Tribune’s $1 billion breach of contract lawsuit against Sinclair (see 1808090042) is expected to end with a settlement, and Sinclair would seek to conclude it relatively quickly, said analysts, attorneys and academics in interviews. Since Sinclair/Tribune deal was valued at $3.9 billion, Tribune’s seeking more than a quarter of the value as damages is likely “posturing,” leading to a much smaller payout, said George Mason University School of Business assistant finance professor Derek Horstmeyer.
Public interest groups, think tanks and antitrust scholars are backing DOJ's appeal of the U.S. district court ruling letting AT&T buy Time Warner (see 1807120068), in amicus briefs filed Monday with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. They follow DOJ's appellant brief filed last week (see 1808070025). New AT&T's appellee brief is due Sept. 20, with amicus briefs in support due Sept. 27. AT&T didn't comment Tuesday.
More than 100 small radio broadcasters want the FCC to create a new C4 class of full-power FM stations, which NAB and some larger groups oppose. C4 will "increase congestion on the already crowded FM band and escalate the risk of interference to other FM services, especially FM translators,” NAB commented in docket 18-184 in response to a notice of inquiry. “There is no chance of increased interference as a result of the proposal,” said SSR Communications, the petitioner behind the C4 proposal. The plan would consume only “previously-unused, available bandwidth,” SSR said.
The Department of Homeland Security’s new National Risk Management Center (see 1808070032) will test the willingness of industry and the federal government to collaborate on cybersecurity defense, experts said this week. The U.S. government is hesitant to share classified information with national security implications, and the private sector is reticent for fear of reputational damage or increased scrutiny from regulators, they said.
APCO conference attendees agreed numerous questions remain on FirstNet, in interviews there last week. APCO featured FirstNet and partner AT&T (see 1808090002). Many predicted FirstNet’s growth will be relatively slow and a large number of agencies will stick with their current providers. FirstNet is in the first year of its five-year buildout plan. The network is growing since it launched last year, with 110,000 subscribers at the most recent count, and board members expressed optimism during their meeting Monday (see 1808130063).
Parties urged the FCC to ensure a Lifeline national verifier has electronic interfaces that will ease verification of consumer low-income eligibility. State regulators and consumer advocates were supportive, and the National Lifeline Association (NaLA), Sage Telecom, Sprint and TracFone Wireless expressly backed Q Link Wireless' emergency petition to direct Universal Service Administrative Co. to implement machine-to-machine application programming interfaces for the national verifier (see 1807050046). No opposition was filed in comments posted Friday and Monday in docket 17-287. The FCC and USAC declined comment Monday.
The FirstNet board unanimously approved an $81 million operating budget for FY 2019 and decided to explore investing money in network enhancements and innovation. It reserves $81 million and allocates $78 million to network reinvestment, for a total budget of $240 million. The board held its quarterly meeting by conference call Monday. It was the last to be led by Sue Swenson, who must step down as chair after two two-year terms. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross is expected to name at least three new members and a new chair in coming weeks.
The FCC wants to dispose of NTCH petitions for reconsideration dealing with the agency allowing Dish Network to convert satellite spectrum for terrestrial wireless use, according to insiders and court documents. Related drafts were included in an array of items circulated at the agency last week (see here). NTCH had sought a writ of mandamus from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit over what it said were petitions trapped "in administrative limbo."
Widespread removal of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones from social media was a flash point for companies feeling pressure to police platforms judiciously, but it could fuel arguments that Silicon Valley is biased against conservatives (see 1807170043), said industry observers, warning the GOP against siding with extremists.
The Intelsat/SES/Intel plan for clearing a portion of the C-band could very well face disagreements among satellite operators, cable companies and wireless interests and their industry groups when comments start coming in on an order and NPRM approved 4-0 in July (see 1807120037), experts and insiders told us. The texts haven't been in the Federal Register. Intelsat CEO Stephen Spengler told us the coalition expects to gain support from incumbent C-band end users over time: "It will be recognition the approach we have made avoids the possibility of the worst outcome" of spectrum sharing.