Vermont’s comprehensive data privacy bill “creates an unnecessary and avoidable level of risk,” said Gov. Phil Scott (R) Thursday as he vetoed H-121. It was a win for tech industry opponents (see 2405300038) and a setback for consumer group supporters of the bill that would have made Vermont the first state with a broad private right of action (PRA). It's possible, however, for lawmakers to override Scott’s veto with a two-thirds vote in each chamber. Also Thursday, the Rhode Island legislature approved a privacy bill that consumer groups say is too weak.

Big mainstream demand for ATSC 3.0-enabled TVs is coming, but it's a couple of years out, with a lack of widespread consumer familiarity causing the delay, CTA Senior Director-Business Intelligence Richard Kowalski said Friday during the NextGen Broadcast Conference in Washington. CTA anticipates a big leap in set availability, starting in 2026. Meanwhile, broadcast and emergency alert system advocates talked about integrating ATSC 3.0 into the emergency alerts ecosphere.

FCC Commissioner Geoffrey Starks announces Flynn Rico-Johnson, former deputy chief of staff to Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., as policy adviser-wireless, space, and international issues … Project Liberty Institute names former Taiwan Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang as senior fellow … Manatt Phelps adds Mike Katz as a partner in its financial services practice; based in Manatt’s New York office, Katz will help lead the expansion of the firm’s blockchain capabilities ... Evolution Equity Partners, cybersecurity venture capital firm, promotes Aron Khurana to partner, in addition to his continuing role as head-investor relations.

Microsoft accepts “every finding” in the Department of Homeland Security’s report about a 2023 Chinese cyberattack against the company, President Brad Smith told the House Homeland Security Committee on Thursday.

The House Appropriations Committee continued debating Thursday afternoon the Financial Services Subcommittee’s FY 2025 funding bill, which increases the FCC’s annual allocation to $416 million and decreases the FTC’s annual funding to $388.7 million (see 2406050067). Communications policy lobbyists said panel Democrats might attempt removing riders from the measure that bar the FCC from using funding for implementing its net neutrality and digital discrimination orders, but they hadn’t sought votes on such amendments at our deadline.

Federal and industry officials raised concerns about the impact of pole attachments and replacements as states prepare for NTIA's broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program. In addition, make-ready processes and economic incentives can complicate efforts to expand high-speed internet -- and rules aren’t always enough, a panel of state officials said during a Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition symposium Thursday.

FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said Thursday that she circulated for a commissioner vote an NPRM seeking comment on further changes to rules for the citizens broadband radio service band. An FCC and NTIA agreement unveiled Wednesday on broader use of CBRS (see 2406120027) shows what's possible when you push the boundaries of how spectrum is shared, experts said Thursday during a discussion at the International Symposium on Advanced Radio Technologies (ISART) conference in Denver.

Sheba Microsystems https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20240611750148/en/Boxlight, interactive technology provider, names Dale Strang CEO; he was interim CEO since January ... Booz Allen taps Bill Vass, ex-Amazon Web Services, as chief technology officer, effective Monday ... Horizon3.ai, autonomous security provider, names Jill Passalacqua, ex-JumpCloud, chief legal officer ... Transmedia company Elf Labs hires screenwriter-director Alyse Rosenberg as senior vice president-content ... Aventi Group, product marketing agency, adds Healy Marketing Group founder Kate Loomis, also former Juniper Networks and Extreme Networks, as partner.

Shure executives briefed aides to FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Brendan Carr about spectrum needs of wireless mic users. The executives recently provided the same update for staff from the Office of Engineering and Technology and Wireless Bureau and the other three commissioners (see 2406050011). “We discussed the increasing demand for wireless microphone audio technologies … for professional users in the American music, theater, sports, broadcasting and film industries, among other sectors that rely on high-quality professional wireless microphone operations,” a filing posted Wednesday in docket 14-166 said: “It is more and more difficult to meet the wireless audio needs of professional productions and events in those industries.”

Kansas Commerce Department appoints Deputy Director-Broadband Development Joseph Le as interim director, Office of Broadband Development, during search to replace Jade Piros de Carvalho, reportedly ousted … Nexstar Media Group hires Amazon’s Lisa Taylor as senior vice president-digital advertising sales … Barracuda Networks hires former Check Point Software executive Geoff Waters, also ex-VMware, as chief revenue officer ... SolarWinds hires Actian CEO Lewis Black, also former Nexmo, AT&T, Lucent Technologies, Avaya and Citrix, as chief financial officer, effective in August, to succeed departing Barton Kalsu, remaining CFO through Aug. 15 and serving in an advisory capacity thereafter.