The Federal Communications Commission plans to vote July 10 on possible easing of rules enacted in 1996 that require broadcasters to air a certain amount of children’s TV programming. Judging by statements from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, the likely outcome will be a much looser regulatory environment, given the multitude…

UPDATED with WGAW statement, 10: 26: The $26 billion merger of Sprint and T-Mobile will get the blessing of the Federal Communications Commission in exchange for pledges by the company to build out a 5G network that will cover 99% of the U.S. by 2026, officials said Monday. The WGA West issued this statement Tuesday…

The House voted Wednesday to approve the “Save the Internet Act,” a bill that would restore net neutrality, which proponents see as a way of safeguarding free and open information exchange online. Reaction among industry factions was predictably split, with the FCC issuing a salty statement and the Writers Guild and…

Nexstar Media Group, whose pending deal to acquire Tribune Media will make it the No. 1 owner of local TV stations in the U.S., said it is selling off 19 stations in 15 markets, a move that will net the company $1.32 billion in cash. Rival station groups Tegna and E.W. Scripps are acquiring the stations. Nexstar said…

UPDATED with video: John Oliver is robocalling all FCC commissioners, including his nemesis, FCC chairman Ajit Pai, to protest Pai’s decision not to attack the menace that keeps growing. Thanks to new tactics, which Oliver detailed on Sunday’s Last Week Tonight, robocalling is only getting worse. Some pundits estimate…

UPDATED with FCC commissioner statement: Democrats on Capitol Hill, now that they control the House of Representatives, are resuming their efforts to restore net neutrality with the introduction of a new bill in both the House and Senate. Dubbed the Save the Internet Act, the legislation aims to return conditions to…

An Administrative Law Judge reviewing Sinclair Broadcast Group’s ultimately unsuccessful effort to acquire Tribune Media at the FCC’s behest has dismissed the case with prejudice, urging a more thorough investigation of the matter. Judge Jane Halprin issued an order today saying proceeding with hearings in the case…

The WGA East is blasting the FCC's proposed new rules that would allow dual ownership of TV stations in local markets, a decision that the guild says "would make it possible for media conglomerates to further nationalize local news." "Further consolidation of local radio and television station ownership would rob…

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has canceled his trip to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year because of the partial government shutdown, according to reports. Pai had been scheduled speak at the confab Tuesday about the changing technological landscape. That event has been removed from the trade show’s…

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai took a victory lap today as he celebrated the Congress’ failure to revive Obama-era net neutrality rules. Congressional Democrats spearheaded an effort to overturn the FCC’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order, which wiped earlier bans on blocking or slowing internet traffic or paying for faster…

Telemundo parent Comcast has agreed to pay a fine of $495,000 after an investigation by the FCC found that some of the Hispanic broadcaster’s local stations had pre-empted children’s programming in favor of sports. That action was deemed out of bounds under the federal Children’s Television Act of 1990. The FCC said…

Most Americans have received an emergency alert on their cellphones — Amber Alert, tornado warning or whatever. But today virtually every American with a mobile device will be hearing directly from Uncle Sam. Whether they want to or not. If your cell is turned on at 11:18 a.m. PT/2:18 p.m. ET, it will buzz and you’ll…