April 1 began in a rather ordinary way, even as mild April Fools’ pranks were seen at such radio stations as WBEN-FM in Philadelphia, which sped up its music so it could offer the most songs on the radio.
Then, with little warning, the 11am Eastern hour saw the arrival of a 20-page document that was far from a joke: The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously reversed the Third Circuit appeals court’s remand of the FCC’s 2017 cross-ownership rule rewrite.
On Twitter, former FCC Chairman Ajit Pai reacted, after posting a video of birthday boy Jimmy Cliff singing “The Harder They Come.” How prophetic. Weeks after stepping aside with the transition in power at the White House, Pai was victorious.
The acting Chairwoman of the FCC, Jessica Rosenworcel, also had something to say about the Supreme Court ruling. She struck a somber tone, illustrating just how divided the Commission is on media “modernization.”
