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 [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

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. [...]

By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 12-23-20 Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), fresh off the passage of his bill that would make illegal streaming a felony in some cases, has introduced a discussion draft of major copyright reform legislation that has computer companies fuming and studios gently applauding. “The Motion Picture Association commends Senator Tillis and his [...]