The NFL defended its media distribution policy in meetings with the FCC as "the most fan- and broadcaster-friendly in the entire sports and entertainment industry." In a filing posted Wednesday (docket 26-45) to recap discussions with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's office and the Media Bureau, the NFL said it relies heavily on free, over-the-air broadcast TV as the main route of distributing its games. Its ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC contracts typically account for distribution of more than 87% of all NFL games, it said, and the 2025 season's position as the most-viewed since 1989 shows the success of the league's strategy.
The National Retail Federation issued a warning on the FCC's NPRM about rules that could mean regulated companies have to move more of their call center workers to the U.S. In a filing posted Wednesday in docket 26-52, the group said the FCC should move forward with caution on the NPRM, which commissioners approved 3-0 last month (see 2603260046).
Grain Management CEO David Grain met with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr about revisions that Grain and T-Mobile have made as they seek approval of their spectrum deal (see 2603270037). Waivers sought by the companies would allow a wider range of operators to use the 800 MHz band quickly for satellite direct-to-device operations, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 25-178. Grain and T-Mobile representatives made similar points in an earlier meeting with a Carr aide (see 2604090018). In the deal, announced last year, Grain hopes to buy T-Mobile's 800 MHz spectrum in exchange for cash and Grain's 600 MHz spectrum portfolio (see 2503210033).
A CTIA filing posted Wednesday recapped a meeting last week that CEO Ajit Pai and other top CTIA officials had with FCC Chairman Brendan Carr about the upper C band. Pai had mentioned the meeting during an event Tuesday (see 2604210037).
If Deutsche Telekom moves forward on a plan to buy the remainder of T-Mobile, it will need FCC approval, and President Donald Trump's administration is likely to try to impose requirements that are unrelated to U.S. wireless competition, New Street’s Blair Levin told investors Wednesday. Industry officials told us they see as credible reports that Germany’s DT is in the early stages of potentially buying the 48% of its U.S. subsidiary that it doesn’t already own. Bloomberg was the first to report the possible trans-Atlantic merger.
The Committee for the Assessment of Foreign Participation in the U.S. Telecommunications Services Sector told the FCC that it has no objections to Zayo’s proposed $4.25 billion acquisition of Crown Castle's fiber business (see 2503170042). Only FCC approval remains pending.
Communications Daily is tracking the below lawsuits involving appeals of FCC actions.
Ed Mortimer, NextNav's vice president of government affairs, said Wednesday that all indications point toward the current FCC being interested in moving forward on an NPRM that could clear the way for the proposed use of lower 900 MHz spectrum to enable a “terrestrial complement” to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT).
The FCC is seeking comment on the effectiveness of TV ratings from the TV Oversight Monitoring Board (TVOMB) and whether content that includes discussion of gender identity should be flagged, said a public notice Wednesday. "The industry guidelines that parents rely on are rating shows with transgender and gender non-binary programming as appropriate for children and young children" without specifically flagging that content, “undermining the ability of parents to make informed choices for their families.”
AT&T picked up 294,000 postpaid phone net adds in Q1, with a churn rate of 0.89%, it reported Wednesday, becoming the first of the major wireless carriers to release quarterly results. CEO John Stankey told analysts the numbers show that AT&T’s approach to serving its subscribers is working. He also said the carrier is happy with its progress in retiring aging copper lines.