Commission targets outdated rules while commissioners continue to debate the process for reviewing and eliminating longstanding requirements.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently voted to eliminate 21 more rules totaling nearly 3,000 words, part of Chair Brendan Carr’s ongoing effort to remove regulations that are no longer applicable or have become obsolete. Many of the rules being removed relate to programs or boards that have expired, including measures rendered unnecessary by the creation of FirstNet in 2012 and older compliance deadlines tied to past public safety requirements.
“This latest action targets public safety and homeland security rules that are obsolete, outdated, or simply no longer necessary—rules that have sunset, govern events long past, or no longer serve the public interest,” Chairman Carr said.
Commissioner Anna Gomez supported clearing outdated rules but expressed concern that the agency is ending regulations without conducting the same notice-and-comment process used when they were first adopted.
This action continues the “Delete, Delete, Delete” docket launched earlier this year to gather public input on rules that may create unnecessary burdens. The FCC reported receiving substantial feedback and noted the effort has already led to the removal of more than 900 outdated regulations across broadcast, wireless, and wireline services, including old requirements related to telegraph systems, rabbit-ear receivers, and phone booths.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Chair Carr and the other FCC commissioners as they seek to balance regulatory cleanup with transparent public processes.
- For the FCC personnel as they review decades of rules to determine which provisions remain necessary for public safety, communications access, and efficient governance.
- For the president and his advisors in their efforts to improve the efficiency of the federal government.
Sources: Inside Radio, TV Tech, JD Supra
