Commissioner Mignon Clyburn remains at the FCC a month after she announced she was leaving (see 1804170056), in a move some FCC watchers said is unusual for departing members. She has stopped participating in monthly open meetings and wasn’t at the May 10 meeting. Yet she remains a commissioner and has continued to vote on some items on circulation, FCC officials said. Clyburn had an FCC goodbye party (see 1805070036) yet she continues making other public appearances.
In what some called an unusual move, FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly used the agency's blog Friday to defend each of the commission's media regulations under Chairman Ajit Pai against criticism that such actions are benefiting Sinclair. Recounting a trip last week to the Pearl TV-led ATSC 3.0 model-market project in Phoenix (see 1805090082), O'Rielly fleshed out his view that the Pai-led commission isn't trying to help only Sinclair, but broadcasters overall when circumstances dictate.
Commissioner Mignon Clyburn remains at the FCC a month after she announced she was leaving (see 1804170056), in a move some FCC watchers said is unusual for departing members. She has stopped participating in monthly open meetings and wasn’t at the May 10 meeting. Yet she remains a commissioner and has continued to vote on some items on circulation, FCC officials said. Clyburn had an FCC goodbye party (see 1805070036) yet she continues making other public appearances.
It’s unlikely that Sinclair's buying Tribune would be approved on FCC staff delegated authority rather than go before the full commission, industry lawyers and ex-officials said in interviews. Delegating such a highly scrutinized deal to the bureau would look bad politically, lengthen the appeals process for the transaction, and could violate FCC rules requiring that new and novel proceedings be decided by the agency's members, they said. “What are commissioners for if they don’t vote on a deal that would create the biggest broadcast group in history?” said former Commissioner Mike Copps, now with Sinclair/Tribune opponent Common Cause. “That would be a complete abdication of responsibility.”
AT&T apparent ousting of Senior Executive Vice President Bob Quinn after controversy over the company's hiring of Donald Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen (see 1805090080) isn't going to change how lobbying is practiced in Washington or by AT&T, experts said. Unless other related issues come up, there's no long-term damage to AT&T and "people move on," said professor David Rehr, who teaches legislative advocacy at George Mason University's Scalia Law School and used to be NAB head. He said government relations offices or corporate personnel might be more careful in vetting who interacts with the administration. "Everyone is going to go 'better double-check that person,'" Rehr said.
AT&T apparent ousting of Senior Executive Vice President Bob Quinn after controversy over the company's hiring of Donald Trump personal lawyer Michael Cohen (see 1805090080) isn't going to change how lobbying is practiced in Washington or by AT&T, experts said. Unless other related issues come up, there's no long-term damage to AT&T and "people move on," said professor David Rehr, who teaches legislative advocacy at George Mason University's Scalia Law School and used to be NAB head. He said government relations offices or corporate personnel might be more careful in vetting who interacts with the administration. "Everyone is going to go 'better double-check that person,'" Rehr said.
DOJ rather than the FCC is seen as the more likely to attempt to block the combination of T-Mobile and Sprint, proposed Sunday (see 1804290001). Review could drag on for up to a year, but in early days, observers said odds it will face regulatory hurdles are difficult to gauge, with some setting odds of approval at 50/50 or lower. Like AT&T/Time Warner, how DOJ reacts is likely to be widely watched as a key test of Trump administration takeover policy, the officials said. Former government officials said the Donald Trump administration contains both populist and more traditionally Republican elements and it's difficult to figure out who is in charge. Also Monday, closing arguments were held Monday in DOJ’s antitrust case against AT&T/Time Warner: 1804300020; and T-Mobile/Sprint was getting attention on Capitol Hill: 1804300057.
DOJ rather than the FCC is seen as the more likely to attempt to block the combination of T-Mobile and Sprint, proposed Sunday (see 1804290001). Review could drag on for up to a year, but in early days, observers said odds it will face regulatory hurdles are difficult to gauge, with some setting odds of approval at 50/50 or lower. Like AT&T/Time Warner, how DOJ reacts is likely to be widely watched as a key test of Trump administration takeover policy, the officials said. Former government officials said the Donald Trump administration contains both populist and more traditionally Republican elements and it's difficult to figure out who is in charge. Also Monday, closing arguments were held Monday in DOJ’s antitrust case against AT&T/Time Warner: 1804300020; and T-Mobile/Sprint was getting attention on Capitol Hill: 1804300057.
Sprint and T-Mobile agreed to combine in a deal that would see the resulting wireless carrier take the T-Mobile name and be under some of that company's leadership. Foes of consolidation are likely to oppose the deal at the FCC and perhaps at DOJ, too, they told us Sunday immediately after the transaction was disclosed. The companies said in a statement that joining would help them roll out 5G: "Neither company standing alone can create a nationwide 5G network with the breadth and depth required to fuel the next wave of mobile Internet innovation in the U.S. and answer competitive challenges from abroad."
Sprint and T-Mobile agreed to combine in a deal that would see the resulting wireless carrier take the T-Mobile name and be under some of that company's leadership. Foes of consolidation are likely to oppose the deal at the FCC and perhaps at DOJ, too, they told us Sunday immediately after the transaction was disclosed. The companies said in a statement that joining would help them roll out 5G: "Neither company standing alone can create a nationwide 5G network with the breadth and depth required to fuel the next wave of mobile Internet innovation in the U.S. and answer competitive challenges from abroad."