The confirmation hearing for Anna Gomez, the Democrat nominated by President Biden to join the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is expected to take place in the coming weeks.

If confirmed, this will mark the first time since January 2021 that the Commission will have a full complement of members, breaking the previous 2-2 split that has hindered FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel’s progress on pending matters.

One of the crucial issues awaiting resolution is the quadrennial review of media ownership rules. The FCC needs to conclude both the 2018 and 2022 reviews, which involve similar issues and positions held by broadcasters. While it is unlikely that ownership limits will be rolled back, the addition of a third Democratic vote may enable the FCC to adopt a more measured approach to deregulation, contrasting with the preferences of the two Republican members. The FCC may reevaluate the national cap on television ownership.

Washington attorney David Oxenford says, “Some have speculated that the confirmation process could be completed early this summer,” Oxenford says. “But, as we’ve seen with that process already during this administration, there can always be surprises, and the process can change over time.”

Beyond ownership concerns, there may be increased scrutiny of radio stations’ Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) practices if the FCC moves forward with a plan to reinstate the collection of annual employee reports (Form 395-B) from stations. This practice was suspended in 2004 due to constitutional concerns related to inquiries about the race and gender of employees.

In 2021, the FCC initiated a rulemaking process (MB Docket No. 98-204) to gather further input on the legal, logistical, and technical aspects of employee data collection requirements for FCC Form 395-B. Chair Rosenworcel has expressed the importance of restarting data collection to assess workforce diversity within the industry, and a third Democratic vote could facilitate its reinstatement.

According to Inside Radio, the FCC may also make a decision on the long-pending “Franken FM” issue, which involves allowing owners of low-power TV stations on channel 6 to use new technology and reach analog radio receivers on 87.7 FM. Discussions revolve around potential grandfathering status and the elimination of distance separation rules for noncommercial FMs operating in that frequency range.

The FCC is also exploring expanded certification and reporting requirements for the Emergency Alert System, as well as enhanced public file obligations. These obligations would involve broadcasters using a standard certification form to assess whether airtime buyers have ties to foreign governments.

As automakers and lawmakers in Washington await updates on the inclusion of AM radio in vehicles, Nielsen has released a list of 141 markets where at least 20% of the radio audience listens to AM radio monthly.

It’s important to clarify that the list reflects the percentage of radio listeners tuning into AM radio within a month, rather than the overall percentage of radio listening dedicated to AM. Leading the list is Buffalo-Niagara Falls, where 56% of the radio audience in the Nielsen Audio metro area tunes into AM radio monthly.

This market is home to two prominent AM stations, Audacy’s WBEN (930) and sports station WGR (550), both of which consistently rank among the top 10 most listened to outlets in the area. Neither station has an FM simulcast, according to Inside Radio.

Chicago secured the second spot on the list, with 48% of radio listeners in the Windy City tuning into AM radio. The market boasts three successful AM-only stations: Nexstar’s WGN (720), Audacy’s “670 The Score” WSCR, and Cumulus’ WLS-AM (890). A similar trend can be observed in Milwaukee, where iHeartMedia’s WISN (1130) took the top spot in Nielsen’s April PPM survey for all listeners aged 6 and above.

The top three AM radio markets are all located in cities bordering the Great Lakes. Westwood One’s analysis of the data indicates that the markets with the highest proportion of AM listeners tend to be in the upper Midwest. Regions with hilly terrain, such as San Jose, San Francisco, and Sacramento, have traditionally been significant AM markets due to the challenges their topography presents for FM signals.

It’s worth noting that the 141 markets with at least 20% of radio listeners tuning into AM radio monthly exhibit a wide range of market sizes and geographical diversity. The percentages vary from 42% in Seattle-Tacoma to 33% in Shreveport, LA, and from 32% in Philadelphia to 36% in Tucson. Importantly, the list encompasses markets of all sizes, including the top ten markets, as well as smaller Nielsen-rated markets such as Brunswick, GA (No. 249), Jackson, TN (No. 252), and Sioux City, IA (No. 244).

Nielsen’s recent study follows research from their Fall 2022 survey, which revealed that AM radio reaches 82.3 million Americans monthly, representing one-third of all U.S. AM/FM radio listeners.

Westwood One’s analysis indicates that over half of this audience (57% or 46.9 million) tunes into news/talk-formatted stations. These stations play a crucial role as trusted sources of information during times of crisis and breaking local news, as emphasized by Pierre Bouvard, Chief Insights Officer of Cumulus Media/Westwood One’s Audio Active Group.

The full list of list of the 141 local markets where AM radio is listened to by at least 20% of the radio audience can be found on the Westwood One blog.

On Wednesday’s episode of her podcast, The Megyn Kelly Show, Megyn Kelly discusses the corporate media’s coverage of both Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump as “dangerous” with guest Adam Curry, also known as “The Pod Father”.

Kelly starts by playing multiple clips from CNN and MSNBC’s coverage of both DeSantis and Trump, categorizing any platforming of either of the two Republican candidates as “dangerous.”

She began with a clip from MSNBC’s The Mehdi Hasan Show, with commentator and former Republican congressman David Jolly, “Ron DeSantis is far more dangerous than Donald Trump. He is a culture warrior. He wants to take us back to 100 years, he ultimately has a very dark vision of what America will be.”

The two discuss the characterization of DeSantis as more dangerous than Trump as a sign that the media would prefer Trump as the republican candidate, though they still consider Trump dangerous as well.

“It’s interesting about the ‘Trump is so dangerous’ narrative, all it does is point to this terrible media and how they make up their mind on what the narrative will be and then they will mind control you right up to the voting booth, at least they’ll try. So we’ve heard the narrative there from everybody on the left, all of them, CNN, MSNBC, even you know, some former Republicans,” she said.

Curry then responded, “We need to give thanks to President Trump for what he did give us. He showed us fake news. He showed us what the media was really doing. I think that was important.”

The two went on to discuss the media’s coverage of political figures and the implications for the upcoming election cycle, pointing to the positive side of the independent media space, most notably podcasting.