The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs is reviewing a proposed FCC rule titled “Modernization of the Nation's Alerting Systems,” which could be related to NAB’s proposal to allow software-based emergency alerting equipment, according to the OIRA website and industry officials. Since April 21, all agency regulations have been required to undergo OIRA review, but it has been unclear how that process would interact with the FCC’s procedures (see 2505090004). The alerting item posted by OIRA doesn’t appear to correspond to any item listed as having been circulated to the FCC’s 10th floor as of Friday. The OIRA website listing contains almost no details about the item, only that it was submitted for review May 30, a few days after the final reply comment date on NAB’s proposal (see 2505230056). The FCC didn’t respond to queries about the OIRA listing. OIRA’s webpage shows that a number of FCC and NAB officials met about the item via teleconference June 13.
IHeartMedia wants the FCC to allow Global Media and Entertainment Investments (GMEI), an existing foreign-owned investor in iHeart, to transfer its interest in iHeart to a related corporate-owned entity, said a petition for declaratory ruling posted Wednesday in docket 25-200. GMEI is organized in the Bahamas and principally owned by U.K. citizens, including British horse-racing and media entrepreneur Michael Tabor. The FCC has previously approved foreign ownership of up to 100% of iHeart’s equity and voting interests, as well as the specific participation of GMEI, iHeart said. The petition stems from “anticipation” that Tabor’s son, Ashley Tabor-King, who is currently executive president of two of GMEI's sister companies, “will serve as a close advisor to Mr. Tabor and exert some degree of influence with respect Mr. Tabor’s investment in iHeart,” the filing said. It sought permission for Tabor-King, several GMEI-associated companies, and multiple U.K.-based people who could have influence over the companies to hold up to a 5% interest in iHeart. “The proposed changes described in the Petition do not change the aggregate amount of foreign ownership of iHeart,” the filing said. Comments on the petition are due July 18, replies Aug.4.
Industry officials expect Chairman Brendan Carr to circulate an NPRM Wednesday evening on relaxing the national broadcast ownership cap, they told us after Breitbart reported on the proposal. Carr has repeatedly said he believes the FCC has the authority to change the cap, and he wants to empower local broadcasters to reduce the power imbalance between station owners and national networks (see Ref:2505160064]). The current rules limit a single company from owning stations that reach more than 39% of U.S. TV households. With Wednesday’s confirmation of incoming FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty, Carr is seen as having the votes to relax the rules. Opponents of broadcast deregulation have said the FCC doesn’t have the authority to alter the ownership limit, and any FCC action to change it is certain to draw a legal challenge.
Common Frequency CEO Todd Urick told Commissioner Anna Gomez that the FCC could help address concerns about declining local broadcast news by allowing low-power FM broadcasters to increase their power levels and creating an alternate funding source for local nonprofit journalism, according to an ex parte filing posted in docket 24-14. Urick proposed that the agency create a nonprofit foundation to which commercial broadcasters could donate funds in exchange for exemptions from some public interest obligations, such as public file requirements. “These funds could go towards FCC grants for local nonprofit journalism initiatives and local nonprofit media,” the filing said. Previous FCC efforts to help local journalism, such as former FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s stalled proposal to prioritize applications from broadcasters that create local programming, have “faded,” the filing said. The lack of local news and programming is leading to a market failure soon to extend to local television and public radio.”
Tegna plans to increase its daily newscast output by adding two hours of streaming local news content from 7 to 9 a.m. in more than 50 markets, it said Monday. The content will be available live and on-demand on streaming services, connected TV apps and news station websites, the release said. The expansion “is designed to meet audiences’ growing demand for coverage of their communities wherever they want to watch and will deliver over 100 hours of daily breaking news, weather, and traffic to over 100 million viewers.”
A broadcaster who executed a sham transfer of his radio and TV stations to his 17-year-old niece and falsely certified that he was a U.S. citizen doesn’t have the character to be an FCC licensee, ruled FCC Administrative Law Judge Jane Halprin in an order in Monday’s Daily Digest (see 2504090035). Antonio Guel is barred from future broadcast ownership and must pay a penalty of $188,491, and any broadcaster that uses him as a consultant is required to attach a copy of Halprin’s decision against him to all their FCC filings, the order said. The Media Bureau designated Guel and his company Hispanic Christian Community Network’s 2010 sale of stations to Guel’s niece for hearing in 2023.
The New York office of the FCC Enforcement Bureau sent warnings to several New York and New Jersey property owners about pirate radio broadcasts emanating from their properties, said an agency notice in Thursday’s Daily Digest. DRSD Management was warned about a property in Wesley Hills, New York, and the company 141 Coit Street was warned about a property in Irvington, New Jersey. Marie Louis and Yvons Louis received a warning about their property in Spring Hills, New York. All three warnings said the landowners could face up to a $2.4 million penalty for hosting unauthorized broadcasts.
NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt defended FCC Chairman Brendan Carr Friday after former Commissioner Nathan Simington criticized Carr for not streamlining agency policies around ATSC 3.0 (see 2506120088). “NAB has seen first-hand FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s leadership and ongoing commitment to the successful deployment of ATSC 3.0,” LeGeyt said in an emailed statement. “Chairman Carr has also made clear that he understands what’s at stake: ensuring every viewer has access to free, local broadcast television that meets the evolving needs of the modern media landscape.”
The FCC’s revised foreign-sponsored content rules are in effect as of Tuesday, but broadcasters don’t need to comply with the requirements until Dec. 8, said a public notice in Wednesday's Daily Digest. “Only new leases and renewals of existing leases entered into on or after the compliance date must comply with the rule modifications,” it said. NAB has challenged the rules in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and oral argument was held in the case in April (see 2504070019.
Allowing broadcasters to replace physical emergency alerting equipment with a software-based system won’t require the FCC to create an entirely new regulatory regime, said NAB and broadcast executives in a meeting with Public Safety Bureau staff last week, according to an ex parte filing posted Tuesday in docket 15-94. Emergency alert system (EAS) equipment maker Digital Alert Systems has said NAB’s proposal would raise a host of regulatory issues (see 2505230056), but NAB and executives from iHeart, Beasley and Capitol Broadcasting told the FCC that such concerns are “overblown,” the filing said.