By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-15-22 The FCC will hold a discussion on Feb. 22 branded “Connecting Black Communities: Federal, State, and Local Strategies for Closing the Digital Divide” and hosted by FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks. Closing that digital divide is one of the key stated goals of the Biden Administration and the FCC, [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-14-22 The White House trumpeted its broadband subsidy bonanza Monday (Feb. 14) in an event featuring Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel; Vice President Kamala Harris, who President Joe Biden put in charge of closing the digital divide; and senior adviser Mitch Landrieu, the broadband buildout czar. The milepost [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-11-22 Republicans and Democrats have teamed on two bipartisan bills that would help streamline the FCC’s vetting of satellite-delivered broadband systems looking to provide competition to wired ISPs as well as reach uneconomical-to-wire areas. Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) and Republican ranking member Cathy McMorris Rodgers [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-10-22 The FCC’s update of its political programming rules has been published in the Federal Register, which sets the effective date for broadcaster compliance. The FCC’s changes to the definition of “legally qualified candidate” will go into effect March 14. But not all the changes will kick in. The [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-10-22 The Senate Judiciary Committee has favorably reported the EARN IT Act to the full Senate, but with the agreement to work on some issues as it moves toward a floor vote. The Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies [EARN IT] Act would remove Section 230 liability [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-9-22 Federal Communications Commission nominee Gigi Sohn faced a strongly divided Senate Commerce Committee at the second hearing on her nomination to the agency’s open seat as the pushback from Republicans on her nomination continued. Democrats spent their time having her back while Republicans fired away over various issues. [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-8-22 The National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) has joined with others to call on Congress to pass the EARN IT Act, which would limit Big Tech’s immunity from liability for third-party content on websites. “Prosecutors are thrilled to once again support the EARN IT Act, a bill that would [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-8-22 Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel on Tuesday (Feb. 8) said an all-of-agency task force has been created to promote broadband equity, including by preventing deployment discrimination based on income, race, or other factors. The task force, promoted by the Biden infrastructure bill requirements, will be headed by [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2/7/22 Cable broadband operators are solidly behind a bill that could reduce the potential overbuilding power of some of the Biden Administration’s billions of dollars in infrastructure investment. Potential overbuilding is a big issue given the size of the broadband investment – about $65 billion – and the Administration’s [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-7-22 Weighing in on an issue close to the hearts and pocketbooks of cable and telecom broadband operators, Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) has called on new broadband subsidy czar Mitch Landrieu to push for more streamlined permitting processes. That came in a letter Feb. 7 [...]