Washington Beat

Davina Sashkin now has something in common with Matthew H. McCormick and Dan A. Kirkpatrick. That would be her job title at noted Washington, D.C.-area telecommunications, media, and technology law firm Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth.

On October 1, television stations located in Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands were required to file applications for license renewal for terms expiring on February 1, 2021. However, 11 stations failed to file license renewal applications. That's bad news: their licenses will expire in one month, unless immediate action occurs.

The individual hand-selected by President Trump to succeed Mike O'Rielly as a Republican FCC Commissioner has named an acting media advisor, acting wireless advisor and acting wireline advisor. The moves come ahead of his first appearance as an FCC decision-maker, set for January 13.

"Serving as Chairman of the FCC has been the honor of a lifetime. And soon, my time in this position will conclude." Those are the words of Ajit Pai, who will preside over his final FCC Open Meeting come January 13. The meeting won't involve any new business, but is most certainly set to be full of heartfelt goodbyes.

On March 11, the Senate Commerce Committee heard testimony from an attorney at Covington & Burling, focused on commercial litigation and government contracts, who had been nominated by President Trump to serve as FCC Inspector General. This individual would replace David Hunt. That may not happen, as Congress has adjourned for one week.

He's already said his goodbyes on the floor of the full House. Now, Oregon Rep. Greg Walden has shared more about his accomplishments -- and thoughts on current tech policy debates including the Section 230 controversy that put Nathan Simington on the FCC -- with a top Inside-the-Beltway federal news publication.

Just how much did Gray Television's broadcast TV stations and digital platforms attract in the form of political advertising in 2020? It's in the hundreds of millions of dollars, and the twin U.S. Senate runoff races in Georgia are the icing on the cake.

On Tuesday, the soon-to-depart Chairman of the FCC, Ajit Pai, addressed the Media Institute in a virtual luncheon that saw him quip about a Commission predecessor before offering "some thoughts on where the federal government should go" once he departs on January 20, 2021.

Thanks to a spat over Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, and the unwillingness of a Republican who openly spoke out about his views as a strict Constitutionalist, the White House schemed to get a man on the FCC who'd go along with the president's quest to change the rule. That individual has been formally sworn in as the newest Commissioner.

In case you missed it, the MORE Act was approved last week in the House of Representatives. Does this mean broadcast radio and TV stations are now free to air marijuana advertisements? Not so fast, David Oxenford of Wilkinson Barker Knauer warns.

The FCC has issued a Report and Order updating its rules to promote the introduction of ATSC 3.0-enabled innovative ancillary and supplementary broadcast services, a.k.a Broadcast Internet. The positive response from key lobbying groups in Washington, D.C., was immediate, and positive.

What do the father of a former FCC Commissioner and interim Chairman, a current FCC Commissioner, and a now-retired highly esteemed communications law of counsel for Foster Garvey have in common? All are "champions of digital equality," and were honored Wednesday for their efforts by the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council.

The FCC on Tuesday kicked off its latest 5G spectrum auction, making available 280 megahertz of prime mid-band spectrum in the 3.7-3.98 GHz band—a portion of the C-band. Satellite operators currently using the C-Band have agreed to repack their operations out of the band’s lower 300 megahertz (3.7-4.0 GHz) into the upper 200 megahertz (4.0-4.2 GHz).

She proudly serves the state of Washington's Fifth District in Congress. Hailing from Spokane, she considers herself to be a "pioneer, trailblazer, leader, working mom of three, wife, trust builder," and an "ability advocate." Introducing Republican House Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers, who has been selected as House Energy & Commerce Committee Ranking Member. 

The debate over whether social media platforms should be held accountable for ensuring the content they carry is “truthful” continues to rage. As AEI adjunct scholar Bronwyn Howell notes, fact-checking is costly. As such, internet platforms are attaching warnings where there is any doubt about content. Should broadcasters do the same, whether online or on the air?