By Jeremy Barr, washingtonpost.com, 7-24-25The Federal Communications Commission on July 24 formally approved the $8-billion merger of CBS parent company Paramount and Skydance Media, ending a more than 250-day review process marked by controversy and accusations of inappropriate political pressure.The vote was 2-1, with Democratic-appointed commissioner Anna M. Gomez opposing the transaction.“Americans no longer trust [...]
By InsideRadio.com, 7-23-25 In a closely watched decision with major implications for broadcasters and the FCC’s open quadrennial rulemaking on media ownership rules, a federal appeals court has upheld much of what the previous Commission decided. The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals said it would not “second-guess” the FCC’s decision to leave radio ownership limits [...]
By Todd Spangler, Variety.com, 7-18-25 President Donald Trump took a victory lap July 18 after Congress formally passed his measure to claw back $9 billion in previously approved funding, including $1.1 billion for PBS and NPR – which public media execs have said could force dozens of local stations to shut down. Early Friday, [...]
FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty Will Be Featured Speaker at Oct. 29 Event FOR RELEASE: July 17, 2025 Contact: Richard T. Kaplar The Media Institute 703-506-8030 Vienna, Va., July 17, 2025 – The Media Institute will honor Hans Vestberg of Verizon and Gary Shapiro of the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) at its annual “Free Speech America” Gala [...]
By CPB, 7-14-25 As the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on the Rescissions Act of 2025 that would cancel $1.1 billion in already approved funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a new national survey finds that U.S. voters place more trust in public media than media overall and hold a more favorable [...]
By InsideRadio.com, 7-3-25 In the first major policy speech of his chairmanship on July 2 in Sioux Falls, S.D., Brendan Carr laid out his “Build America Agenda” for the Federal Communications Commission…. Carr also detailed plans for modernizing FCC operations that will impact broadcasters alongside other industries. That includes the first votes in his ongoing [...]
By Dominick Mastrangelo, TheHill.com, 7-2-25 Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS News and one of the largest media conglomerates in the United States, has agreed to settle a high-profile lawsuit brought by President Trump over a “60 Minutes” interview with former vice president Kamala Harris that aired last fall. The settlement comes after months [...]
By Megan Graham, wsj.com, 6-12-25 Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Angus King (I-Maine) introduced a bill June 12 that would ban pharmaceutical manufacturers from using direct-to-consumer advertising, including social media, to promote their products. The bill would prohibit any promotional communications targeting consumers, including through television, radio, print, digital platforms, and social media. It would [...]
By Kevin Freking, apnews.com, 6-12-25 The House narrowly voted June 12 to cut about $9.4 billion in spending already approved by Congress as President Donald Trump’s administration looks to follow through on work done by the Department of Government Efficiency when it was overseen by Elon Musk. The package targets foreign aid programs and [...]
By Ted Johnson, Deadline.com, 6-10-25 A bill that would claw back federal funding for public broadcasting cleared the House Rules Committee on June 10, setting it up for a floor vote later in the week. If the bill passes, it will zero out $535 million in funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting over the [...]