Free TV Antenna Viewers Surge, Commanders Games Cost Nothing
This @WSJ story has many bogus assertions. Every Washington @Commanders game (home and away, including Madrid) last season was on free broadcast TV in the local market. It literally did not cost the antenna viewer in DC a penny. The number of American households relying on free TV exclusively has surged by 51% in the past two years. Nearly one in five TV households is now antenna-only. Source: Pearl TV in April 13 FCC filing. https://t.co/v5xJ0V7XQZ
Clement Suffers 9-0 Loss in Cox Vs. Sony Case
Hang on: Didn't Clement just lose Cox Communications v. Sony Music Entertainment ... 9-0? https://t.co/XLC63vM9fX
FCC Still Bars Deceased From Lifeline Benefits?
Is it still @FCC policy that dead people are ineligible for federal Lifeline program support intended to trim the cost of monthly phone and Internet bills for low-income Americans, @BrendanCarrFCC ? https://t.co/ZulmH0tTGh
Thomas’s Memoir Urges Independent Thinking, Praised by Gorsuch
Justice Thomas's memoir, My Grandfather's Son (2007), is a fantastic book, the story of a boy who overcame extreme poverty in the segregated South and rose to Supreme Court legend. He has much advice to give, but to pick one,...
Light‑Touch FCC Rules Fuel Starlink Consumer Boom
Light-touch regulation embraced by @BrendanCarrFCC keeps yielding massive consumer upside benefits as a result of the rapid commercialization of Low Earth Orbit space by @SpaceX ... @Ookla: '@Starlink Hits New Highs in the U.S.' https://t.co/Jv3YIKA1g4
Broadband Landscape Shifts: Performance Gains, Legal Battles, Expansion
Policyband Headlines ■ @Ookla: @Starlink Broadband Performance Surged in 2025 ■ @ALLO_Brad Moline Stepping Down as CEO of @AlloFiber ■ @BrendanCarrFCC: ‘Operation Clean Carts’ Drives 3M Banned Devices from Online Retail Sites ■ @NXSTMediaGroup Asks Supreme Court to Overturn Antitrust Ruling Won by...
Analysts Now Press CEOs on Starlink Competition
D.C. Memo: Here’s a Number Wall Street’s Starting to Care About: (888) GO-STARLINK; On earnings calls, analysts are starting to use up their limited quota of questions to ask CEOs if they are feeling any heat from @elonmusk's @Starlink...
Politico Brands Hunter Emails “Disinfo” Amid Repeated False Claims
FWIW: The original @Politico Gesellschaft story by serial Russia Hoax queen @NatashaBertrand asserted that Hunter's emails had "all the classic earmarks of a Russian information operation ..." Her headline writers went with "disinfo," which conveys a more nefarious meaning. https://t.co/jR2wfaq25z
Starlink Hits 10 Million Users, Gains 1 Million in 53 Days
On Feb. 13, 2026, @Starlink announced it crossed the 10 million subscriber threshold, adding 1 million during just the prior 53 days. It's been 79 days since the 10 million announcement: Can we get an update @elonmusk @SpaceX @SawyerMerritt @Gwynne_Shotwell...
Starlink Spots Ad During Kentucky Derby Broadcast
Interesting… @Starlink runs ad during @NBC coverage of the Kentucky Derby. @SawyerMerritt @elonmusk @SpaceX https://t.co/Fti85qBOAp
Regulatory Constraints Threaten Airline and Local TV Viability
Nice DNC spin, @SRuhle. Airlines hedge against a rise in aviation fuel costs all the time. Spirit needed scale with @JetBlue to survive but @SenWarren & @PeteButtigieg & @AGomez are happy to see their regulatory constraints outlive the industries...
FCC Democrats Repeat Anti‑consolidation Rhetoric, Favor Media Decline
Below is @FCC Democrat Michael Copps @coppsm in about 2003 whinging about new FCC rules allowing local newspapers to acquire local TV stations. This statement has the same analytic rigor used by the Biden administration in killing the Spirit Airlines-JetBlue...
Government Intervention Undermines Newspaper Merger, Industry Dies
Government is often given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to making predictive judgments that fall within the 40 yard lines. This move by the Obama @TheJusticeDept shows why that’s often a mistake. The year is 2016 and...
FCC Repeats Past Optimism, Overlooks Media Decline
Give me a minute to dig up statements by Democratic @FCC Commissioners from 20 years ago, predicting a very bright future for the daily newspaper industry. @AGomezFCC is saying the same thing today, only she’s referring to the local TV...
Big Tech and Networks Threaten Local TV Survival
What is @KrisKobach1787 going to say after Big Tech and the Big Four TV networks squeeze local TV station owners into oblivion, leaving the American underclass dependent on a U.S. version of the @BBC run by people who call...
FCC Chair Accuses Disney of Stalling DEI Probe
Didn't @BrendanCarrFCC inform @Disney of the DEI investigation on March 27, 2025? Didn't Carr say that certain response deadlines occurred recently and that Disney's incomplete responses suggested the company was playing "rope-a-dope" with agency investigators? https://t.co/0GZerKrkYs
NAB Skirts Key Names, Focuses on Licensing Process
D.C. Memo: @nabtweets Allegedly ‘Lambasts’ @BrendanCarrFCC in Statement That Failed to Mention Carr, @Disney, ABC, or @JimmyKimmel by Name; NAB’s statement said a lot about TV station licensing process but nothing about Jimmy Kimmel’s rude commentary on...
Light‑Touch FCC Policy Drives Communications Price Deflation
Communications sector price deflation is a real thing. This is a direct result of light-touch regulation backed by @BrendanCarrFCC and his Build America agenda at the @POTUS Trump @FCC.
Ex‑FOX40 Staffer Repeats Harassment with Bogus Copyright Suit
In 2016, @MatthewKeysLive, then age 29, a former web producer and network site administrator for KTXL @FOX40, a Sacramento TV station, was sentenced to two years in prison for “inciting, assisting, and conducting a weeks-long campaign of online attacks against...
Charter CEO Invests $1M as Stock Plunges 28%
Charter CEO Chris Winfrey is buying the dip. With $CHTR down 28% in the past five days alone, Winfrey today spent $1 million acquiring Charter shares for himself and his spouse. https://t.co/2z5vjpLmxo
Broadcasting Faces Break‑glass Moment Amid Ad‑dollar Squeeze
Didn't someone call this a "break-glass moment" for broadcasting? “It’s no secret that business has been tough in traditional media for a number of years. Ad dollars are spread very thin, companies are doing everything they can to...
Nexstar CEO Declares No DEI Programs Amid FCC Approval
A fair and balanced report would have noted that on March 19, 2026, the date of the @FCC Media Bureau's approval of Nexstar-TEGNA, @NXSTMediaGroup CEO Perry Sook wrote @BrendanCarrFCC to say, “Nexstar does not have DEI programs in place today...
FCC Probes Bridge News for Unauthorized License Control Transfer
Isn't it clearer than that @brianstelter? @FCC Media Bureau said it was investigating Bridge News "for possible violations of the @FCC’s prohibition on unauthorized transfers of control of the station licenses." https://t.co/G9yDWJxuX7
Charter Set to Eclipse Comcast as Top ISP
Charter, after finalizing the Cox acquisition later this year, will become the largest Internet Service Provider in the U.S., overtaking @Comcast. But Charter CEO Chris Winfrey is denied access to the @Cablefax 100 VIP skybox? Comcast, meanwhile, gets not one...
NFL Remains Free TV Lifeline as Entertainment Shifts Streaming
D.C. Memo: @RichLightShed Partners Asks, How Important Is NFL to Free TV? 'No Other Programming Matters' - Wall Street analysts predict networks may cut or shift more entertainment content to streaming | https://t.co/1pvZDWB9tD https://t.co/h2C9NuOoGM
NRF Opposes FCC Push to Onshore English‑Speaking Call Centers
The National Retail Federation @NRFnews sends letter to @FCC maintaining its hostility toward @BrendanCarrFCC effort to onshore call centers and staff them with individuals proficient in English ... https://t.co/iqjYd7nn5Q https://t.co/gvFQROHcGV
Lawmakers Push Streaming, Privacy, and Age‑verification Reforms
Policyband Headlines ■ Ohio Democrat Ready to Regulate TV Sports on Streaming Platforms ■ @Comcast Lost 65,000 Broadband Sub But Added 435,000 Wireless Lines In Q1 ■ @FCC Grants John Malone Legal Control of @GCIAK Liberty Despite Owning Less than 7% of...
Lobbyists Absurdly Doubt Small Streamers' NFL Bidding Power
See this a lot in D.C. lobbying, where advocates test the limits of an argument to an absurd degree: Is the @NFL seriously saying to @FCC Chief of Staff @Watson__Greg that @philoTV, @AMC_TV and @Crackle_TV (owned by Chicken Soup for...
Losing Goodell’s Antitrust Immunity Could Spark NFL Chaos
In an April 17 meeting with @FCC staff, @NFL General Counsel Ted Ullyot came armed with a 17-page slide deck. This page is a visualization of the alleged ensuing chaos if @nflcommish Roger Goodell lost his antitrust immunity in the...
Government Blocks TV Reform, Risking Bankruptcy and Limited News
Exactly: if American government will not let the private sector rationalize the local TV station industry, it’s just a matter of time before a bankruptcy judge does it. And then we’re left with no newspapers and a feeble lifeline BBC-like...
FCC Considers Reallocating Nine UHF Channels to 6G
D.C. Memo: @FCC Asked to Adopt Plan Taking Nine UHF TV Channels from Broadcasters for Reassignment to 6G Wireless; Ahead of @nabtweets show in Las Vegas this week, a group called Landover Saturn 5 is targeting ‘underutilized’ UHF spectrum amid...
Iran's Cheap Broadband Masks Severe Internet Blackout
"Iran has something the US can only dream of: cheap broadband" [This story failed to mention that terrorist state Iran has been enforcing an Internet blackout for nearly two months and arresting @Starlink users. Otherwise, great reporting. | https://t.co/fhcyUHQCvH
Court Extends TRO, Issues Preliminary Injunction, Requires $10K Security
🚨 ORDER signed by Chief District Judge Troy L. Nunley on 4/17/2026. The Court issues a PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION continuing the terms of the Temporary Restraining Order ("TRO") (ECF No. 60 ) as modified (ECF No. 145 ) to...
Telecom Policy Buzz: FCC Updates, Broadband Push, Space Threats
■ @BrendanCarrFCC Tosses Support Behind Updating 1996 Telecom Act ■ @BrendanCarrFCC to @tedcruz, @SenatorCantwell @NXSTMediaGroup - @TEGNA Merger Was By the Book ■ @EWScrippsCo Needs @FCC Waivers to Own Three TV Stations in Eight Markets ■ Analysts Urge Mayor @NYCMayor to Build...
Ziply CEO Pushes Back on FCC Foreign
D.C. Memo: @ZiplyFiber CEO Urges @BrendanCarrFCC to Back Away from Foreign Call Center Regulation; Carr wants to onshore call centers to provider U.S. consumers with a better experience and limit the ability of foreign bad actors to get their...
Riyadh Patrons May Invoke Force Majeure to Halt Golf Funding
Sounding a lot like @EchoStar, @livgolf_league patrons in Riyadh are considering invoking a force majeure clause (Iran War) to cut off funding to the @PGATOUR rival.
Even Top Attorneys Are Just Human
Jeff Wall – Named ‘Appellate Attorney of the Year’ for 2025 by @TheNLJ – is human after all. https://t.co/cT8k8WSBrc
FCC Defends Nexstar‑TEGNA Merger Amid Senate Inquiry
News: 🚨@FCC counsel filed this letter today with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. It is @BrendanCarrFCC response to @tedcruz and @SenatorCantwell March 30 letter regarding the agency's March 19 approval of the @NXSTMediaGroup -@TEGNA transaction. $NXST...
Regulators,
■ @Outkick @NFL Sports Columnist: ‘America is Rooting for @BrendanCarrFCCr’ ■ @center_amrights @DanielSuhr: 60 Minutes Aired “One‑Sided Hit Piece’ on Catholics and Iran War ■ @FCC Seeks Comment on Overhauling USF Supervisor USAC ■ A3SA Leader Defends DRM in NextGen TV Standard ■ House...
Wisconsin Bill Guarantees Free Packers Access, Bans Blackouts
D.C. Memo: @SenatorBaldwin Bill Would Guarantee Free Access Throughout Wisconsin to Watch @NFL Packers; Wisconsin Democrat’s For the Fans bill would also ban league-owned streaming services from blacking out certain games on their platforms https://t.co/Y0AQyWATYG
CBS 60 Minutes Segment Accused of One‑S
🚨News: @danielsuhr @center_amrights tells @CBSNews ombudsman Kenneth Weinstein, with @BrendanCarrFCC cc'd, that @NorahODonnell post @TheMasters 60 Minutes segment was “a one-sided hit piece delivered on a high ratings show at the same time as other efforts to push Catholic voters...
23 States Use Reverse Preemption for One‑
My street cred really got a jolt today when the @Verizon crew heard me say one touch make ready (OTMR) and that 23 states and the District of Columbia have exercised reverse preemption under section 224 the Communications Act. @FCC...
FCC Deadline Could Force Millions to Upgrade TV
If the @FCC adopts a hard date to shut down current ATSC 1.0 digital TV signals in favor of @WatchNEXTGENTV, millions of U.S. TV households will need at least one of these. https://t.co/NIxa4ysxQ7 https://t.co/MjpI0bCe4p
Free TV Use Jumps 51%, One in Five Go Antenna‑Only
Chart of the Day: American households relying on free TV exclusively has surged by 51% in the past two years. Nearly one in five TV households now antenna-only. Source: Pearl TV in April 13 FCC filing. https://t.co/NIxa4ysxQ7 https://t.co/B5C7VsShZK
FCC Chairman Probes Broadcasters' Undisclosed Conflicts, Targeting Kimmel
D.C. Memo: FCC Chairman @BrendanCarrFCC Looking at Undisclosed Conflicts by Broadcasters, a Review That Could Snare @JimmyKimmel https://t.co/bBBhcj60fP
Questioning SpaceX, Starlink Subscriber Numbers for BEAD Program
Aren't @SpaceX and @Starklink behind trend in reporting new subscriber totals, @elonmusk ? Asking for @NTIAgov's BEAD program. https://t.co/mqR6fUsklF
Penske Supports FCC Protecting Local Broadcast Sports Ecosystem
Indy racing legend Roger Penske, winner of the 2019 Presidential Medal of Freedom from @POTUS Trump, backs @FCC Chairman @BrendanCarrFCC on “the need to wisely connect the availability of professional sports on broadcast television to the societal benefits ......
Algorithm Cuts NFL Streaming Costs by 60%
D.C. Memo: Die-Hard @Eagles Fan in Indiana Created ‘Optimization Algorithm’ to Slash His Annual @NFL Streaming Bill by 60%; HUDDLEMAXX relies on ‘strategic trial stacking’ to time free trials and promotional windows to help NFL fans cut their...
MedStar Health Breach Exposes Names, SSNs, Medical Records
.@MedStarHealth has issued the following patient notification: “After a thorough analysis of the files on MedStar Health’s systems, we determined that the files accessed by the unauthorized party contained patient information that included your name, date of birth, Social Security...
TRO Extension Misstates Hearing Date by One Day
The TRO extension says the hearing was on April 8, 2026. Wasn’t it April 7? https://t.co/5u0tKDlwnY