Washington Beat

New DTS rules for Class A television and low power television (LPTV) stations are coming, and we now know when thanks to FCC Media Bureau Chief Holly Saurer.

A media company largely known for its conservative spoken word AM radio stations and Christian-themed programming has received word that it is to be audited to ensure its royalty payments to SoundExchange over the past three years are up to snuff.

In a Public Notice released last week, the FCC announced the comment deadlines concerning the March 30, 2023 NPRM to implement the Low Power Protection Act.  Comments are due May 15, and reply comments are due June 13. For the LPTVBA, comments are needed. And, the association's position is simple.

The FCC’s empty chair is a hot topic. Hispanic advocacy groups feel they are not being heard by the White House. Midterm election results are in, and the GOP controls the House. How will that impact the legislative and FCC issues facing broadcasters in Washington? An important session at the upcoming Hispanic Radio Conference in Miami is poised to tackle these questions and more.

The FCC on April 20 will hold an Open Meeting on a series of subjects that largely are outside the scope of broadcast radio or television. However, there is one agenda item pertaining to low-power TV that is up for discussion.

How costly is a television station licensee's failure to timely file a license renewal application for its facilities?  For a Nevada owner of several low-power TV stations, a possible $16,500 fine could be the penalty.

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and the ONE Media 3.0 subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group have successfully launched the nation’s first pilot project to use ATSC 3.0 next-generation broadcast television standard to disseminate advanced emergency information.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2023, there are exactly 129 fewer broadcast radio stations in the U.S. Of these now-erased broadcast facilities, 12 were AM stations. So, where did the bulk of disappearances occur?

A bipartisan group of 27 U.S. senators, led by Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Todd Young (R-IN), have penned a letter sent on Wednesday to the Chairwoman of FCC urging the agency to take an active role in pushing the voluntary rollout of ATSC 3.0.

To some, it is an antiquated form of broadcast communication that was shut off for good in nations across the globe. To the NAB, it is something Americans should depend on. That's the focal point of an AM radio promotional campaign courtesy of broadcast media's biggest advocacy voice.

It promises listeners in Central Connecticut "pura adrenalina" with its blend of Spanish-language pop and a community focused schedule of interest to Hispanics between Waterbury and New Britain. However, the owner of this AM has been delinquent with its FCC regulatory fees for more than a decade.

Eduardo Gallegos' Class A FM radio station serving a popular resort and Spring Break destination on the Texas Gulf Coast will get a frequency change. The Audio Division of the FCC's Media Bureau gave the OK, despite the objection of a disgruntled party who claims she's owed money for radio advertising.

The Eureka County TV District of Nevada serves a population of less than 1,900 people. While many may not know much about the rural Nevada county, the FCC's Media Bureau does. It just handed the TV District a proposed fine for tardiness.

The "Local Power TV" advocacy group founded by "SuperFrank" Copsidas is preparing to welcome the Chief of the Media Bureau's Video Division for its own events tied to the 2023 NAB Show.

Senate Democrats and Republicans are teaming up to take on national security threats from foreign technologies — leading a bipartisan effort to codify a policy that was first implemented by the Trump administration and is now supported by the Biden administration. Introducing the RESTRICT Act.