Democratic FCC nominee Gigi Sohn’s recent answers to Senate Commerce Committee members’ follow-up questions from a Feb. 9 confirmation hearing (see 2201280066) are unlikely to dissuade ranking member Roger Wicker of Mississippi and other panel Republicans from pursuing a boycott of a future committee vote to advance her confirmation process, Senate aides and lobbyists told us. In responses released Tuesday, Sohn sought to counter GOP claims she wasn't sufficiently candid about whether she played a role as a board member for Locast operator Sports Fans Coalition (SFC) in securing a revised $700,000 settlement of broadcasters’ lawsuit against the shuttered rebroadcaster (see 2202220066).
The Wisconsin Assembly voted 59-37 Wednesday to send a comprehensive privacy bill (AB-957) to the Senate. In Florida, the House Judiciary Committee voted 13-4 to send HB-9 to the House floor despite Democrats voting no due to business concerns. The panel supported an amendment by sponsor Rep. Fiona McFarland (R) that would take a tiered approach to the bill’s private right of action (PRA). An industry-backed Utah privacy bill also advanced Wednesday.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel charged the Communications Equity and Diversity Council with drafting model policies for localities to adopt to prevent discrimination in the implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, she announced at the group’s second meeting Wednesday. The IIJA directs the agency to draft such policies, and the council will work “as an independent partner” with the FCC to do so, Rosenworcel said. The chairwoman's “urgent request” means the group will have to issue recommendations by July, said Dominique Harrison, chair of the CEDC’s Digital Empowerment and Inclusion Working Group. “We can’t afford to wait for the end of our charter to do this work,” said CEDC Chair Heather Gate.
A draft notice of inquiry would seek comment on rules the FCC should adopt to combat digital discrimination and process public complaints, if adopted during the agency’s March 16 commissioners’ meeting (see 2202220069). A draft Further NPRM would seek comment on resolving pole attachment and replacement disputes.
Public interest and consumer groups proposed that the FCC allocate revenue from future auctions to endow a Digital Equity Foundation to help close the digital divide. The groups announced the initiative on a webcast Wednesday, the day after FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel urged that some auction proceeds be used to pay for improved 911 (see 2202220057).
The alarm industry had outages after AT&T started shutting down its 3G network Tuesday, Connect America Chief Operating Officer John Brady told us Wednesday, speaking on behalf of the Alarm Industry Communications Committee (AICC). As expected, the FCC didn’t order a delay (see 2202180067). “Clearly the sunset has begun,” Brady said: “We have not been told by AT&T or given any of their plans yet, which is totally unfortunate.” The FCC and some members of Congress, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., are pressing the AT&T to provide more information, he said. AT&T and Schumer’s office didn’t comment.
Some 42 markets have access to ATSC 3.0 broadcasts, under 10% of the viewing public in the U.S., and just 3 million 3.0-capable TVs were shipped in the U.S. last year, said Digital Tech Consulting President Myra Moore, moderator on a Streaming Media Connect panel last week.
A financing arrangement between Standard General and Cox Media Group-owner Apollo Global Capital could lead to FCC scrutiny of Standard’s proposed $8.6 billion purchase of Tegna, said media brokers and industry analysts Tuesday. The deal would leave Apollo with a nonvoting interest in Standard. If regulators view Apollo’s interest as attributable, they could treat the transaction as a combination of Cox’s, Standard’s and Tegna’s stations, which would likely violate FCC ownership rules. “It’s not clear how that’s going to be accounted for at the FCC and the DOJ,” said S&P Kagan analyst Justin Nielson.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel asked Congress Tuesday to reauthorize FCC auction authority, set to expire Sept. 30, and allow the agency to use auction funds to pay for improvements to 911. Speaking at an event celebrating the 10th anniversary of FirstNet, Rosenworcel said “it’s time to do something similar for 911.” Rosenworcel conceded getting such legislation through Congress won’t be easy.
The FCC "has been working non-stop" to expand access to broadband with "a big assist from Congress," blogged Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel Tuesday. Commissioners will consider a notice of inquiry on digital discrimination, a rulemaking on pole replacement disputes, and a fourth round of connected care pilot program recipients during the agency's March 16 commissioners' meeting.