Letter

In a letter to Senate leadership and appropriators, 20 senators stress that the widespread impact of the pandemic – including plummeting advertising revenue – could decimate regional and local news outlets even as communities have become increasingly reliant on their reporting amidst the public health crisis. Already some newspapers have reduced or eliminated print editions, while other news outlets have furloughed staff. During this unprecedented public health crisis, people need to have access to their trusted local news outlets for this reliable and sometimes life-saving information.

A coalition of more than 45 organizations and scholars has called on Congress to include vital funding for local news in the next coronavirus stimulus package. Free Press Action, PEN America, Common Cause,  and other organizations urged the House and Senate leadership to consider local press an “essential service” vital to the nation’s health, prosperity, and recovery. The organizations ask Congress to allocate at least $5 billion to support local journalism in the next stimulus package.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Office of General Counsel and Media Bureau wholly rejected a petition by Free Press demanding a government investigation into broadcasters that have aired statements by the President of the United States during White House Coronavirus Task Force briefings and related commentary regarding the coronavirus pandemic by other on-air personalities. The letter order notes that Free Press’ petition seeks remedies that would dangerously curtail the freedom of the press embodied in the First Amendment and misconstrues the FCC’s rules.

Next Century Cities sent a letter to the Federal Communications Commission urging the agency to collaborate with mayors and other local officials on broadband deployment. As residents are forced to work, access virtual classrooms, obtain medical care, and more from their homes, local officials have been working tirelessly to ensure that every resident stays connected during the national coronavirus (COVID-19) shut-in. Next Century Cities asks the FCC to consider the following points. 

As Congress considers whether there is a need to take additional next steps in responding to the health and economic crisis facing our nation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reports indicate that some are actively considering another round of economic support. While I will reserve judgment on other communications matters for the time being, one questionable proposal floated for possible inclusion in past rounds was to inject Federal funding into deploying advanced 9-1-I systems in states and territories, better known as Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG9-1-1). Any effort to do this without appropriat

On March 9, 24 senators wrote to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai to express concerns about key details of the Rural Digital Opportunity Fund (RDOF), particularly excluding areas that are awarded funding through the US Department of Agriculture's ReConnect program and state-run broadband deployment or subsidy programs from being eligible for the RDOF.

Fourteen House Committee Chairs sent a letter to Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Acting Director Russell Vought requesting an immediate extension of public comment periods, hearings and meetings due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The House Committee leaders asked that OMB direct agencies to extend public comment periods by at least 45 days beyond the end of the declared national emerg

Twenty-eight senators wrote a letter to the Federal Communications Commission demanding that it consider how repealing net neutrality could negatively impact public safety, universal access, and broadband competition. In October 2019, the US Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld the Trump FCC’s repeal of the Open Internet Order as lawful but also ruled that the FCC failed to adequately consider public safety, the Lifeline program for low-income consumers, and competitive broadband providers’ access to poles needed to deploy their networks.

In order to help consumers meet their urgent communications needs during this unprecedented emergency, the Federal Communications Commission should consider the following actions during the COVID-19 pandemic and for a reasonable period thereafter as unemployed and low-income Americans get back on their feet: