Monday, June 11 was the day the FCC’s repeal of the Open Internet Order took effect. That means federally mandated network neutrality is over. Internet service providers are now free to throttle or block specific sites or services, or to offer paid prioritization to others, with the only proviso being that they disclose it. (For […]
Archive | FCC
Podcast #144 – Standing Up for LPFM’s Slice of the Pie
Applications for 1,000 translator radio stations may pose a threat to low-power FM stations, say three community radio groups. So the groups filed informal objections against all of them, slowing down the FCC’s processing of these applications. This move has sparked controversy within the radio industry. The Center for International Media Action, Common Frequency, Inc. […]
LPFM Advocate: 998 Translator Objections Create ‘a Needed Pause’
Editor’s Note: Common Frequency is one of three LPFM advocacy groups that on May 16 filed informal objections with the FCC against 998 FM translator applications. CF’s technical director Todd Urick was a guest on episode #144 of our podcast to explain some of the reasoning behind this controversial action. He follows up with this […]
Podcast #143 – The Fight for an Open Internet Advances on Many Fronts
The future of all communications is at stake, explains Tim Karr, Senior Director of Strategy and Communications for Free Press. On May 15 the Senate voted to restore Net Neutrality by overturning the FCC’s decision to undo the 2015 Open Internet order. Now the fight turns to the House. While victory is uncertain, Karr says […]
Podcast #128 – The FCC Is Creating the Clear Channel of TV
The nation’s largest TV station owner is about to get even bigger, threatening to create the equivalent of Clear Channel for local television. New ownership rules passed by the FCC’s Republican majority in November are set to take effect Feb. 7, paving the way for Sinclair Broadcast Group to acquire Tribune television stations. Prof. Christopher […]
Podcast #121 – What Happens After Net Neutrality; Open Signal Public Access TV
Why didn’t the internet just stop working the day after the FCC voted to end network neutrality? Prof. Christopher Terry from the University of Minnesota joins to answer that question, and explain what happens next. He also lays out where is the fight over internet freedom going next, and what the real threat is for […]
Podcast #118 – Making Sense of the FCC’s Effort to Kill Net Neutrality
The FCC is about to vote on rules that would reverse network neutrality protections that the Commission put in place just two years ago. The terms of this rollback were released right before Thanksgiving, and represent the FCC effectively abdicating its role in guaranteeing the free flow of information on the internet. Prof. Christoper Terry […]
The FCC’s Legacy of Failure: Failure Then Gives Us More Failure Now
This Thursday, November 16, the Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to vote on an order on reconsideration that will radically alter the media ownership regulations that are enforced by the agency. The changes are substantial and include: The elimination of the Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule The elimination of the Radio/Television Cross-Ownership Rule A revision to the […]
Podcast #115 – The Federal Consolidation Commission
The Federal Communications Commission just proposed new ownership rules that would drastically loosen restrictions on broadcast station ownership limits. Prof. Christopher Terry from the University of Minnesota joins us again to help understand this proposal, and the threat to local journalism and broadcasting. He argues that it has be viewed in an historical context, with […]
Podcast #114 – A Common Sense Approach to Unlicensed Broadcasting
Journalism professor John Anderson has been tracking the FCC’s enforcement of unlicensed radio for 20 years, and has seen the agency have little success, despite the periodic uptick in policing the airwaves, such as we’re seeing now. He suggests there are common sense approaches to managing the FM broadcast spectrum that would address the underlying […]