FCC Eliminates Hard-Copy Rules Requirement

As expected, the Federal Communications Commission has voted to eliminate the requirement that broadcasters and cable operators keep paper copies of the FCC's regulations on hand, the latest in a series of actions to whack away at regulations FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has said are part of a regulatory underbrush allowed to grow for too long. A vote was scheduled for the Feb 22 FCC meeting, but was voted on circulation Feb 20 and removed from the agenda for the meeting. The FCC gave the National Association of Broadcasters some love in the release announcing the adoption of the change. "We agree with NAB that, given licensees’ ability today to immediately access FCC rules via the Internet, requiring broadcasters to retain hard copies of the rules is no longer necessary," said the order.