Commissioner Simington and His New Chief of Staff, Gavin Wax, Turn Up the Volume

A few weeks ago, FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington appointed Gavin Wax as his new chief of staff.  Mr. Wax is no stranger to New York, as he serves as the Chairman of the New York Young Republican Club, the oldest and largest Young Republican organization in the United States.

There is no doubt they want to have an impact on FCC decision-making.  Last week, they published an editorial in the National Pulse that took aim at the networks and argued to cap “reverse retransmission consent fees at 30%."  They noted:

“Make no mistake: this is a fight for the soul of the American media.  National networks have shown they cannot be trusted.  They’ve censored stories, smeared dissenters, and openly campaigned against conservative candidates.  The only remaining check on their power is at the local level, and even that is slipping away under the weight of retransmission extortion.

If we want a media that informs instead of indoctrinates and represents communities instead of manipulating them, we must go upstream to the funding model.  Capping reverse retransmission fees is the cornerstone of that effort.  And if the networks try to make an end-run by demanding an unfair cut in ad sales, restricting available airtime for local news and weather, or prohibiting broadcasters from trying to reach new audiences through alternative distribution channels, then the FCC should be prepared to step in and stop it.”

More recently, they published an article in the Daily Caller regarding DOGE-style reforms at the FCC.  They argued for greater efficiencies in the regulatory process and the need to reduce the size of the Media Bureau.

“The Media Bureau remains significantly overstaffed relative to its current responsibilities.  Much of its work is concentrated on regulating traditional broadcast media—specifically, over-the-air television and radio—a sector that continues to contract in relevance. Meanwhile, the dominant forces in today’s media ecosystem—streaming platforms and digital content providers—operate with minimal oversight from the FCC.  This mismatch has fueled both regulatory overreach and unnecessary friction with industry participants.”

It is apparent that Commissioner Simington will play a strong role in shaping the FCC’s agenda.  With FCC Chairman Carr, we can expect to see significant changes in how broadcasting is regulated.  A number of these reforms, such as modifying the broadcast ownership rules and reducing paperwork burdens on stations, are long overdue.   

You can see their editorial in the National Pulse here.

You can see the article in the Daily Caller here.