Nexstar's Billions Can't Stop Newsroom Cuts
This could be the least credible thing @AGomezFCC has ever said in public office, but I’ll defer to the experts: “Despite hundreds of billions in free cash flow, Nexstar recently made numerous cuts to its newsrooms nationwide.” If @NXSTMediaGroup CEO Perry Sook had “hundreds of billions in free cash flow” to play with, he would have bought @Apple not @TEGNA | https://t.co/mJNK514WH8
Former FCC Chief Claims Newspapers Profit Double S&P
This is former @FCC Democrat Mike Copps blowing a gasket in 2007 over FCC efforts to allow TV stations to acquire their local newspaper (some followers might need to Google what a newspaper is): "We shed crocodile tears for the...
39% Cap Waiver Set for Legal Battle
39% cap waiver is going to get litigated, I guess. Not sure what an Obama judge will say. Wait, actually I do know. Loper is a good point; MQD, probably not in play. IMO: Prof. Terry has a severe case...
Nexstar's Leverage Risks Collapse Amid Cord‑cutting Competition
IMO: Highly leveraged @NXSTMediaGroup could be buying a melting ice cube that can’t withstand fierce competitive Big Tech vectors that result in diminished ad and retransmission consent revenue fueled by rampant cord cutting. If things like the 39% cap get...
Net Neutrality Isn’t a Partisan
… and no one was supposed to get upset when @gigibsohn helped mastermind net neutrality at the @FCC without the slightest concern for ISPs first amendment rights that then judge Brett Kavanaugh identified in a dissent that has effectively become...
Nexstar‑T
D.C. Memo: @NXSTMediaGroup-@TEGNA Deal Sails Through @BrendanCarrFCC in a Speedy 121 Days; CEO Sook Makes a Few Minor Concessions But That’s It; Nexstar has two years to sell six TV stations but in the end, it might not...
Matt Bai Misquotes Nixon and Misspells Graham’s Name
Wow, is @mattbai a terrible reporter for @RollingStone or what? “Richard Nixon famously warned, at the apex of the Watergate scandal, that @washingtonpost owner Katherine Graham would get her ‘tit caught in a wringer,’” Bai wrote. Actually, that’s what Attorney...
Broadcasters Warned of FCC Legal Risk over Hoaxes
Trump troll Matt Gertz, senior fellow at the hard left Media Matters for America @mmfa: “Any broadcaster now has to question if anything they put out could end up getting them in a heap of legal trouble with the @FCC.”...
Carr Reaffirms Longstanding Public‑Interest Broadcast Requirement
Policyband Quote of the Day: “@BrendanCarrFCC critics pretend he said something radical. However, the Communications Act in Section 309(a) has long required broadcasters that use public spectrum to operate in the ‘public interest.’ That principle is the foundation of...
NCTA CEO Demands Encrypted Wi‑Fi, Privacy Safeguards at WRC‑27
D.C. Memo: @NCTAitv CEO Has a Big Concern about WRC-27 in Shanghai — China Spying; Cable broadband leader wants WRC-27 delegates to have ‘reliable encrypted Wi-Fi connectivity’ and ‘appropriate privacy safeguards in meeting spaces and lodgings.’ https://t.co/U8Opk4syIc https://t.co/eYFMmRVpf3
Broadband Prices Plummet, Plans Now Affordable for All
Here are @Verizon Internet plans with autopay and a mobile plan. $VZ 300Mbps plan has a 3-year price lock. Still not better than rival @Optimum $25 a month for 300Mbps with a 5-year price lock (without a mobile plan). Without...
DNI Resigns, Claims Iran Poses No Imminent Threat
Do you think the U.S. varsity media will put it this way? “Trump’s Director of National Intelligence quits, saying, without evidence, Iran posed “no imminent threat to our nation.” https://t.co/rEKN3Kyskx
Brendan Carr Hailed for Broadband Expansion and 5G Leadership
Washington Reporter Editors: "@BrendanCarrFCC record at the @FCC has been outstanding. He has been one of the administration’s most effective regulators, repealing unnecessary regulations, getting broadband to millions more households, and helping America win the 5G race against China."...
Farmer Credits Starlink, Not Biden, for Rural Internet
Farmer @Milbank's best moment came when he grudgingly admitted that @elonmusk and @Starlink delivered the Internet service he needed for his family farm in the wilds of Rappahannock County, Va. @washingtonpost editors changed the original headline twice before settling on...
Broadband Policy Turmoil: Budgets, Secrets, and Big‑tech Scrutiny
Policyband Headlines ■ KeyBanc’s Brandon Nispel: @Google's GFiber Was a Broadband ‘Tourist’ ■ Conservative Groups Seek 35% Jump in @FTC Budget in Support of Chairman @AFergusonFTC ■ Cost of Ontario’s Contract Breach with @Starlink to Be Kept a Secret ■ N.J. @GovSherrillNJ ...
FCC's Rule Blocks Dead From Receiving Subsidized Internet
"How the @FCC Is Trying to Make It Harder to Get Low-Income Internet" [Correction: How the FCC is trying to make it harder for dead people to get taxpayer money.] https://t.co/VlE3D5DHUc
Oscars Go Digital: Streaming on YouTube, Not ABC
2029: "This is not a normal Oscars ..." because it will be on @YouTube, not on @Disney's @ABCNetwork
Criticizing Carr's Age Distracts From Markey's Censorship Agenda
Interesting … weren’t people actually waiting to hear you say that @BrendanCarrFCC was too old to be @FCC Chairman? My bad, that’s your issue with @SenMarkey, 79, who actually wanted the FCC to censor TV station owner @WeAreSinclair. https://t.co/SPE8rZDVtC
FCC Officials Let Fox Twist Amid License Seizure Attempt
Of course, @AGomezFCC never said this when she and fellow Biden appointee @JRosenworcel let @FOX29philly twist in the wind for 18 months while a left-wing group tried to seize the @FCC operating license from the Murdoch-owned station. Had the @MAD_Democracy...
California Democrats Strip ISPs of First Amendment Rights
What’s the political libel one should use to describe California Democrats who led the way in stripping Internet Service Providers of their First Amendment rights? https://t.co/4Ylh2Cr4zF
Tech and Conservatives See Net Neutrality Repeal as Opportunity
"It wasn’t all doom and gloom. Tech writers like Ben Thompson (of Stratechery) argued that repealing net neutrality rules was actually the best way to achieve a free and open internet. Conservative writers welcomed the repeal, questioned the alarmist rhetoric,...
Google Abandons Pure‑fiber GFiber, Turns to DOCSIX Partner
D.C. Memo: Did @Google President Ruth Porat Decide the GFiber ‘Other Bet’ Wasn’t Working? GFiber opted to combine with a company in Astound Broadband that is 85% DOCSIS technology when plenty of pure-play fiber operators are still out there. What...
Anchors' Redundant Phrases and Graphic Misreads Reveal Sloppiness
Add “talk to me about” … Also, how many times have you seen anchors totally misread a graphic on the screen next to their head?
FCC Chair Delivers Package to Amazon After SpaceX Spat
D.C. Memo: In an Unusual Move, @FCC Chairman @BrendanCarrFCC Drops the Package at @Amazon’s Front Door; Carr reacted negatively to Amazon’s attack on @SpaceX’s effort to build a massive data center satellite constellation in low Earth orbit https://t.co/HSMxGLeUuw
Eight Brands Melting Away, Saved Only
Don’t know about you, but I counted about eight of these brands that are clearly melting ice cubes that survived only because the cable bundle was the only game in town.
X's Political Influence Limited to Just 20% of Americans
Are you suggesting that @X content never reaches people who don't use @X? If you are, that's obviously untrue. These articles below are based on an X post today by @FCC Chairman @BrendanCarrFCC taking issue with @Amazon lobbying against @elonmusk...
Ellison Empire Threatens Media Plurality with Massive Consolidation
Aren’t a lot of these media assets just melting ice cubes that can’t cut it outside the (withering) cable bundle?
Policy Roundup: FCC, NFL, BEBE, and Network Upgrades
Policyband Headlines ■ @BrendanCarrFCC: @Disney’s ABC Insisting The View is a Bona Fide News Show ■ @NFL’s Antitrust Exemption Might Not Cover Streaming Deals, Carr Suggests ■ Key House Democrats Want Answers from @ArielleRothNTIA on BEAD Billions ■ @GrayMediaGTN Explains Why Free TV Is...
FCC Competition Triggers Broadband Price Deflation for Low-Income Users
Thanks to @FCC pro-competition policies championed by @BrendanCarrFCC and @OliviaTrustyFCC, broadband Internet access price deflation -- read that again, PRICE DEFLATION -- is a real thing and a golden opportunity for low-income Americans to snag a great plan featuring...
Telecom Sector Grapples with Regulation, Competition, and Ownership Changes
■ @ATT CEO Desroches Sees Strong Growth Ahead for FWA ■ @RepGuthrie, @FrankPallone Write @POTUS Trump Concerned about China’s Telecom Influence ■ @NCTAitv Leader Wants to Avoid 50-State AI Regulatory Regime ■ IBT Official Disputes ACLP’s BEAD Location Count ■ City of Norway,...
DIRECTV Urges FCC to See Nexstar's TEGNA Economic Data
D.C. Memo: @DIRECTV Claims Nexstar Needs to Provide @FCC with Economic Data Supporting @TEGNA Deal; The satellite TV operator says Nexstar withheld from FCC certain economic studies it provided the Justice Department. Nexstar had no comment |$NXST $TGNA https://t.co/Z0PKwvWRqH
90% of Fund Managers Lag S&P—We Don't Need Them
Not only rich but an elite investor because over any reasonable period of time the vast majority of equity fund managers, like 90%, will underperform the S&P 500. We don’t need them. And I’ll never understand why capitalism hasn’t pointed...
Broadband Prices Near $30 Stipend, Making Plans Truly Affordable
D.C. Memo: Plunging Broadband Prices Nearly Competitive with the Affordable Connectivity Program’s $30 Monthly Stipend; Millions of U.S. households now have access to clearly affordable broadband plans that include price locks ranging from one year to forever. "If the...
JFK’s Sports Law Faces Scrutiny in Streaming Era
Will anyone dare call it Bay of Pigskin? JFK’s endorsement of the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, an @NFL-friendly antitrust law, is coming back to haunt the New Frontier in the age of @Netflix, @Peacock, @YouTubeTV, and @Amazon @PrimeVideo. @BasedMikeLee,...
Policy Roundup: Media Deals, Cyber Nominee, Starlink Wi‑Fi
Policyband Headlines ■ Are Nexstar and @TEGNA on the Same Page on When Deal Might Close? ■ Analyst Supino: PSky Might Need to Pay $7 Billion Breakup Fee ■ Swarztrauber: @NTIAgov Needs BEAD Rainy Day Fund ■ Former @FTC Democrat Slaughter Fears...
Optimum CEO Urges FCC to Break up Local Media Triopolies
D.C. Memo: @Optimum CEO Pitches @FCC Chairman @BrendanCarrFCC on @NXSTMediaGroup/@TEGNA Merger Conditions. Dennis Mathew urges FCC leader to require 'divestiture of Big-4 triopolies in a local market' $NXST $TGNA | https://t.co/aAaKQ9Pivw
Key FCC and Broadband Policy Moves Unveiled
Policyband Headlines ■ @FCC Merger Approval a Breeze for Charter-Cox ■ How Far Can @BrendanCarrFCC Go to Keep @NFL on Free TV? ■ @FSFthinktank's Long Calls for New Cable Rules if 39% Cap Goes ■ Malone Seeks @FCC Approval to Take Control of...
Washington Hasn't Demanded Station Sales for Nexstar‑TEGNA Merger
D.C. Memo: Nexstar CEO Sook – Washington Has Not Said Company Needs to Sell Stations to Close TEGNA Deal | $NXST @NXSTMediaGroup $TGNA @TEGNA https://t.co/md3Cz4tI5F
FCC Examines Shift of Sports From Broadcast to Streaming
D.C. Memo: @BrendanCarrFCC Has @FCC Looking at Migration of Sports Programming from Free TV to Streaming Platforms https://t.co/9Jr851pmvN
Fans Value Affordability and Experience Over Winning
Quote of the Day “The number one thing fans want is affordability. They want affordability. They want safety, and they want a good experience when they come to the ballpark. Believe it or not, winning is not in their top five.” L.A....
CTA Calls for Reclaiming and Auctioning TV Spectrum
D.C. Memo: @CTATech Official Says It’s Time to Reclaim and Auction TV Station Spectrum. ‘It’s long past time to reset the system,’ says CTA SVP of Government & Regulatory Affairs Michael Petricone https://t.co/8whWM4pmAU
NXST Media and TEGNA TV Deal Worth $6.2 B
🚨 The total value of the @NXSTMediaGroup / @TEGNA TV station transaction is $6.2 billion
Policyband Roundup: Tech, Regulation, Media Headlines
Policyband Headlines ■ @elonmusk: @Starlink Price Cuts Have Nothing to Do with @Amazonleo ■ @gigibsohn: @StephenAtHome Colbert ‘Got Some Things Very Wrong’ ■ U.S. Chamber Opposed to Jamming Cell Phones in State Prisons ■ Fire Fighters Want @FCC Progress on Location Monitoring Inside...
Trump Orders Netflix to Fire Board Member, Susan Rice
D.C. Memo: @POTUS Trump Demands @Netflix Fire Board Member and Prominent Democrat Susan Rice 'Immediately' | @NFLX https://t.co/jxMX8MYG3j
He Demanded a Contract Clause Before Accepting the Role
🇺🇸 it’s a clause in his contract that he insisted on before taking the job
Netflix Could Owe Warner Bros $
Doesn't @netflix owe @warnerbros $5.8 billion if the Trump administration fails to approve their merger, Netflix board member @AmbassadorRice ? https://t.co/P0FhHvuPid
Roku TV Hides Free Channels Deep in Guide
D.C. Memo: YouTube's 'Antenna Man' Says Roku TV Burying Free TV Stations Deep Inside the Channel Guide https://t.co/l7tjBOMG7k
Broadband Policy Fights Spark Lawsuits, Funding Debates
Policyband Headlines: ■ @NRBAssociation Defends Cable Must Carry for NextGen TV Signals; ■ @StephenAtHome, @CBS Suits in Dispute over Talarico Interview ■ @FSFthinktank: @EchoStar Needs to Pay Tower Companies ■ Broadband Experts at ACLP Dispute Calif. Broadband Study ■ @LAGovJeffLandry Eyes 911 Upgrades with BEAD...
Armstrong Signs Deal to Acquire MCTV Ohio
🚨 News: @followarmstrong Enters into Definitive Agreement to Acquire @MCTVOhio from the Gessner family | https://t.co/fFOMiRLbGY https://t.co/VATsTCCLBE
Antitrust Chief Gail Slater O
D.C. Memo: Smack in the Middle of Nexstar-TEGNA, Antitrust Chief Gail Slater Shown the Door | @gailaslater @JusticeATR $NXST $TGNA | https://t.co/QLfJxuKDW6
