Washington Beat

What jurisdiction does the FCC possess to move forward with the proposed change in FM frequencies for two stations, including a Canadian operation? Plenty, it turns out, as this Canadian FM is actually licensed to a small Texas town.

The longtime EVP/Chief Operating Officer at America's Public Television Stations, who also serves as General Counsel for the advocacy group, has announced her retirement. Her last day at APTS is scheduled for September 1.

Palm Beach County may be the bluest area of the Sunshine State, but it is also the home of Mar-a-Lago, residence of former President Donald Trump. Now, the northern portion of the county is getting politically purple, courtesy of Matthew Davidge. 

A Conservative Think Tank is the latest organization to voice its support for the bipartisan "AM Radio For Every Vehicle Act," and it wants the lower body of Congress to get the bill passed over vociferous opposition from the Consumer Technology Association and the auto industry.

The FCC will lift its freeze on major modification applications for Class A, Low Power Television (LPTV), and TV translator stations on August 20. All stations must use 2020 Census data for interference analyses as of Thursday (8/1), or risk application dismissal.

The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed level funding of $535 million for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting for fiscal year 2027 and $60 million for public media stations’ interconnection system for fiscal year 2025. This yielded cheers from America’s Public Television Stations.

On June 27, a novel new over-the-air television brand that seeks to bridge the divide between Republicans and Democrats with “bite-sized videos and informational text” to the “purple majority” made its debut. The man behind it, Matthew Davidge, shares his thoughts on the launch and more in this InFOCUS Podcast, presented by dot.FM.

The parent company of NBCUniversal has named a new Executive Vice President of Federal Government Affairs and Head of the Washington, D.C. office. He reports to Chief Legal Officer Tom Reid at Comcast Corporation and once worked for Sen. Joe Manchin.

The Media Bureau on May 20 opened up a pair of dockets that are designed to update the Commission’s rules as it pertains to low-power television stations. One of the two dockets also impacts TV translator and Class A TV stations. The National Religious Broadcasters is displeased with the effort.

Nestled between outdoor adventurist hub Bend, Ore., and the Columbia River Gorge is tiny Shaniko, Ore. Radio choices are limited to eight FMs and two distant AM radio stations — or at least they should be. There's also a local radio operation. But, there's just one problem: it's a pirate station.

The proposal, the Commission's majority asserts, "aims to increase transparency by having those who already have legal duties to file information about their TV and radio advertisements with the FCC to indicate if AI is being used and make on-air disclosure of AI use."

One is an FM translator serving the Mississippi city of Canton. The other is an FM translator licensed to an institution of higher learning in Chattanooga, Tenn. Each have received notices of apparent liability for forfeiture for being late with their respective license renewal applications. 

The Commission previously adopted requirements that users must be able to customize caption displays by changing the font, size, color, and other caption features, but many consumers have had difficulty accessing these caption display settings. The Order takes steps to alleviate this problem.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel on Wednesday confirmed that the Commission will vote on final rules that she believes will improve transportation safety and mobility by integrating advanced communications technologies into vehicles and infrastructure.

The training will educate and coach up to 225 public media entities and station leaders and staff to develop "an audience-first, multi-platform approach to their organizational strategies, operations, and culture." The virtual training will be funded by a CPB grant of up to $5 million.