenda and deliver great results for the American people.”

Some 26% of voting members in the U.S. Congress identify as a race or ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White, making the 119th Congress the most racially and ethnically diverse to date. In continuation of a long-running trend, this is the eighth Congress to break the record set by the one before it.

The newly minted Chairman of the FCC wasted no time in announcing staff appointments to the Office of the Chairman and to the Commission. Who is the FCC's new Chief of Staff? It's a Michigan Law School graduate who has served as Deputy Bureau Chief and Chief of Staff of the Wireless Bureau.

The maximum penalty for repeated infractions under the Congressionally approved PIRATE Act that may be levied by the FCC has increased to match inflation. That's one key revelation found in the Commission's fifth annual report to Congress detailing the implementation and enforcement activities of the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act.

The NAB is calling on the federal OMB to disapprove the proposed information collections or, at minimum, require the FCC to gather more accurate data and explore ways to mitigate the burdens on broadcasters and lessees.

The NAB has released the final report on the Future of Television Initiative (FOTVI), a public-private partnership that convened broadcasters, equipment manufacturers, pay TV companies and public interest advocates under the FCC and NAB's leadership to ensure a smooth transition to the ATSC 3.0 standard.

Today was the final Open Meeting as Chairwoman of the FCC for Jessica Rosenworcel, who took the opportunity to share at length what her experience brought to her, and to America.

With a new Congressional session coming to Capitol Hill, could Washington legislators be swayed to approve any reintroduced bill, given what has transpired in Southern California since January 7? Janene Drafs hopes so.

The industry lobbying group that is the face of small and independent cable TV service providers inside the Beltway has promoted from within to fill the SVP/Legal and Regulatory Affairs role.

The Commission is now offering templates for the 18 most commonly issued and time-sensitive alerts in the 13 most commonly spoken languages in the U.S., plus English and American Sign Language (ASL).

Salem Media Group, the publicly traded company focused on conservative and Christian-themed spoken word programming, has two new members of its Board of Directors. One is likely a familiar name to those Inside the Beltway. 

The Congressional legislative body that maintains oversight of the FCC has reconstituted its Democratic membership, and among the new faces on the House Energy & Commerce Committee in the minority is one of the more polarizing figures in U.S. politics — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

The Order was adopted before the end of 2024 but not released by the Commission until earlier this week. Rule changes to the FCC's Schedule of Application Fees have been made, and there's been an upward adjustment in the fees it assesses for processing applications and other filings.