Republican lawmakers have begun taking sides publicly and behind the scenes in favor of a range of contenders to succeed departing GOP FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington as he prepared to exit the agency Friday afternoon (see 2506040073). Former Breitbart executive Steve Bannon, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, publicly endorsed Gavin Wax, Simington's chief of staff, for the role. Other officials and GOP insiders are eyeing different candidates as the agency enters an indefinite period with only two commissioners. Democratic FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks was also set to leave Friday, leaving the commission with a 1-1 partisan tie.

WideOpenWest names Audrey Glenn, formerly Carousel Consulting, its senior director of legal and regulatory affairs, as Kim Crooks, VP of regulatory affairs, retires … Charter Communications’ Spectrum promotes Adam Taylor to senior vice president of customer premises equipment engineering and operations, a new position … Network architecture firm Arrcus adds Madalina Suceveanu, Liberty Global, to its executive advisory board.

Increased crowding of low earth orbit and greater competition for lunar resources could drive multinational agreements on approaching space and assets there -- but not imminently -- according to a China space program expert. Kevin Pollpeter, the China Aerospace Studies Institute's research director, told the American Bar Association's space law symposium in Washington Thursday that such space resource agreements are a long way off. Space law experts said international harmonization of space regulations faces growing hurdles.

NASHVILLE -- State broadband officers said Wednesday that the best thing the Commerce Department and NTIA can do for them in the forthcoming BEAD guidance is allow states to be fast and flexible in how they get broadband infrastructure deployed. At the Fiber Broadband Association's annual trade show and conference, state officials expressed concerns that delays could chill ISPs' interest.

Changes at Hallmark Media: promotes COO John Matts to president, replacing Hallmark Cards President and CEO Mike Perry, who served as interim president since the start of 2024; Jessica Tasler Noble, ex-Hallmark Retail, becomes chief culture officer, replacing Sabrina Wiewel, who moves to Crayola Studios as executive vice president ... FOR-A America names Satoshi Araki, formerly FOR-A Corp., as IP product manager, a new position.

The Rural Wireless Association, Communications Workers of America and public interest groups asked the FCC to consider spectrum sales between UScellular and the three major wireless carriers together, rather than as separate transactions. “These transactions represent a significant restructuring of the mobile wireless market and effectuate the exit of UScellular as a mobile wireless carrier,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 25-150. The groups met with staff from across the FCC, along with Public Knowledge, New America’s Open Technology Institute and the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society.

The Phoenix Center said Tuesday that President Donald Trump's administration is proving to be more focused on regulating industry than he promised during his campaign last year. “A disturbing number” of Trump appointees “are refusing to heed his message, targeting technology firms with aggressive antitrust enforcements, regulations, and even the sorts of jawboning coercion used during the Biden Administration to curtail constitutionally protected private speech,” the center's new report said.

House GOP leaders are hoping to tee up votes next week on the Trump administration’s promised budget rescission proposal that would claw back CPB’s advance funding for FY 2026 and FY 2027 (see 2505280050), congressional aides and lobbyists told us Tuesday. Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins, R-Maine, told reporters that the White House had transmitted its rescission proposal to Congress on Tuesday, as expected (see 2506020056). Meanwhile, Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said Tuesday he’s filing legislation to codify President Donald Trump’s May executive order blocking CPB from distributing funding for PBS and NPR (see 2505020044).

NASHVILLE -- BEAD deployment activity will necessitate permitting reform at the federal, state and local levels, C Spire Vice President-Government Relations Chris Champion said Tuesday at the Fiber Broadband Association's annual conference and trade show. Agencies are aware “they are about to be bombarded” with applications, he said. Those permitting reforms must be paired with appropriations that allow agencies to staff up to handle applications, he said. Numerous other speakers echoed the call for permitting reform.

Brightspeed Chairman Michel Combes becomes executive chairman and acting CEO, replacing Tom Maguire, who retires as CEO and remains on board as adviser … Internet access and broadband fiber provider IsoFusion adds Mike Cannon, Cannon Companies, to its board … National Space Society names Macey Schiff, formerly DMFI, director-development.