By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 5-2-19 A bipartisan bill to coordinate the deployment of broadband deployment and funding to areas in need and reduce overbuilding. NCTA-The Internet & Television Association is definitely on board. The Broadband Interagency Coordination Act is co-sponsored by Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, and [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 4-23-19 Newly minted Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg (pronounced "buddah-jedge") said that antitrust law "has begun to hit its limits" with regulating Big Tech, which may need shaking up or even breaking up. He said that law "was not designed to handle some of these tech companies." Buttigieg [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 4-10-19 The House voted Wednesday (April 10) 232 to 190 (with one Republican voting aye) to pass the Democrat-backed Save the Internet Act (HR 1644), which would restore FCC's Title II based rules against blocking, throttling and paid prioritization adopted under the previous, Democratic, administration, plus reinstate a [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 4-4-19 Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), author of the Children's Television Act, wants to extend and expand those regulations to better cover edge providers' kid-directed content as well. He is unveiling the bill Thursday (April 4) at the Truth About Tech Conference, sponsored by Common Sense, which has been [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 4-3-19 After over nine hours of debate, mostly failed amendments, and delays, legislation that would re-regulate internet access by reinstating the FCC's 2015 Open Internet Order's Title II-based net neutrality rules is on its way to a vote in the full House next week, where it is likely [...]
By Christopher Bing, Reuters, 3-30-19 Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg called on Saturday for regulators to play a “more active role” in establishing rules that govern the internet, as the world’s largest social media network struggles to defuse criticism. Zuckerberg, whose company is under pressure for failing to adequately police content and protect user privacy [...]
By Susan Svrluga, washingtonpost.com, 3-21-19 President Trump signed an executive order Thursday protecting freedom of speech on college campuses, surrounded by student activists who have said conservative views are suppressed at universities. Trump said he was taking “historic action to defend American students and American values that have been under siege.” The order does not, [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 3-19-19 Facebook has settled complaints and lawsuits with the ACLU, Communications Workers of America, and the National Fair Housing Alliance over allegations that its paid ad platform allowed for discrimination in employment, housing, and credit advertising. In addition to changes in the platform, Facebook has also agreed to [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 3-18-19 President Donald Trump has once again recommended phasing out federal funding for noncommercial TV and radio--comprising about 15% of noncom's total budget--but if recent past is any guide, he does not have enough support in Congress on either side of the aisle. The phase-out was part of [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 3-13-19 Broadcasters and movie studios rate the TV content ratings/guideline system as working quite well, pointing to "public surveys" over a decade that show lots of folks are using the guidelines and that the ratings get "consistently high marks for accuracy." They also say the ratings oversight board [...]