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A complete listing of all Federal Communication Commission rules and regulations can be found publicly online at both the official agency government website and the e-CFR website. They are listed in Title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations, commonly called the Federal Register. The Federal Communications Commission regulation registry consists of 199 parts, with each group listing regulations in association with specific categories. Both websites offer internal search boxes as a quick and convenient research tool for the user.

Federal Communication Commission regulations have historically been accepted as applying to the operation of traditional broadcast Read the rest of this entry »

An FCC broadcast license is essential for newly-formed AM and FM radio stations. Before beginning the licensing process, future radio station operators must ensure that their station does not interfere with other frequencies. At times, broadcast stations will hire outside counsel to assist with the process.

To begin the process, applicants must first electronically file Form 301. This form needs to be completed and submitted within a specific amount of time.

Along with the application, future broadcasters also need to pay the application fee. This fee will vary depending on what type Read the rest of this entry »

The Federal Communications Commission’s recently formed charter of the Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age has two main goals: to increase access to broadband among economically disadvantaged women and men and to ensure employment opportunities in telecommunications fields among members of those same groups. The committee will collect and analyze data which will be used to make recommendations concerning how best to accomplish the aforementioned goals.

The current charter of this Read the rest of this entry »

The FCC, Federal Communications Commission, created June 19, 1934 by the Communications Act, is responsible for regulating all broadcasting and wired communications. By merging the administrative responsibilities of the FRC, Federal Radio Commission and the ICC, Interstate Commerce Commission, the FCC began to regulate all non-federal government use of broadcast, telegraph, and telephone communications that started or ended within the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and other U.S. territories.

Originally, the FCC had authority over 623 radio stations and 14 million telephones, and centered Read the rest of this entry »

Julius Genachowski became the chairman of the FCC on June 29, 2009. Before taking the post as chairman, Julius was a businessman and also worked as a lawyer.

Genachowski received Bachelors from Columbia in 1985, and his Juris Doctor from Harvard in 1991. One of classmates was Barack Obama. He then clerked on the U.S. Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court. He followed that up by serving on Chuck Schumer’s staff. He also worked with Reed Hundt at the FCC. Genachowski switched gears and decided to leave his government position and enter Read the rest of this entry »

By 1934, communications technology in the United States had advanced to a high level: Cables had been laid down in 1859, the transcontinental telegraph completed in 1869, the telephone invented in 1877, and radio and television were in their infancy. In that year, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), an independent agency (not part of the Executive Department) was created to centralize the regulation of communication, both interstate and foreign, by cable, radio, and wire, and also to regulate TV and radio stations. Less than ten years earlier, in 1926, the Federal Radio Commission had been set up to regulate the Read the rest of this entry »

Whether filing a complaint or simply looking for the latest information in regards to proper communication laws, guidelines and procedures, the Federal Communications Commission has never been more easily accessible to the common citizen. As government organizations are often chided for a lack of transparency, submission to drawn out bureaucratic processes and lagging behind the times in terms of technological adaptation, the FCC’s commitment to sharing information and keeping interested parties up to date is laudable. One might say “Communication(s)” is the FCC’s middle name.For example, under the handle “FCC,” the Federal Communications Commission keeps over 380,000 Twitter followers up to date with timely information and relevant news stories. While yes, it is possible to message the FCC over Twitter, it should be noted that doing so will not circumvent the need to file official complaints or follow traditional channels in regards to non-trivial communication issues.In order ensure an appropriate response, it is best to send queries and comments in email form to fccinfofcc.gov. For information available through Freedom of Information Act requests, it is necessary to fill out the requisite paper work and submit a FOIA request form. Read the rest of this entry »

In order to file an FCC complaint all you need is a working internet connection. Let’s get started.Step 1: Proceed to the FCC’s official complaint website, this can be found at support.fcc.gov/complaints.htm.Step 2: Pick a complaint type to ensure your complaint is handled in the proper fashion, your options will be

• Disability Access to Communications Services and Equipment
• Junk Fax
• Telemarketing, Prerecorded Messages and Do-Not-Call
• Wired Telephone
• Wireless Telephone
• Internet Service and VoIP
• Broadcast (TV and Radio), Cable and Satellite Issues
• Tower Light Outages and Signal Interference

Step 3: You will then be provided with a list of categories regarding your complaint type. For example if you chose “Broadcast (TV and Radio), Cable and Satellite Issues” your list would then include a category for “Deceptive or unlawful advertising,” “Broadcast programs showing obscene, profane and/or indecent material,” etc. Read the rest of this entry »