Washington Beat

A Congressional effort to protect intellectual property rights in the voice and visual likeness of individuals, and for other purposes, has commenced. This sees Senators weighing the pros and cons of a bill introduced on May 20 that would axe "deep fakes" while protecting entertainers and air personalities alike.

A comment period has been established that will guide the Media Bureau in determining whether or not to renew the licenses for the company that operated the now-defunct NewsNet — bankrolled by the man who invented 5-Hour Energy.

The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce will hold a hearing on June 4 that could place the NAB's Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) in a key Congressional spotlight.

She's best-known for her 1979 Disco-era classic "I Will Survive." While that may not be the best mantra for broadcast radio and TV companies in the mid-2020s, it will most likely be a signature theme at the Anthem in Washington, D.C., come June 9 during the NAB Leadership Foundation's Service to America Awards.

The FCC is warning broadcasters: modified foreign sponsorship identification rules take effect June 7, giving stations days to meet certification requirements that have survived two compliance deferrals, a court challenge, and years of sustained NAB opposition.

A key non-partisan Washington "think tank" has chimed in on a Virginia law that would place a one-hour daily cap on social media platform use by children aged 15 and younger. In its view, the law being challenged in a federal appeals court are subject to strict scrutiny under the First Amendment — which it cannot meet.

The NAB has entered the FCC's ongoing competition proceeding with a data-heavy argument for structural reform. In formal comments, the group frames current local radio ownership caps as incompatible with a marketplace now ruled by unregulated Big Tech.

Political advertising remains healthy for broadcast radio and TV. However, Brian Wieser of Madison and Wall predicts 2026 will bring tempered growth. That's due, in part, to the ongoing desire among marketers and consumers to shift to digital and social media platforms when it comes to visual entertainment.

Congress first took up the question of AI-generated voice and likeness protection in 2023. In the years since, the technology moved far faster than the legislation. Now, the NO FAKES Act is getting a new shot at protecting creatives from unauthorized AI-generated replicas of their voice and likeness.

Members of Congress sometimes direct agency decisions or tell agency leaders, “You belong to us. Remember that and you’ll be alright,” laments AEI nonresident senior fellow Mark Jamison. He adds that some agency leaders now openly question whether their independence exists at all. That raises three practical questions for Jamison.

With the publication of a Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking associated with proposed changes to the FCC's audible crawl rule in the Federal Register, the Media Bureau's Policy Division has been given the green light to establish a comment window, finalizing the dates one can offer their thoughts on the matter.

In March, state broadcast associations headed to Capitol Hill to tell their stories of community service and advocate for radio access. Earlier this month, farm broadcasters got their shot, as NAFB members arrived on Capitol Hill for Washington Watch.

The Regional Director for Region One of the FCC's Enforcement Bureau has handed a Notice of Violation to the licensee of a low-powered radio station and aural studio transmitter link serving a far-suburban Illinois community to the north of Chicago.  It's a warning, and directive to resolve the matter.

The Policy Division Chief within the FCC's Media Bureau has granted a request from Gray Media to dismiss its complaint filed against Dish as it battled with the direct broadcast satellite service provider over a now-resolved retransmission consent impasse.

The LPTV Broadcasters Association, founded by entrepreneur and LPTV champion "SuperFrank" Copsidas, very much wants 5G Broadcast to become a voluntary broadcast standard for U.S. LPTV stations. That's why he's written to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr seeking "immediate regulatory action."