Citing economic difficulties, the Maricopa Community College District of Arizona asked the Federal Communications Commission for a waiver to expand the range of underwriter announcements on its two radio stations, KBAQ-FM and KJZZ-FM. But the Commission has turned the request down. “Many [non-commercial educational] licensees face similar circumstances and Maricopa fails to identify any special […]
This is a tough week to be Tom Wheeler, Chairman of the FCC. This Thursday he has an open meeting where he plans to present his Open Internet proposal to the full Commission. As details have come to light a very broad coalition of companies, organizations and legislators–from 150 tech firms like Netflix and Google […]
Minnesota Senator Al Franken is one of the stronger Congressional advocates of network neutrality. He is also a firm opponent of communication industry consolidation, as well as a former radio host. On Tuesday Franken sent a strongly worded letter [PDF] to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler about the Commission’s proposed Open Internet rules. He does not […]
Prof. John Anderson has been covering radio and communications freedom for more than a decade at DIYMedia.net. He recently filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the FCC regarding a recent decision that effectively put the Commission in the role of determining what is and is not news. Last year his first book, Radio’s […]
Representative Mike Doyle (D-PA) just sent us a press release sharing his worries about the Federal Communications Commission’s new proposed ‘commercially reasonable’ Open Internet rules. “I have serious concerns about the FCC’s proposal and the effects it might have on access, content, innovation, and consumers’ pocketbooks,” Doyle says. “An open internet is essential to fostering […]
Last night I was willing to give FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler the benefit of the doubt when he released a statement saying, “There are reports that the FCC is gutting the Open Internet rule. They are flat out wrong.” Today I know that benefit was misplaced. After listening to a conference call the FCC had […]
Wednesday afternoon reports surfaced saying that new proposed open internet rules from the FCC will permit companies to pay internet service providers, like Comcast or AT&T, to deliver their content faster. The source of the report has only been credited to an unnamed “FCC official.” The reaction to this news was swift, with many consumer […]
On the heels of the FCC and US Attorney shutting down unlicensed Rika FM in New York City, on Thursday three stations in the Boston area were taken off the air, as well. The most prominent of these stations is Touch 106.1 FM, which was a fixture in Dorchester’s African-American community. Like the Rika FM […]
On Monday the FCC announced [PDF] the unsealing of two complaints against unlicensed broadcasters operating in the New York City borough of The Bronx. The Commission and US Attorney’s Office also said that “on April 2, 2014, FCC agents and Deputy U.S. Marshals, pursuant to warrants, seized the radio transmission and production equipment identified in […]
On Friday the Washington Post published a profile of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler that vividly paints some of his quirks, but reveals very little of his policy outlook. Anyone looking for insights on radio or net neutrality here will be disappointed. We do get some additional bellyaching from the National Association of Broadcasters, who wish […]
