Sohn FCC Nomination Update

The Biden Administration’s nominee for the remaining vacant FCC Commissioner position, Gigi Sohn, whose nomination was derailed late last year and has now been re-nominated, will receive an up or down vote on February 2 by the Senate Commerce Committee.  In recent days, she has agreed to recuse herself for three years from FCC matters concerning retransmission consent and for four years on TV copyright matters as a way to blunt criticism from her involvement with LoCast, a company that aired other television station broadcasts without consent based on a claim that it was non-profit.  LoCast lost a lawsuit on the matter and had to pay damages.  If voted out of committee, Sohn’s nomination will receive a full vote in the Senate.

If confirmed, we expect that Chairwoman Rosenworcel will quickly tee up a vote on a pending EEO rulemaking proceeding that would reinstate a nearly 20-year-old suspended FCC reporting requirement (previously known as FCC Form 395-B).