The National Association of Broadcasters Education Foundation (NABEF) is establishing the John D. Dingell Jr. Award for Excellence in honor of the late long-serving congressman, NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith announced today. The award will be presented at the organization’s annual Celebration of Service to America Awards gala starting in 2020. First elected to […]

Former Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., the longest-serving member of Congress who played a key role in many pieces of landmark legislation, has died. He was one of broadcasters’ most stalwart defenders in Congress. He pushed to ensure broadcasters were treated fairly in the first DTV transition in 2009 and what would be the second one — the TV station repack — following the incentive auction. NAB CEO Gordon Smith said: “Broadcasters were honored to call Chairman Dingell a friend, and we will never forget his tenacity, good humor and belief in the benefits of free and local radio and television.”

Former Michigan Rep. John Dingell, the longest-serving member of Congress in American history, is receiving hospice care, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press Wednesday.
Former Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), 92, suffered a heart attack Monday morning but is “alert and in good spirits,” according to his wife, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.).
Representative John D. Dingell, Democrat of Michigan and the longest-serving member of Congress in history, announced today that he would not seek re-election at the end of his current term.
Unbowed Michigan Democrat, Rep. John D. Dingell, will make history Friday by becoming the longest-serving congressman: 57 years, five months and 26 days. That eclipses the late Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), who served in both the House and Senate.
Add Rep. John Dingell to the list of people who don’t like the new commercial-skipping function, known as Auro Hop on Dish Network’s new Hopper DVR. At a Wednesday hearing on video distribution held by the Communications and Technology Subcommittee of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Dingell complained that the service will allow potential voters to skip past political campaign messages.
The congressman is ticked at Julius Genachowski, saying the FCC chairman hasn’t given him a “substantive response” to his questions about the proposed spectrum auctions.
Dingell Wants Spectrum Answers From FCC
Rep. John Dingell is skeptical of the FCC’s plan to auction off up to 120 MHz of the TV spectrum to wireless broadband providers and he has asked the commission for answers to a series of questions by June 27.
Dingell Likens FCC Spectrum Plan To ‘Holdup’
The congressman grills FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and isn’t satisfied with the chairman’s answers on just how voluntary FCC’s proposed spectrum auction plan for broadcasters is. “I have dark suspicions,” he says.