By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-16-22 In a letter to Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan led by Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), a trio of senators called on the agency to flex its metaverse muscle to make sure children are protected from potential manipulation. “While some platforms state their VR devices should not be [...]

By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-16-22 Alan Davidson, head of the National Telecommunications & Information Association (NTIA), told Congress Wednesday that closing the digital divide was priority number one for the Biden Administration’s chief communications policy arm. That is according to his prepared testimony for a House Communications Subcommittee NTIA oversight hearing February 16.  [...]

By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-16-22 In another shot across the bow at Big Tech, Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) have teamed up on a new bill to protect children online, citing “Big Tech’s repeated failures to protect children & teens from serious dangers on their platforms.” The Kids Online Safety [...]

By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 2-15-22 The FCC and National Telecommunications & Information Administration have announced a new initiative to improve their coordination of spectrum management, including holding formal, monthly meetings between the agency heads and letting the agencies observe the other’s spectrum advisory arms. That comes after the two agencies have sparred over [...]

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 [...]