Washington Beat

House Energy and Commerce Committee Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.) has delivered a farewell address on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, concluding her tenure in Congress.

In an essay distributed on New Year's Eve, soon-to-depart FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel discusses the agency's work across 2024 expanding access to communications, "building a digital future that works for all, protecting consumers and going after bad actors, and the FCC’s commitment to security and public safety."

Thanks to the "PIRATE Act," the FCC is able to go after landlords of buildings found to be the origin point for unlicensed radio stations. Now, an individual who owns a property in a small city north of Dayton, Ohio, has been warned to stop the buccaneer broadcasts coming from the site.

The FCC has sent a warning to the purported operators of a pirate radio station to cease operations. Where this buccaneer is may surprise some.

The Chief of the Media Bureau's Audio Division has signed a Consent Decree that concludes the Commission's investigation into a change in control for a group of Arizona radio stations that was made without the agency's OK. A civil penalty is being paid to the U.S. Treasury to put the matter to rest.

The agenda for the final Open Commission Meeting of the FCC under the leadership of Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has been revealed. And, the affair will be a largely ceremonial opportunity focused on presentations touting the agency's work under her tenure, set to end on January 20.

The voluntary limited use of FM booster stations to originate content — the lynchpin to GeoBroadcast Services' "ZoneCasting" technology — is days away from being fully allowed, thanks to the publication of the FCC's Second Report and Order on Consideration in the Federal Government's publication of record.

A 10kw daytime-only AM radio station serving Clovis, N. Mex., from across the state line in Texas, faces a license revocation hearing should it not resolve its highly delinquent regulatory fees owed to the FCC.

After months of advocacy from broadcasters, legislators, and the public, the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act has failed to gain inclusion in the final major legislation of the 118th Congress, the Continuing Resolution aimed at averting a government shutdown. It is now up to the incoming GOP-controlled U.S. government to move ahead with the bill.

The licensee of four TV translator stations in Mendocino County, Calif., has agreed to sign a Consent Decree in order to end an investigation into its tardy submission of license renewal applications with the FCC.

The family-owned licensee of a trio of Eastern Washington broadcast television stations is resolving a FCC rule flap by signing a Consent Decree with the Media Bureau. At issue: issues/programs list uploads to the Online Public File and complete responses in applications submitted with the Commission.

What do a community radio station that broadcasts "a diverse and vibrant program schedule" to rural Southeast Alaska and a public broadcast service in one of America's largest markets have in common? Each are receiving a significant sum of money from CPB to upgrade their equipment to provide enhanced emergency alerting.

The junior Republican Commissioner at the FCC has been selected to serve as a keynote speaker at the annual summit staged by the voice Inside the Beltway of small and independently owned MVPD and broadband service providers across the U.S. 

The top Democrat on the powerful House Energy & Commerce Committee will be staying as Ranking Member once the 119th Congress begins after the inauguration of President Donald J. Trump.

The FCC's December Open Meeting concluded with the soon-to-depart Chairwoman, Jessica Rosenworcel, taking a moment to welcome one new staff member while saluting no less than seven retirees.