Changes at the Media Institute: Richard Kaplar steps down as president Jan. 31 after 44 years; the board elects Mike O’Rielly, former FCC commissioner, to replace him.
Laura Loomer, a podcaster widely seen as having the ear of President Donald Trump, endorsed the Nexstar/Tegna deal in a post on X late Tuesday, calling on FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to approve the transaction. Loomer denounced Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, who has been a vocal opponent of the deal (see 2508050051). Ruddy is a “selfish leftist” who “opposes both the Nexstar-Tegna merger and the proposed FCC ownership rule change,” Loomer wrote. His network is widely seen as one of the most conservative TV news channels. Many FCC watchers suspect that Trump’s connection with Ruddy led to the president’s recent post objecting to proposals to do away with the national TV-ownership cap (see 2511240055). Ruddy’s opposition to the deal “only empowers the left and their mainstream media allies, who can still control programming in America through ownership no matter who is in the White House or running the FCC,” Loomer said.
NTIA should look beyond the 2.7-2.9 GHz, 4.4-4.9 GHz and 7.25-7.4 GHz bands to midband spectrum above 7.4 GHz as it searches for spectrum to use for 6G deployments, wrote John Kuzin, Qualcomm's senior vice president of spectrum policy and regulatory counsel, in a blog post Tuesday. Mobile data demands are only going to grow and will require additional spectrum, he noted. If a particular band can't be shared, the FCC and NTIA should consider using auction proceeds to fund relocating the incumbents, who might be able to operate more effectively in less spectrum with equipment updates, he said.
The FCC released two items Wednesday on proposals from past World Radiocommunication Conferences. The full commission issued an order adopting proposals from WRC-15 -- which took place 10 years ago -- and an NPRM seeking comment on proposals from WRC-19. It’s not unusual for the FCC to take years to enact WRC proposals, said Scott Harris, managing partner of Crest Hill Advisors.
The House Communications Subcommittee plans a hearing Tuesday on the Next Generation 911 Act (HR-6505) and six other public-safety communications measures, the Commerce Committee said Tuesday night. The newly refiled HR-6505 would appropriate an undefined amount of funding for next-generation 911 tech upgrades for FY 2026-30. NG911 advocates have been pressing Congress to identify a new funding source after Republican lawmakers decided against allocating future spectrum auction revenue for the tech upgrades in the July budget reconciliation package (see 2507080065).
President Donald Trump jokingly questioned Wednesday how 6G will be an upgrade over previous wireless technologies during a roundtable with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and tech companies. “So you’re into 6G now?” Trump asked Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon. “I was a leader on 5G, getting that done [during his first administration], and now they’re up to 6. What does that do, give you a little bit deeper view into somebody’s skin? See how perfect it is? I like the cameras [in the old days]. Now they cover every little” detail. Trump suggested that wireless companies would soon enough begin to develop an additional 7G iteration “before 6[G] gets old.”
The FCC on Wednesday released its schedule of open meetings for 2026. The first one is set for Jan. 29.
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
An array of educational policy experts and parents lambasted what they see as an overly heavy reliance on technology in classrooms on Wednesday during an NTIA listening session. Administrator Arielle Roth said earlier this month that a focus of the agency is looking at issues related to excessive screen use in educational settings (see 512020015). The FCC's E-rate program was also criticized by multiple speakers.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida, lead GOP sponsor of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-979), acknowledged Tuesday night that the House’s timeline for passing the bill has slipped slightly but insisted that its leaders still plan to bring it to the floor for a vote soon. He and other backers of HR-979 and Senate companion S-315 had expected a fast-track House vote earlier this month on the measure, which would require the Department of Transportation to mandate that future automobiles include AM radio technology.