Federal Communications Commission

Very soon you will access library research content via cloud computing, which promises to increase the ease with which we are able to conduct research activities, both on-site and off.

Through the new cloud feature, teleworking staff will access the e-library homepage on the Intranet enabling them to use vetted research content directly from the library’s databases. Web-based content and features are routinely evolving, and our Library continuously reviews its database offerings to provide us with the capability to perform research from our desktops.

But their work does not stop there. If the library staff finds that the resources you need are not available onsite or online, they will not hesitate to contact regional libraries, including the Library of Congress, to obtain materials for you to conduct the level of research needed to complete your task.

That Connection to Information stretches far beyond our professional needs, and is widely used by all types of libraries. Thus, it is fitting that there are representatives here from area public libraries, showcasing just how technology can be used by all of our citizens. Today’s learning centers -- because libraries are learning centers -- are more than repositories for books and are light years away from that single room filled with periodicals.

The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on April 23, 2014. The FCC will consider:

1. A Report and Order, Declaratory Ruling, Order, Memorandum Opinion and Order, and Seventh Order on Reconsideration taking significant steps to continue the implementation of the landmark reforms adopted in the 2011 USF/ICC Transformation Order to modernize universal service for the 21st century. An accompanying Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking proposes measures to update and further implement the framework adopted by the Commission in 2011.
2. A Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that would implement an innovative three-tier spectrum sharing approach to make up to 150 megahertz of spectrum available for wireless broadband use in the 3550-3700 MHz band.
3. A Memorandum Opinion and Order concerning an Application for Review filed by Entravision Holdings seeking review of a decision by the Media Bureau granting an application by Able Radio Corporation.
4. A Memorandum Opinion and Order concerning an Application for Review filed by Puerto Rico Public Broadcasting Corporation seeking review of a waiver request dismissal by the Media Bureau.
5. A Memorandum Opinion and Order concerning an Application for Review filed by William B. Clay seeking review of a minor modification grant by the Media Bureau.
6. A Memorandum Opinion and Order concerning an Application for Review filed by Galaxy Syracuse Licensee LLC seeking review of a waiver request denial by the Media Bureau.
7. A Memorandum Opinion and Order concerning a joint Application for Review filed by Clear Creek Radio, Inc., Fraser Valley Community Media, Inc., The North Fork Angling Society, and RV Ministries, Inc., seeking review of a waiver request denial by the Media Bureau.

[Commentary] It is always special to be in attendance at the annual National Association of Broadcasters Show, and 2014 was no exception.

What I took away from our discussion was the realization that today's media universe can no longer be viewed through myopic lenses and historic silos, and that the demarcation between over-the-air, cable, Internet and satellite broadcasting makes erstwhile legacy distinctions much harder to maintain.

Secondly, I always appreciate the chance to walk the show floor to see, firsthand, the innovative developments in broadcast technology.

Finally, the NAB provides a unique opportunity for regulators to talk to the industry professionals and operators who do not typically make it to Washington to lobby on policy issues. These real-world workers provide us with a perspective that is both realistic and refreshing, and I always learn more than I leave behind.

The Federal Communications Commission’s ongoing 2010 Quadrennial Review of broadcast ownership rules has generated a high level of interest and participation, creating an extensive record that continues to attract significant and substantive input well after the formal comment periods have expired.

Such participation demonstrates that the FCC’s broadcast ownership rules continue to be of importance and interest to market participants, public watchdogs, and consumers alike. The FCC wishes to build on that record to resolve the ongoing 2010 proceeding, and the Commission is cognizant of its statutory obligation to review the broadcast ownership rules every four years.

To accomplish both objectives, with this Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“FNPRM”) the FCC is initiating this 2014 Quadrennial Review; incorporating the existing 2010 record into this proceeding; proposing rules that are formulated based on the evaluation of that existing record; and seeking new and additional information and data on market conditions and competitive indicators as they exist today.

Ultimately, the rules the FCC adopts in this 2014 proceeding will be based on a comprehensive, refreshed record that reflects the most current evidence regarding the media marketplace. The FCC also considers related issues posed in the 2010 Quadrennial Review proceeding concerning the attribution and disclosure of agreements between broadcast stations, and in the accompanying Report and Order, the FCC determines that certain television joint sales agreements (JSAs) are attributable.

The Federal Communications Commission terminated a Notice of Inquiry that explores issues relating to allegations that certain fixed-satellite service operators are "warehousing" satellite orbital locations and foreclosing competitors from purchasing capacity on their satellites.

The record the FCC received in response to the questions raised in the Notice of Inquiry was sparse and came only from two commonly situated stakeholders -- FSS satellite operators Intelsat and SES. They argue that further action by the FCC regarding vertical foreclosure is unwarranted.

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Travis LeBlanc, Acting Enforcement Bureau Chief of the Federal Communications Commission, announced the unsealing of two complaints seeking the forfeiture of radio transmission and production equipment allegedly used in the illegal broadcast of pirate radio stations on a total of four different FM frequencies, and further announced that on April 2, 2014, FCC agents and Deputy US Marshals, pursuant to warrants, seized the radio transmission and production equipment identified in the two complaints.

The Federal Communications Commission will host an E-rate Modernization Workshop on Tuesday, May 6, 2014 in the Commission Meeting Room (TW-C305).

The E-rate Modernization Workshop will provide an opportunity for the FCC and E-rate stakeholders to discuss the challenge of delivering high-speed connectivity to and within schools and libraries and highlight successful strategies. Additional details concerning the workshop agenda and panelists will be forthcoming.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) provides an initial agenda and session participant information for the workshop on “Public Safety Imperatives for All-IP Networks” scheduled for April 17, 2014 and April 18, 2014 in Washington, DC. This workshop will explore the impact of the technology transition on key public safety, emergency response, and national security functions.

In recognition of Older Americans Month, the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau will host a workshop on May 22, 2014, in Washington, DC.

The workshop will provide information on online safety, communicating during emergencies, and how broadband and other technologies can be used to facilitate aging in place and telehealth. The event will include technology demonstrations.

Acting on the Federal Communications Commission’s commitments, I took my first trip to Indian Country as FCC Chairman, visiting the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

I had several meetings with Oglala Lakota leaders to discuss topics ranging from economic development to healthcare, but the greatest emphasis of my visit was education, specifically how the FCC’s E-Rate program can help expand digital learning opportunities, including for our nation’s rural and Tribal populations. I heard from teachers, students, and administrators at Loneman School and Little Wound School about how E-Rate has helped provide basic Internet access to their school, but also how E-Rate can, and needs to do even more.

In particular, these schools need more bandwidth to enable opportunities like remote tutoring and taking advanced math and science courses online, and they need Wi-Fi connectivity that can support mobile devices like tablets and digital textbooks. They also need an E-Rate program that’s more user-friendly.

In the past, Loneman, like too many schools, missed out on E-Rate support because of confusion with the program’s rules. All of our students, whether they are attending a Tribal school in South Dakota or a public school in South Carolina deserve to have full access to modern digital learning tools. That’s why modernizing E-Rate to simplify the program, improve its efficiency, and deliver faster, Wi-Fi connectivity to schools and libraries is one of the Commission’s highest priorities.