By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 6-22-20 Broadcasters are pushing back on cable arguments that leased-access rules represent an infringement on cable's First Amendment rights, and for good reason. If broadcasters want to preserve their cable carriage mandate, which they definitely do in a world where most broadcast viewing is over cable and satellite [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 6-19-20 FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has signaled he is asking ISPs to extend a portion of their Keep Americans Connected pledge through the end of July, at least via deferred and extended payment plans, but is also supporting a legislative proposal to use taxpayer funds going forward. The [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 6-17-20 The FCC has resolved some major outstanding issues in its framework for a transition to the ATSC 3.0 broadcast transmission standard, which will allow for higher-definition pictures, targeted ads, interactivity and "broadcast internet." The FCC declined to allow vacant in-band channels to be used for ATSC 3.0 [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 6-16-20 Independent watchdog group Freedom House is slamming what it said is the Trump Administration's "unprecedented attack on press freedom," in this case an outlet funded by the government. Freedom House cites documents released under a FOIA request by the Knight First Amendment Institute that found that the [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 6-16-20 FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly told the Senate Commerce Committee June 16 that there continues to be a disconnect between the Department of Justice's approach to antitrust and the realities of the competitive video marketplace. For example, when negotiating settlements with TV stations over sharing competitively sensitive ad [...]
Participated with the Reporters Committee and 39 other media organizations and outlets in a letter to Denver officials urging them to take immediate, concrete steps to end the police arrests and attacks on credentialed and clearly identifiable journalists that occurred during civil protests. The letter makes the same legal arguments as similar letters sent [...]
Participated in an amicus brief (with the Reporters Committee and other amici) filed with the California Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, in Dababneh v. Lopez. This case concerns a defamation action brought by a member of the California State Assembly against a woman who accused him of sexual misconduct in a complaint to the [...]
Participated in an amicus brief (with the Reporters Committee and other amici) filed with the Arkansas Supreme Court in Jones v. Professional Background Screening Association. The brief focuses on the First Amendment right of access to court records and whether the release of certain records should be governed by Arkansas Supreme Court Administrative Order [...]
By John Eggerton, Broadcasting & Cable Online, 6-8-20 Comcast said it is committing $100 million to a multi-year effort to "advance social justice and equality. That comes as people across the country are demanding systemic change to systemic racism, brought to a head by the death of George Floyd. But the effort will extend beyond [...]
Participated in an amicus brief (with the Reporters Committee and other amici) filed with the Ohio Court of Appeals in Gibson Bros. v. Oberlin College. The case concerns a defamation lawsuit brought by a bakery against Oberlin College following a student protest that accused the bakery of engaging in racial profiling and discrimination. The [...]