FM6 low-power TV stations must state their intent to continue as FM6 stations and confirm their operational parameters by Jan. 29, said an FCC Media Bureau public notice in Thursday’s Daily Digest. The deadline stems from OMB's approval of the rules from the FCC’s July FM6 order (see 2307180041). “This will ensure that FM6 LPTV stations have sufficient time to file the required notification with the Bureau and make sure all information being provided is accurate,” said the public notice.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit should dismiss NAB’s petition for a writ of mandamus due to the FCC’s release of a 2018 quadrennial review order Tuesday, said response filings from the FCC and NAB this week (see 2309290056). The D.C. Circuit ordered the agency in September to complete the 2018 QR within 90 days or present evidence why NAB’s petition shouldn’t be granted. The FCC’s response was filed Wednesday, the end of that 90-day period. “Because NAB already has the relief it sought, the Court should dismiss the petition for mandamus as moot,” the FCC said. NAB agreed in a response filing Thursday. “NAB has reviewed the Commission’s 2018 Quadrennial Review Order, and agrees that the Commission has now concluded the 2018 Quadrennial Review.”
The FCC wants comments by Jan. 29, replies by Feb. 27, in docket 23-234 on an NPRM seeking to establish a schools and libraries cybersecurity pilot program, said a notice for Friday's Federal Register. Commissioners adopted the item in November (see 2311130062).
Congress is unlikely to follow up the 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement Act (S-2787) with a near-term agreement on a broader spectrum legislative package, certainly not in time to factor into the upcoming debate over funding the federal government once an existing continuing resolution expires Feb. 2, lawmakers and lobbyists told us. President Joe Biden signed the 5G Sale Act last week (see 2312200061), giving the FCC temporary authority to issue 2.5 GHz band licenses that T-Mobile and others won in a 2022 auction. All sides view the measure as a stopgap, required after months of stalled talks on Capitol Hill for a broader legislative package that would renew the FCC’s lapsed general auction authority (see 2312040001).
MSNBC should continue to be exempted from the FCC's audio description rules applicable to the largest national nonbroadcast networks because it provides fewer than 50 hours per quarter of prime-time programming that is not live or near-live, parent NBCUniversal said Tuesday in a docket 11-43 exemption request.
The FCC's proposed requirement for reporting broadcast station blackouts due to failed retransmission consent talks (see 2312210061) should be expanded to include blackouts during pending special relief petitions, One Ministries said Tuesday in docket 23-427. An expansion would raise the visibility of such blackouts, it said. Broadcasters also should be able to request they be listed as falling under broadcast station blackouts when an MVPD "simply refuse[es] to return phone calls and emails" and when a must-carry station doesn't get carriage in part of a market that an MVPD covers.
The FCC Media Bureau approved a petition to allow Border International Broadcasting, which owns WLYK(FM) Cape Vincent, New York, to be up to 100% foreign owned, said a declaratory ruling Tuesday. The petition is connected to Border International’s transfer to the Canadian-controlled 1234567 Corp. The petition didn’t draw any objections.
FCC Administrative Law Judge Jane Halprin granted an extension until Jan. 8 in a hearing proceeding over allegedly false transfers of control by the owners of several low-power radio and television stations, said an order posted Wednesday in docket 23-267 (see 2308110063). Accused of transferring stations to his niece to avoid including them in a bankruptcy filing, Antonio Guel, due to filing deadlines falling during the holidays, requested the extension so he could reply to an FCC Enforcement Bureau motion to enlarge the case. “The Presiding Judge agrees that there is good cause to afford Mr. Guel more time to file a response,” the order said.
Technology provider Ettifos is seeking a waiver from the FCC to deploy cellular vehicle-to-everything technology in the 5.9 GHz band on highways and at intersections. “With the deployment of such applications, we expect to see reduced traffic accidents, increased traffic efficiency and increased safety for vulnerable road users,” said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 19-138. “The public would benefit from our deployments as we can provide real-time road information to drivers for decision-making and support other warnings from existing sensors they may already have in their vehicle,” Ettifos said.
The FCC’s Disability Advisory Committee will meet at FCC headquarters Jan. 30. It's the group’s first meeting since September (see 2309070035) and the third of its current term, according to a Wednesday notice in the Federal Register. The meeting starts at 9 a.m.