Washington Beat

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.

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.