By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 1-9-21 FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who is exiting the Commission Jan. 20, said his reforms of the agency since taking over in 2017 have fundamentally changed the FCC for the better. In a virtual address to the Free State Foundation, Pai took something of a victory lap, outlining the [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 1-8-21 FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said he is not planning on issuing a rulemaking on Section 230 before he exits the Commission Jan. 20. He also said of the violence at the Capitol this week that it was a "terrible mistake" for the president to suggest the results of [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 1-6-21 If Democrats have their way, and holding majorities in the House and Senate and with their team in the White House, the careening of net neutrality rules between the courts and FCC could stop, but with legislation that establishes broadband access as a Title II service subject to [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 1-5-21 FCC Chairman Ajit Pai drew a sharp distinction between how the previous Democratic administration treated China and the current one when it comes to communications equipment and networks. That came in remarks at "A Conversation with FCC Chairman Ajit Pai" web event at the Center for Strategic and [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 1-4-21 The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau is seeking input on how to hand out over $3 billion in new broadband benefits created by Congress in the recently passed package of appropriations and COVID-19 aid funds. The $3.2-billion Emergency Broadband Benefit Program was created to help low-income households access the [...]
FOR RELEASE: January 2, 2021 Contact: Richard T. Kaplar The Media Institute 703-243-5700 Arlington, Va., January 2, 2021 – Media Institute President Richard T. Kaplar issued the following statement on the passing of Richard Bates of The Walt Disney Co.: “Richard Bates was a valued member of The Media Institute’s Board of Trustees from [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 12-30-20 Senator Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) signaled Dec. 30 that the Senate would not be voting on the House-passed Bill (H.R. 9051) providing $2,000 COVID-19 relief check – a figure suggested by President Trump – essentially adding the poison pill of Sec. 230 to any vote on such relief, something Democrats [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 12-29-20 Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said that this week the Senate "will begin a process" of bringing the priority of reviewing and potentially revising Sec. 230 "into focus." That came in his opening remarks on the Senate floor Dec. 29 as the Senate prepared to vote Dec. 30 [...]
Participated in an amicus brief (with the Reporters Committee and other amici) filed with the European Court of Human Rights in Biancardi v. Italy. The case involves the “right to be forgotten,” which gives users the ability to request that search engines de-list or de-index search results on the basis of a person’s name. [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 12-23-20 As promised, President Trump has vetoed the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, a massive defense policy bill that he had opposed for, among other things, that it did not include amendments that would have taken aim at social media's Sec. 230 immunity from civil liability over third-party content moderation. [...]