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Bush Seeks 8.3% Increase for FCC

That’s up from the approximately $313 million it received for 2008. The proposed FCC budget is offset by the incoming fees it collects.

President Bush submitted a budget to Congress this week that proposes fiscal 2009 funding for the FCC of $338.9 million.

That’s up from the approximately $313 million it received for 2008. The proposed FCC budget is offset by the incoming fees it collects.

The request provides funding for an estimated 3% staff pay raise, effective next January.

The FCC said the budget would provide $20 million for an outreach campaign to educate consumers about the impact of the DTV transition. The request would also allow the commission to replace “Mobile Digital Direction Finding” vehicles used to support public safety entities such as emergency responders, police and fire departments in resolving interference to their communications systems. Those vehicles are also used to catch pirate broadcasters.

The commission said the requested funding would establish a program to expand FCC coordination and outreach efforts to the public safety community and consolidate licensing systems to improve processing of licensing transactions.

The offices of the commissioners would receive $6.8 million under the budget request, while the Enforcement Bureau asks for $46.4 million and the Media Bureau $29 million.

The Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau would see $45 million, the International Bureau $21.5 million; Public Safety and Homeland Security $14.6 million.

Other sections of the budget cover Wireless Telecom, Wireline Competition and various agency offices such as the managing director, general counsel, legislative affairs, media affairs and other functions. The Office of Engineering Technology, for instance, requested $13.5 million.

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