By George Winslow, TVTechnology.com, 8-6-26 In a landmark vote that is likely to encourage a wave of deals in the broadcast station business, the Federal Communications Commission has voted to change TV station ownership rules in a way that would allow the agency to approve mergers that exceed the caps on a case-by-case basis if [...]
By Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter.com, 7-30-26ABC is officially calling on the Federal Communications Commission to drop its “extraordinary and unprecedented” proceeding to call in the Disney-owned network’s stations for an early broadcast license renewal.The network responded to the Brendan Carr-led agency in a new filing July 30.“There is no question why the Commission is singling out [...]
By Salvador Rizzo, washingtonpost.com, 7-23-26 The Justice Department agreed to withdraw subpoenas it issued to New York Times reporters after a federal judge sharply questioned the government’s demand that they testify before a grand jury about their reporting on security concerns with President Donald Trump’s new Air Force One jet. U.S. District Judge Arun [...]
By Eric Tucker and Jocelyn Noveck, APnews.com, 7-20-26 President Donald Trump’s administration sought phone records of several New York Times journalists and even those of some of their relatives, according to a motion unsealed July 20 – an unusually aggressive attempt to unmask the confidential sources of reporters who wrote about Trump’s Qatari-gifted Air [...]
By George Winslow, TVTechnology.com, 7-15-26 In a move that could fundamentally reshape the broadcast industry and usher in a wave of consolidation, the Federal Communications Commission will vote on Aug. 6 on an Order that repeals the FCC’s 39% national television multiple ownership rule. Chairman Brendan Carr announced the move in an op-ed in [...]
By InsideRadio.com, 7-9-26 The Trump administration intends to push forward with new advertising restrictions on the pharmaceutical industry. A notice has been issued saying that the Food and Drug Administration will move in the coming months to effectively eliminate the option for prescription drug advertisements broadcast through media such as radio or television…. Specifics of [...]
By Scott Nover, washingtonpost.com, 7-7-26 A federal judge on July 2 ruled in favor of The Washington Post, throwing out a $3.8-billion defamation lawsuit filed in 2023 by President Donald Trump’s social media company, Trump Media and Technology Group. U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber, who is based in Tampa, wrote in a summary docket [...]
By Perry Stein, washingtonpost.com, 6-23-26 The Justice Department took the extraordinary step of seeking to force reporters for The Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal to testify before a federal grand jury – but withdrew the subpoenas earlier this month after they were challenged by the news organizations, according to a Justice Department [...]
By Scott Nover, washingtonpost.com, 6-22-26 ABC viewers across the country are getting a message from the network: If you like your local stations, or “The View,” help us get the government off our back. ABC on June 22 launched an on-air campaign asking viewers to send comments to the Federal Communications Commission’s website pushing back [...]
By Winston Cho, HollywoodReporter.com, 6-10-26 All the talk about blocking Paramount’s $111-billion megadeal for Warner Bros. has mainly revolved around how the deal impacts competition and removes a buyer from the marketplace…. But it’s the news side of the equation that’s also at play when it comes to at least 10 states’ effort to [...]