Broadcasters' economic challenges from the pandemic are likely to worsen in 2021 because the current influx of political advertising will have dried up, said Graham Media CEO Emily Barr in a Wednesday meeting with FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, per a Friday-posted filing in docket 20-60. With broadcasters losing revenue from other areas, retransmission consent money is increasingly important, including from vMVPDs, it said. VMVPDs are usually unwilling to discuss carriage of local, non-network affiliated stations, the TV station owner said.

The FCC Media Bureau will grant waivers to AM broadcasters with FM translator construction permits from auctions 99 or 100 that are set to expire by June but aren’t able to meet that because of COVID-19, said a public notice in Thursday's Daily Digest. “Shutdowns associated with the pandemic have forced stations to halt construction, have disrupted equipment availability and deliveries, and have interrupted travel for tower and equipment installers.” Applications are due at least 15 days before the permit’s expiration, and those seeking relief must demonstrate that COVID-19 affected construction. These waivers pertain only to permits from the auctions set to expire by next summer “as we reasonably anticipate that the effects of the pandemic will extend into the first half of 2021,” the PN said.

The Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment when it meets virtually Sept. 18 at 10 a.m. EDT will open with remarks from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, said a public notice in Wednesday’s Daily Digest. The meeting will include presentations from each working group: Access to Capital, Digital Empowerment and Inclusion, and Diversity in the Tech Sector.

A petition for reconsideration of the FCC’s order relaxing rules for low-power FM stations “contains nothing new in terms of facts, legal arguments or intervening circumstances,” said NAB in an opposition filing posted Tuesday in docket 19-193. Filed by Common Frequency, Prometheus Radio Project and others, the petition asks the FCC to consider LP250, a set of changes that would allow LPFM stations to increase their power. By doing so, the FCC would conflict with statute, NAB said. “There is no reason for the FCC to create another class of service that would be governed by a different, less burdensome set of rules,” said NAB. “If an LPFM applicant or station wants to operate a 250-watt radio station, it can apply for a Class A license just like any other entity.”

Semiannual reports from U.S.-based foreign media outlets are due Oct. 11, said the FCC Media Bureau in a reminder public notice Friday. The agency will transmit a report to Congress that summarizes the submissions by Nov. 6, the PN said.

The FCC should act promptly on iHeartMedia’s petition to be up 100% foreign owned, said executives in a call Monday with Matthew Berry, chief of staff to Chairman Ajit Pai, per a filing in docket 20-51. A similar call Aug. 28 was between iHeart and Pai’s media adviser, Alexander Sanjenis. Team Telecom -- DOJ, DOD and the Department of Homeland Security -- OK'd the petition in June, and similar petitions have been approved, the radio station owner said. “Grant of the Petition would clear the way for greater investment in broadcast as radio emerges from the economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.” The petition is intended to give flexibility to sell stock, and was endorsed by Commissioner Mike O’Rielly (see 1908120040).

The FCC Media Bureau granted WRNN License Co.’s unopposed market modification petition to add 10 New Jersey counties to the market of its WRNN-TV New Rochelle, New York, said an order in Wednesday’s Daily Digest.

FCC members 5-0 rejected Discount Legal’s petition for reconsideration of its revamped rules for mutually exclusive (MX) noncommercial educational license applications as being procedurally defective. Discount Legal asked the FCC to allow for secondary grants of leftover NCE licenses after the initial MX process is resolved (see 2003130077). “Discount Legal’s Petition does not allege any change in circumstances or offer any newly discovered facts, but rather, reargues points previously advanced and rejected,” Wednesday’s order said. It rejected the substance of the arguments, emphasizing allowing secondary grants would double the workload for staff and that barring such grants has been a longstanding policy. “It has been, and remains, the resolve of the Commission -- not the staff -- that the Bureau will process applications based on a ‘one-grant’ policy.” The company didn’t comment. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said an NCE FM filing window will open this year (see 2007310062).

The FCC should set the licenses of Sinclair and its sidecar companies Deerfield and Cunningham for hearing, said a petition to deny Tuesday against the renewal applications of Sinclair’s WBFF Baltimore, Cunningham’s WNUV Baltimore and Deerfield's WUTB Baltimore. Ihor Gawdiak, the Columbia, Maryland, viewer, also filed a petition to deny against the FCC’s settlement with Sinclair (see 2006290054). A “litany of documents” show “the principals of Cunningham and Deerfield are cronies of Sinclair and have no stake or risk in the business,” Gawdiak said: “They are effectively employees who serve at the whim of Sinclair.” The same ownership issues that led to the hearing designation order exist in Sinclair’s relationships with Cunningham and Deerfield, the petition said. All of Deerfield's and Cunningham's leadership has “close, multiyear connections to Sinclair or one of its controlling shareholders,” and a web of agreements limiting the decisions the companies' nominal owners can make without Sinclair’s permission meant they have no control over their daily operations, the petition said. Cunningham CEO Michael Anderson can't buy any equipment, and records appear to indicate Cunningham doesn't own any broadcast equipment, Gawdiak said. Sinclair guarantees much of Deerfield's and Cunningham's debs and compensates them for expenses, and agreements require principals of Cunningham and Deerfield Sinclair to assign the agreements to a third party of Sinclair’s choosing, the petition said. Sinclair didn’t comment.

The FCC Media Bureau canceled seven recently released political file consent decrees after discovering the stations were in compliance, said an order Monday. “Licensees have since demonstrated to the Media Bureau’s satisfaction that the radio stations identified in their respective Consent Decrees substantially complied with their political file obligations and that the Consent Decrees should be canceled.” The companies include Sumter Broadcasting, Liberty in Christ Jesus Ministry and W & V Broadcasting.