Networking equipment manufacturer TP-Link Systems may be aiding the Chinese government in accessing and abusing American consumers’ data, said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) Monday as he announced an investigation into the company.
The FCC's October agenda will see commissioners tackling issues ranging from an NPRM on accelerating the ATSC 3.0 transition to loopholes in its covered equipment list, Chairman Brendan Carr wrote Monday. The agenda is particularly space-centric, he noted, saying in a speech Monday that the FCC remains "riddled with backwards-looking regulations" regarding space. Carr's blog also said the commission plans to vote at the Oct. 28 meeting on revisions to incarcerated people’s communications services rules, as expected (see 2510030047).
Providers are pushing back on a California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) proceeding that suggests regulating how much wireline and wireless carriers and ISPs can rely on portable generators to guarantee network resiliency. The proceeding, initiated this summer, asks about the right ratio of mobile generators to network facility sites to ensure system resilience, as well as where the mobile generators need to be stored to ensure that they're deployed in a timely fashion during disasters.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is warning Alphabet and its YouTube subsidiary that his office may take action if YouTube TV, a virtual MVPD, drops Univision from its basic streaming package. In a letter Tuesday to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai and YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, Paxton said the possible cancellation, planned for the same day, is "obvious retaliation for Univision's .... viewpoint diversity" and its hosting of a town hall event during President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign. "That was a laudable decision, and to the extent that YouTube TV is now using market power to punish it, such retaliation will not be tolerated," Paxton said. He also criticized YouTube for using Univision to solicit subscribers in its advertising, despite the looming cancellation.
A draft proposed decision by the California Public Utilities Commission would partially deny AT&T's request to relinquish its eligible telecom carrier (ETC) designation in the state. The commission will also conduct an investigation into AT&T's wire center regions currently served by Cox California Telecom and Time Warner Cable in several counties, as well as regions served by ConnectTo and Consolidated Communications. Commissioners will consider the item during the agency's Oct. 30 meeting.
Paramount Skydance appoints Makan Delrahim, formerly Latham & Watkins, as chief legal officer, effective Oct. 6, replacing acting Chief Legal Officer Stephanie Kyoko McKinnon, who will continue as general counsel ... Comcast names Sonya Callahan, ex-Comcast Business, regional vice president of residential sales and marketing for its Heartland region, replacing Michelle Muniz, who becomes vice president of sales and marketing in the company's California region ... Salem Media Group promotes Linnae Young to chief revenue officer and Jamie Cohen to chief digital officer, a newly created position … Washington state's Utilities and Transportation Commission names Michael Furze, formerly U.S. Department of Energy, as policy director, effective Oct. 1, replacing interim Policy Director Amy Andrews, who will serve as an analyst ... Leroy Williams, ex-Optimum, joins the advisory board of TechSee, a telecom customer service technology supplier.
The FCC is getting comments from consumers who don’t want the agency to speed up the retirement of copper networks, arguing that wireless connections aren’t a suitable alternative. Comments were posted Thursday in docket 25-208. In July, commissioners approved an NPRM on ways to accelerate copper retirements (see 2507240048).
House Oversight Committee ranking member Robert Garcia of California and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee ranking member Maxwell Frost of Florida on Wednesday expanded panel Democrats’ investigation into ABC's temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! (see 2509180055) to also probe why Nexstar Media Group is continuing to preempt the show following its return to air. The committee Democrats’ investigation already also included Sinclair, which continues to preempt Kimmel as well (see 2509230051). Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and three other Democratic senators pressed Nexstar and Sinclair earlier this week on the matter.
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
Nexstar said Tuesday it would join Sinclair in continuing to preempt Jimmy Kimmel Live!, despite the show's return to ABC's lineup starting Tuesday night, while FCC Chairman Brendan Carr continued to insist on social media that he didn't cause Kimmel’s suspension.