Washington Beat

The FCC's Communications Equity and Diversity Council is hosting a Digital Ecosystem Forum on Monday. It will be convened virtually, and event details were released on Friday by the Commission.

When a broadcast television station is found by the FCC to have apparently willfully violated section 73.3539(a) of the Commission’s rules, there's typically a fine that is assessed to the station for its transgressions. That's the case for three TV stations.

The FCC's Media Bureau, led by Holly Saurer, strong believes that the privatization of broadcast TV station owner TEGNA presents so many questions and concerns that it merits a Hearing Designation Order. That's far from what the two Republican Commissioners desire.

Nathan Simington has issued a statement of support in reaction to a letter sent Sunday by seven former FEMA leaders to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg seeking assurances from automakers that AM radio tuners will remain a standard in-vehicle offering.

The FCC and the equivalent government ministry in Ukraine, NCEC, on Monday approved a new Memorandum of Understanding. This saw FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel sign the agreement at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, her second year in a row at the event.

A licensee of a group of low-power digital television stations all licensed to a rural Utah town popular with outdoor enthusiasts faces a sizable fine for its failure to file its license renewal applications in a timely manner.

The Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate and the Republican House Member serving Nevada's 2nd District will each be honored with a "Champion of Public Broadcasting" award on Wednesday from the non-profit advocacy group that supports public TV.

Every U.S. broadcaster association has OK'd a resolution opposing "any new performance fee, tax, royalty or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings" on local broadcast radio stations. This aligns the SBAs with the NAB in urging Members of Congress to stop the "American Music Fairness Act."

It may be the start of Spring Training in West Palm Beach for the Washington Nationals, but they'll be some action at Nationals Park in Southeast Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, Feb. 28, nevertheless. That's because participants in the NAB's 2023 State Leadership Conference will be there for a special reception.

The NAB on Thursday filed an ex parte brief with the FCC that outlined details of a meeting with Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel in which the broadcast media industry's biggest advocacy group requested the Commission launch an internal task force focused on accelerating the broadcast TV industry’s transition to the ATSC 3.0 standard. There's more.

It was a Class B AM known as KTHO, and it had a FM translator serving a popular ski resort on the border between Nevada and California. But, their licenses expired. The licensee sought to appeal their expiration. What did the Commission rule?

Who was appointed by Sen. Ted Cruz as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Communications, Media and Broadband? An individual many are familiar with, and who, like Cruz, is outspoken in his opposition to the White House's nominee for the fifth seat on the FCC, Gigi Sohn.

On Monday, the SVP of Communications at the NAB announced that she's departing for a role at the Congressional Club Museum and Foundation. With Ann Marie Cumming's exit, Alex Siciliano was given interim oversight of the key NAB department. He's now officially been given Cumming's soon-to-be former role.

When small-sized and independent cable TV executives who are members of advocacy group ACA Connects gather in Washington, D.C., to attend its 30th anniversary Summit, a dinner at the National Museum of American History will likely be a key highlight. Offering keynote addresses at the dinner will be a pair of former FCC Chairs.

After more than 20 total years at the NAB, the association's Head of Communications, Global Connections and Events will be exiting on February 21 to accept the role of Executive Director of the Congressional Club Museum and Foundation.