Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, seemed during and after a Wednesday panel hearing to be eyeing an escalation of his long-simmering battle with DOD and its most vociferous congressional supporters, who oppose legislation mandating reallocation of spectrum bands for 5G use, which they say could impact military incumbents. Cruz touted his 2024 Spectrum Pipeline Act during the hearing as the preferred language for an airwaves title in a budget reconciliation package, as expected (see 2502180058). Some witnesses strongly praised Cruz's proposal. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., and many panel Democrats criticized it.
The Senate Commerce Committee said Wednesday night it plans a Feb. 19 hearing on spectrum legislative issues. Lobbyists expect panel Republicans will focus on party leaders’ proposals to move spectrum legislation as part of an upcoming budget reconciliation package (see 2501070069). House Communications Subcommittee Democrats said during a January hearing that they strongly object to using reconciliation as a spectrum vehicle because it would allocate future license sales revenue to fund tax cuts instead of telecom priorities (see 2501230064). “As our adversaries wage a war to control global communication networks, America’s spectrum leadership has become both an economic and national security imperative,” said Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas. “This hearing will expose how the ongoing lapse in [the FCC's] auction authority and the lack of a clear commercial spectrum strategy have cost America jobs and weakened our global standing.” Cruz indicated that he's tiring of DOD backers’ objections to repurposing portions of military-controlled bands, which was a major factor in stalled legislative talks during the last Congress. “We can no longer allow Pentagon bureaucratic inertia to hold back innovation and economic growth,” he said: “Restoring American leadership in spectrum policy means unlocking billions for job creation, domestic investment, and the federal resources needed to pay for a secure border and stronger military.” The hearing will begin at 10:15 a.m. ET in 253 Russell.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said Monday night that he has asked the Enforcement Bureau to “examine” claims made by Senate Commerce Committee member Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., last week about broadcasters circumventing the commission’s sponsorship identification rules ban on payola. Blackburn wrote Carr that “we have learned” broadcasters are pressuring musical artists to “perform ‘free radio shows’ -- also referred to as ‘listener appreciation shows’ or ‘charitable concert events’” in exchange for airtime. “There is often an implicit suggestion that declining to perform could result in reduced airplay,” Blackburn said. “This forced quid pro quo applies to essentially all artists,” and some “have told me that it is not unusual for them to perform anywhere from 10 to 50 such shows in any given year.” That “practice is exploitative and should not be tolerated,” she said: “Artists should not be extorted into providing free labor in exchange for airplay.” Carr said this “conduct hurts America’s songwriters [and] musicians,” and he plans to “provide an update” on the probe this week.
Senate Commerce Committee Democrats are already signaling that they're unlikely to give new NTIA administrator pick Arielle Roth a free pass through her confirmation process, particularly given their amplified doubts about how the agency-administered, $42.5 billion BEAD program will fare under Howard Lutnick, the commerce secretary nominee (see 2501290047). Several Senate Commerce Democrats are likely to vote against Lutnick at a Wednesday panel meeting, but lobbyists told us he is all but certain to advance to the floor with unified GOP support.
House Oversight Delivering on Government Efficiency (DOGE) Subcommittee Chairwoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., pressed NPR and PBS executives Monday to testify at a March hearing on “federally funded radio and television, including its systemically biased content.” Greene’s request followed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr’s call last week for the Enforcement and Media bureaus to investigate PBS and NPR member stations over possible underwriting violations (see 2501300065). President Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency advisory group has eyed NPR and PBS funder CPB as a potential target (see 2411220042).
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is “encouraged” that FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has asked the Enforcement and Media bureaus for an investigation of PBS and NPR member stations over possible underwriting violations (see 2501300065), a spokesperson emailed us Thursday night. Cruz’s “rigorous oversight” last year of NPR’s funding sources (see 2407230038) “has inspired continued attention to this matter,” the spokesperson said: He “has led the fight to end liberal bias in taxpayer-funded media” and “remains committed to conducting thorough investigations of taxpayer dollars being misused to fund liberal propaganda on public airwaves.”
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said Monday night that President Donald Trump is nominating panel Republican Telecom Policy Director Arielle Roth as NTIA's leader, as expected. Lobbyists had previously also tipped Roth as a top contender for former FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel’s seat but Trump nominated Senate Armed Services Committee Republican staffer Olivia Trusty for that role instead. Roth was previously a legislative aide to former Senate Commerce member Roy Blunt, R-Mo., O’Rielly’s wireline adviser and a Wireline Bureau legal adviser. She also had stints at the Hudson Institute and Federalist Society.
FCC Chairman Brendan Carr has asked the Enforcement and Media bureaus to investigate PBS and NPR member stations over possible underwriting violations, and he doesn’t think they should receive taxpayer funds, according to identical letters sent to the CEOs of those stations Wednesday. Attorneys told us the FCC hasn’t historically been very active in policing underwriting, and the agency’s Democrats said that the letters appeared to be an attempt to intimidate public broadcasters.
The Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) isn't likely to make much headway with the 119th Congress absent a major revamp, tech policy panelists said Wednesday at a Congressional Internet Caucus event, which also featured some panelists disagreeing on the FCC's role in cybersecurity enforcement.
Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo names to Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee: Reza Arefi, Apple; Andy Bater, American Farm Bureau Federation’s National Technology Committee; Donna Bethea-Murphy, Inmarsat; Mary Brown, Salt Point Strategies; Hilary Cain, Alliance for Automotive Innovation; Michael Calabrese, New American Foundation’s Wireless Future Project; Stephen Devine, APCO International; Thomas Dombrowsky, T-Mobile; Michele Farquhar, Hogan Lovells; Mark Gibson, CommScope; Kalpak Gude, Amazon; Tim Harrington, Ultra-Wideband Alliance; Carolyn Kahn, Mitre; Colleen King, Charter; Jennifer McCarthy, consultant; Amit Mukhopadhyay, Nokia Bell Labs; Karl Nebbia, Huntington Ingalls; Aspasia Paroutsas, Qualcomm; Louis Peraertz, Wireless Internet Service Providers Association; Brian Regan, Quadra Partners; Dennis Roberson, Illinois Institute of Technology; Andrew Roy, Aviation Spectrum Resources; Jesse Russell, incNetworks; Sanyogita Shamsunder, NextNav; Jeff Stewart, AT&T; Christopher Szymanski, Broadcom; Rikin Thakker, NCTA; Bryan Tramont, Wilkinson Barker Knauer; Jennifer Warren, Lockheed Martin; and Robert Weller, NAB.