Washington Beat

The FCC on Tuesday released its Broadcast Station Totals for the first nine months of 2017. Thanks to the FCC's Spectrum Auction, there are some dips in the number of broadcast TV stations licensed to air in the U.S. Meanwhile, there are fewer commercial FM stations and several more FM translators, while the number of AMs has taken a big dip.

A longtime South Carolina politician who made a name for himself as the owner of a marketing firm specializing in statewide real estate auctions has just become the newest member of the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee—the overseer of all FCC activities in the lower body of Congress. He's a big supporter of U.S.-Mexico border enforcement and "energy independence" that includes offshore oil and natural gas exploration, and the use of Yucca Mountain in Nevada for nuclear waste storage.

The FCC on Thursday issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that seeks comment on whether to eliminate Form 325. That's the "Annual Report of Cable Television Systems," which collects information about cable system operations, last updated as part of the FCC's 1998 Biennial Regulatory Review.

The Ranking Member of the important House Energy & Commerce Committee has asked Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) to convene a hearing on the proposed $52.4 billion transaction between The Walt Disney Co. and 21st Century Fox. The purpose of the hearing? "To understand the potential effect of this merger on consumers and the media marketplace."

Yes, the U.S. government shut down on Saturday at midnight. However, a midday Monday vote put the wheels in motion to temporarily reopen the Federal government through Feb. 8. Regardless, the FCC was not immediately impacted thanks to funding assuring it would have stayed open through Friday.

He was House Majority Leader of the Oregon State Legislature during an eight-year tenure in Salem. He was a key figure on the sidelines of the power House Energy & Commerce Committee, and since May 2016 served in a key lobbying role for the NAB.  Ray Baum's career took him from the Nation's Capital to the surf of Cannon Beach. Baum is the latest victim of cancer, and has passed away after a multi-year fight against the disease.

What do the NAB President/CEO and the Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have in common? They would likely have no objection to a meal featuring Salt and Straw ice cream, beer from Deschutes Brewery, wine from the Willamette Valley, and some organic eats from a variety of food pods around Portland. Both are from Oregon, and they're teaming up to discuss current legislation and its potential impact on the broadcasting industry.

On Tuesday, the FCC was to debate and discuss at its April Open Meeting an amendment of Section 73.624(g) of its rules regarding the submission of a form used to report TV stations' ancillary or supplementary services. There's now no discussion on the topic set for Tuesday. That's because the Commissioners are unanimous in their belief that a revision to this rule is necessary.

Is the public comment process broken? Does the way the Federal government presently seeks input from the public fail to weed out fraud? Yes, says Democratic FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who slams her agency for failing to work with state authorities that found their residents' identities were stolen and then used to file public comments on Net Neutrality. Here are her comments, delivered Wednesday at a liberal-leaning D.C. think tank.

America’s Public Television Stations and PBS jointly submitted reply comments in response to the FCC’s request for input on the feasibility of including multimedia content in Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) messages. In their view, public television plays a key role in the EAS, WEA and broadcast datacasting systems and supports any material improvements to these systems.

The FCC today took another step the agency believes will promote "American leadership in the next generation of wireless connectivity, or 5G," by adopting an Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that identifies new opportunities for flexible use in up to 500 megahertz of mid-band spectrum between 3.7 and 4.2 GHz.

An LPFM serving a popular Spring Break destination never saw the light of day. Even so, the licensee asked the FCC for a little leniency and more time to get its act together. It appears the Daytona Beach Broadcasting Association blew it.

South Florida has been long known as the Pirate Radio capital of America. Over the years, many translators and LPFMs have taken over -- legally -- many of the FM frequencies used over the years by pirates. It seems one of these LPFMs has a problem following the rules regarding its transmitter.

Pursuant to section 0.191 of the Commission’s rules, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau seeks comment on filings made by Sirius XM Radio Inc. on four recent dates as supplements to a Petition for Reconsideration filed by XM Radio Inc. on December 27, 2005. What's this about?

With the unanimous approval of a lame-duck U.S. Senate, more people will soon -- hopefully -- receive relevant emergency alerts on their TVs, radios and mobile phones. At the same time, new ways of alerting a public now consuming more streaming video and audio is being explored. It's up to the House to act on the Act.