By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 11-17-20 The House has passed three bipartisan bills to strengthen communications networks, including one exploring whether to extend emergency alert mandates to the Internet and streaming services. H.R. 6096, the Reliable Emergency Alert Distribution Improvement (READI) Act of 2020, requires the FCC to "examine the feasibility of modernizing the [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 11-17-20 The National Association of Broadcasters has told the Supreme Court that the Third Circuit has been trying for most of two decades to regulate media ownership when the decision whether to regulate it or deregulate it is the FCC's job. It said the Supreme Court should restore the [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 11-17-20The Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee took its turn taking Big Tech to the woodshed in a hearing Tuesday (Nov. 17) entitled "Breaking the News: Censorship, Suppression, and the 2020 Election" that included threats of breaking up companies and/or heavily regulating them.Republicans have been focused on what they see as Silicon [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 11-16-20 The Senate Commerce Committee is marking up a bill this week (Nov. 18) that would expand the number of broadband suppliers eligible for $1 billion in funding to rip-and-replace suspect tech, like that of Huawei and ZTE. The bill, S. 4472, the Ensuring Network Security Act, amends that [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 11-16-20 With a likely Democratic FCC unlikely to start freeing broadcasters from local ownership restrictions, it is even more important for broadcasters to have the flexibility to flex their online, interactive muscles. If the Federal Communications Commission turns blue, as expected, the front-runners for chair are senior Democrat Jessica [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 11-11-20 As they transition to ATSC 3.0, the Next Gen TV transmission standard, broadcasters want the FCC to clarify/modify the TV station license framework for simulcasting to extend to multicast streams. The FCC is allowing stations to partner on distribution arrangements so that broadcasters can continue to deliver a [...]
Participated with the Reporters Committee and 22 other media organizations and outlets in a letter to the New York City mayor and law enforcement officials concerning the arrest of Chae Kihn, an independent photographer who was tackled by multiple NYPD officers, arrested, and charged with obstructing traffic in the lawful course of her reporting. [...]
Participated in an amicus brief (with the Reporters Committee and other amici) filed with the Circuit Court of Waukesha County, Wisc., in Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce v. Evers. This case concerns the Wisconsin Department of Public Health’s plan to release the names of businesses where at least two employees had tested positive for COVID-19. [...]
Participated with the Reporters Committee and 25 other media organizations and outlets in a letter to the Graham (N.C.) Police Department and Alamance County District Attorney’s Office urging that charges against reporter Tomas Murawski be dropped. Murawski was covering a demonstration for the Alamance News when he was forcibly arrested by Graham police officers [...]
By John Eggerton, Multichannel News, 11-2-20 Top House Energy & Commerce Committee Republicans want the Federal Trade Commission to crack down on what they said is misleading TV advertising by trial lawyers, ads they said could threaten the COVID-19 recovery. In a letter Monday (Nov. 2) to FTC Chairman Joseph Simons, the Republicans said [...]