The draft FCC hearing designation order for an administrative law judge hearing on issues involving some proposed divestitures in Sinclair's planned buy of Tribune is getting majority support from commissioners, we're told. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said she voted to OK the HDO, shortly after Chairman Ajit Pai announced he had circulated it. Commissioner Brendan Carr also is voting yes, an official said.
President Donald Trump chose Judge Brett Kavanaugh, 53, of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Monday night to be his nominee to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the Supreme Court.
For Disney's $71.3 billion deal to buy much of 21st Century Fox, DOJ said it would require the would-be acquirer to divest 22 regional sports networks. In a settlement agreed to by Disney, the Antitrust Division filed suit Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Justice announced. "To streamline agency clearance, Disney agreed to divest the 22 RSNs rather than continue with the Antitrust Division’s ongoing merger investigation." Smaller cable operators and others recently said they were concerned about such RSN concentration.
Former FCC chairmen heralded Apple's Monday announcement it will include RapidSOS technology in iOS 12 to quickly send more accurate location information to 911 call centers, which National Emergency Number Association President Rob McMullen said will accelerate next-generation 911 deployment. It's "a very significant announcement heralding a material shift forward in emergency response capabilities,” former FCC Chairman Dennis Patrick, an adviser to RapidSOS, told us. “The FCC has itself estimated that enhanced location information accurately and immediately communicated can save up to 10,000 lives annually.”
AT&T's planned $108.7 billion purchase of Time Warner got the green light Tuesday from U.S. District Judge Richard Leon of Washington. as he ruled in favor of the companies in rejecting DOJ's antitrust complaint seeking to block the deal. Leon announced his decision this afternoon to a packed courtroom.
Geoffrey Starks will be nominated by President Donald Trump to be a commissioner, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said. The elevation of the Enforcement Bureau assistant chief has been expected, and he would succeed outgoing Commissioner Mignon Clyburn. Starks would serve the rest of a five-year term ending June 30, 2022, said a White House announcement forwarded to us from a Senate official. Other FCC members offered endorsements and encouragement as well (here, here and here.)
The Senate voted 52-47 Wednesday to pass the Congressional Review Act resolution aimed at reversing the FCC order to rescind 2015 net neutrality rules (Senate Joint Resolution-52), as expected.
Sprint and T-Mobile agreed to combine in a deal that would see the resulting wireless carrier take the T-Mobile name and be under some of that company's leadership. Foes of consolidation are likely to oppose the deal at the FCC and perhaps at DOJ, too, they told us Sunday immediately after the transaction was disclosed. The companies said in a statement that joining would help them roll out 5G: "Neither company standing alone can create a nationwide 5G network with the breadth and depth required to fuel the next wave of mobile Internet innovation in the U.S. and answer competitive challenges from abroad."
A full slate of FTC nominees “cleared the hotline” process on the Senate Republican side by Thursday afternoon, indicating members of that party wouldn't oppose confirmation under unanimous consent, Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., told us. A day earlier, the Senate Commerce Committee advanced on a voice vote Democratic FTC nominee Rebecca Slaughter. Commerce forwarded the other nominees in February: Joseph Simons, whom President Donald Trump plans to name chairman; Rohit Chopra; Noah Phillips; and Christine Wilson.
The Senate confirmed all five of President Donald Trump's FTC nominees Thursday evening under unanimous consent. The nominees include antitrust lawyer Joseph Simons, whom Trump plans to designate chairman. The others are former Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Assistant Director Rohit Chopra; Noah Phillips, aide to Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn, R-Texas; Rebecca Slaughter, former chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; and Delta Air Lines' Christine Wilson.