mediageek

Category: The FCC

  • News Headlines from the Dec. 2 Radioshow: Indecency Day at the Senate Commerce Committe; Parents and Televangelists Not So Happy With Gov’t Indecency Regs; Giant Alternative Weekly Merger

    These are the media news headlines as read on the Dec. 2 edition of the mediageek radioshow. Indecency Day at the Senate Commerce Committee These days, indecency is never gone too long, or, at least, Congress’ love affair with indecency. On Tuesday, Nov. 29 the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on broadcast indecency, and…

  • Indecency Overdose

    For those who lose sleep worrying about all those indecency complaints the FCC hasn’t acted on yet this year, there’s more indecency pr0n to satisfy your yearnings. The FCC’s Enforcement Bureau has launched a site dedicated to the holy trinity of Obscenity, Indecency and Profanity. Crucial for those with a burning passion to report an…

  • FCC Chair Hires Bible-Thumper as “Special Advisor”

    According to Mediaweek, FCC Chair Kevin Martin is preparing his forces for a major assault on broadcast indecency, including action on as many as 50 different complaints. As part of that, he’s hired on right-wing Christian anti-pornography activist to be a special advisor in the FCCÂ’s Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis. The new…

  • New FCC Commissioners Soon, or Wishful Thinking?

    Any deregulatory initiative at the FCC is effectively blocked up right now because the Republicans do not enjoy their typical majority under a Republican executive because a new commissioner has not yet been appointed to replace former chair Michael Powell. A new commissioner also needs to replace Kathleen Abernathy, whose term has expired but may…

  • Appeals Court Smacks Down Broadcast Flag

    Rather unexpectedly, today the DC Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the FCC’s Broadcast Flag, which would have required all digital TV receivers to implement copyright protections invokeable by content producers and broadcasters. In a unanimous decision, the three judge panel simply said the FCC has no authority issue such a regulation: The broadcast flag…

  • FCC Freezes Translator Apps for 6 Months, Begins Proceeding to Expand & Strengthen LPFM

    On Thursday the FCC released a Second Order on Reconsideration and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the low-power FM service, putting forth many important questions for “strengthening” and “expanding” LPFM. Amongst many issues, in this proposed rulemaking the FCC is taking up the nature of the relationship between translator stations and LPFM stations, noting…

  • Say Hello to the New Chair, Same as the Old Chair

    So, by now, if you follow communications news at all, you’ve probably heard that Kevin Martin is the new chair of the FCC. I’m on vacation at the moment, so I couldn’t be right on top of it. After thinking about a potential Martin chairship for a couple of months now, I can summarize my…

  • FCC Media Bureau Chief Following Powell Out the Door

    Radio and Records reports that Ken Ferree, the head of the FCC’s Media Bureau, which oversees all television and radio, is stepping down, coincident with Chairman Powell’s departure. A new head to this bureau won’t be appointed until there’s a new FCC chair. Ferree has been a very loyal lieutenant to Powell, especially on media…

  • Good Bye Mikey, and Don’t Let the Door Hit You in the Ass on the Way Out

    The departure of Mikey Powell from the FCC is being largely celebrated by media reform groups. Free Press has a statement from Bob McChesney, who does not mince words in evaluating the Powell Jr’s legacy: “His tenure was marked by some of the lowest moments in the history of the FCC…” Yesterday I raised the…

  • Mikey Powell Leaving FCC

    Looks like good ol’ Mikey Powell is officially leaving his post as FCC Chair, after quite a bit of speculation over the last year. The question, of course, is why?, since the announcement’s too late to be a second term transition. It makes me wonder if some pressure wasn’t put on Powell to step down,…