Editorial

[Commentary] 1. Presidential election hangover: Advertising revenue comparisons can often be a drag on earnings, but nothing stings quite like a quarter that has to stack up with a presidential election, particularly one as contentious as the 2016 race.

2. Mobile future: It might be hard for programmers to continue to grow their affiliate revenue. But Viacom CEO Bob Bakish sees mobile content as a potential growth driver in the future.

3. Retransmission express: The retransmission revenue train just keeps on chugging along.

[Commentary] The city of New York has released a new Request for Information seeking technical and operational input from industry sources. The city wants to know what types of strategies for public/private cooperation it should consider in an effort to deliver "universal gigabit-class broadband" throughout the five boroughs.

[Commentary] The Federal Communications Commission took its first major step toward overhauling the controversial Lifeline program in a move that will punish not just low-income citizens but perhaps small, innovative service providers as well.  Yes, Lifeline was once teeming with fraud, waste and abuse. Yes, the program still has significant flaws. And yes, companies that fail to provide adequate services should be forever barred from Lifeline for preying on some of our most vulnerable citizens.

[Commentary] Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai contends his proposed reforms to the Lifeline program will “more effectively and efficiently help close the digital divide by directing Lifeline funds to the areas where they are most needed.” Opponents, however, believe the proposed changes “will gut the program and continue to widen the digital divide.” The likely outcome, if the proposal is enacted as currently written, will be somewhere in between. Some of these proposed reforms are important, positive steps that will improve the Lifeline program’s efficiency.

[Commentary] Congress doesn’t need to legislate on Net Neutrality. What it needs to do is rein in Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai and the Trump FCC and get them to enforce the laws and rules already on the books. Of course, I’m not so naive to think that Pai isn’t going to go forward with a vote to take away Title II and probably erase the rules altogether as soon as December. But that won’t be the last word. Given the arbitrary and capricious way the agency has proceeded, I like our chances in court.

[Commentary] I was struck this week by two inside-baseball journalism stories following Oct 30’s Mueller investigation bombshells that spoke, tangentially but notably, to what I have often said about a main obstacle in our industry’s ability to regain the trust of the public: The conflation in many information consumers’ minds between responsible journalism and the opinion media. I invoke the spirit of Walter Cronkite to make some points that I believe are critical in our current time.

[Commentary] Broadcasters have been expecting good things from new Federal Communications Commission chief Ajit Pai. And he didn’t disappoint with the agenda for Nov's FCC meeting. There was good news on two fronts. First was the plan to relax the local ownership rules. Then came word that the FCC will greenlight ATSC 3.0.

[Commentary] Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai’s comments at George Mason were as disappointing as they were predictable. Last March, after President Donald Trump called CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC “the enemy of the American people,” Pai was asked by Sen Tom Udall (D-NM) at an oversight hearing if he agreed with the president. Chairman Pai took a pass, saying he didn’t want to “wade into the larger political debates.” But what about the FCC’s two Democrats, Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Mignon Clyburn? Surely, they came down hard on the Trump for trying to intimidate the media through the offices of the FCC. Nope.

Perhaps the problem is, they don’t have anybody on staff who writes tough. Allow me.
For Rosenworcel: I don’t have time or the inclination to educate that ignorant, two-bit real estate hustler on freedom of the press. But let me be clear: I will treat any Trump-inspired complaint against NBC with the same contempt I would Trump himself.
For Clyburn: As a former newspaper publisher, I will burn this place to ground before I let Trump or any other political hack use the FCC processes to intimidate or silence the news media in any fashion.