John Eggerton

The Senate Commerce Committee kicked off a series of infrastructure hearings March 13 with one focused on broadband, including a big focus on collecting accurate date about where broadband is, and more importantly, isn't. Sen Roger Wicker (R-MS) presided over the hearing, "Rebuilding Infrastructure in America: Investing in Next Generation Broadband", saying he was greatly encouraged by the President Donald Trump's support for programs to increase broadband infrastructure in rural areas.

Journalists gathered in Washington March 8 to honor their own and call for solidarity--and solid reporting rather than snarky reporting--in the face of attacks from the President.  That was one of the takeaways from Chuck Todd, moderator of NBC's Meet the Press at the Radio-Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) First Amendment awards. 

The Federal Communications Commission's Incentive Auction Task Force and the Media Bureau said that there would be an additional allocation coming from the $1.75 billion incentive auction repack fund. The FCC says it has now received both verified and unverified expenses that total $1.95 billion, so it was time to dip into the fund once more, which will come in the next 4-6 weeks, or perhaps in time for broadcasters to celebrate the infusion at the National Association of Broadcasters convention in early April.

Democratic senators are promoting the $40 billion broadband investment from their May 2017 LIFT America Act in a new trillion dollar infrastructure plan released March 7 in the wake of President Donald Trump's plan to invest $200 billion and hope the private sector leverages that into a trillion dollar-plus investment. 

The White House has scheduled a meeting with the video game industry's Entertainment Software Association March 8 to talk about video game and real world violence, but the Parents Television Council wants to expand the conversation to include broadcast network TV.  “As the White House and other leaders work to confront societal gun violence, we hope that they will demand meaningful change from the entertainment industry, which presents dress rehearsals for gun violence on TV, in the movies, and in violent video games,” said PTC President Tim Winter.

In a move likely in response to the Justice Department, Sinclair has once again amended its June 2017 deal to purchase Tribune Media's stations, this time adjusting last week's amended filing to cut Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York (PA) from the markets where it sought to own two of the top four stations to take advantage of the Federal Communications Commission's new case-by-case waiver of the prohibition on such ownership. Sinclair will now sell one of the two stations in that market rather than try for an exemption.

The "Repack Airwaves Yielding Better Access for Users of Modern Services Act of 2018" (RAY BAUM Act) (HR 4986) has been unanimously approved by the House. The bill was named in honor of the late Energy & Commerce staff director, who died in February. It is expected to pass the Senate as well.

The Senate has passed the Rural Wireless Access Act of 2017. Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman Roger Wicker's (R-MS) bill would require the Federal Communications Commission to come up with a consistent methodology for wireless broadband coverage data. The goal is to make sure rural areas and urban areas get equitable broadband infrastructure treatment.

The Benton Foundation marked the Feb 27 OneMoreVote network neutrality activist day by filing suit against the Federal Communications Commission's Dec. 14 decision to roll back network neutrality rules. "The Restoring Internet Freedom order will allow giant telecommunications companies to create 'fast lanes' and other discriminatory practices that will stifle innovation and diminish the Internet as a platform for free expression," said Benton Executive Director Adrianne Furniss.

At a panel session at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai talked up the "entrepreneurial spirit of markets" over the "all-knowing vortex of government." Chairman Pai said it was that spirit that would get broadband to rural areas and entrepreneurs from the drawing table to the board, as well as promote advancements in healthcare and education.  He said his FCC recognizes the power of citizens rather than that of a few unelected bureaucrats.