Washington Beat

A pair of Democratic Senators and California Democratic House Member Anna Eshoo have each reintroduced legislation in Congress they claim "would undo Trump-era" FCC rulemaking and ensure that public, educational, and government (PEG) channels have the resources they need to keep producing content for their viewers.

Want to have your say on what the FCC should do with respect to outdated and, as such, now irrelevant, rules for full-power and Class A TV stations? Your window of opportunity has arrived.

The symposium, hosted by the FCC’s Communications Equity and Diversity Council (CEDC), was held to explore the challenges — and possible creative solutions — to increasing ownership opportunities for women and people of color. “Viewpoint diversity” in all facets of media – TV, radio, cable, and streaming — was also a key discussion point.

It's official: Both Republican FCC Commissioners will be addressing attendees of the upcoming ACA Connects 30th anniversary summit on March 1 in Washington, D.C. While it became known in late January that Brendan Carr would be addressing attendees, Nathan Simington has just been added to the presentation schedule.

The Public Media Summit is returning to a live and in-person affair, and one of the two Democrats in leadership positions at the Federal Communications Commission has been invited to speak at this year's event, scheduled for February 27-March 1 in Washington.

On December 22, 2022, the Media Bureau of the FCC formally commenced the 2022 Quadrennial Review of the Commission’s media ownership rules. But, was that a premature move by the agency, given its need to complete its 2018 quadrennial review?  That's what the NAB is arguing.

America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) has released the results of the just-held election of its board leaders and board members. Chosen as Chair of the advocacy organization supporting noncommercial educational TV stations across the U.S. is the GM and CEO of New Mexico PBS.

The Public’s Radio on Sept. 30, 2021, requested FCC approval of a "minor modification" of the facilities of a noncommercial FM in Portsmouth, R.I.  This change would allow an otherwise prohibited contour overlap with a second-adjacent FM station licensed to the University of Rhode Island. Now the Chief of the Audio Division of the FCC's Media Bureau has decided what WNPK's fate is.

If it were up to Republican FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, it would be prohibited from use in the USA. The House Energy and Commerce Committee, has expressed its concerns, too. But, should Tik Tok be banned? One Conservative D.C. Think Tank says no, ahead of a just-announced on Capitol Hill by Tik Tok's CEO.

Frank Pallone Jr. has shared the full Democratic rosters for each of the six subcommittees in the 118th Congress, including the six subcommittee Ranking Members and the full Committee Vice Ranking Member.

The new leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Communications and Technology Subcommittee — the primary oversight body in Congress of the FCC — have scheduled their first hearing of the 118th Congress. The theme: to ensure America "continues to lead in the burgeoning satellite communications industry."

On January 6, the Media Bureau of the FCC gave an extension of time for filings required to be uploaded into the Commission’s Online Public Inspection File (OPIF) system. Guess what? That deadline has been further extended.

Effective April 1, petitioners/applicants submitting filings to the Audio Division must employ the most recent 2020 U.S. Census data available when determining a particular community’s population in addition to the population served and overlap of service areas to communities and Urbanized Areas.

The man who has served Ohio's fifth district for 15 years has assumed the role of Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology — a primary venue on Capitol Hill that maintains oversight of the FCC.

The Commission has adopted a Memorandum Opinion and Order comparing applications from some 34 groups of mutually exclusive applications for new noncommercial educational FM station construction permits. We've got the details.