The Federal Communications Commission Incentive Auction Task Force released a status update on the post-Incentive Auction transition which provides a good opportunity to provide an update on what's been accomplished and the work that remains to be done. Since the auction ended, the FCC has worked diligently on a 39-month, 10-phase transition in which 987 full power and Class A TV stations are being "repacked" to new frequencies.
With billions of political ad dollars on the line, broadcasters are working hard to make sure a new Federal Communications Commission ruling does not take even a little bite out of their share of that likely record political pie. Broadcasters want the FCC to loosen up when it comes to the reporting requirements for political ads — rules they say could lead to them having to turn down political ad dollars. The reporting obligation stems from the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, but the FCC has discretion in how it interprets the requirements in its rules implementing that law.
The Federal Communications Commission's Wireline Competition Bureau announced that the National Lifeline Eligibility Verifier (National Verifier) will soft launch on December 16, 2019 in Florida, Illinois, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The soft launch period will allow eligible telecommunications carriers (ETCs) to become familiar with the National Verifier and adjust and test their systems and business processes before use of the National Verifier becomes mandatory. During the soft launch, only ETCs will have access to the National Verifier.
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