According to rumors from Washington DC reported in Broadcast Law Blog, the Senate may be considering a June hearing for FCC Commissioner nominee Anna Gomez. Gomez was nominated for the open seat at the Federal Communications Commission by President Biden in May, after previous nominee Gigi Sohn withdrew in March.
If Gomez and the renominated Commissioners Starks and Carr are confirmed, the FCC would be at full strength for the first time under the Biden administration. With a full FCC, several regulatory issues for broadcasters could finally be addressed, including the 2018 Quadrennial Review.
The NAB has pushed for a resolution to the review, which assesses local broadcast ownership rules to determine their public interest. This could lead to the first major changes to local radio ownership rules since the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Additionally, proceedings related to the transition to the ATSC 3.0 standard, EEO issues, political broadcasting rules, technical proposals for radio, and enhanced public file obligations could be considered and acted on by a full-strength FCC.
