The full FCC has rejected a broadcaster’s appeal of a Media Bureau decision denying reconsideration of a New Jersey AM radio station’s license cancellation, said an order Tuesday. The Media Bureau ruled in 2024 that Forsythe Broadcasting’s license for WNJC Washington Township was automatically canceled because the station had been off the air for more than a year without seeking FCC permission to temporarily go silent. Forsythe had argued that its silence was due to economic complications from the COVID-19 pandemic and the expiration of the lease to its transmitter site. In its application for review asking the commissioners to overturn the bureau's decision, Forsythe repeated the same previously rejected arguments, said Tuesday’s order. “We deny the AFR because Forsythe has failed again to demonstrate the Station’s silence is the result of circumstances beyond its control. Therefore, we decline to exercise our discretion in this situation to reinstate the Station’s license.”
The FCC on Tuesday reminded recipients of money through the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program that their quarterly updates are due to the commission Dec. 29. The status updates keep the Wireline Bureau apprised of recipients’ progress "toward meeting their obligations under the Rip-and-Replace Program.”
The FCC Wireline Bureau sought comment this week on a request by Amherst Telephone Co. to transfer control of the company to the Amherst Communications Employee Stock Ownership Trust. The local exchange carrier provides service in the Amherst, Polonia and Rosholt exchanges in parts of Portage, Marathon and Waupaca counties in central Wisconsin. Comments are due Dec. 8, replies Dec. 15, in docket 25-309.
Comcast will pay $1.5 million for a vendor breach that compromised personally identifiable information of cable subscribers, the FCC Enforcement Bureau ordered Monday. The company will also implement a compliance plan that includes vendor oversight practices related to customer privacy and information protection, the bureau said. The 2024 data breach involved information about 237,702 current and former Comcast customers that was held by debt-collection firm Financial Business and Consumer Solutions.
Anuvu is supposed to show how the C-band Relocation Payment Clearinghouse was wrong in finding that the company can't get reimbursed for its German facility modifications, but it hasn't made the case of where the clearinghouse erred, the FCC Enforcement Bureau said in a brief posted Monday (docket 21-333). The bureau said much of Anuvu's argument revolves around one footnote in the FCC's C-band clearing order, and the agency can't make broad policy announcements in footnotes. But the C-band clearing order repeatedly makes clear that reimbursement of transition costs is only for those incurred within the U.S., the bureau said.
Representatives of the Alaska Telecom Association met with staff from the FCC Wireless Bureau and Office of Economics to seek clarity on the eligible-areas map for the Alaska Connect Fund, according to a filing posted Monday in docket 23-328. Association members “inquired about the data set used to create the Map and urged the Commission to provide additional information about the areas that have been deemed ineligible.” They noted the burden of testing and challenging large areas of the map where service may not be available today.
The two major differences between the draft and final versions of the FCC's NPRM on rules for an upper C-band auction were questions about a potential tribal window for the spectrum and about future satellite and other uses. Commissioners approved the notice 3-0 at Thursday's meeting (see 2511200046), where the changes were discussed. The final NPRM was posted in Monday’s Daily Digest.
The FCC Space Bureau has approved Vast Space's request to operate a non-geostationary orbit demo spacecraft, Haven-Demo, which is intended to demonstrate the functionality of some components and systems that will be used in Vast's forthcoming Haven-1 habitable space station. The Haven-1 is being designed for a three-year mission, the company said.
Groups representing financial institutions called on the FCC to impose tougher Stir/Shaken rules in comments filed last week (docket 17-97) in response to a Wireline Bureau request (see 2508280040). Telecom industry groups and companies also sought tweaks to how illegal robocalls are addressed, through Stir/Shaken and beyond.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announces retirements: Warren Firschein, attorney adviser to the managing director; Allen Hill, chief information officer; and Veronica Etheridge, Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau analyst … WISPA selects Josh Luthman, Imagine Networks, as chairman, replacing Matt Larsen, Vistabeam; Jeff Broadwick, CTIconnect, as vice chairman, replacing Keefe John, Ethoplex; and Ryan Grewell, Nextlink, as treasurer, replacing Jason Guzzo, Hudson Valley Wireless; Spencer Pous, BluBroadband, remains secretary; also elected to board: Mark Radabaugh, Amplex Internet; TJ Scott, Broadlinc; and Nathan Stooke, Wisper … Ericsson names Matthew Rhoades, formerly Office of the Director of National Intelligence, as director of government and advocacy policy, a new position … Aegis Aerospace adds president to the title of Chief Strategy Officer Matt Ondler, effective Jan. 1, replacing Bill Hollister, retiring in mid-2026 but remaining as chief technology officer through the transition … Network tech supplier Telescent taps Trevor Roots, ex-Jariet Technologies, as CFO, a new position.