Washington Beat

As the FCC's July Open Meeting came to its conclusion, so did the tenure of the Chief Counsel for Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Meet the new Chief Counsel to Rosenworcel, as well as the new Chief Legal Advisor and her Acting Legal Advisor on the Affordable Connectivity Program and other wireline issues.

The FCC has handed the Hobbs Seventh–Day Adventist Church of the Texico Conf. Assn., the licensee of a low-power television station in New Mexico, a proposed fine. Why?

The House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday approved H.R. 4250, the "Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying (PRESS) Act," which provides federal-level protections for journalists regarding disclosure of confidential sources. Among those who worked hard to get the full floor vote in the House is Rep. Jamin Raskin.

Public service announcements filmed in NAB’s studio featuring over 150 members of Congress and their families are available to local television and radio stations across the country through their Extreme Reach inbox.

Consider yourselves warned, broadcasters. With the Monday release of a Public Notice, the FCC's Media Bureau is reminding all U.S. broadcast licensees of the importance of filing their biennial ownership reports.

Dollars distributed through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting via a Congressional act are vital to noncommercial educational radio and TV stations, with both NPR and PBS impacted by any Congressional action that could curtail funding. That's why the President/CEO of CPB is speaking out against a House of Representatives subcommittee's funding proposal for fiscal 2024 that strips the corporation of significant dollars.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel today circulated a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to her colleagues to initiate a proceeding to understand challenges related to distribution and supply in this market, especially as it relates to independent programming.

Reauthorization of the NTIA took center stage on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning, as the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology gathered in the Rayburn House Office Building with the principal purpose of ensuring the agency "is advancing American leadership."

The woman who has served as FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr's Legal Advisor since 2021 has departed the agency. Who is Danielle Thumann's successor in the office of the Republican Commissioner seeking a renomination confirmation in the U.S. Senate?

The licensee of a pair of low-power television stations has been handed a small Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture for failing to submit the LPTV's license renewal applications to the Commission in a timely manner.

SiriusXM has agreed to give the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) access to secure bandwidth on the satellite radio firm's proprietary satellite radio system, a move that provides additional connectivity between the agency and the National Public Warning System network.

The Hawaiian Island of Kauai could see the arrival of no less than three new FM radio stations, bringing a sixth local service to Lihue while establishing the first local service in the communities of Koloa and Puhi, respectively. However, two of the proposals are potentially problematic.

The law firm that is home to Managing Member Sally Buckman is welcoming a new Counsel, an individual with more than two decades of experience on FCC regulatory issues. It is also welcoming a new associate, who specializes in data protection, privacy, cybersecurity, CFIUS, and artificial intelligence (AI) matters that impact companies in the technology and communications industries.

Anna Gómez is already one step closer than Gigi Sohn was in her quest to be confirmed as the fifth Commissioner at the FCC. The Senate Commerce Committee has moved forward with an executive session to consider her nomination, and those of five others put forth by the Biden Administration.

The Multicultural Media, Telecom & Internet Council (MMTC) is now accepting registrants for a July 25 event scheduled as an online-only affair featuring no less than four former Chairs of the Federal Communications Commission.