Jones Day’s Yaakov Roth, husband of NTIA nominee Arielle Roth (see 2502040056), also represents Maurine and Matthew Molak in their challenge in the 5th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals of a 2023 FCC declaratory ruling (docket 23-60641) clarifying that Wi-Fi on school buses is an educational purpose eligible for E-rate funding (see 2411040061).
NAB pushed back Tuesday night against claims from Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., that broadcasters are using demands for free concerts to circumvent the FCC’s sponsorship identification rules ban on payola. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Monday he asked the Enforcement Bureau to “examine” Blackburn’s claims (see 2502040062). NAB is “not aware of any specific complaint against any station or stations along” the lines of what Blackburn is describing, a spokesperson told us. “Those complaints are what trigger enforcement investigations. If anything, the most notable aspect of [Blackburn’s] letter is that it confirms the enduring promotional value of local radio, which listeners value greatly. We look forward to working with the Senator should any concrete issues arise.”
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
The FCC is investigating Audacy’s KCBS San Francisco over the station’s broadcasting of locations and identifying details of vehicles involved in an undercover Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation in January, according to a Fox News report that quotes FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, acknowledged Wednesday that newly announced NTIA administrator nominee Arielle Roth may draw panel Democrats’ ire during her confirmation process over potential changes from the Trump administration and Congress to the $42.5 billion NTIA-administered BEAD program. Senate Commerce advanced commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick to the floor 16-12 Wednesday, as expected (see 2502040056), against near-uniform Democratic opposition aimed in part at his positions on BEAD. The panel also cleared a revised version of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (S-315) and three other tech and telecom bills: the Rural Broadband Protection Act (S-98), Insure Cybersecurity Act (S-245) and Kids Off Social Media Act (S-278).
The FCC opened a docket on the news distortion complaint against CBS, and both the FCC and CBS have released the unedited transcript of the 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Editing of the interview is also the subject of a suit that President Donald Trump brought against the network.
CTIA hopes the Donald Trump administration will continue the spectrum studies launched under the national spectrum strategy, though potentially with tweaks to account for earlier studies, said Doug Brake, CTIA assistant vice president-policy communications, during a Broadband Breakfast webinar Wednesday.
Legal experts expect President Donald Trump will use the Congressional Review Act process to reject regulations approved under President Joe Biden. The legal experts spoke Wednesday during an FCBA continuing legal education event.
New FCC Chairman Brendan Carr laid out an aggressive agenda for his first meeting as chair, with two items on future spectrum auctions, including a look at the upper C band. The FCC will also tackle wireless emergency alerts and robocalls and ways of strengthening the call-blocking capabilities of carriers. In addition, commissioners will consider an NPRM on the volume of broadcast commercials.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr names Jay Schwarz, Space Bureau chief, replacing Julie Kearney; Adam Jackman, formerly House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, director-strategic communications, Office of Media Relations ... GSMA names Marc Murtra, Telefonica, to its board, effective immediately, replacing Jose Maria Alvares-Pallete, who left Telefonica; deputy chair Gopal Vittal, Bharti Airtel Group, becomes acting chair, replacing Alvares-Pallete … Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday promotes Darryl Lawrence, assistant consumer advocate, to interim consumer advocate ... River Advisers promotes Alexis Martin, chief consulting officer, to CEO ... North American numbering plan administrator Somos names Shannon Donohue, Proximus Global, to its advisory board … Cato Networks taps Karl Soderlund, ex-Zscaler, as global channel chief, replacing Frank Rauch, retiring … Waxman Strategies names Sarah Morris, formerly NTIA, as managing director and leader-technology practice, new post … The Computer & Communications Industry Association appoints Karina Perez, ex-Aerospace Industries Association, as director-Space and Spectrum Policy Center, new post; Megan Stokes, formerly ACE-AFSCME, as state director, replacing Khara Boender; and Aneysha Bhat, ex-Small Business Association, as senior manager-federal affairs, new post.