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.
ABC News reportedly suspended journalist Terry Moran after White House officials complained about his social media post disparaging President Donald Trump and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. ABC didn’t comment. Moran, who covers the White House for ABC, reportedly said Sunday in a since-deleted post on X that Miller was “richly endowed with the capacity for hatred” and that Trump is “a world-class hater.” Moran’s comments were “unhinged and unacceptable,” White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt posted in response. “We have reached out to ABC to inquire about how they plan to hold Terry accountable.” Vice President JD Vance called Moran’s post a “vile smear” and called for ABC to apologize. “Remember that every time you watch ABC’s coverage of the Trump administration,” Vance wrote.
The FCC Media Bureau and Office of Managing Director revoked the licenses of two Kremling Enterprises-owned radio stations in Texas because they had nearly $14,200 in unpaid regulatory fees, according to an order Friday. KYKM(FM) Yoakum and KTXM(FM) Hallettsville have delinquent fees from FY 2017-21and FY 2024. The order also dismissed pending renewal applications for the stations.
The New York office of the FCC Enforcement Bureau sent a warning to Ray Dolph Brown and Wilsonia Brown about pirate radio broadcasts emanating from their property in the Bronx, said an agency notice in Thursday’s Daily Digest. EB agents found unauthorized radio broadcasts coming from the property in February, the notice said. It warned that the landowners could face up to a $2.4 million penalty.