Washington Beat

It had operated as a Class B AM radio station. As of Monday morning, it was reduced to an online-only offering featuring Christmas music. That's because this facility no longer has a broadcast signal. The FCC affirmed the cancellation of its license, for being dark for too long without permission and then seeking its renewal.

It was originally anticipated in early October, but the shutdown of the federal government resulted in a pause of all non-essential efforts at the FCC, which furloughed more than 1,000 individuals over the funding squabble on Capitol Hill.  Now, the Commission has released its quarterly station totals. The big takeaway: commercial AM and FM stations declined in number once again.

The Vice President of Public Policy at the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) has provided a formal Letter for the Record to a key House Subcommittee that outlines the impacts of a potential permanent Daylight Saving Time on stations reliant on service in the kHz band.

Shared cultural moments, freely available to every household for generations, are increasingly being pulled behind paid streaming platforms. What does this mean for over-the-air stations that have always made this content universally accessible? NAB Chief of Staff Michelle Lehman shares her thoughts on the subject.

As of this morning, the LMS is operational. And, the FCC — with help from the Federal Register's editorial team — is moving quickly with establishing the comment window on the long-delayed 2022 Quadrennial Review of the Commission's media ownership rules.

The tech policy think tank with a mission to "chart a path forward for policymakers towards a bright future where technology enhances freedom, and freedom enhances technology" has asked the nation's highest judicial body to keep the White House's hands off of agencies such as the FCC.

The reopening of the federal government means the FCC can finally pick up where it was forced to pause on September 30, and that could potentially create a flood of new applications as the Commission works to reduce any backlog of regulatory review.  As such, guidance on filings was offered by the Commission.

The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a petition from a company behind a low-power TV station licensed to West Haven, Conn., that sought intervention from the highest legal body in the nation in overturning a FCC decision denying a low-power TV station's upgrade.

DirecTV Advertising has launched an AI-Powered digital platform the DBS service provider's unit says is designed to help political advertisers reach connected TV audiences. It is designed to deliver AI-driven insights into voter sentiment and campaign issues, allowing political advertisers to turn insights into actionable Connected TV media strategies.

When it comes to Washington politics, it's just another oversight hearing for the FCC conducted by the unit of Congress that is responsible for keeping tabs on the agency. For some journalists, it's a big event, as it will see Brendan Carr on Capitol Hill for the first time since September's Jimmy Kimmel Live! flap.

The individual who serves as VP of Government Affairs at conservative talk and Christian-themed non-secular spoken word-focused Salem Media Group is urging both legislative and consumer action in response to Tesla's decision to remove both AM and FM radio from its base Model 3 and Model Y vehicle trims.

A former chief executive at CityBridge Education, she most recently served as Chief Revenue and Development Officer at Teach For America, where she led a national fundraising team that increased overall revenue and donor retention.

The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) has created a fellowship in the name of an iconic broadcasting industry-focused Washington, D.C. attorney, who calls it "an honor of a lifetime for which I am grateful."

The House Energy & Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Communications and Technology — the Congressional body that has direct oversight of the FCC — has a new Chief Counsel. And, it is someone who has strong ties to Dish Network, Sling TV and Boost Mobile.

The FCC has set its comment date and reply comment date for GN Docket No. 16-142, the matter authorizing permissive use of the "next generation" broadcast television standard. Along with a 73-page document came statements from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr and Commissioners Olivia Trusty and Anna Gómez.