Beasley Broadcast Q4 net revenue fell about 5% to $68.5 million from Q4 2019. That “primarily reflects a year-over-year decrease in commercial advertising revenue due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, partially offset by growth in digital, esports and political revenue,” the radio station owner reported Wednesday. “Esports allowed us to make lemonade out of lemons last year,” CEO Caroline Beasley told investors. Operating income was $19.6 million vs. $11.2 million, the result of lower operating and corporate expenses, lower impairment losses and a land sale, the release said. The Q4 “results reflect the ongoing recovery of our business,” said the CEO in a release. The company has continued to generate month-over-month revenue growth if political ads are excluded from the calculation, she said. Caroline Beasley expects revenue from events to “hopefully” begin returning at the end of 2021 and continue into 2022. She said the company is focused on digital and attracting new advertisers in the coming year.

Completing a review of the service outages caused by the Dec. 25 bombing in Nashville, which partially destroyed an AT&T central office (see 2012280048), is one of the FirstNet Authority’s “top priorities” this year, Chairman Tip Osterthaler told the authority's board Wednesday. The organization plans to make recommendations to AT&T on how to improve network redundancy, said the public safety network's CEO Edward Parkinson.

California’s net neutrality law still faces industry challenge after DOJ notified (in Pacer) the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California Monday that it moved to voluntarily dismiss the case (see 2102080059). Judge John Mendez soon afterward dismissed (in Pacer) and closed case 2:18-cv-02660, but not USTelecom, ACA Connects and other industry associations’ separate suit in case 2:18-cv-02684 before the same judge. Democrats applauded DOJ's withdrawing.

California’s net neutrality law still faces industry challenge after DOJ notified (in Pacer) the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California Monday that it moved to voluntarily dismiss the case (see 2102080059). Judge John Mendez soon afterward dismissed (in Pacer) and closed case 2:18-cv-02660, but not USTelecom, ACA Connects and other industry associations’ separate suit in case 2:18-cv-02684 before the same judge. Democrats applauded DOJ's withdrawing.

Few details are set in stone for CES 2022 with an event that's 11 months out, except for CTA’s public commitment to return to a physical show Jan. 5-8 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, CEO Gary Shapiro told Consumer Electronics Daily. “Nothing’s off the table,” said Shapiro, when we asked if CTA will limit show attendance to crowds smaller than the customary 170,000 or impose COVID-19 vaccine or testing conditions for landing a badge.

NTIA is developing a $1 billion Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program to provide grants for increasing broadband access on tribal lands, it announced Friday. Tribal advocates and governments sought more cooperation from federal agencies in recent weeks to expand broadband access (see 2101250036). NTIA held a virtual consultation with tribal leadership Friday and plans additional meetings Feb. 10 and 12 "to ensure that tribal input informs the new grant program" before the application process begins. The new program will provide funding for broadband deployment, including carrier-neutral submarine cable landing stations. It'll also fund free or reduced-cost broadband service, distance learning, telehealth, digital inclusion efforts and broadband adoption activities, and will prevent disconnection of existing services.

The new administration told a court overseeing the federal government's challenge to California net neutrality rules that the government wants to dismiss that case. As expected, DOJ notified U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California Monday "of its voluntary dismissal of this case," No. 2:18-cv-2660-JAM-DB. See here in Pacer.

The new administration told a court overseeing the federal government's challenge to California net neutrality rules that the government wants to dismiss that case. As expected, DOJ notified U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of California Monday "of its voluntary dismissal of this case," No. 2:18-cv-2660-JAM-DB. See here in Pacer.

The FCC should “educate eligible consumers" about Lifeline and national verifier program requirements to align “with key practices for consumer education planning,” GAO reported Thursday. It said the FCC “coordinated with state and federal stakeholders" on the NV, but “many eligible consumers are not aware” of Lifeline. Eight House Commerce Committee Democrats sought the probe in 2018, and the auditor agreed last year (see 2006100041). “Consumers may lack” awareness “because FCC’s consumer education planning did not always align with key practices, such as developing consistent, clear messages and researching target audiences,” GAO said. “While FCC originally envisioned tribal governments and organizations assisting residents of tribal lands with the Verifier, it has not provided them with quality information.” The report recommended the FCC “provide tribal organizations with targeted information and tools.” The FCC should “identify and use performance measures to track the Verifier’s progress in delivering value to consumers” and “ensure that it has quality information on consumers’ experience with the Verifier’s manual review process,” the audit recommended. “Ensure that the Verifier’s online application and support website align with characteristics for leading federal website design, including that they are accurate, clear, understandable, easy to use, and contain a mechanism for users to provide feedback.” GAO suggested the FCC “convert the Verifier’s online application, checklifeline.org, to a ‘.gov’ domain.” The current website includes the FCC’s logo, but “we found that it may not be easily recognizable by an average user, and we found no other indicator that USAC is working on behalf of the U.S. government." The FCC responded that Universal Service Administrative Co. is acting, including developing a “more comprehensive communications plan” in Q1. USAC plans improved tribal outreach this year, including a “Tribal-specific Lifeline webinar each quarter,” the FCC said: The General Services Administration agreed to convert the Lifeline application to a .gov domain “if we simply make the National Verifier a subdomain” of fcc.gov, “which is the path we intend to take.”

The FCC should “educate eligible consumers" about Lifeline and national verifier program requirements to align “with key practices for consumer education planning,” GAO reported Thursday. It said the FCC “coordinated with state and federal stakeholders" on the NV, but “many eligible consumers are not aware” of Lifeline. Eight House Commerce Committee Democrats sought the probe in 2018, and the auditor agreed last year (see 2006100041). “Consumers may lack” awareness “because FCC’s consumer education planning did not always align with key practices, such as developing consistent, clear messages and researching target audiences,” GAO said. “While FCC originally envisioned tribal governments and organizations assisting residents of tribal lands with the Verifier, it has not provided them with quality information.” The report recommended the FCC “provide tribal organizations with targeted information and tools.” The FCC should “identify and use performance measures to track the Verifier’s progress in delivering value to consumers” and “ensure that it has quality information on consumers’ experience with the Verifier’s manual review process,” the audit recommended. “Ensure that the Verifier’s online application and support website align with characteristics for leading federal website design, including that they are accurate, clear, understandable, easy to use, and contain a mechanism for users to provide feedback.” GAO suggested the FCC “convert the Verifier’s online application, checklifeline.org, to a ‘.gov’ domain.” The current website includes the FCC’s logo, but “we found that it may not be easily recognizable by an average user, and we found no other indicator that USAC is working on behalf of the U.S. government." The FCC responded that Universal Service Administrative Co. is acting, including developing a “more comprehensive communications plan” in Q1. USAC plans improved tribal outreach this year, including a “Tribal-specific Lifeline webinar each quarter,” the FCC said: The General Services Administration agreed to convert the Lifeline application to a .gov domain “if we simply make the National Verifier a subdomain” of fcc.gov, “which is the path we intend to take.”