Washington Beat

Come December 14, Jessica Rosenworcel hopes to hit a high note with a proposal intended to improve the clarity and accessibility of Emergency Alert System visual messages and tests, especially for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing or are otherwise unable to access the audio message.

The Copyright Royalty Judges have made a cost of living adjustment to the royalty rate that non-NPR Member noncommercial radio stations "at certain colleges, universities, and other educational institutions" must pay for the use in 2022 of published nondramatic musical compositions in the SESAC repertory — pursuant to the statutory license under the Copyright Act for noncommercial broadcasting. 

It's little secret that they are very much against the “Build Back Better” reconciliation package passed on a party-line vote by Democrats. But, two leading Republicans on the powerful House Energy & Commerce Committee are disgusted over what they perceive is an "unprecedented influx of funding" to the FCC.

A little lamb of a television station may be roaring like a lion, thanks to a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture handed to its owner by the Video Division of the FCC's Media Bureau. A similar NAL, one double in value, was also handed out to Eastern Florida State College.

The Office of Economics and Analytics (OEA) and the Media Bureau of the FCC have identified two mutually exclusive short-form applications to participate in Auction 111. Here's what happens next, with settlement agreements due by November 30.

FEMA and Bonneville International Corp.'s Seattle radio stations are preparing to unveil an "all-hazards upgrade" to what is considered to be the “Primary Entry Point” facility at one of the market's leading spoken word radio stations.

The controversy over Gigi Sohn’s nomination to the FCC is the talk of Washington — and will be a key topic of discussion tomorrow at Forecast 2022. As AEI nonresident senior fellow Daniel Lyons sees it, these nomination battles could be less frequent — and less important — if the focus of legislative decision-making was shifted from agencies like the FCC back to Congress.

Should Cox Media Group be granted additional time to fully divest itself of two FM radio stations in the state of Florida, needed transactions contingent on the FCC's approval of the company's transition to majority ownership by Apollo Global Management? The Commission wants your input on the matter.

One of the nation's biggest media companies superserving U.S. Hispanic audiences has entered into a consent decree with the Media Bureau of the FCC that effectively resolves two online political file violations. One incident occurred in Dallas. The other incident occurred in Houston.

The NAB believes the FCC "must recognize that it is patently unfair to require broadcasters to absorb significant fee increases year after year to not only pay for the costs of regulating broadcasters but also for Commission activities that are primarily for the benefit of other entities in the telecommunications ecosystem."

It's perhaps the ugliest retransmission consent impasse seen in recent months. On Friday, TEGNA took things up a notch by going to the FCC by filing a cross-complaint against Dish for what it says is "its failure to comply" with the Commission's "Good Faith" rules.

The FCC's Enforcement Bureau has entered into a Consent Decree with the licensee of the CBS affiliate serving Southwest Florida, in addition to radio stations serving the Fort Myers-Naples market, that will resolve a wireless tower land clearance controversy. To absolve the company of its transgression, it will implement a compliance plan and make a U.S. Treasury contribution of significance.

Attention, noncommercial FM operators: A filing window for applications for noncommercial educational (NCE) FM new station construction permits opens on Tuesday, just after Midnight ET. It's a seven-day window, closing promptly in one week.

As Gordon Smith readies to say goodbye to Inside the Beltway politics and the NAB and Curtis LeGeyt picks up the mantle, where are we now and where are we going? An exclusive Forecast 2022 question-and-answer session is poised to present many answers -- and insight -- into the path ahead for broadcast media's voice in Washington, D.C. under LeGeyt.

The Library of American Broadcasting Foundation (LABF) will recognize nine distinguished industry leaders and celebrities for lifetime achievement on November 9 during the LABF's GIANTS OF BROADCASTING & ELECTRONIC ARTS virtual awards ceremony.