FOR RELEASE: February 23, 2021 Contact: Richard T. Kaplar The Media Institute 703-243-5700 Arlington, Va., February 23, 2021 – Media Institute President Richard T. Kaplar issued the following statement regarding a letter from two House members to several media companies: “The letter from two members of the House Energy & Commerce Committee to several [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-22-21 California Democratic Reps. Anna Eshoo and Jerry McNerney have written to a dozen cable, satellite, and streaming companies calling on them to better combat disinformation – which they principally identify as Fox, Newsmax, and One America News Network (OANN) – and grilling them on what they plan to do [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-16-21 House Energy & Commerce Committee Republicans have unveiled a package of 28 broadband-related, primarily deregulatory, bills they said will "turbocharge" investment and promote deployment, competition, and consumer choice while removing "unnecessary or duplicative" environmental and historical preservation "barriers" to that deployment. Among other things, the bills would remove [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-12-21 The House Energy & Commerce Committee has voted 31 to 24 to approve a massive COVID-19 relief/budget reconciliation package that includes billions for remote learning broadband service and devices. The broadband portion of the bill allocates $7.6 billion "to help bridge the digital divide for students and teachers [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-12-21 Some top Republican senators are pressing Acting FCC Chairman Jessica Rosenworcel for more details on the FCC's proposal to open up its E-Rate broadband subsidy funds to home broadband service and devices, suggesting they are concerned about the viability of the overarching Universal Service Fund subsidy program. They [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-12-21 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is troubled by reports that YouTube continues to amplify extremist content after pledging to crack down on dangerous misinformation and disinformation. Last month, she joined dozens of other legislators on a letter to Big Tech CEOs, including of YouTube, saying they needed to [...]
Participated in an amicus brief (with the Reporters Committee and other amici) filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in Callahan v. United Network for Organ Sharing. This case concerns the common-law right of access to judicial documents. The underlying suit was brought by certain hospitals and patients against UNOS, [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 1-14-21 The House Republican Steering Committee has picked eight new Republicans to joint the House Energy & Commerce Committee, which has principal jurisdiction over communications issues and the FCC. One of those will fill the slot of retiring former Republican ranking member Greg Walden (R-Ore.). New ranking member Cathy [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 1-13-21 FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he has some issues with the permanent bans on President Trump's Twitter and Facebook accounts. In response to a question on his last press call, the chairman said he recognized the country was going through difficult times "and these are difficult questions to [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 1-12-21 Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) and a baker's dozen Democratic members of the California congressional delegation have called on attorney general nominee Merrick Garland to make net neutrality one of his first orders of business in the new post. Garland has been a judge on the U.S. Court of [...]
