Charter Communications and Cox Communications are justifying their planned $34.5 billion combination on flawed premises, a Public Knowledge-led group said in an FCC posting Tuesday (docket 25-233). PK, Communications Workers of America, the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society and the Center for Accessible Technology have petitioned to block Charter/Cox (see 2511190049), and the filing was a reply to the Charter and Cox response (see 2512050028)
Nexstar CEO Perry Sook condemned Newsmax CEO Chris Ruddy in an interview with Policyband released Tuesday, calling him a “cafeteria conservative” and saying that arguments that broadcast consolidation limits the voices participating in local news are based on a false choice. “Do you want any local news or no local news? If we maintain the status quo, no changes, I’m telling you that ultimately, your news will come from a server and a chatbot,” Sook said. “There won’t be local newsrooms because no one will be able to afford to stay in that business by being kept regulatorily small.”
The board of directors for E.W. Scripps unanimously voted to reject Sinclair’s Nov. 24 unsolicited purchase offer, said a news release late Tuesday. “The Scripps board determined, following a careful review and evaluation in consultation with its financial and legal advisors, that Sinclair’s offer is not in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.”
President Donald Trump's $10 billion private lawsuit against the BBC -- filed Monday over a documentary’s portrayal of his Jan. 6, 2021, speech outside the U.S. Capitol -- repeatedly cited letters from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr to PBS.
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 FCC Wireless Bureau on Tuesday delayed the deadline for reply comments on the preliminary eligible-areas map for the Alaska Connect Fund (see 2511190039) from Friday to Jan. 7. The change came after the agency released a revised version of the map to “address concerns and questions from stakeholders,” said a notice in docket 23-328.
The National Sheriffs’ Association asked the FCC to delay the deadline for comments on an NPRM on incarcerated people’s communications services rules (see 2512040036). “The comment deadline falls during one of the most significant holiday periods of the year, spanning Christmas, New Year’s, and the days immediately surrounding them,” the group said this week in docket 12-375. It added that it's surveying its membership and needs more time to get “a statistically significant sample size and to compile and analyze the resulting data.”
Neology, which provides a platform for tolling services that uses the 900 MHz band, filed a technical study at the FCC this week challenging arguments by NextNav in support of its proposal to use the spectrum for a “terrestrial complement” to GPS for positioning, navigation and timing (PNT).
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.”
911 and 988 can help those suffering from mental health crises during the holidays, said FCC Public Safety Bureau Chief Zenji Nakazawa and Wireline Bureau Chief Joseph Calascione wrote in a blog post Tuesday. “A quick call or message to someone who may be alone or struggling can make a real difference,” they said. “When someone needs more than a friendly voice, help is close at hand through two essential three-digit numbers: 911 and 988.” If holiday pressures “are taking a toll on your mental health -- or you are concerned about someone else -- support is just as accessible through the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which offers 24/7 confidential help,” Nakazawa and Calascione added. “No one expects to rely on 911 or 988 during the holidays. But these resources are here."