Public broadcasting advocates and critics told us any bid to restore CPB funding for FY 2026 and FY 2027 will be very difficult given political dynamics after Congress clawed back a $1.1 billion advance via the 2025 Rescissions Act. President Donald Trump signed the measure last week (see 2507250047). Republican chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies subcommittees told us they are considering allocating funds to individual public broadcasting stations, potentially with strings attached. Supporters doubt that Congress can act before existing funding lapses Oct. 1.
Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., on Friday accused FCC Chairman Brendan Carr of abusing his power by pushing Verizon and other companies to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs to win approval of transactions before the commission (see 2505160050). Verizon’s proposed buy of Frontier was held up as Carr sought assurance on DEI (see 2505160024). Ivey spoke during a Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) conference.
Lawmakers and others are accusing the FCC of being involved in corruption and seeking to chill free speech after the agency’s approval of Skydance's $8 billion purchase of Paramount Global and the commission's retention of an open news distortion proceeding against CBS.
The House Appropriations Committee on Wednesday night postponed a planned Thursday markup session on the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee’s FY 2026 funding bill, which would allocate $47 million to NTIA, including $1 million for facilities management and construction (see 2507140052). The panel still released its proposed report on its FY26 bill with language aimed at changing NTIA administration of the $42.5 billion BEAD program and other broadband initiatives.
Both big infrastructure items teed up for votes on Thursday were approved 3-0, without dissent from Democratic Commissioner Anna Gomez. The items were laid out in advance of their circulation (see 2507020036) in a speech by Chairman Brendan Carr on his "Build America Agenda.” More infrastructure items are on their way at the Aug. 6 meeting, Carr noted during a news conference.
An FCC order couched as being about deleting outdated rules but outlining a new agency process that does away with notice-and-comment drew Anna Gomez’s first dissent as a commissioner. The direct final rule (DFR) order was approved at the agency’s open meeting Thursday over her objections, 2-1. The commissioners also approved items on auctioning AWS-3 spectrum, georouting 988 texts, and slamming rules. “The way we do things matters,” Gomez said. “The fact that the process adopted today effectively evades review by an informed public is a feature not a bug.”
Communications Daily is tracking the lawsuits below involving appeals of FCC actions.
Verizon and UScellular urged the FCC to approve their proposed spectrum deal, as the regional carrier seeks to sell off most of its spectrum holdings. In a filing posted Wednesday in docket 25-192, they jointly responded to opponents of the transaction. Verizon agreed in October to buy UScellular’s 850 MHz, AWS and PCS licenses for $1 billion (see 2410180004), a deal various groups have opposed (see 2507080053).
The pole attachment item on the FCC's agenda Thursday is likely to be rewritten concerning the 60-day advance notice that attachers must provide utilities regarding midsize pole attachment orders, broadband infrastructure officials and experts tell us. In addition, we're told the draft order language about a 30-day timeline for utilities to approve attacher-proposed contractors could be moved to the item's Further NPRM. The pole attachment item -- a key part of FCC Chairman Brendan Carr's Build America Agenda, unveiled in June (see 2507020036) -- has seen heavy lobbying from attacher and electric utility interests (see 2507160024 and 507180026).
The Trump administration's AI action plan specifies a limited role for the FCC. Released Wednesday, the 28-page blueprint focuses on accelerating innovation, building infrastructure and leading the world in AI diplomacy and security. Its priority is eliminating barriers and allowing AI to flourish.