FCC Chair Brendan Carr Discusses Robocalls and Media Ownership with Rep. Steve Womack

FCC's Approach to Local Broadcasting

• 💡 FCC Chair Brendan Carr aims to empower local broadcasters, emphasizing the tremendous trust they hold with communities, unlike some national news media.
• 🎯 He highlighted outdated FCC media ownership rules that prevent local stations from expanding their reach, using an example of a station in Cody, Wyoming, unable to serve Powell, Wyoming.
• 🚀 Carr expressed openness to reforming media ownership rules to foster a healthier and more investment-worthy local broadcast industry.

Budget and FCC Operations

• 💰 Representative Womack inquired about the FCC's budget, noting its absence in the "skinny budget" and asking about the agency's operational capacity.
• ✅ Chair Carr stated the FCC is on stable financial footing, operating under a continuing resolution and additional funding for auctions, and is comfortable with the budget outcome.
• 🗣️ He assured that budget reductions in Full-Time Equivalents (FTEs) have not hindered the FCC's ability to deliver on its mission.

Addressing Robocalls

• 📞 Robocalls are identified as the number one issue causing frustration for constituents and lawmakers.
• ⚠️ Carr described the challenge as a complex technical issue, likening efforts to a "whack-a-mole" game as operators find new ways to circumvent solutions.
• 🛠️ The FCC is implementing a call authentication framework called STIR/SHAKEN, but acknowledges gaps, particularly for calls traversing older networks.
• 🔍 Efforts are underway to address robocalls on both a reactive "whack-a-mole" basis and a systemic level, acknowledging the public's demand for focus on this issue.
• 📌 A key challenge is that robocallers use local numbers, making calls appear legitimate and increasing the likelihood of them being answered.