House leaders intend to hold a floor vote on the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-979) in early December, lead sponsor Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., and National Religious Broadcasters CEO Troy Miller separately confirmed to us. HR-979 and Senate companion S-315 would require the Department of Transportation to mandate that future automobiles include AM radio technology, mostly affecting electric vehicles. Supporters are optimistic that House passage of HR-979 could increase momentum for the measure, as that would represent the first time the lower chamber has cleared the legislation. The House Commerce Committee advanced HR-979 in September (see 2509170068), while the Senate Commerce Committee advanced the slightly different S-315 in February.

EchoStar faces litigation from two tower companies over lease agreements from the now-ended nationwide wireless network buildout by its Dish Wireless subsidiary, but few if any other tower company suits are likely, said Ken Schmidt, president of Steel in the Air cell tower lease consultancy. American Tower and Crown Castle represented the vast bulk of Dish's wireless network deployment, and have substantially more to lose than other tower companies, Schmidt added.

The outlook for the citizens broadband radio service band appears uncertain, with some wireless carriers looking at the spectrum for full-powered licensed use and CBRS advocates defending it as an important band for sharing and unlicensed use. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has had little to say about CBRS since he took over the helm at the commission.

Children’s Health Defense (CHD) urged the FCC to back off its review of how the commission can further reduce wireless red tape and instead address the Environmental Health Trust’s August RF safety petition (see 2508070032). The group's filing came as the FCC is hit with hundreds of submissions -- ahead of any comment deadline -- opposing changes in a wireless infrastructure NPRM that commissioners approved at September's meeting.

Three House Commerce Committee Democratic leaders pressed NTIA Administrator Arielle Roth on Tuesday to follow “the letter” of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as the agency rolls out funding from the $42.5 billion BEAD program, citing “significant concerns” about the Trump administration's implementation of the initiative. They in part objected to President Donald Trump's draft proposal to require NTIA to potentially curtail non-deployment BEAD funding for states that the administration determines have AI laws that are overly burdensome (see 2511200057).

The FCC on Tuesday released the three items teed up for commissioner votes at the next meeting Dec. 18, led by another FCC attack on illegal robocalls and unsecure networks, possibly with Chinese ties. Commissioners will also take up low-power TV (LPTV) and TV translator rules. The December agenda is much lighter than those in recent months (see 2511240045).

The two major differences between the draft and final versions of the FCC's NPRM on rules for an upper C-band auction were questions about a potential tribal window for the spectrum and about future satellite and other uses. Commissioners approved the notice 3-0 at Thursday's meeting (see 2511200046), where the changes were discussed. The final NPRM was posted in Monday’s Daily Digest.

FCC General Counsel Adam Candeub faced some tough questions as he defended the agency's order establishing a regime that's designed to promote use of the 4.9 GHz band by giving the FirstNet Authority access to the spectrum (see 2509160005). A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard oral argument Monday.

Sinclair made an unsolicited offer to buy all outstanding shares of E.W. Scripps in a deal that it said could proceed under existing broadcast-ownership rules, according to an SEC filing Monday. “We are confident that under existing rules, including the national cap, the transaction can be completed in a timely manner with limited select divestitures,” the company said in the filing. The proposal includes provisions “to reinforce the combined company’s journalistic independence.”

A social media post by President Donald Trump on Sunday condemning proposals to do away with the national cap on TV station ownership drew a flurry of responses Monday from NAB, Nexstar CEO Perry Sook and Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy, who wants the cap to remain in place. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has been widely seen as likely to do away with the cap, but he has also been clear about his deference to Trump. “If this would also allow the Radical Left Networks to ‘enlarge,’ I would not be happy,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “ABC & NBC, in particular, are a disaster - A VIRTUAL ARM OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY. They should be viewed as an illegal campaign to the Radical Left. NO EXPANSION OF THE FAKE NEWS NETWORKS. If anything, make them SMALLER! President DJT.”