CBS increased Joe Ianniello's base salary to $3 million when it extended him as president-acting CEO for six months through Dec. 31, said an 8-K Friday evening at the SEC. Ianniello this year also will get a bonus "not less than" his newly raised $15 million "target," plus a $5 million "lump sum" cash payout for agreeing to the extension, it said. He got a $2.5 million salary and $12.5 million bonus in 2018 when he spent most of the year as chief operating officer, said an April 12 proxy for the CBS annual shareholders meeting May 29 in New York. He was elevated Sept. 9 to his current posts after Les Moonves resigned as chairman-president-CEO amid sexual misconduct allegations (see 1809100026). Moonves got a $3.5 million salary and $20 million bonus in 2017, his last full year as top CBS executive, said an April 2018 proxy. The company "has agreed to renegotiate" Ianniello’s contract “in good faith” if it decides to make him permanent CEO on or before Dec. 31, said the 8-K. Though CBS said last week its board suspended the CEO search "as a testament" to Ianniello's "accomplishments" during his seven months in his new role, the 8-K suggested he's no sure lock for the job. If the board picks “another individual” for CEO or Ianniello loses his current positions stemming from a “corporate event” as defined in his July 2017 COO contract, he would become a CBS “consultant” for 90 days, if the board so requests, at his regular salary and bonus, it said. CBS would try to recoup a portion of any lump-sum money from Ianniello if he quits before the 90-day consultancy is up to reflect his "cessation of employment prior to the end of the employment term," it said. CBS reports Q1 results Thursday.

The Commerce Department is postponing indefinitely its final determinations in the antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on glycine from Thailand (A-549-837/C-549-838), it said in an unpublished memo. Though the agency found no dumping or illegal subsidization in its preliminary AD/CV duty determinations, allegations of transshipment have recently come to light in a CBP Enforce and Protect Act AD/CVD evasion investigation covering the same period as Commerce’s AD/CV duty investigations. Those allegations call into question information submitted by the sole Thai respondent to both investigations, Newtrend Thailand, which is at the center of CBP’s evasion investigation (see 1903180021). The domestic petitioners want Commerce to reverse course and issue affirmative AD/CV duty determinations on glycine from Thailand based on penalty rates for Newtrend.

CBS increased Joe Ianniello's base salary to $3 million when it extended him as president-acting CEO for six months through Dec. 31, said an 8-K Friday evening at the SEC. Ianniello this year also will get a bonus "not less than" his newly raised $15 million "target," plus a $5 million "lump sum" cash payout for agreeing to the extension, it said. He got a $2.5 million salary and $12.5 million bonus in 2018 when he spent most of the year as chief operating officer, said an April 12 proxy for the CBS annual shareholders meeting May 29 in New York. He was elevated Sept. 9 to his current posts after Les Moonves resigned as chairman-president-CEO amid sexual misconduct allegations (see 1809100026). Moonves got a $3.5 million salary and $20 million bonus in 2017, his last full year as top CBS executive, said an April 2018 proxy. The company "has agreed to renegotiate" Ianniello’s contract “in good faith” if it decides to make him permanent CEO on or before Dec. 31, said the 8-K. Though CBS said last week its board suspended the CEO search "as a testament" to Ianniello's "accomplishments" during his seven months in his new role, the 8-K suggested he's no sure lock for the job. If the board picks “another individual” for CEO or Ianniello loses his current positions stemming from a “corporate event” as defined in his July 2017 COO contract, he would become a CBS “consultant” for 90 days, if the board so requests, at his regular salary and bonus, it said. CBS would try to recoup a portion of any lump-sum money from Ianniello if he quits before the 90-day consultancy is up to reflect his "cessation of employment prior to the end of the employment term," it said. CBS reports Q1 results Thursday.

CTIA raised concerns about two California bills responding to controversial incidents involving wireless carriers: Verizon throttling traffic of Santa Clara County firefighters during the Mendocino Complex Fire last year (see 1808220059) and carriers selling customers’ real-time data location (see 1904180056). But at a Wednesday hearing, the Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee widely supported both measures. The panel also supported a bill to require text-to-911 across the state.

Federal officials and private sector stakeholders warned the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission Thursday about the Chinese government's intense interest in becoming a leading space power. They recommended a change in federal strategy to protect against the corresponding threat to U.S. satellite interests. House Armed Services Committee member Jim Cooper, D-Tenn., recently raised concerns via a Center for Strategic and International Studies report that China and other countries had surpassed the U.S. in deploying anti-satellite technologies (see 1904040007). There's widespread debate how the U.S. can eclipse China in the race for dominance over 5G (see 1904090075).

CTIA raised concerns about two California bills responding to controversial incidents involving wireless carriers: Verizon throttling traffic of Santa Clara County firefighters during the Mendocino Complex Fire last year (see 1808220059) and carriers selling customers’ real-time data location (see 1904180056). But at a Wednesday hearing, the Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee widely supported both measures. The panel also supported a bill to require text-to-911 across the state.

The House Commerce Committee's upcoming telecom policy focus is likely to include a mix of issues that will provide opportunities for lawmakers to highlight bipartisan agreement on robocalls and increasing commercial spectrum availability, as well as potential mudslinging over FCC oversight matters, lawmakers and lobbyists told us. The Senate Commerce Committee's coming telecom agenda is less well defined, amid an increased focus on privacy legislation. Lobbyists will scrutinize the committee's next moves as it considers whether to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act. Both chambers reconvene Monday after Congress' two-week recess.

The House Commerce Committee's upcoming telecom policy focus is likely to include a mix of issues that will provide opportunities for lawmakers to highlight bipartisan agreement on robocalls and increasing commercial spectrum availability, as well as potential mudslinging over FCC oversight matters, lawmakers and lobbyists told us. The Senate Commerce Committee's coming telecom agenda is less well defined, amid an increased focus on privacy legislation. Lobbyists will scrutinize the committee's next moves as it considers whether to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act. Both chambers reconvene Monday after Congress' two-week recess.

A U.S. producer of titanium sponge is using the Section 232 petition process as a way around a previous International Trade Commission finding, Japan said in comments in response to the petition. The Section 232 petition, filed by TIMET, asked the Commerce Department to get Japan to agree to a reference price 30 percent or more above current prices (see 1904100032). "Section 232 of Trade Expansion Act should not be used to justify circumvention of anti-dumping rules or disguised protectionism policy," Japan said. Nearly all of the filings have so far have opposed TIMET's request.

With Verizon partway through its massive copper-to-fiber transition, state consumer advocates are urging the carrier ensure no customers are left behind. The Communications Workers of America wants the same. The latest policy jockeying relates to the wireline IP transition.