E.W. Scripps completed its $2.65 billion deal to buy Ion Media from Black Diamond Capital Management, divesting 23 stations to the newly formed Inyo Broadcasting as part of the transaction, it said in a news release Thursday. The FCC approved the deal Dec. 15, with no public notice of the approval issued after no petitions to deny were filed, a broadcast industry official told us. Scripps is holding on to 48 of the stations and plans to combine Ion’s content with its Katz networks and Newsy for a “full-scale national television networks business,” the release said. “Bringing our networks together with ION will create a formidable national television business focused on connecting with audiences and advertisers in the rapidly evolving media landscape,” said Scripps CEO Adam Symson in the release.
Commissioner Brendan Carr, among those in the communications sector condemning an outbreak of violence Wednesday afternoon in the Capitol, became one of the first FCC Republicans to say he believes Joe Biden is the next president. In an interview, Carr agreed with the statement that President-elect Biden will take office Jan. 20.
The draft NPRM on circulation about opening the 12 GHz band to 5G service has been added to the FCC's January agenda, per the sunshine agenda Wednesday evening. Also added are two public notices: one unveiling the first round of selections for the agency's Connected Care pilot program, and one seeking comment on competitive bidding procedures for a 2.5 GHz auction. It was expected that Chairman Ajit Pai might put 12 GHz NPRM and 2.5 GHz auction procedures on the agenda to assure a vote on them. Both were circulated last month. The Connected Care selections began in late December.
Defying some expectations, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai decided not to seek action on any items at the Jan. 13 commissioners’ meeting. Pai released an agenda today for the meeting, which lists five panels updating commissioners on various parts of the FCC’s work. The meeting will be Pai’s last as chairman.
The chief of the nation's capital city 911 system, Karima Holmes, has resigned and will stay on until after the inauguration of Joe Biden as president. Office of Unified Communications Director Holmes several days ago gave her resignation to District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and it was accepted, said OUC's spokesperson.
Bidding in the C-band auction is accelerating, hitting $40.3 billion as of midday today, per the FCC's Auction 107 public reporting system. That's nearly double the amount at the close of bidding Thursday. Today marks the 10th day of the auction, which began Dec. 8. It could eclipse the AWS-3 auction, which raised $45 billion in 2015 and become the largest spectrum auction in commission history.
Fox got some but not all of what it sought from FCC staff Friday afternoon. The company can keep WWOR-TV Secaucus, New Jersey, and the New York Post under a continued newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule waiver.
Thirty-plus states sued Google Thursday. Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Iowa, New York, North Carolina, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, the Dakotas, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Virginia were among them and the District of Columbia also signed on. They allege the company violated Sherman Antitrust Act Section 2.
Newly minted FCC Commissioner Nathan Simington was sworn in Monday morning, officially ending predecessor Mike O’Rielly's term. Simington was confirmed last week. The FCC tweeted that Simington was sworn in “moments ago” at 9:52 a.m. but didn’t immediately respond to requests for additional information about the nature of the ceremony. Former Commissioner Robert McDowell has said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai can administer the oath of office to new commissioners.
FCC commissioners approved an order clarifying that contractors working for federal, state or local governments, as well as local governments themselves, must obtain consumer consent before making robocalls under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The FCC also clarified that “federal and state government callers, when acting in an official capacity, are not subject to the prior consent requirements of the TCPA.” Commissioner Mike O’Rielly concurred. Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Geoffrey Starks approved in part and dissented in part.