FCC workers and their National Treasury Employees Union praise the agency's precautions to protect employees from COVID-19. But NTEU filed an unfair labor practices grievance against the agency Monday over continuing contract negotiations during the pandemic, President Tony Reardon emailed us. The FCC acted faster than some other federal agencies, but critics told us none has responded quickly or well.
The FCC’s move to new headquarters near Union Station has been delayed at least two months due to COVID-19, a spokesperson told us Monday (see 2004130039). The move had been slated for late June. Since the FCC’s pandemic response means few employees are in the building, preparations for the move were delayed. One official told us it may be delayed into the fall. The new HQ is Sentinel Square III at 45 L St. NE. The current location is 445 12th St. SW.
The FCC’s move to new headquarters near Union Station has been delayed at least two months due to COVID-19, a spokesperson told us Monday afternoon. The move had been slated to happen in late June.
Engineers and broadcasters disagree whether more experimentation with possible interference concerns is needed before allowing AM broadcasters go all-digital (see 2003100062). Some argued the FCC should pursue other solutions for the band, in replies posted through Tuesday in docket 19-311.
The FCC rejected Free Press’ emergency petition for inquiry into broadcasters airing allegedly false information about COVID-19 (see 2004060026). FCC Republicans slammed the petition as an attack on free speech. “At best, the Petition rests on a fundamental misunderstanding of the Commission’s limited role in regulating broadcast journalism,” said a Monday letter from General Counsel Tom Johnson and Media Bureau Chief Michelle Carey. “At worst, the Petition is a brazen attempt to pressure broadcasters to squelch their coverage of a President that Free Press dislikes.”
TV and radio public service announcements are a good choice for spreading information about the COVID-19 pandemic in the fractured U.S. media landscape, said academics and marketing CEOs asked about the White House and FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's focus on PSAs as a virus response (see 2003170068). “Considering how broken up mass media is, the ability to reach a large audience is something they have to take advantage of,” said Joseph Cappella, University of Pennsylvania professor of communication.
Entertainment Media Trust is broadcasting after having its licenses canceled by the FCC, confirmed St. Louis-area listeners and on-air radio host Bob Romanik. He was accused by the Enforcement Bureau of being the true party in control. We phoned the station previously licensed as KQQZ Fairview Heights during Romanik’s On the Dark Side, and station personnel initially asked if we wanted to go “on the air.” “We’re still fighting them,” Romanik said in an interview. He said he hadn’t received many of the communications from the FCC about the hearing and license issues: “We never got any of it, we’re just gonna play it by ear till we see what the final outcome is.” The Media Bureau said in a March 20 public notice that the order from Administrative Law Judge Jane Halprin dismissing EMT’s applications to renew the licenses was final, and that EMT’s former frequencies would be protected from interference by other stations. The Multicultural Media Telecom and Internet Council pushed the agency to preserve the licenses under new ownership as broadcast incubator stations (see 2003200068). EB didn’t comment.
Commissioner Mike O’Rielly vowed to prevent broadcast ownership regulations from applying to ATSC 3.0, in his written remarks Tuesday on the FCC NPRM on distributed transmission systems. That NPRM and media items on program carriage and significantly viewed stations were, as expected (see 2003300054), approved unanimously before a brief teleconference-only commissioners’ meeting Tuesday. Commissioners mostly held off on comments (see 2003310067). Telecom items also were OK'd (see 2003310039).
An item on circulation listed by the FCC as concerning WCNC-TV Charlotte’s political file is NAB’s petition for reconsideration of the agency’s guidance on political files, an agency official told us. Numerous broadcasters and NCTA filed in support of the recon petition (see 1912310044). Several commenters said the FCC should have held a public comment period before issuing the policy shift. Transparency groups such as Campaign Legal Center have supported the policy.
Media items slated for Tuesday’s commissioners’ meeting -- on distributed transmission systems (DTS) for ATSC 3.0, the definition of significantly viewed, and revised program carriage rules -- are expected to be approved unanimously, FCC and industry officials told us. The agency’s COVID-19 meeting procedures include voting the meeting items on circulation (see 2003240057) by the meeting’s 10:30 a.m. start time. An official said eighth-floor offices were entering votes Monday on items that had completed the editing process. A spokesperson said deletion notices will be issued for any items adopted before the meeting -- “as we have said we expect them to be.” No media items are considered controversial.