States face a challenge getting their BEAD final proposals to NTIA by the Sept. 4, but most will meet the deadline, Colorado Broadband Office Executive Director Brandy Reitter said Tuesday at the Technology Policy Institute's Aspen Forum. Large states like Texas and California will probably need extensions, she told us. Reitter said she was fairly confident NTIA in turn would meet its deadline for reviewing the final proposals within 90 days of receiving them.
NEW ORLEANS -- Recent changes to NTIA's $42.5 billion BEAD program are creating uncertainty for states, some broadband experts said during the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors’ annual policy conference here Tuesday. Concerns were raised about federal funds potentially supporting satellite broadband in areas where residents have shown little interest in it and about NTIA’s decision to remove its preference for fiber.
The Consumer Technology Association and other groups are urging the FCC not to approve rules that could overcomplicate the approval of wireless devices by test facilities. The FCC is considering new rules for telecommunications certification bodies (TCBs) in response to a May Further NPRM that was part of the agency’s focus on “bad labs” (see 2505220056). Commenters warn that overly prescriptive rules could harm U.S. competitiveness.
Nexstar agreed to purchase Tegna in a $6.2 billion deal that could receive regulatory approval only if the national ownership cap is relaxed or eliminated, Nexstar said in a news release and conference call Tuesday. If the deal is consummated, Nexstar would control 265 TV stations, become the largest owner of affiliates for "all four of the biggest networks, and reach 80% of U.S. households. The current rule caps audience reach for a single station owner at 39%, but the FCC has a proceeding that will possibly change the cap. Reply comments in the proceeding are due in docket 17-318 Friday. Nexstar CEO Perry Sook said he doesn't “want to presume where [FCC Chairman Brendan Carr] will come out in his national ownership proceeding” but also that Nexstar feels “very, very positive about moving forward to the regulatory approval process.”
CPB said Monday it can no longer administer the Next Generation Warning System, which, America’s Public Television Stations said, could threaten public safety. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced a $40 million NGWS grant to states and tribal nations earlier this month. “With CPB’s closure imminent, FEMA should assume responsibility for disbursing the funds as Congress intended,” said a CPB release. If FEMA doesn’t assume the program, “most of the FY 2022 funding -- and all funds from FY 2023 and FY 2024 -- will go undistributed,” CPB added. That would leave communities, “especially those in rural and disaster-prone areas, without the upgrades Congress intended.”
Industry groups pressed the FCC to avoid imposing new rules designed to close a “gap” in the commission’s Stir/Shaken authentication rules, making it harder for scammers to hide their identities. Some said the wrong rules could slow the IP transition. Commissioners in April approved an NPRM (see 2504280038) addressing the issue. Reply comments were due Friday in docket 17-97.
The FCC’s top telecom priorities include the components of Chairman Brendan Carr’s “Build America Agenda,” stabilizing USF and deregulation, agency Chief of Staff Scott Delacourt said. NTIA Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary Adam Cassady said finishing BEAD "is job one," but other tasks include space policy revisions and identifying spectrum for commercialization. The two spoke Monday at Technology Policy Institute’s annual Aspen Forum.
California’s plan to launch a home broadband pilot under its LifeLine program received mixed reactions from industry and consumer advocates. Groups were split over legal authority, service standards and who should be required to participate in the program, which was proposed by California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) Commissioner Alice Reynolds and is expected to be considered during the agency's August 28 meeting.
While traditional and virtual MVPDs will always be "a critical pathway" for distributing its sports content, Monumental Sports & Entertainment sees the clear cord-cutting trend and has to be able to go direct-to-consumer (DTC) as well, according to Zach Leonsis, its president of media and new enterprises. The company, which had a 33% stake in NBC Sports Washington, D.C., bought out Comcast's 67% stake in the regional sports network (RSN) in 2022. A year ago, it launched its Monumental+ app.
The FCC NPRM looking at potential changes to the commission’s enforcement of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) has numerous changes between it and the draft Chairman Brendan Carr circulated. Industry officials expect the FCC to move quickly since NEPA reform has been a top focus of the Donald Trump administration, they said Friday.