Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday apologized to the families of social media-related victims during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. As in previous hearings, the lawmakers vowed they would approve laws holding Big Tech more accountable for children's online safety.
Challenges are rolling into some states charged with distributing billions from NTIA’s broadband, equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, officials said during a Broadband Breakfast webinar Wednesday. Several officials said their states will be ready to start processes to dispute unserved or underserved locations as soon as NTIA approves volume one of their BEAD proposals. "A successful challenge process underpins the credibility of any state's entire BEAD program,” Kansas Office of Broadband Development Director Jade Piros de Carvalho said.
The FCC Precision Agriculture Task Force met Wednesday, welcoming new members and discussing the group's mandate as it kicked off its third and final term (see 2308210069). The commission gave it the task of identifying gaps in broadband availability on agricultural land, as well as providing recommendations for rapid deployment and data collection.
The FCC’s Nov. 20 order, published Jan. 22 in the Federal Register, purports to implement congressional “instruction” to facilitate equal broadband access under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but it gives the commission “unprecedented authority to regulate the broadband internet economy,” said the Ohio Telecom Association’s (OTA) petition for review Tuesday (docket 24-3072) in the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
As live sports content continues what many see as an inexorable move to streaming, traditional pay TV is left in an increasingly tighter spot and the future of such deals is in limbo, media and sports industry experts tell us. The future of sports league and team deals with broadcasters is seen as more stable. House Communications Subcommittee members at a Wednesday hearing repeatedly highlighted sports programming's move from traditional pay TV to streaming services, at times expressing frustration with rising prices and fragmented access to games. Testimony from DirecTV Chief Content Officer Rob Thun and other witnesses reflected earlier written statements that agreed the sports marketplace is in a state of flux (see 2401300078).
The Senate Judiciary Committee will seek support from Meta, X, TikTok and Discord for kids’ privacy legislation during Wednesday's hearing when their CEOs are scheduled to appear, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told reporters Tuesday.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel warned the FCC’s Disability Advisory Committee Tuesday that despite the FCC’s best efforts, the affordability connectivity program will run out of funding in April (see 2401250075). DAC approved a report from its Audio Description File Transmittal to IP Video Programming Working Group. The other four commissioners also spoke Tuesday.
Broadband experts and industry officials emphasized the need for coordination between ISPs and state broadband officials to ensure rural and hard-to-reach communities have affordable broadband access as NTIA's broadband, equity, access and deployment program continues moving forward. Panelists during an NTCA webinar Tuesday also encouraged ISPs to engage with community stakeholders and local officials, as required by BEAD, to craft effective digital equity plans (see 2401120004).
DirecTV Chief Content Officer Rob Thun, Scripps Sports President Brian Lawlor and Public Knowledge Legal Director John Bergmayer are staking out dueling positions on whether Congress should revisit retransmission consent legislation. In written testimony ahead of a Wednesday House Communications Subcommittee hearing, all three echo Puck News Sports Correspondent John Ourand in suggesting that the sports media marketplace remains in a state of flux but take a range of positions on whether that will make legislating more difficult in the short term. The hearing begins at 10:30 a.m. in 2322 Rayburn.
CTIA broke with some trade associations in urging FCC approval of a November proposal permitting schools and libraries to use E-rate support for off-premises Wi-Fi hot spots and wireless internet services (see 2311090028). Other industry groups questioned whether the FCC has authority under the Communications Act to expand the E-rate program as proposed in November (see 2401180033). Commissioners Brendan Carr and Nathan Simington dissented on the NPRM. Replies were due Monday in docket 21-31.