FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is looking for a market in which to test the DTV conversion before the mandatory February 2009 switch-over, but so far broadcasters say they'd rather not--or can't--participate.

The watchdog group is taking its campaign against CBS's airing the series about a serial killer to the network's affiliates by putting pressure on local advertisers to pull out.

Broadcasters are not of one mind when it comes to how the Republican senator would treat them if he wins the presidential election. While many think he'd be more deregulatory than either Clinton or Obama, there are still unpleasant memories of battles over the digital transition, free airtime for candidates, indecency and low-power FM.

The FCC chairman is finding himself at odds with many in his own Republican party, not to mention the industries he regulates, over his increasingly re-regulatory actions.

The stars seem to be aligning in the FCC, Congress and the broadcasting community to bring back allowing sellers of broadcast stations to minorities to defer capital gains taxes so long as they invest the proceeds in other media properties.

That's if Hillary Clinton wins the Democratic nomination and then the presidential election. If victory goes to Barack Obama, Julius Genachowski, Blair Levin, Karen Kornbluh or Donald Gipps could lead the agency. John Edwards' choice is unclear.

But it may to too late to prevent the FCC from requiring broadcasters to air up to 12 PSAs and 12 crawls a day alerting the public to the DTV transition and the February 2009 cut-off.

Stung by negative results of FCC testing, the high-tech firms advocating unlicensed wireless devices on vacant TV channels want the FCC to consider the results of their latest field tests, even if it means delaying a planned October vote.

The NAB is spending millions of dollars to make sure that no consumer is left behind in February 2009 when TV stations make the final move from analog to digital broadcasting.

Current and immediate past executive committee members and top staffers are meeting at a resort in Lexington, Ky., for the next three days to get a handle on things. The retreat comes at a critical time for the association. It's been forced on to the defensive in Washington, while its lobbying operation is still in flux.

Feeling nostalgic for the days when Reed Hundt and Bill Kennard were running the agency? All you have to do is vote for Obama.

NAB, NCTA, MPAA and broadcast nets hire Harvard law prof Laurence Tribe to help derail expected Senate legislation that would put the FCC in the business of regulating violence just as it now does indecency.

Broadcasting and cable are working to defeat Senate legislation that threatens the flow of $2.7 billion in direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising to TV.

So far, only religious broadcasters are enthusiastic about the FCC chairman's proposal to allow TV stations to lease digital capacity to "small and independent" entities that would have same obligations and must-carry rights as licensed broadcasters.

To win relief on crossownership rules, Gannett and Media General are promising policymakers more public interest programming. Others are ready to trade for multicast must-carry rights.

After a year of sitting on the sideline and watching the small operators' ACA lead the battle for retrans reform in Washington, NCTA has reportedly entered the fray.

In its report on TV violence being prepared for Congress, the commission will argue that there should be no distinction made between the two and that Congress is free to regulate violence. Martin and Copps are said to be working closely on the report.

Edward Markey's effectiveness as chairman of the House Telecom Subcommittee has relied on the goodwill of John Dingell, chairman of the parent Energy and Commerce Committee. Now, that goodwill is threatened by Markey's interest in a global warming assignment.

Group's new study decries what it says is increasingly violent broadcast network primetime, with NBC leading the way with almost seven instances per hour in the 2005-06 season.

The Parents Television Council thinks so, and the release of its new study later today showing significant increases in broadcast primetime violence dovetails with renewed interest in the issue at the FCC and possibly on Capitol Hill.

A coalition of small-market broadcasters led by Raycom's Paul McTear will be lobbying the FCC today and tomorrow asking for the same duopoly rights as their big-market brethren.

The NAB president says neither his partisan past nor a slight GOP tilt to his government relations team will impair the association's effectness in the House now that the Democrats are in charge.

With the Democrats winning a majority of seats in the House, John Dingell and Ed Markey will set the agenda on telecom policy--a mixed bag for broadcasters. But with the Senate race in Virginia still too close to call, the GOP is just barely clinging to Senate control.

The increasingly possible return of the formidable Michigan Democrat as chairman of the House Commerce Committee might actually do broadcasters some good in Washington.

With the help of his Washingon rep, California broadcaster Harry Pappas persuaded a Nebraska senator to champion a measure that would give affiliates some protection against stiff fines for broadcast indecency. But the measure is still a long way from law.

The former NAB president's roster of clients includes CBS, News Corp., Ion and others, but not NAB. "It's a nice start," he says.