Earlier today, President Joe Biden named FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel as Acting Chair of the Federal Communications Commission.  Ms. Rosenworcel has been on the Commission for about 8 years and has about two years remaining in her term. 

For AM broadcast stations, making a change to all-digital operation means that their AM station would no longer be heard by listeners with a conventional AM radio, including those AM and AM/FM radios that people have in emergency preparedness kits.  In some areas of our country, the AM radio station, especially during the daytime, may provide some of the only localized emergency information either originated from the station or through the Emergency Alert System (EAS). 

REC Networks has filed comments with the FCC addressing the Commission’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to require that broadcast stations that are provided programming from various foreign entities must disclose on the air that a foreign government has provided the programming regardless of whether the station was paid to carry the programming or not.

Thanks to Pete Tridish for reminding us that on this day, ten years ago, the Senate passed, on unanimous consent, the Local Community Radio Act of 2010 (LCRA).  Just a day prior, the House passed the legislation on voice vote. The legislation was signed into law by President Obama on January 4, 2011.

On a party line vote of 49-46, the Senate has confirmed Nathan Simington to serve on the Federal Communications Commission to replace Commissioner Michael O’Reilly, effective on January 20, 2021. 

Section 154 of the Communications Act calls for the make-up of the Commission itself.  Specifically, that of the 5 Commissioners, only 3 can be from the same political party.