Washington Beat

Two items originally up for consideration at today's FCC August Open Meeting have been removed from the agenda. Why? With no opposition from the Commissioners, they'll move forward.

Microsoft Corporation has asked the FCC to take another look at an Order that revised its rules governing Distributed Transmission Systems (DTS). That action led the NAB and the association representing the interests of public television stations across the U.S. to formally respond by assailing Microsoft's request.

What's the current snapshot from Washington? The nation's No. 1 owner of radio stations could wind up winning a big FM in the capital of the Golden State, filling a void left by the company formerly known as Entercom.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved $565 million in advance funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) in Fiscal Year 2024. The approved funding was included in the FY 2022 Departments of Labor, Health & Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill.

The FCC has adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking to refresh the existing record regarding the statutorily mandated collection of data on FCC Form 395-B. That's the form used for EEO data collection by the Commission until the D.C. Circuit asked it to stop doing so -- 20 years ago.

Last week, it was announced that the FCC would be considering some changes to its political broadcasting rules at its monthly open meeting in August. This had some voicing concerns over major changes ahead of mid-term elections. But, as respected D.C. communications law attorney David Oxenford notes, the proposed changes are "almost ministerial."

For the first time ever, the FCC is entering into partnerships with 11 federal, state, and local agencies to assess the delivery of Wireless Emergency Alerts in areas across the country during a planned Aug. 11 nationwide test. The FCC also sent letters to nationwide wireless providers asking them to provide info on their performance following the upcoming test.

With the discussion heavy on closing the digital divide and an incubator program for potential media property owners, six former FCC Commissioners participated Monday in a live Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) symposium. Their appearance came as the MMTC is welcoming a new Policy Counsel to its Washington, D.C., headquarters.

Indianapolis-based WFYI Public Media, the entity that runs the market's NPR and PBS member stations, respectively, has been given the green light to lead a public media initiative "designed to instill journalism practices that meaningfully address local information needs through active listening and engagement."

On Monday, five groups expressed their concern to the Media Bureau that more time was needed to vocalize on paper what needed to be said as to whether the FCC's media ownership rules remain “necessary in the public interest as the result of competition." The Commission has obliged, granting an extension.

The Media Bureau has opened what is formally called MB Docket No. 21-293. It deals with "Revisions to Political Programming and Record-Keeping Rules," and it is certainly a topic of interest for every broadcast media C-Suite executive.

It's Virginia's home for public media. It rebranded in August 2019 from Community Idea Stations. Now, VPM is gaining attention again, but for the wrong reason. It's received a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture for not making a required public file upload to the Commission's "OPIF" in a timely manner.

Ransomware attacks have been particularly vicious to broadcast media companies. The Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House Committee that oversees the FCC is putting a microscope on these attacks.

FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed establishing two East Coast metropolises as innovation zones to allow for advanced wireless communications and network innovation and research. These designations would, among other positive impacts, help spur the development and integration of 5G network technologies and Open RAN.

The House Appropriations Committee on Tuesday recommended $20 million for public broadcasting’s Next Generation Warning System within the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in the Fiscal Year 2022 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill.