The FCC Enforcement Bureau and petitioner Mark Kern want Administrative Law Judge Jane Halprin to dismiss Entertainment Media Trust’s case (see 2002050015) and take away EMT’s radio licenses over the company's failure to participate in its own license hearing, said Kern and the EB in a joint filing posted Friday. EMT missed a Feb. 10 deadline set by Halprin to show cause for the case to continue. “EMT filed no response to this Order,” said the joint filing. “There can be no dispute that dismissal of EMT’s applications and termination of the hearing is warranted.” Failing to terminate the hearing would encourage further delay tactics similar to EMT’s, the joint filing said. “The integrity of the Commission’s licensing process (and the role that administrative hearings necessarily play therein) demands greater accountability.” EMT trustee Dennis Watkins didn’t comment.

A federal judge rejected Global Music Rights' request for an immediate judgment on the pleadings in the group’s lawsuit against the Radio Music License Committee (see 2002110028), said an order issued Friday (in Pacer) in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. GMR “alleged sufficient facts” to state its claims, but “whether GMR can, ultimately, prove its claims is not a proper consideration at this juncture,” ruled Judge Terry Hatter. He also granted NAB’s request to be allowed to file an amicus brief.

Seven Democratic House legislators blasted Chairman Ajit Pai for failing to enforce FCC rules on registered foreign agents and requirements “to clearly identify Russian propaganda aired on U.S. radio stations,” in a letter released Thursday. Anna Eshoo, Jerry McNerney and Jimmy Panetta, all California; Mike Doyle, Pennsylvania; David Cicilline, Rhode Island; Sharice Davids, Kansas; and Eleanor Holmes Norton, Washington, D.C., signed. The agency’s inaction on the matter is “a stunning abdication of its responsibility to protect American airwaves,” they said. The legislators are concerned with RM Broadcasting airing content from Russian-controlled news agency Rossiya Segodnya on WZHF(AM) Capitol Heights, Maryland (see 1909170032). The FCC opened an enforcement inquiry into WZHF in 2018, and it’s ongoing, the letter said. “As a result of the Commission’s apathetic approach to enforcement, American radio listeners remain in the dark." WZHF reportedly bought six hours of air time on KXCL Kansas City, apparently referring to KCXL(AM) Liberty, Missouri, and the FCC should add that station to its inquiry, the letter said. Pai’s duty as chairman “compels” him to fully enforce the sponsorship ID rules against adversarial foreign agents “immediately,” the lawmakers said. The stations didn’t comment.

Byron Allen’s Entertainment Studios and subsidiary Allen Media Broadcasting closed on the buy of 11 TV stations from USA TV for $305 million, said Entertainment Studios. After the purchase, Allen Media Broadcasting owns 15 stations in 11 markets. "Over the past six months we've invested nearly $500 million to acquire best-in-class, top-tier, broadcast network affiliates," said Allen Tuesday. "We plan to invest approximately ten billion dollars to acquire ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX television stations over the next three years with the goal of being one of the largest broadcast television groups in America." The deal includes WAAY-TV Huntsville, Alabama; WFFT-TV Fort Wayne, Indiana; and KHSL-TV Chico, California.

Consolidated Radio must pay delinquent regulatory fees or risk losing its AM licenses, said an FCC Media Bureau and Office of Managing Director order in Tuesday’s Daily Digest. Consolidated Radio owes nearly $12,000 for fees for 2016-2019 for KVOZ(AM) Del Mar Hills, Texas, the order said. The Media Bureau and OMD also rescinded a revocation order previously issued for Cox Broadcast Group (not affiliated with the larger company Cox Media) over unpaid fees. The revocation didn’t consider a Dec. 27 pleading from Cox, Tuesday’s order said. “By rescinding the Revocation Order, we rectify this oversight so as to allow for consideration of the Cox pleading.”

FCC new rules for noncommercial educational and low-power FM stations take effect April 13, says Wednesday’s Federal Register. The order was unanimously approved in December (see 1912110057). The order eliminates requirements NCE stations make diversity certifications in governing documents, changes the processes for tie-breakers in licensing windows, and extends the construction period for LPFMs.

Cox Enterprises, which has a minority stake in Cox Media Group, will buy CMG's Ohio newspapers that had been a barrier to Terrier Media's purchase of CMG, CMG said Monday. Cox Enterprises said the transaction won't affect its minority stake. CMG said the deal will mean the newspapers won't have to eliminate some daily editions so as to not violate the cross-ownership rule (see 1910310072). It said the newspaper deal is expected to close "in the coming weeks."

FCC staff denied some and granted other emergency alert system waivers that communications systems apparently sought in 2012 and 2013, and that in some cases have since stopped operating. About five petitioners sought to escape an obligation to get EAS alerts in common alerting protocol, because of issues like having small systems, it not being economically feasible to provide CAP warnings, and/or not getting broadband. "The Commission has established a presumption in favor of granting temporary waivers based upon the physical unavailability of broadband," said Friday's Public Safety Bureau order. CableAmerica Missouri and KJAY lacked such access and "continued to operate legacy EAS equipment at least until the time of their most recent filings," said staff, OK'ing those requests. "The public has not been deprived of EAS alerts." They got waiver from June 30, 2012, until the identified systems "were taken out of service or rendered compliant." West River Cable Television also got temporary waiver until its systems went offline. Universal Cablevision went out of business March 24, 2015, the order said. "We dismiss its waiver as moot." Argent's request was incomplete, and it didn't provide more details, the bureau said, dismissing the request without prejudice to refile a complete submission. FCC representatives didn't answer questions for more details.

U.S. District Court in Los Angeles should reject the Radio Music License Committee’s “procedurally improper” motion for review of a magistrate judge’s evidence order in Global Music Right’s lawsuit (see 2001160026) against RLMC, GMR filed Tuesday (on Pacer). RMLC should raise any concerns through the meet and confer process, GMR said: The judge decided it would be a “crushing burden” to require GMR to collect, review and produce documents about its interactions with terrestrial radio companies.

Private equity firm Black Dragon Capital agreed to buy Belden's Grass Valley broadcast software company, Grass Valley announced Tuesday. The deal is expected to be completed in Q1, the release said. “There are no immediate changes planned to Grass Valley's operational management structure.” The deal has an upfront cash payment of $140 million plus “various forms of deferred consideration,” including a $213 million five-year seller’s note, up to $130 million in payment-in-kind interest and $150 million in “potential earn-out payments,” Belden said.