The FCC Media Bureau’s Video Division is “running a little behind schedule” in handling broadcast license renewals because of the pandemic, said Senior Attorney-Adviser David Roberts at an FCBA event Monday. “We are living in a COVID world” and working remotely, “so we ask you not to hold it against us,” he said. Those difficulties occasionally lead to a broadcaster's renewal not being completed by the day its license expires, he said. Stations seeking such renewals are themselves being slowed by the difficulties of the pandemic, he said. There’s “nothing magic about that day,” Roberts said. “It just means we’re working through your group.” The Video Division is “flooded” with “several significant work streams,” said Chief Barbara Kreisman, citing the license renewal season, repacking reimbursement, low-power TV stations converting to digital by this summer’s deadline, and a recent host of stations requesting channel changes. Takeovers are also “heating up,” Kreisman said. Disorganized online public files can cause a station renewal application to take longer, Roberts said. He said the agency’s shift to the license management system for the renewal process, from the consolidated database system, was a major change. “Getting used to LMS has been an adjustment,” he said. Video Division staff repeatedly said it's best for stations anticipating problems with their renewal applications -- political file violations, late filings, kidvid issues -- to be as clear as possible in their filings and contact the division to discuss the matter. “Reach out in advance,” Roberts said. “Be thoughtful on disclosures.”
FM broadcasters offering geotargeted content have every incentive to reduce self-interference and are required by the FCC to do so, said GeoBroadcast Solutions in replies posted Friday in docket 20-401. REC Networks replied earlier (see 2103100057). GBS, the primary proponent of such proposed changes to booster rules, resisted arguments this would lead to radio advertising “redlining.” All other media can geotarget ads, and those were an ATSC 3.0 selling point, GBS said. “Yet there was no mention of redlining in the hundreds and hundreds of pages of comments filed in that proceeding by the broadcast industry and its trade association.” The Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council and the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters called for a pilot program to test the technology in three markets. They "recommend that the pilot be designed to address all of the questions raised in the comment round of this proceeding, including the impact of the technology on local advertising markets." The FCC simply can't "ignore the concerns of the radio industry,” said the New York State Broadcasters Association, opposing the rule change. “Objectionable interference is certain under the Geo proposal,” said broadcast engineer Alan Kirschner of Nashville. Ad agency Media Negotiator, Urban One DJ and restaurant owner Sam Sylks and Roberts Broadcasting supported the option to geotarget as helpful to radio and local businesses. GBS said it has “no plans” for such targeting of emergency alert system messages, though the company and proponents of the tech have touted targeted alerts (see 2006040024).
An NPRM on emergency alerting and an order on sharing outage report information with state and local agencies are expected to be approved with few changes at the FCC commissioners' meeting Wednesday, likely unanimously, according to industry officials.
Former FCC official Adonis Hoffman declined a nomination for Tegna’s board over professional conflicts of interest, as well as a 2014 incident at a hotel where Tegna CEO Dave Lougee mistook Hoffman, who is Black, for a valet, according to SEC filings and a statement submitted to Standard General. “The conflicts were primary” in refusing the nomination, and “the incident was a matter of principle,” Hoffman told us via email. “I have serious concerns whether Lougee and I could function as colleagues at TEGNA or afford each other the level of professional comity and respect required of a well-functioning board.” Lougee explained in a letter to Tegna employees, filed with the SEC: “As I was leaving the event and looking for my car, I ran into Mr. Hoffman and mistakenly thought he was a hotel valet. Mr. Hoffman was understandably offended and upset. I immediately apologized to him and felt terrible. I don’t condone racism of any kind, I take full responsibility for this mistake, and am truly sorry for the pain I caused Mr. Hoffman.” Hoffman said the conflicts stem from his having served as a strategic adviser to media and broadcasting companies, some of which are direct competitors to Tegna. “Based on TEGNA’s previous response to other well-qualified directors, I am under no illusion that Lougee would do whatever necessary to derail my election to the board,” Hoffman's statement said. Tegna’s board faced internal conflicts last year (see 2003310054). “Whether that would be based on the adversarial nature of the proxy process or Lougee’s demonstrated cultural insensitivity does not really matter,” he said. Tegna’s board hired an outside law firm to interview Lougee about the incident and did a human resources review of his file, it said in a letter sent to us by a spokesperson. “No information has come to our attention in connection with this review or otherwise suggesting Dave has ever been accused of any incident of a similar nature,” Tegna said. “Nevertheless, we care about even one such incident and view this as a reminder of the importance of continuing down the path of our strong commitment at TEGNA to issues of diversity.”
Public broadcasters aren’t struggling with funding during the pandemic like commercial stations are, several public media groups and individual stations said in interviews. Public TV stations mainly look to donations as their primary funding source, rather than commercial underwriting, and donations are up during the time of COVID-19, said every public media official we interviewed. This comes as more people stay home, consuming more news and entertainment there during the health crisis.
Broadcasters aren’t back to their pre-pandemic financial states, but they see improvements on the horizon, said Cumulus, Sinclair, Nexstar and Graham Holdings in quarterly reports and calls this week. CEO Perry Sook said Nexstar has enough certainty about its outlook to reinstate guidance for upcoming quarters, conceding that broadcasters aren't out of the woods. “We don’t anticipate being back above 2019 levels” in advertising revenue in the next year, Sook said. Nexstar will be “still retracing our steps” and recovering in 2022, he said.
Public TV received its largest government investment in 2020, and America’s Public Television Stations will press for “at least” $50 million increases in each of the next two budget cycles. That's the “most dramatic increase in history.” So said President Patrick Butler Monday at APTS’ virtual summit.
In his first speech since joining the FCC, Commissioner Nathan Simington told the Free State Foundation via teleconference that he opposes Communications Act Title II net neutrality regulation, indicated he still supports government action to curb non-ISP “gatekeepers,” and seemed optimistic about his ability to influence agency policy while in the minority. "Even commission decisions that don’t command a consensus are formed organically by conversations within the FCC,” Simington said. “The vast majority of decisions are bipartisan.”
In his first speech since joining the FCC, Commissioner Nathan Simington told the Free State Foundation via teleconference that he opposes Communications Act Title II net neutrality regulation, indicated he still supports government action to curb non-ISP “gatekeepers,” and seemed optimistic about his ability to influence agency policy while in the minority. "Even commission decisions that don’t command a consensus are formed organically by conversations within the FCC,” Simington said. “The vast majority of decisions are bipartisan.”
The Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment will recommend the FCC support a bill on minority tax certificates, advocate for more interagency cooperation to assist libraries in providing digital services and make accessible information for newcomers to broadcasting, according to reports from the ACDDE’s working groups at the current iteration’s second-to-last virtual meeting Thursday. The committee’s charter expires in July, and the last meeting, where final recommendations will be voted on, is June 24.