FCC's Ajit Pai Praises Radio's Harvey Efforts

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai delivered the keynote to the 2017 Radio Show Luncheon Wednesday -- fresh off his visits to Houston and Austin this week to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey and to meet with local, state, and federal officials engaged in recovery efforts.

Pai started his keynote talking about Hurricane Harvey.  Said Pai it "was one of the most devastating storms in U.S. history. It poured over 25 trillion gallons of water into the region, causing flooding unlike anything we’ve ever seen. So many Americans have lost so much, including the tragic loss of dozens of lives. My thoughts and prayers are with those struggling as we speak to put their lives back together.

'But as saddened as I am by Harvey’s destruction, the past week’s events have also left me heartened and hopeful. Once again, we saw that the worst of tragedies brings out the best in the American people."

Pai also lauded the broadcasting community, "Station after station scrapped commercials and promos to provide nonstop, wall-to-wall emergency information and news. Some radio stations literally went above and beyond. CBS Radio’s KIKK in Pasadena, Texas, usually broadcasts only in the daytime, but it petitioned the FCC for authority to provide emergency information around-the-clock. We were happy to grant that request within one hour. You heard stories of producers and engineers spending night after night at their stations so they could stay on the air with the crucial information audiences needed, like which grocery stores were open and whether or not they still had bottled water. You also had on-air talent coming in just to answer phones and lend support where they could.

"Radio broadcasters were using every resource at their disposal to keep people connected to information and each other. Popular DJs like Nick Russo of 100.3 The Bull blasted out a steady stream of storm updates on Twitter to tens of thousands of followers. iHeartMedia leveraged its billboard assets to direct residents to emergency information and worked directly with the Red Cross to coordinate post-storm relief efforts. And, as millions now know, one broadcaster even helped save a truck driver on live television. I know she’s on the TV side, but you’ve got to tip your cap on that one. Brandi Smith of KHOU — bravo!

"I’m in awe of broadcasters’ response to Harvey. But I’m not surprised. Because that’s what broadcasters do. You go above and beyond to be there for your communities. That’s true anytime, but especially in times of crisis."

Pai also outlined a status report on some of the FCC's recent efforts:

FCC's Pai with NAB's Gordon Smith

"First up is one of the first issues I set my sights on five years ago when I became a commissioner: AM revitalization. This audience knows the broad strokes of this issue, largely because you were vital to getting the first AM revitalization order adopted back in 2015. So I’ll spare you any background and get straight to the most recent developments.

"As you know, the centerpiece of our reforms to date has been helping AM broadcasters get FM translators. So far, the response has been tremendous. Last year, the FCC gave AM stations more latitude to move an FM translator purchased on the secondary market. We received nearly 1,100 applications and granted almost 95% of these requests.

"During the recently completed 2017 window for new AM translators, we once again received more than 1,000 applications from AM broadcasters. That brings the total number of applications received to about 2,100, or nearly half of all licensed AM stations nationwide.

"This recently closed window was for Class C and D stations only. The majority of applications — 698 to be exact — came from Class D AM stations. Many of these are daytime stations that don’t broadcast at night. Translators will enable them to operate on a full-time basis. That could be a lifeline, as I heard from a former daytimer in Kansas years ago whose ad revenues and listenership jumped after he found a translator.

"Our Audio Division’s talented staff is currently reviewing all of the translator applications that were filed this summer. I’m optimistic that we’ll have good news to report in the near future.

As for the commission's review of media rules:

"Back in May, the FCC launched a comprehensive review of our media regulations. Our goal is simple: let’s modernize our rules to match the realities of today’s marketplace. This better promotes the public interest and allows for more competition, innovation, and investment in the media sector. We asked for your thoughts on which rules should be modified or repealed as part of this review, and why. And we received plenty of feedback.

"When we came up with the idea for this proceeding, we thought of it as a way for us to clean out the regulatory underbrush. And as is the case with many ranches right here in Texas, there’s plenty of underbrush to be cleared among the 1,000 or so pages of FCC media rules. It’s time for us to get to work.

"Speaking of unnecessary and outdated rules, earlier this year, the FCC proposed to eliminate our main studio rule. As you probably know, decades ago, the agency required each AM, FM, and television broadcast station to maintain a main studio located in or near its community of license. The original idea was that local access to a station’s main studio was necessary for the public to give broadcasters their input and to review a station’s public inspection file.

"But the reality is that local access to a physical station is simply no longer necessary to satisfy those public interest goals. Broadcasters’ public inspection files are either currently available or will soon be available online. And, if anyone in the community wants to contact their local station, such contact is much more likely to occur via social media, through email, or by phone."