The FCC Wireline Bureau said Tuesday that after further study, the agency has again continued the two remaining Stir/Shaken implementation extensions. They cover providers that can't obtain the service provider code token necessary to participate in the Stir/Shaken framework and small voice service providers that originate calls via satellite using North American Numbering Plan numbers, the bureau said.
The United Church of Christ's Media Justice Ministry asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to review the FCC’s recent controversial changes to rules for incarcerated people's communications services, which commissioners approved 2-1 in October (see 2510280045). UCC seeks review on the grounds that the latest order is “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, and otherwise contrary to law within the meaning of the Administrative Procedure Act.”
The Center for American Rights kicked off an online campaign Monday supporting the elimination of the broadcast TV ownership cap and targeting the Senate Commerce Committee's FCC oversight hearing Wednesday. In an interview, CAR President Daniel Suhr told us he bases the group’s FCC filings on President Donald Trump’s social media posts and public comments. He added that CAR’s focus on media resonates with conservatives and has raised its profile, increasing donations to the organization.
The FCC Enforcement Bureau's 2025 equal employment opportunity audit letters sent to 27 randomly selected MVPDs contain the same new diversity questions that were added to letters sent to broadcasters earlier this year. Attorneys have described the new questions as “landmines” because the precise nature of the response expected by the agency is unclear (see 2508220035). While previous EEO audit letters asked stations for information on any complaints about “unlawful discrimination” involving the station brought before government entities, the new questions seek information on both internal and external complaints. The questions also go beyond unlawful discrimination related to race, sex, religion and national origin and ask about complaints related to “any bias, sensitivity or any other matters” related to those categories. The letters also tell targeted MVPDs to submit copies of “any formal or informal agreement, contract, policy, practice, or other document that impose requirements or goals (aspirational or otherwise) regarding race, color, religion, national origin or sex on the Unit, contractors, employees or any third parties providing services on behalf of the Unit.” The audit targets include Comcast, Charter, Cox, Cincincatti Bell and Mediacom. Responses to the letters are due Jan. 26.
The Senate voted 75-22 Thursday on a motion to proceed to the House-passed compromise version of the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (S-1071) that omits Senate-passed language from its earlier NDAA version (S-2296) that would have given the DOD and Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman authority to essentially veto commercial use of the 3.1-3.45 and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands (see 2512080055). The House’s original NDAA version (HR-3838) didn't include similar language. The compromise NDAA also omits language to preempt states’ AI laws amid GOP divisions on that issue (see 2512030038). The House passed S-1071 312-112 Wednesday.
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis of Florida, lead GOP sponsor of the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act (HR-979), acknowledged Tuesday night that the House’s timeline for passing the bill has slipped slightly but insisted that its leaders still plan to bring it to the floor for a vote soon. He and other backers of HR-979 and Senate companion S-315 had expected a fast-track House vote earlier this month on the measure, which would require the Department of Transportation to mandate that future automobiles include AM radio technology.
Comments are due Jan. 5, replies Feb. 3, on the FCC’s NPRM on call branding (docket 17-59), said a public notice Monday. The NPRM, approved in October, seeks comment on proposed rules on caller ID and on requiring labels for calls that originate outside the United States (see 2510280024).
Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons implied during an appearance Friday at the White House press briefing room that President Donald Trump would support the American Music Fairness Act (HR-861/S-326) if Congress passes it. The measure would levy a performance royalty on stations playing music on terrestrial radio. HR-861/S-326 is “a bipartisan bill that will get passed because [Trump] is very pro-artist,” Simmons told reporters. “America invented the music of the world in the first place, [but] we’re letting our artists” not get paid royalties for terrestrial radio transmissions of their music. Simmons was at the White House in conjunction with Trump’s planned presentation Sunday of the original lineup of Kiss musicians as Kennedy Center Honors recipients.
Comments are due Jan. 5, replies Feb. 3, on the FCC's caller ID NPRM, approved by commissioners unanimously in October (see 2510280024). The NPRM seeks comment on a number of issues, including whether to require terminating voice service providers to send verified caller name information to the called party when they transmit call authentication information and whether to require that originating voice service providers verify caller identity information, said a notice for Friday's Federal Register. It also seeks comment on requiring providers to use rich call data to transmit verified caller names on IP networks.