[RVRC] ENFORCEMENT: FCC FIELD OFFICE DOWNSIZING CONFIRMED

[E. Drew Moore]

ENFORCEMENT: FCC FIELD OFFICE DOWNSIZING CONFIRMED

The Federal Communications Commission is considering the downsizing its 
EnforcementBureau and Field Office operations.

In a very governmental sounding reply, an FCC spokesperson responded to 
an inquiry from the on-line publication Radio
Ink regarding the rumor of downsizing in the field operations.

To quote the response: "The Commission recently completed a thorough, 
data-driven review of our field programs with an
eye toward improving efficiency while meeting our responsibilities both 
today and in the future. The commissioners are
considering a proposal that meets these goals."

In its report, the ARRL went further. According to an internal March 
10th FCC Enforcement Bureau memorandum obtained by
the League, the Bureau plans to ask the full Commission to cut 
two-thirds of its field offices and eliminate nearly
one-half of its field agents.

Under its "Phase I" field modernization scheme, the Bureau will 
recommend to the full Commission that it adjust the
primary focus of its reduced field office complement to RF spectrum 
enforcement. It will also recommend "adjusting" the
number of field agents from 63 to 33. At the same time, the Bureau would 
develop a so-called "Tiger Team" of field
agents as a flexible strike force it could deploy as needed.

The ARRL’s Dave Sumner noted that the League is concerned that there is 
already no sense of urgency in the FCC's
enforcement activities targeting spectrum polluters, such as utilities 
with noisy power lines, or the few violators in
our own ranks. He went on to say that it is troubling to see 
recommendations for such drastic reductions in the
Commission's geographic footprint and the number of field agents at a 
time when the Field staff is facing
ever-increasing challenges.

Radio Ink seemed to echo the ARRL’s concerns but in relation to a 
different enforcement target. It said that with the
Commission taking fewer and fewer actions against pirates, this news 
will be troublesome for many broadcasters,
especially those in markets where such unlicensed signals are still a 
major issue.

According to the on-line magazine, actions against AM/FM and shortwave 
pirate stations last year were at their lowest
level since 2000. In 2014 there were fewer than 200 actions were taken 
against these stations including those in New
York, New Jersey, Florida and Boston which are still hot spots for 
pirate broadcast activity.

You can read the Radio Ink article at tinyurl.com/lzzht96. The ARRL’s 
very in-depth look at the Enforcement Bureau
proposed downsizing is at tinyurl.com/pac2luz

(Radio Ink, ARRL, other news reports)

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