In the News
As live sports content continues what many see as an inexorable move to streaming, traditional pay TV is left in an increasingly tighter spot and the future of such deals is in limbo, media and sports industry experts tell us. The future of sports league and team deals with broadcasters is seen as more stable. House Communications Subcommittee members at a Wednesday hearing repeatedly highlighted sports programming's move from traditional pay TV to streaming services, at times expressing frustration with rising prices and fragmented access to games.
US lawmakers say they’re fighting back against the rise of artificial intelligence-powered scams and fraud with new legislation to overhaul the nation’s robocall rules.
The FCC will continue updating Congress about the affordable connectivity program's status in hopes of convincing lawmakers for money to keep it running, Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told reporters Thursday after the commissioners’ open meeting (see 2401250064). The FCC expects the initiative will exhaust its $14.2 billion allocation in April. The Wireline Bureau said earlier this month it would freeze new enrollments Feb. 8 as part of the program's wind-down process (see 2401110072).
Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., is considering attaching an amendment to a pending national security supplemental spending bill that would allocate $3.08 billion to fully fund the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, communications officials and lobbyists said in interviews. Telecom-focused lawmakers are still eyeing FY 2024 appropriations bills as vehicles for allocating rip-and-replace money, and some are pushing to keep using a spectrum legislative package to pay for it.
The Sacramento Native American Health Center got a gift of federal funds to pay for its expansion on Florin Road.
On Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Doris Matsui announced she had secured $1 million in funding for the health center, which opened in May, in last year’s government funding package.
NTIA’s administration of the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund (Wireless Innovation Fund) drew criticism from some House Communications Subcommittee Republicans during a Thursday hearing over concerns the agency was slow to use it to aid development of U.S. open radio access networks (see 2401160068). Subpanel Democrats conversely eyed whether Congress should allocate additional funding to the NTIA initiative for ORAN use.
Jan. 6 marked three years since the 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus — Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena), Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), and Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Nanette Diaz Barragán (D-Long Beach) — released the following joint statement:
House Communications Subcommittee members again raised concerns about the impact the FCC Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program’s $3.08 billion funding shortfall is having on removing suspect gear from U.S. networks, as expected (see 2401100072). Their concerns came during a hearing Thursday.
Four dozen Democratic lawmakers are warning House and Senate appropriators in a letter this
morning against the cuts and prohibitions for energy efficiency proposed by House Republicans.
Lawmakers must reach a deal to fund the Energy Department by Jan. 19 to avert a shutdown,
Rolanda Hayden may owe her job to a fast home internet connection — and a benefit from Washington that lets her afford it.