FCC To Tackle 27-year-old ‘Duplicative Programming’ Rules
Did you know that the FCC has a rule that limits the amount of duplicative programming commonly-owned radio stations in a market can air? The current version of these rules dates to 1992. The Commission's latest "modernization" effort could see a modification -- or outright ax -- of these regulations.
America’s Next TV Duopoly: Coming To Vermont
On Oct. 17, a LPTV deal involving a station serving towns in east-central Vermont received some outsized attention. The buyer is one of the biggest TV station owners in the U.S. Now, the seller is dealing a full-power station serving Burlington, creating a duopoly.
Walden’s Pond Will No Longer Involve Capitol Hill
Oregon Republican Greg Walden, Ranking Member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, will be leaving Capitol Hill come January 2021. In a video statement distributed Monday morning, he shared that he has declined to seek reelection, capping a 30-year career as a public servant.
Another Ransomware Attack Ravages A Radio Cluster
A new ransomware attack has disrupted the operations of a group of radio stations serving a bucolic region of the Pacific Northwest some two hours to the east of Portland, Ore. The stations' owner said via Facebook the problems began Tuesday, and continued into Thursday afternoon.
A Big Regulatory Win In D.C. For Charter Spectrum
The FCC has ruled that Charter Communications is subject to effective competition under the statutory local exchange carrier (LEC) test. As a result, local franchise authorities on the island of Kauai, in addition to 32 communities in Massachusetts, may not regulate basic-tier cable rates.
AT&T To Broadcast TV: Distant Signals Are Your Fault
If there ever was a more straightforward argument as to why STELAR should be reauthorized, it was this: hundreds of thousands of consumers will lose access to network television programming. Why? Broadcasters are to blame, and they're flush with millions in cash thanks to the retrans fees they collect, claims a top AT&T executive.
A STELAR Retrans Wrangling On Capitol Hill
"The World Series is on TV. I watched it last night," Sen. Jon Tester noted Wednesday during the Senate Commerce Committee's STELAR reauthorization hearing. But, at his Montana farm, the FOX station airing the games is "blacked out" on DirecTV. This set the stage for a lively debate on retrans consent failures.
Senators Get An Earful On STELAR Pros and Cons
One of the thorniest issues involving broadcast TV, the reauthorization of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act, was the main subject at a Senate Commerce Committee hearing held Wednesday on Capitol Hill. A Senate Commerce Committee hearing examining policy considerations for STELAR's continuation were front and center.
Pallone & Doyle Query Pai On Gray Duopoly OK
One day after the Third Circuit Court of Appeals squashed the FCC’s attempt to "modernize" its media cross-ownership rules, the Media Bureau approved Gray Television's request for a duopoly in South Dakota. This came 10 weeks after a DOJ OK. Even so, the two top Democrats on the House Energy & Commerce Committee are peeved at Ajit Pai.
ACA Connects Submits C-Band Filing on ‘CBA Deficiencies’
Pro-MVPD lobbying group ACA Connects on Monday filed an ex parte letter in the FCC’s C-Band proceeding that outlines what it believes are "major deficiencies" of the satellite industry’s C-Band proposals, as embodied in the filings and public statements of the C-Band Alliance.
A New ‘Direct’ Argument Arises From A Protracted Retrans Impasse
Eleven months after a retransmission consent fee impasse led DirecTV, by law, to drop an affiliate of The CW Network serving Southwest Florida, the station owner's president is questioning if DirecTV parent AT&T's support of a House Resolution is truthful or not.
Full Spectrum Of Channels Secured With Fox/Charter Deal
If you're a Spectrum subscriber in a market where Fox Corporation owns a local broadcast station, there's no worry over whether or not access to that station -- or any of Fox's cable TV networks -- will be blocked in the near future.
NPG Abandons A Missouri Monopoly Move
On April 4, one of the biggest transactions to result from the FCC's November 2017 party-line vote to eliminate its cross-ownership rules for newspaper and broadcast media and for radio and TV, respectively, was struck. On Tuesday, it was effectively killed.
A Respected Wall Street Analyst Slams CBS
CBS Corp. on Thursday filed an eagerly anticipated S-4 registration statement with the SEC. This document provides a bounty of details on the merger, and MoffettNathanson Senior Analyst Michael Nathanson gave it a good look. His assessment is one of incredulity.
Sinclair’s Direct Threat Ends With AT&T Retrans OK
Two weeks after DirecTV, U-Verse and AT&T TV NOW subscribers were faced with a "blackout" of all Sinclair Broadcast Group stations, any fear of further troubles between the TV station owner and DBS and MVPD service provider have now been squelched.