FCC

In response to a historic lawsuit, the Federal Communications Committee is issuing a series of low power FM licenses in the upcoming year. In a time when newspapers are scaling back and closing at an unprecedented rate, radio remains a vital resource to empower communities and educate people about global and local issues. The Prometheus Radio Project has been at the forefront of that fight.

Congress voted to keep a portion of unused TV airwaves for unlicensed, which could help providers connect rural areas with high-speed broadband -- but the bill also has a downside. A Chicago city alderman proposed an ordinance that would forbid the Chicago Police Department from shutting down mobile towers, blocking mobile and Web access or jamming signals. Meanwhile, the FCC has halted LightSquared’s wireless plans and a senator from Iowa is holding up two nominees for FCC commissioner.

The FCC released its 450-page assessment on the future of media. Unfortunately, many the report’s recommendations around localism, media consolidation and transparency are contradictory to its analysis. And Sonic’s new 1 Gbps fiber broadband connection with two phone lines for $70 is sure to shake up the broadband market in Sonoma County.

FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker’s announcement that she’s taking a lucrative job with Comcast-NBC has struck a chord of frustration nationwide. And Righthaven, a company notorious for shaking down small bloggers on questionable copyright claims, is now in the hotseat.

As extremists in Congress take steps to kill funding for public broadcasting, a new report suggests our nation’s public media need more money to serve the public, not less. And the federal government is sending mixed messages about the importance of Internet Freedom.

Public media is the most trusted source of news in both the United States and in Great Britain. Any yet, public media institutions are fighting for their lives and to keep public spaces for encountering culture, debate issues and share experiences. And the FCC is being urged to investigate local news stations that are airing paid advertising disguised as fake news segments.

The U.S. Postal Service's recent proposal to hike postal rates has small print publications and news outlets worried for their future. And a deal between Google and Verizon could mark the beginning of the end of the Internet as we know it.

The National Congress of American Indians passed a resolution in support of Net Neutrality and the efforts of the FCC to reestablish its authority to regulate the broadband industry. Finland declared broadband access a legal right for its citizens. And The DISH satellite network is suing the FCC over a legal requirement to carry HD public broadcasting.

The FCC opened a new proceeding for public comment on restoring its authority to regulate broadband providers, but have been holding secret meetings with phone and cable companies to discuss a legislative compromise. And public interest and consumer groups filed a petition to deny the Comcast-NBC merger.

In response to ColorofChange.org's call for advertisers to stop airing commercials on the Glenn Beck Show after Beck's racist remarks, 57 companies have pulled their ads. And an appeals court threw out the FCC's ruling that cable companies couldn't own more than 30 percent of a market. But that doesn't mean that the agency gets to ignore the issue of capping cable ownership.