PBS CEO Paula Kerger and NPR CEO Katherine Maher argue in written testimony posted Tuesday -- ahead of a Wednesday hearing of the House Oversight Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee -- that their news content remains unbiased, and they urge lawmakers against cutting the public broadcasters’ federal subsidies. The hearing, set to begin at 10 a.m. in HVC-210, is happening against a backdrop of growing GOP criticism of public broadcasters (see 2503200058). Some congressional leaders are interested in requiring the outlets to provide assurance that they will transmit neutral content before Capitol Hill gives them more money (see 2503210040).
On the eve of a key U.S. Supreme Court case concerning the USF's future, FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said questions remain about the program's survival. How USF is paid for has to change, Carr told a Free State Foundation conference Tuesday. He also said he supports President Donald Trump's dismissal of Democratic commissioners at the FTC.
Deceptive negative-option contracts -- where consumers pay monthly for a subscription unless they opt out -- are ballooning, despite regulators' efforts, backers of the FTC's "click-to-cancel" rule told the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday. NCTA and others are challenging the rule (see 2411220029). Last week, amicus briefs were filed for both sides in docket 24-3137.
Questions from judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit appeared particularly pointed Monday, aimed at T-Mobile lawyer Helgi Walker of Gibson Dunn, as the court heard the carrier’s challenge of an $80 million FCC fine for allegedly not safeguarding data on customers' real-time location (see 2502190029). T-Mobile was also fined $12.2 million for violations by Sprint, which it later acquired.
A few tweaks are expected to the two wireless items to come before FCC commissioners Thursday at their open meeting, said industry officials active in the proceedings. The items are a notice of inquiry about a wide range of possible alternatives to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) and a draft Further NPRM on 911 wireless location accuracy. The GPS NOI saw numerous ex parte filings seeking tweaks, with only CTIA seeking changes to the location accuracy notice.
Grain Management will buy all of T-Mobile's 800 MHz spectrum in exchange for cash and Grain's 600 MHz spectrum portfolio, the companies announced Thursday night. Grain confirmed it plans to make the spectrum available “to U.S. utilities to support mission-critical communications, improve grid resilience, and enhance emergency response capabilities.”
Despite numerous signs that big changes are ahead for BEAD, states will likely stay the course on their programs and should, broadband consultants and others told us. The only smart play is for states to stay in close contact with NTIA and try to figure out what to expect, several said. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said earlier this month that a review of BEAD rules was underway (see 2503050067), and the former head of the program, Evan Feinman, predicted rules changes were coming from the Trump administration (see 2503170045). Commerce didn't comment.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Friday that the FCC won’t approve mergers and acquisitions for companies with diversity, equity and inclusion policies, according to Bloomberg. He also met with a conservative influencer Wednesday who has been involved in online campaigns against corporate diversity policies.
GOP leaders on the House Appropriations and Oversight subcommittees said in recent interviews that they want public broadcasters to demonstrate that they're addressing claims of pro-Democratic Party bias in their content before lawmakers will consider giving NPR and PBS more federal funding. Capitol Hill Republicans have scrutinized public broadcasters over bias claims since mid-2024 and amplified efforts to end their federal funding since getting unified control of the White House and Congress in January. House Oversight’s Delivering on Government Efficiency Subcommittee plans to press NPR and PBS leaders on Republicans’ bias concerns during a Wednesday hearing (see 2503200058), which is likely to become a showdown on the funding issue.
The recent Mobile World Congress came at “a critical juncture” for the wireless industry, said Prakash Sangam, principal of Tantra Analyst, during a Wireless Communications Alliance webinar Thursday. CTIA Chief Technology Officer Tom Sawanobori cited AI as another prominent theme at the GSMA's trade show in Barcelona earlier this month.