Original Broadcaster Captioning (Enhanced). Treat it as a searchable index of what was broadcast, not a quotation record.
00:01:24MINUTES.
00:01:39>> IF YOU COULD PLEASE TAKE YOUR CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE.
00:01:41THANK YOU.
00:01:57>> ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.
00:02:00WELCOME TO THE CHAIRMAN'S PRESS CONFERENCE. AS A REMINDER, GIVE YOUR NAME
00:02:04AND IDENTIFY YOUR OUTLETS UPON ASKING YOUR QUESTION. WE GREATLY APPRECIATE THAT.
00:02:08AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT
00:02:10OVER TO CHAIRMAN CARR.
00:02:15>> THANKS SO MUCH. GREAT TO SEE MOST OF YOU AGAIN.
00:02:18WE HAVE A BIG BREAK HERE BETWEEN OUR AUGUST MEETING AND OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING.
00:02:22SO THESE WERE TWO PACKED MEETINGS BACK TO BACK.
00:02:25ANOTHER GOOD MEETING, OBVIOUSLY. WE'VE BEEN VERY MUCH FOCUSED
00:02:28HERE ON THE FCC BUILD AMERICA AGENDA.
00:02:31YOU SAW ONE BIG FEATURE OF THAT,
00:02:32THIS WEEK, WHICH WAS THE DIRECT
00:02:36TO DEVICE ITEM ON UNLICENSED SPECTRUM BUT PAIRS WITH A LOT OF
00:02:40WORK WE ARE DOING ON DIRECT DEVICES AND ONE AREA WE CAME IN,
00:02:43WE KNEW WE WANTED AMERICA TO LEAD THE WORLD IN IT. AND WE ARE TAKING THE CONCRETE
00:02:47STEPS TO DO EXACTLY THAT. AND WE THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE
00:02:49REALLY DISRUPTIVE AND A GOOD OUTCOME FOR CONSUMERS.
00:02:52YOU ALSO SAW ON THE PAST WEEK OR SO SINCE OUR LAST MEETING
00:02:55ANOTHER EFFORT ON NATIONAL SECURITY. AGAIN, WE CAME IN AND ONE OF THE
00:02:58FIRST THINGS WE DID WAS A NEW
00:03:01COUNCIL ON NATIONAL SECURITY INSIDE THE AGENCY.
00:03:05WE WERE TAKING A SERIES OF ACTIONS. WE DID RECENTLY HAS BEEN TO ADD
00:03:09TO THE AGENCY'S COVERED LIST,
00:03:11THE ADVANCED ROBOTICS WHICH
00:03:14INCLUDE HUMANOID ROBOTS AND
00:03:19ROBOT DOGS BY SOME PEOPLE. AND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE ACROSS
00:03:22THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS TAKING A REALLY SMART APPROACH TO THESE NATIONAL SECURITY
00:03:26ISSUES. BY PUTTING SOMETHING ON THE COVERED LIST YOU'RE SENDING A
00:03:29VERY CLEAR SIGNAL TO THE MARKET ABOUT A NATIONAL SECURITY RISK
00:03:33WHILE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT THERE IS A TIME LINE TO TRANSITION.
00:03:37SO WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN A SITUATION FIVE YEARS FROM NOW
00:03:39WHERE YOU GOT MANY, MANY THOUSANDS OR MILLIONS OF THESE
00:03:43TYPES OF DEVICES THAT ARE A NATIONAL SECURITY RISK WHERE WE
00:03:46HAVE BECOME OVERLY DEPENDENT ON
00:03:48SUPPLY CHAINS OVERSEAS OR TELLING PEOPLE THAT NOW IS THE
00:03:52TIME TO ONSHORE A LOT OF THE
00:03:55INVESTMENT AND DEVELOP IT INTO WHAT COULD BE CRITICAL ELEMENTS
00:03:59OF OUR NATIONAL SECURITY AS WELL AS ECONOMIC SECURITY.
00:04:02SO ADVANCED ROBOTICS PLUS POWER
00:04:05INVERTERS WERE RECENTLY ADDED.
00:04:07THERE IS AN EXCEPTION AND A WAIVER PROCESS AND ALLOWS US TO TAKE ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY
00:04:11RISK, ALLOW THE MARKET TO
00:04:12ADJUST, AND GO THROUGH INDIVIDUAL EITHER ACCEPT OR WE
00:04:16ALSO HAVE THE PROCESSES TO REMOVE SOME OF THE
00:04:20GRANDFATHERING PROVISIONS AS WELL. SO WE'RE PLEASED WITH THE
00:04:23ROLLOUT OF THOSE INITIATIVES. AND AGAIN, AT THE TOP OF THE
00:04:26LAST MONTH, LAST MEETING, WE'RE SEEING GOOD RESULTS ON DRONES,
00:04:29FOR INSTANCE, THE AGENCY ADDED DRONES TO THE COVERED LIST,
00:04:33FOREIGN-PRODUCED DRONES AT THE END OF LAST YEAR AND WE'VE SEEN
00:04:35THE DATA SHOW THAT WE'RE IN
00:04:37EXCESS OF $5 BILLION OF NEWLY FLOWED INTO DRONE AND
00:04:41DRONE-RELATED BUSINESSES AND WE'RE SEEING DRONE MOTORS, FOR
00:04:44INSTANCE, BEING PRODUCED NOW IN
00:04:46THIS COUNTRY, TOWARD A SCALE
00:04:48THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE. GOOD OUTCOMES AND ULTIMATELY
00:04:51PART OF OUR BUILD AMERICA AGENDA. AND WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO TURN
00:04:55IT OVER TO WHAT I'M SURE WILL BE LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
00:04:57BUILD AMERICA AGENDA.
00:05:02REPORTER: I'M MAGGY RHODES, A REPORTER FOR THE CAPITAL FORUM.
00:05:07IS A LAWSUIT EXPECTED TO BE BROUGHT BY PUBLIC INTEREST
00:05:09GROUPS WILL BE FILED SINCE THE FCC AS EXPECTED REMOVED THE
00:05:13AUDIENCE CAP? A SOURCE WORKING ON THE CASE SAID MEMBERS OF CONGRESS ARE
00:05:16EXPECTED TO FILE BRIEFS SAYING THEY CAN ONLY REVISE THE LAW.
00:05:18HOW WILL YOU RESPOND TO THESE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IF THEY FILE THE BRIEFS?
00:05:22>> WELL, LOOK, EVERYONE IS FREE TO APPEAL FCC DECISIONS.
00:05:26THAT'S HOW THE PROCESS WORKS.
00:05:27FOR US, IT COMES DOWN TO AN ANALYSIS OF WHAT'S THE RIGHT
00:05:31POLICY CALL. WHERE DO WE THINK THE LAW IS AND
00:05:33EVERYONE IS FREE TO LITIGATE.
00:05:35FOLKS HAVE LITIGATED FCC MEDIA
00:05:38REGULATION DECISIONS HISTORICALLY. I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF THERE
00:05:41IS APPEALS HERE. AND WE'LL ALLOW THE COURTS TO WORK THROUGH IT.
00:05:45BUT WE'VE DONE OUR PART. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TREND LINE AGAIN, I THINK THE PARALLELS AS
00:05:49I WENT ON AT LENGTH PROBABLY DURING MY STATEMENT TO THE LOCAL
00:05:52NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY ARE VERY CLEAR. AND I DON'T WANT TO BE AN FCC
00:05:55CHAIR THAT SAT BACK AND OBSERVED THE TREND AND DID NOTHING.
00:05:58I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT POLICY CALL. I ALSO HAPPEN TO THINK GIVEN THE
00:06:02DC CIRCUIT'S DECISION PREVIOUSLY
00:06:05ON A DIFFERENT SPECIFIC STATUTORY CAP WHERE THEY SAID IT
00:06:08CAN BE MODIFIED THAT WE CAN DO IT. IF IT GOES TO THE COURTS IT GOES
00:06:11TO THE COURTS WE'LL LITIGATE IT
00:06:13AND WE'LL SEE WHERE IT GOES.
00:06:17REPORTER: KELSEY GRIFFITH WITH BLOOMBERG NEWS. ONE OF OUR MAIN JUSTIFICATIONS
00:06:21FOR GETTING RID OF THE 39% CAP
00:06:23WAS TO INCREASE LOCAL REPORTING AND THE RESOURCES THAT LOCAL STATIONS HAVE.
00:06:27YOU'VE ALREADY ALLOWED TWO MAIN STATION GROUP OWNERS TO MERGE
00:06:31UNDER THAT VIEW. COULD THE LARGE STATION GROPE
00:06:34OWNERS FIND THEMSELVES SUBJECT TO REGULATORY SCRUTINY IN THE
00:06:37FUTURE IF THEY IMPOSE TOO MUCH OF A NATIONAL VIEWPOINT OR BEGIN
00:06:40ACTING LIKE NATIONAL NETWORKS THEMSELVES?
00:06:43>> WELL A COUPLE OF POINTS THERE.
00:06:45ONE, WHEN IT COMES TO SPECIFIC TRANSACTIONS WE WILL ALWAYS LOOK AT THE FACTS THERE.
00:06:48WE PUT CONDITIONS IN PLACE ON TRANSACTIONS AND WE CAN PUT
00:06:52CONDITIONS IN PLACE ON
00:06:53TRANSACTIONS THAT FOCUS ON LOCALISM.
00:06:57AND I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO DO THAT. DIRECTIONALLY, AGAIN, I THINK
00:07:00IT'S -- THERE'S AN INTERESTING CONVERSATION TO HAVE ABOUT WHAT
00:07:04DID CONGRESS INTEND WITH THE BROADCAST INDUSTRY?
00:07:08AND IT'S DIFFERENT THAN NATIONAL
00:07:11REACH DISTRIBUTION PLATFORMS.
00:07:12THE WAY SOAKS MEDIA TODAY -- THE
00:07:15WAY SOCIAL MEDIA TODAY OR CABLE IS. ASK A BALANCE BETWEEN THE
00:07:18NATIONAL PROGRAMMERS AND THE AFFILIATE AGREEMENTS AND THE PROGRAMMING THEY PROVIDE AND
00:07:22ALSO PRODUCTION OF LOCAL NEWS, LOCAL INFORMATION, AND WE'RE
00:07:26ATTEMPTING THROUGH A DOZEN OR MORE DIFFERENT PROCEEDINGS TO
00:07:28TRY TO STRENGTHEN AND ENHANCE LOCALISM.
00:07:32AGAIN, I SAID IN A STATEMENT, IF WE MOVE INTO A WORLD AND SOME
00:07:35BROADCASTERS ARE WHERE THEY'RE BECOMING NOTHING MORE THAN
00:07:38UNDIFFERENTIATED PASS-THROUGHS FOR NATIONAL PROGRAMMING
00:07:42PRODUCED IN HOLLYWOOD AND NEW YORK THAT'S ONLY ACCELERATING THE DECLINE AND SORT OF
00:07:46INCREASING SOME OF THE SECULAR HEAD WINDS THAT THEY'RE FACING.
00:07:48THE FUTURE OF LOCAL BROADCAST TV HAS TO BE LOCALISM.
00:07:52AND IF THEY ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, A PASS-THROUGH, A MOUTHPIECE FOR
00:07:56THE NATIONAL FEED, PEOPLE CAN GET THAT THROUGH YOUTUBE TV OR OTHER CHANNELS.
00:08:00SO I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO EXIST, THEY HAVE EVERY MARKET INCENTIVE TO
00:08:04CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON LOCALISM. AND THE FCC HAS BEEN.
00:08:07WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO PREEMPT. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO IF YOU THINK
00:08:10THERE'S A BETTER FIT, PREEMPTIVE NATIONAL PROGRAMMING, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT TREND CONTINUE.
00:08:14SO WE WILL BE FOCUSED TO MAKE SURE THAT BROADCASTERS CONTINUE
00:08:17TO FOCUS ON LOCALISM AND NOT JUST BEING DUMB PIPES FOR THE
00:08:21NATIONAL FEED.
00:08:26>> MR. CHAIRMAN, WITH POLITICO. I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP A LITTLE ON WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE
00:08:29COVERED LIST AT THE OUTSET. YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN I THINK A
00:08:32BIGGER GEOPOLITICAL FOCUS AT THE FCC FOR YEARS CURIOUS WHAT YOU
00:08:36SEE AS DRIVING THAT AND WHERE YOU THINK THAT MIGHT BE GOING.
00:08:39IS THAT AN ENDURING MORE PERMANENT CHANGE LIKE -- THINKING HIGH LEVEL ABOUT THE
00:08:42IDENTITY OF THE FCC, WANTED TO
00:08:45ASK A BIT ABOUT THAT AND SOME OF THE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO IT?
00:08:49>> IT IS SOMETHING WE'VE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT. I THINK ONE WAY TO DESCRIBE IT
00:08:53IS A CONTINUATION OF A TREND THAT CUTS THROUGH THE BIDEN
00:08:56ADMINISTRATION AND THE FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. IF YOU GO BACK, THOSE WERE SOME
00:08:59OF THE FIRST -- FIRST TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WHEN WE STARTED
00:09:03TO INSERT NATIONAL SECURITY
00:09:04CHECKS INTO FCC REVIEWS.
00:09:07THAT WAS WHEN WE DID THE RIP AND REPLACE PROCEEDING WITH HUAWEI
00:09:10AND GTE AND DENIED BEFORE THAT,
00:09:13USF SUBSIDIES FOR POTENTIALLY INSECURE GEAR.
00:09:17CHAIRMAN ROSEN EXTENDED AND CONTINUED A LOT OF THOSE ACTIONS.
00:09:20SO IN SOME WAYS THIS IS MOMENTUM
00:09:22CONTINUING TO BUILD TOWARD A REALIZATION THAT WHEN IT COMES
00:09:26TO TECH AND TELECOM AND OUR NETWORKS, THERE ARE BAD ACTORS
00:09:29AND FOREIGN ADVERSARIES THAT ARE
00:09:31CONSTANTLY PROBING AND PRODDING
00:09:34AND LOOKING FOR WAYS IN AND RAMPING UP OUR WORK.
00:09:36AND AGAIN, FROM DAY ONE, THE COUNCIL ON NATIONAL SECURITY WAS
00:09:40A CLEAR SIGNAL THAT THIS
00:09:41PARTICULAR AGENCY WAS GOING TO CONTINUE AND ACCELERATE THAT
00:09:45TREND LINE. AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE
00:09:48DOING.
00:09:51>> WITH MS NOW. I'M SURE AS YOU'RE AWARE, ABC
00:09:54ACCUSED THE FCC OF ATTEMPTING CENSORSHIP. DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT IN
00:09:58RESPONSE TO THAT ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S REFERENCING OR ABC IS REFERENCING SOME OF THE
00:10:02POLITICAL CONTENT OF THEIR SHOWS?
00:10:05>> WELL, AGAIN, I THINK THE SUPREME COURT HAS ALREADY
00:10:08ADDRESSED THIS QUESTION OF WHETHER THE FCC ENFORCEMENT OF
00:10:11THE PUBLIC INTEREST STANDARD AND RELATED STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS
00:10:15THAT BROADCASTERS HAVE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
00:10:19THE SUPREME COURT HAS SAID THAT
00:10:21ENFORCING THESE PUBLIC INTEREST
00:10:23STANDARDS IS NOT CENSORSHIP.
00:10:26WITH RESPECT TO DISNEY AND ABC, THERE ARE SEVERAL PROCEEDINGS GOING ON.
00:10:30THEY'RE MAKING THE ARGUMENT TO THE AGENCY THAT THE VIEW IS A
00:10:33BONA FIDE NEWS PROGRAM AND PEOPLE HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ON THAT.
00:10:36I THINK ON LOTS OF DIFFERENT SIDES AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THE RECORD. WE HAVEN'T MADE A FINAL
00:10:40DECISION. BUT OUR JOB IS TO ENFORCE THE
00:10:44ACT AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST STANDARD AND PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT. I GET IT.
00:10:47BUT PEOPLE DON'T LIKE IT IN ALL SORTS OF CONTEXTS, RIGHT?
00:10:50WHETHER PUBLIC SAFETY ITEMS OR WIRELINE ITEMS.
00:10:53YOU FIND THAT PEOPLE PUSH BACK AND THEY MAKE A LOT OF ARGUMENTS
00:10:57THAT IN TO YOUR VIEW AREN'T TRUE. BUT WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH IT.
00:11:00SO WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO
00:11:03ENFORCE THE PUBLIC INTEREST STANDARD.
00:11:06AND MESSAGING CAMPAIGNS, THE WHOLE STANDING. REPORTER: A FOLLOW-UP.
00:11:10NEXT STEPS. DO YOU PLAN TO HAVE A HEARING?
00:11:13IS IT GOING TO BE FOR THE FCC ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGE?
00:11:17WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? >> WE HAVEN'T MADE A FINAL DECISION ON TIMING OR NEXT
00:11:21STEPS. WITH RESPECT TO DISNEY, ABC'S
00:11:24BROADCAST LICENSES IN PARTICULAR.
00:11:26WE ISSUED AN EARLY RENEWAL DECISION. THEY FILED AND MAKING THEIR
00:11:30POSITION, THEIR ARGUMENT THAT THEY HAVE OPERATED IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
00:11:34THERE HAD BEEN PETITIONS TO DENY. THERE HAVE BEEN OPPOSITIONS TO THAT.
00:11:37RECENTLY FILED BY DISNEY.
00:11:38I THINK FOR NOW EITHER OR THIS
00:11:42WEEK THE PLEADING CYCLE IS STILL GOING AND WHEN THAT CLOSES WE
00:11:46WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THE RECORD AND DECIDE BASED ON THE EVIDENCE BEFORE US WHAT THE NEXT STEP
00:11:49WILL BE.
00:11:53REPORTER: MR. CHAIRMAN, DIEGO MUNOZ, YOU'RE GETTING A LOT
00:11:57OF -- FROM CHINA HAWKS FOR THE
00:11:59COVERED LIST ACTIONS. CAN YOU UNPACK YOUR VIEW ABOUT
00:12:03HOW THEY WON'T IMPACT THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY OR THEY MIGHT
00:12:07EVEN BENEFIT THE DOMESTIC INDUSTRY GIVEN A LOT OF THOSE
00:12:10SUPPLY CHAINS ARE STILL VERY MUCH RELIANT ON CHINA.
00:12:12LIKE THE ROBOTICS INDUSTRY.
00:12:16AND COULD YOU SAY WHERE YOU'RE GOING NEXT?
00:12:18IT'S BEEN REPORTED THAT YOU'RE CONSIDERING DATA CENTER
00:12:22COMPONENTS FOR THE COVERED LIST,
00:12:24ARE YOU? >> WELL, THE ACTIONS WE'RE
00:12:28TAKING WITH RESPECT TO THE COVERED LIST INCLUDING RECENTLY ARE NOT COUNTRY SPECIFIC.
00:12:31SO FOR INSTANCE, WE BAN ALL
00:12:35FOREIGN-PRODUCED DRONES AT THE END OF LAST YEAR AS WE JUST TALKED ABOUT.
00:12:38WE'VE ADDED TO THE COVERED LIST ALL FOREIGN-PRODUCED ADVANCED
00:12:42ROBOTICS. FOREIGN-PRODUCED ROUTERS.
00:12:44BUT WE DO IT IN A WAY THAT IS,
00:12:46YOU KNOW, SUFFICIENT AND
00:12:49DIRECTED AT NATIONAL SECURITY.
00:12:51BUT ALSO IN A WAY THAT AVOIDS A
00:12:54FLASH CUT JARRING CHANGE TO THE MARKET. AGAIN, IF THERE IS A DRONE OR IF
00:12:58THERE'S AN ADVANCED ROBOTIC, THAT'S ON THE SHELVES TODAY, THE
00:13:02COMPANY THAT MAKES IT CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE NEW -- NOT NEW
00:13:06VERSIONS BUT NEW ONES OF THAT
00:13:08MODEL, YOU AS A CONSUMER CAN
00:13:11CONTINUE TO BUY IT AND BUY IT A WEEK FROM NOW.
00:13:14AND THERE'S BEEN NO ACTION TO REMOVE ANY PRODUCT FROM A CONSUMER'S HANDS.
00:13:18IN FACT, THE FCC HASN'T GIVEN ITSELF RULES THAT WOULD
00:13:22CONTEMPLATE THAT. SO IT'S A SMART TRANSITION.
00:13:24IT'S A LONG-TERM SIGNAL TO THE MARKET OF WHERE WE'RE GOING.
00:13:28THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS SO FOR DRONES, FOR INSTANCE, EXCEPTIONS
00:13:32THAT WERE GRANTED FOR TOY DRONES. AND WERE EXCEPTIONS FOR DRONES
00:13:36THAT ARE ON THE -- PART OF THE
00:13:39BUY AMERICA PROGRAM. AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO SORT OF DO
00:13:42IT WITH A BROAD SIGNAL.
00:13:45BUT ALSO CAREFULLY CALIBRATED TO
00:13:48AVOID MASSIVE MARKET DISRUPTIONS. BUT THE MARKET IS CORRECTING. WE TALKED ABOUT DRONES.
00:13:52$5 BILLION SINCE THAT DECISION THAT'S FLOWED INTO DRONE AND
00:13:55DRONE-RELATED THINGS. MOTORS. BEING PRODUCED HERE NOW.
00:13:59SO I THINK IT'S A VERY, VERY SMART APPROACH.
00:14:03SENDS A LONG-TERM SIGNAL AND PROVIDES CERTAINTY IN THE LONG RUN BUT ALLOWS FOR A NUANCED
00:14:07APPROACH IN THE SHORT RUN. WE GET A COUPLE HUNDRED OR A
00:14:10COUPLE DOZEN OF A BAD PRODUCT, NOT A GREAT THING.
00:14:12BUT IT'S VERY DIFFERENT THAN ADVANCING FIVE YEARS FROM NOW
00:14:15AND HAVING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF THAT BAD THING. SO WE'RE TAKING STEPS NOW TO NOT
00:14:19BE IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE. >> THE DATA CENTER COMPONENTS?
00:14:23>> WHAT WAS THAT? REPORTER: DATA CENTER COMPONENTS, ARE YOU CONSIDERING THAT?
00:14:27>> THE DECISION ABOUT WHAT TO ADD, WHAT IS -- ONE THAT'S
00:14:30DRIVEN BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCIES, THEY
00:14:34MAKE THE DECISION. WE THEN IMPLEMENT THE DECISION THEY MAKE.
00:14:37SO I REFER YOU TO THEM FOR ANY COMPETENT ON WHAT, IF ANYTHING, THEY MAY HAVE NEXT.
00:14:41>> A QUICK FOLLOW-UP. YOU SAID THIS IS NOT COUNTRY SPECIFIC. AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.
00:14:45BUT IT'S WIDELY SEEN TARGETED AT CHINA.
00:14:49WHY THE HESITANCY IN SAYING THESE ARE CHINA TARGETED ACTIONS?
00:14:52>> THE DECISION THAT WE GET COMES FROM THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH NATIONAL SECURITY BODIES.
00:14:56AND IT IS FOR ALL FOREIGN PRODUCED.
00:14:59SO I SAY IT JUST BECAUSE IT'S AN
00:15:02ACCURATE DEPICTION.
00:15:04DETERMINATION.
00:15:07I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU ARE HERE. HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN? [LAUGHTER]
00:15:11>> A COUPLE OF MONTHS. >> I DON'T THINK I'VE SEEN YOU IN PERSON SINCE COVID.
00:15:13BUT IT'S GREAT TO SEE -- THE
00:15:16EDITOR OF COMMUNICATIONS DAILY COMING DOWN AND VISITING WITH
00:15:20US. I APPRECIATE IT.
00:15:22REPORTER: LIKE TWO MONTHS AGO.
00:15:24AT A CTI EVENT.
00:15:28THANK YOU FOR NOTICING. >> THANK YOU.
00:15:32[LAUGHTER] REPORTER: SO WITH THAT, I WANTED TO ASK, I GUESS I WANTED TO GO
00:15:36OFF IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
00:15:37YOU KNOW, I HEAR A LOT ON MY
00:15:40BEAT ABOUT CBRS AND CONCERNS
00:15:41ABOUT WHAT THE FCC MIGHT DO ON
00:15:45CBR'S BAND. AND SO CAN YOU GIVE US ANY
00:15:48UPDATE ON WHAT YOUR THINKING IS
00:15:53ON THAT AND PROVIDE ANY COLOR ON
00:15:54THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE FCC CAN
00:15:58START GETTING READY FOR THE 2.7
00:16:01GIGAHERTZ AUCTION BEFORE THE UPPER C BAND AUCTION WHICH WILL
00:16:05TAKE A LOT OF TIME. IN OTHER WORDS, CAN STAFF WORK
00:16:09ON BOTH ON MORE OR LESS PARALLEE
00:16:39YEARS OF COVERING.
00:16:39>> YES.
00:17:07WE'RE SEEING SINCE TRUMP WAS
00:17:10INAUGURATED, WE SEE MORE.
00:17:22>> YOU DIDN'T MENTION -- GETTING
00:17:26FOCUS FROM YOU?
00:17:29>> FOCUSED ON ALL THE SPECTRUM BANDS.
00:17:30I'VE BEEN WORKING ON CLOSELY,
00:17:33GETTING C-BAND DONE AND FOCUSED
00:17:35ON SORT OF THREE BIG NEW
00:17:38AUCTIONS FOR 2028 AND A LOT OF TALENTED PEOPLE HERE THAT HAVE
00:17:41EYEBALLS ON EVERY SINGLE SPECTRUM BAND FROM CBRS TO MANY
00:17:45OTHERS AS WELL. YEAH.
00:17:48>> CHAIRMAN, TED JOHNSON FROM JET LINE.
00:17:51I WANTED TO SEE IF YOU HAVE ANY
00:17:53REACTION, SENATOR KENNEDY AT THE
00:17:57CONFIRMATION HEARING, SAID --
00:18:02SAID TO HIM, OF THE FCC, YOU'RE
00:18:04GETTING INTO THE FOOTHILLS OF VIOLATING THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
00:18:07DO YOU HAVE ANY REACTION TO THAT?
00:18:11>> LOOK, THE REGULATORY
00:18:14FRAMEWORK FOR BROADCAST IS FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT THAN EVERY OTHER DISTRIBUTION PLATFORM.
00:18:18I THINK WHAT WE GOT TO BE CLEAR
00:18:19ABOUT IS BROADCASTERS CUT A DEAL
00:18:22WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. WHICH IS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
00:18:26HAVE EFFECTIVELY BEEN FORCED TO
00:18:28GIVE BROADCASTERS FREE
00:18:31SUBSIDIZED DISTRIBUTION BY USING THE AIRWAVES.
00:18:35THE AIRWAVES IS A PUBLIC
00:18:37RESOURCE.
00:18:39OWNED BY THE AMERICAN TAXPAYERS AND MOBILE WIRELESS PROVIDERS
00:18:43PAY BILLIONS AND BILLIONS OF
00:18:44DOLLARS FOR ACCESS TO THAT.
00:18:49A DEAL WAS CUT. YOU GET TO USE THIS PUBLIC
00:18:51RESOURCE FOR FREE BUT IN
00:18:54EXCHANGE A PART OF THE BARGAIN
00:18:59YOU HAVE TO OPERATE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. THE CONCEPT OF THE DEAL STRUCK,
00:19:02FREE ACCESS BUT COMPLY WITH
00:19:03PUBLIC INTEREST.
00:19:07PART AND PARCEL WHY BROADCAST IS
00:19:10SO DIFFERENT AND WHY THESE ISSUES WERE RAISED AT THE SUPREME COURT VERY CLEAR THAT
00:19:14ENFORCING THE PUBLIC INTEREST OBLIGATIONS IS NOT ANYTHING THAT
00:19:17APPROACHES CENSORSHIP OR A FIRST AMENDMENT ISSUE.
00:19:21SOME BROADCASTERS HAVE EFFECTIVELY SUGGESTED THAT THEY
00:19:24DON'T WANT TO BE HELD TO THAT BARGAIN ANYMORE AND HAVE THIS
00:19:27FREE ACCESS TO THE SUBSIDIZED SPECTRUM AND NOT LIVE UP TO THE
00:19:31PUBLIC INTEREST OBLIGATION. THAT BREAKS THE DEAL WITH THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
00:19:35IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT WAYS THEY CAN DO
00:19:38THAT AND PAY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE FOR THEIR ACCESS TO SPECTRUM AND
00:19:42MAYBE EVEN PAY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BACK IF THEY HAVEN'T BEEN LIVING UP TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST
00:19:46STANDARDS FOR A WHILE. BACKWARD LOOKING FOR THEIR USE OF IT. BUT THAT'S THE DEAL.
00:19:50AND IT'S BEEN VERY CLEAR.
00:19:52I THINK CONGRESS ALSO HAD A LOT
00:19:54OF CONCERNS FOR INSTANCE, WITH NPR AND PBS AND MEMBERS OF
00:19:58CONGRESS, WASN'T AN FCC CALL, AND THEY ARTICULATED THE VIEW
00:20:01THAT NPR AND PBS HAD GOTTEN TOO
00:20:04MUCH OUTSIDE OF THE MAINSTREAM
00:20:07TO FORCE EVERY TAXPAYER TO
00:20:11SUBSIDIZE THEIR BROAD CAST OPERATIONS. AND I THINK YOU SEE A LOT OF
00:20:14PEOPLE MAKING SOME OF THE SAME POINTS WITH BROADCAST TV.
00:20:17WE'RE FORCING PEOPLE TO EFFECTIVELY SUBSIDIZE BROADCAST
00:20:21TV BY DEPRIVING THE TREASURY AND THE PEOPLE OF THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT OTHERS WOULD PAY
00:20:24FOR IT, WE SHOULD BE VIGILANT ABOUT HOLDING THEM TO THEIR
00:20:28PUBLIC INTEREST OBLIGATIONS. >> IF I COULD, JUST FOLLOW UP.
00:20:32THIS SEEMED TO BE ABOUT THE
00:20:35ABC -- THAT SENATOR KENNEDY'S REMARKS AND WE DON'T KNOW FOR SURE AND DIDN'T SAY IT.
00:20:39BUT ON THE ABC PROCEEDING ABOUT THE STATION RENEWALS, YOU'VE
00:20:42BEEN CRITICAL OF PREVIOUS FCC
00:20:46CHAIRS FOR HOLDING THESE
00:20:49RENEWALS OPEN FOR A LONG TIME.
00:20:52THAT KIND OF UNCERTAINTY.
00:20:54CAN YOU SAY THAT FOR EXAMPLE
00:20:57WITH THE ABC EARLY RENEWAL IT
00:21:02WON'T BE A MATTER -- CAN YOU GIVE A TIME LINE?
00:21:05IT'S NOT GOING TO BE TWO YEARS FROM NOW WHEN YOU MAKE SOME KIND
00:21:08OF DECISION.
00:21:14ON THIS PROCEEDING THAT'S ONGOING.
00:21:16>> NO NEWS -- WE WANT TO LOOK AT
00:21:19THE RECORD AND REVIEW IT ONCE THAT PROCESS IS COMPLETE BETTER INSIGHT.
00:21:24BUT AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE NOT
00:21:25MADE A DECISION.
00:21:29WHAT YOU ARE REFERENCING THE BIDEN YEARS AND ARGUMENTS RAISED
00:21:33ABOUT FOX NEWS CABLE CHANNEL.
00:21:35CONTENT ON A CABLE CHANNEL WHICH THERE'S NO LICENSE AND NO PUBLIC
00:21:38INTEREST OBLIGATION AND NO STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS OF THAT TYPE OF SORT.
00:21:42THE FCC HELD UP A RENEWAL BASED ON CONCERNS ABOUT A CABLE
00:21:46CHANNEL. AND WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT,
00:21:49OBVIOUSLY.
00:21:52REPORTER: CHAIRMAN CARR, AN
00:21:54UPDATE ON AMAZON GLOBAL STAR AND
00:21:57GOT THE APPROVAL IN JULY AND WHERE IN A STANDS IN TERMS OF
00:22:00THE DOCKET THERE AND WHEN YOU
00:22:03GUYS MIGHT BE -- ACTION ON THAT.
00:22:07>> THEY FILED THEIR APPLICATION AT LEAST ON -- A COUPLE OF THINGS GOING ON WITH AMAZON.
00:22:11THERE'S DIRECT TO DEVICE APPLICATIONS AND ALSO THE TRANSACTION.
00:22:14WE ARE WORKING THROUGH ALL THOSE ISSUES BUT NO SPECIFIC NEWS TO
00:22:17BREAK ON TIMING THERE. GOOD. APPRECIATE IT.
00:22:21HOPE YOU GUYS HAVE A GOOD AUGUST. AND WE WILL SEE SOME OR ALL OF
00:22:24YOU IN SEPTEMBER.
00:22:26THANKS.
00:22:29>> I WANT TO START WITH WHAT HAPPENED. THIS ECONOMICS VOTE DAD TO
00:22:32ELIMINATE THE NATIONAL OWNERSHIP
00:22:35CAP, CONGRESS WROTE INTO LAW, HANDING MORE CONTROL OF THE
00:22:38PUBLIC AIRWAVES TO A SMALL NUMBER OF COMPANIES WHOSE
00:22:42COVERAGE PLEASES THIS ADMINISTRATION.
00:22:45THE COMMISSION'S RATIONALE FOR
00:22:46ITS ACTION TODAY IS THAT IT BALANCES OR IT WANTS TO BALANCE
00:22:50THE POWER BETWEEN LOCAL BROADCASTERS AND NETWORKS.
00:22:54IN DOING SO, IT IS PUTTING ITS THUMB ON THE SCALE IN FAVOR OF
00:22:57CONTENT THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION LIKES AND AGAINST CONTENT THAT
00:23:01IT DISLIKES.
00:23:02WE HAVE WATCHED THESE MASSIVE
00:23:05MEDIA CORPORATIONS PULL NETWORK PROGRAMMING TO PLEASE THIS
00:23:09ADMINISTRATION JUST AS THOSE SAME COMPANY OVERRIDE THE
00:23:13NETWORK'S OWN EDITORIAL JUDGMENT WHEN CURRYING FAVOR CUTS THE OTHER WAY.
00:23:17BOTH MOVES COME FROM THE SAME PLAYBOOK.
00:23:20EXECUTIVES CALCULATING WHAT WOULD WIN THEM FAVOR WITH THIS
00:23:24ADMINISTRATION RATHER THAN ASKING WHAT THEIR VIEWERS
00:23:26ACTUALLY NEEDED FROM THEM. YOUR LOCAL NEWSROOM USED TO
00:23:29DECIDE WHAT YOU GOT TO WATCH.
00:23:32NOW THAT DECISION INCREASINGLY RUNS THROUGH WHETHER IT PLEASES
00:23:35THE WHITE HOUSE AND WITHOUT A CONSUMER PROTECTION MEASURE LIKE
00:23:38THE NATIONAL OWNERSHIP CAP IN PLACE IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE.
00:23:41THAT IS THE REAL STORY BEHIND THIS COMMISSION'S CAMPAIGN OF
00:23:45CENSORSHIP AND CONTROL AGAINST ABC AND DISNEY.
00:23:48THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT BALANCE.
00:23:50BECAUSE THE FCC HAS NO BUSINESS
00:23:53BALANCING THE IDEOLOGICAL CONTENT OF THE NEWS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
00:23:57WHAT THIS COMMISSION WANTS IS POWER.
00:23:59THE POWER TO REWARD BROADCASTERS WHO PLAY BALL AND TO PUNISH THE
00:24:02ONES THAT DON'T. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ARE NOT BUYING IT.
00:24:06WHEN THE FCC OPENED TO PUBLIC COMMENT BOTH THE UNPRECEDENTED
00:24:10EARLY RENEWAL OF ABC STATION
00:24:13LICENSES AND THE SEPARATE BUT
00:24:14EQUALLY POLITICAL MOTIVATED CASE
00:24:18AGAINST THE VIEW, THE RESPONSE WAS MASSIVE.
00:24:21AND THE MESSAGE CUT ACROSS PARTY LINES.
00:24:23PEOPLE TRUST THEIR LOCAL STATIONS. THEY DO NOT WANT THE FCC
00:24:27ANYWHERE NEAR THESE EDITORIAL DECISIONS AND THEY SAID SO IN
00:24:30OVERWHELMING NUMBERS. THAT CONSENSUS EXTENDS WELL
00:24:34BEYOND THE USUAL VOICES. CONSERVATIVE AND FREE MARKET
00:24:37GROUPS HAVE JOINED THIS FIGHT, TOO. WARNING THAT TURNING THE LICENSE
00:24:41RENEWAL PROCESS INTO A POLITICAL
00:24:43WEAPON WILL NOT STAY POINTED IN ONE DIRECTION.
00:24:47AND THAT THE NEXT TARGET COULD JUST AS EASILY BE A CONSERVATIVE
00:24:50OR A RELIGIOUS BROADCASTER. THEY ARE RIGHT TO WORRY.
00:24:54AND I APPRECIATE THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SAY SO.
00:24:57JUST YESTERDAY, THAT WARNING
00:25:00CAME YET AGAIN FROM THE UNITED STATES SENATE. SENATOR JOHN KENNEDY WARNED THAT
00:25:03THE FCC IS GETTING INTO THE
00:25:06FOOTHILLS OF VIOLATING THE FIRST
00:25:09AMENDMENT. AND ANOTHER REPUBLICAN SENATOR IS ISSUING THAT KIND OF WARNING
00:25:12TO THIS AGENCY, IT SHOULD GIVE
00:25:14EVERY MEMBER OF THIS COMMISSION PAUSE.
00:25:17THIS FCC CAN KEEP PRETENDING THIS WAS ALL ABOUT THE PUBLIC
00:25:21INTEREST. BUT THE PUBLIC ALREADY GAVE ITS ANSWER.
00:25:24LOUDLY AND FROM EVERY DIRECTION.
00:25:26THEY WANT THIS GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE NEWSROOM. THANK YOU.
00:25:30AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR
00:25:33QUESTIONS.
00:25:39SURE. REPORTER: I CAN GO FIRST. MY NAME IS MAGGY RHODES.
00:25:42I'M A REPORTER AT THE CAPITAL FORUM. YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY TOUCHED ON
00:25:45THIS BUT CAN YOU SAY HOW THE
00:25:47AUDIENCE CAP RESERVES LOCALISM ESPECIALLY IF STREAMING
00:25:50PLATFORMS HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF REACHING 100% OF AMERICANS?
00:25:52THANK YOU.
00:25:55>> OUR LOCAL BROADCAST STATIONS ACTUALLY SERVE THEIR LOCAL
00:25:59COMMUNITIES. AND THAT IS WHERE A LOT OF LOCAL JOURNALISM STEMS FROM.
00:26:03EVEN WHEN YOU SEE ON TIKTOK,
00:26:06USUALLY THAT STARTS WITH A LOCAL REPORTER.
00:26:08THAT'S REPORTING ON SOMETHING LOCAL.
00:26:11SO THE NATIONAL CAP HELPS WITH THAT. BECAUSE WHAT IT AVOIDS IS WHAT
00:26:15WE SEE EVERY TIME WE HAVE THESE
00:26:17BIG CONSOLIDATIONS.
00:26:19AND THAT IS THE ELIMINATION OF
00:26:22LOCAL REPORTING.
00:26:24THE NATIONALIZATION OF THE NEWS,
00:26:26IT STARTS TO GET PRODUCED AND IT STOPS ACTUALLY REPORTING ON
00:26:30LOCAL NEWS. EVEN -- EVEN IN THE WAY THE
00:26:34COMMISSION TALKS ABOUT, BALANCING THE POWER BETWEEN THE
00:26:37NETWORKS AND BIG TECH, WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT IS MAKING
00:26:41THEM SO BIG THAT WHAT YOU REALLY
00:26:43LOSE IS THAT LOCAL FLAVOR.
00:26:48REPORTER: COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, KELSEY GRIFFITH WITH BLOOMBERG.
00:26:50I WANTED TO ASK, DO YOU HAVE ANY
00:26:54CONCERNS THAT THESE STATION
00:26:56GROUP OWNERS ARE GETTING SO BIG THAT THEY WILL EVENTUALLY BE
00:27:00ABLE TO BEHAVE LIKE THEIR OWN NATIONAL NETWORK AND IMPOSE SOME
00:27:03SORT OF VIEWPOINT THERE? IF IT IS ABOUT LOCALISM, AND
00:27:07WE'RE SEEING THESE COMPANIES GET LARGER, EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE
00:27:10THE SORT OF SEEMINGLY NATIONAL
00:27:13NETWORK BROADCAST REACH, DO YOU SEE ANY RISKS THERE?
00:27:17>> YES. AGAIN, THIS COMES BACK TO MY CONCERN ABOUT LOCALISM
00:27:21COMPETITION AND VIEWPOINT DIVERSITY. YOU LOSE VIEWPOINT DIVERSITY
00:27:24WITHOUT A DOUBT. BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS
00:27:28NEWS THAT GETS REALLY CONTROLLED AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
00:27:31SO I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
00:27:33AND FRANKLY, WE HAVE SEEN THIS IN THE PAST.
00:27:36WE KNOW SOME OF THESE STATION
00:27:39GROUPS FARM OUT CONTENT THAT IS
00:27:40NOT REALLY CHANGED. IT'S THE EXACT SAME THING THAT
00:27:44GETS READ IN EVERY LOCAL NEWS
00:27:49PROGRAMMING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. FOR THAT ONE BROADCAST STATION.
00:27:52SO WE'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. AND I AM CONCERNED THAT IT WILL
00:27:55HAPPEN AGAIN.
00:27:59>> COMMISSIONER GOMEZ, WITH POLITICO. WANTED TO SHIFT GEARS A LITTLE
00:28:02BIT AND ASK ABOUT THE AFFORDABLE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM.
00:28:06AND GIVEN IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF YEARS SINCE WE'VE SEEN THAT
00:28:09FUNDING LAPSE AND YOU WERE
00:28:13OUTSPOKEN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. HOW ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT THE
00:28:15EFFECTS OF THAT LAPSE NOW TWO YEARS LATER?
00:28:18IS THAT SOMETHING WHERE YOU HAVE HEARD AND SEEN MANY EFFECTS FROM
00:28:22THAT? AND HOW ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT
00:28:25WHERE THE APPETITE MIGHT BE FOR
00:28:28BRINGING BACK ANYTHING SIMILAR? WHERE THE NEED IS FOR THAT?
00:28:30AND BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. AND A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS AROUND
00:28:33THE USF STIMULATELY INCLUDING TODAY AT THE MEETING.
00:28:37>> YEAH. I APPRECIATE YOU RAISING THAT.
00:28:39AFFORDABILITY CONTINUES TO BE --
00:28:42AFFORDABILITY FOR BROADBAND CONTINUES TO BE A SIGNIFICANT
00:28:46ISSUE OF CONCERN AS FAMILIES ARE
00:28:50FACING AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS ALL AROUND. AND WHAT YOU SEE IS PEOPLE MAKING TOUGH CHOICES.
00:28:54CAN I AFFORD TO PAY FOR FOOD?
00:28:56CAN I AFFORD TO PAY FOR MY SITTER?
00:28:59OR CAN I AFFORD TO PAY FOR BROADBAND? TO PARTICIPATE IN TODAY'S
00:29:02DIGITAL ECONOMY, YOU REALLY NEED
00:29:04A BROADBAND CONNECTION.
00:29:07SO I AM CONCERNED THAT WE'VE --
00:29:09WE ARE NOT ADDRESSING THAT SPECIFIC ISSUE IN THE ACTIONS
00:29:12THAT WE'RE TAKING. AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND
00:29:15CONTINUE TO FIND WAYS.
00:29:18NOW, THE -- WE HAVE THE BIPARTISAN BICAMERAL WORKING
00:29:21GROUP IN CONGRESS THAT IS LOOKING AT REFORMING THE
00:29:25UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND PROGRAM.
00:29:29AND IN THE LAST CONGRESS, THERE
00:29:31WAS A PROPOSAL TO WRAP THE ACP
00:29:35INTO THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND WHICH I THINK IS AN EXCELLENT
00:29:38WAY TO HANDLE THIS ISSUE. BECAUSE WHILE WE DO HAVE THE
00:29:42LIFELINE PROGRAM, IT'S REALLY
00:29:46NOT SUFFICIENT TO -- TO ADDRESS
00:29:50ALL OF THE AFFORDABILITY NEEDS.
00:29:53IT'S ONLY $9.25 A MONTH.
00:29:55IT'S CLEARLY NOT ENOUGH TO HELP
00:29:57FAMILIES ACTUALLY CONNECT.
00:30:00AND ALSO LIMITATIONS TO THE LIFELINE PROGRAM THAT WE DID NOT
00:30:04HAVE UNDER THE ACP.
00:30:07WHICH MEANT A LOT OF PROVIDERS COULDN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
00:30:10SO WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE SO THAT WE CAN
00:30:13GET MORE AND MORE FAMILIES CONNECTED.
00:30:16SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT THIS WILL SURVIVE THIS CURRENT ITERATION
00:30:19OF THE WORKING GROUP. AND THAT IT WILL BE MADE PART OF
00:30:22THE UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND BECAUSE THEN IT WILL BE
00:30:26SUSTAINABLE. REPORTER: THANK YOU. REPORTER: COMMISSIONER, ARIEL
00:30:29WITH MS NOW. YOU MENTIONED LOTS OF RESPONSE
00:30:33TO THE FCC'S REVIEW OF THE
00:30:34ABC -- I SAW OVER 150,000
00:30:38COMMENTS REPORTED. MAYBE THERE IS EVEN MORE AT THIS
00:30:41POINT. IS THAT -- IS THAT A LARGE -- IS
00:30:44THAT LARGE ENOUGH FOR THE FCC TO RECONSIDER ITS ACTIONS MOVING
00:30:48FORWARD? >> YEAH. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT
00:30:51OR THE FCC KEEPS TALKING ABOUT HOW IT'S TAKING THESE AXES TO
00:30:55ENSURE THE PUBLIC -- THESE ACTIONS TO ENSURE THE PUBLIC
00:30:58INTEREST. THE PUBLIC HAS SPOKEN.
00:31:00WE HAVE 20,000 COMMENTS --
00:31:04230,000 COMMENTS BETWEEN "THE VIEW" AND THE EARLY RENEWAL PROCESS.
00:31:08THESE COMMENTS ALL SAY THE SAME THING. WE VALUE OUR LOCAL NEWS.
00:31:12WE VALUE THE CONTENT THAT WE'RE WATCHING. AND WE DON'T THINK IT IS THE
00:31:16FCC'S BUSINESS TO DECIDE WHAT IS A PROPER EDITORIAL DECISION OR
00:31:20WHAT IS ACTUALLY JOURNALISM.
00:31:24SO I DO BELIEVE THAT THE FCC
00:31:28SHOULD BASICALLY STOP THIS
00:31:31ACTION THAT IT IS TAKING WHICH
00:31:33IS CLEARLY DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE CONTENT THAT THIS
00:31:37ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T LIKE.
00:31:39IN THE DISNEY NETWORK. AND THAT I DON'T THINK IS
00:31:43APPROPRIATE UNDER THE FIRST
00:31:45AMENDMENT.
00:31:54REPORTER: CARING DIEGO FROM PUNCH BOWL.
00:31:57-- CARMEN DIEGO FROM PUNCH BOWL.
00:32:03NOT THE FIRST TIME HE CRITICIZES THE MAJORITY.
00:32:06AND ENDS UP SIDING WITH YOU. BUT WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE CHAIRMAN
00:32:10CRUZ TO DO? DO YOU THINK -- IS THERE
00:32:12ANYTHING THAT THE SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE AND CONGRESS
00:32:15CAN DO TO CHANGE WHAT'S GOING ON
00:32:18HERE AT THE FCC? >> I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS
00:32:21THAT ALL OF CONGRESS CAN DO IS
00:32:23EXERCISE ITS OVERSIGHT OVER THE FCC.
00:32:27WE ANSWER TO THE CONGRESS.
00:32:30AND IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF
00:32:32THEY WOULD, YOU KNOW, EXERCISE
00:32:36THEIR OVERSIGHT, CALL US UP
00:32:38THERE SO WE CAN SPEAK TO THE ACTIONS THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION
00:32:42IS TAKEN AND THE FCC HAS BEEN
00:32:45TAKING.
00:32:48REPORTER: COMMUNICATIONS DAILY. >> HI, HOWARD. I HEARD YOU'RE HERE AGAIN.
00:32:51REPORTER: THANK YOU. PLEASE CALL ATTENTION TO ME.
00:32:55WE LIKE THAT.
00:32:56AND I'M NOT REALLY SURE.
00:33:00BUT HERE'S -- I WANTED TO ASK
00:33:02FIRST OF ALL ABOUT -- SO WE'VE SEEN ALL THESE ACTIONS TAKEN
00:33:07ABOUT ROUTERS AND DRONES AND I
00:33:12GUESS -- WHAT WERE YOU SAYING, ROBOTS. ROBOTICS.
00:33:15AND WHAT IS IT, POWER INVERTERS AND MAYBE ANNOUNCE SOMETHING
00:33:19HAVING TO DO WITH -- WITH -- SO
00:33:25THE CHAIRMAN IS TALKING ABOUT
00:33:26HOW THAT'S LED TO A $5 BILLION
00:33:29INCREASE IN THE US DRONE INDUSTRY.
00:33:32OR -- AND I'M TRYING TO GET THAE
00:33:36DATA ON THAT.
00:33:38BUT I'M HEARING A LOT OF CONCERNS FROM PEOPLE ABOUT HOW,
00:33:42YOU KNOW, HOW DIFFICULT IT IS AND HOW THESE ARE DECISIONS ARE
00:33:46MADE WITHOUT PROVIDING A WHOLE LOT OF DOCUMENTATION AND NOBODY
00:33:49REALLY KNOWS, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO OR NOT
00:33:52SUPPOSED TO DO.
00:33:53AND I'M JUST WONDERING, WHAT --
00:33:56WHAT'S YOUR SORT OF READ ON THAT AND HOW MUCH ARE YOU HEARING
00:33:58ABOUT THAT ISSUE?
00:34:01>> SO STARTING WITH I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US TO PUSH
00:34:04BACK ON FOREIGN ADVERSARIES AND TO ENSURE OUR NATIONAL SECURITY.
00:34:08BUT WHAT I'M HEARING FROM A LOT OF AMERICAN COMPANIES AND
00:34:12INDUSTRY LEADERS IS THAT THEY'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THE HAPHAZARD
00:34:16WAY, THE CHAOTIC WAY IN WHICH WE'VE SEEN THE ROLLOUT OF
00:34:20BASICALLY PROFOUND CHANGES TO THE COVERED LIST.
00:34:23IF WE WANT TO AVOID THE APPEARANCE OF FAVORING CERTAIN
00:34:27ACTORS FROM OTHERS, WE NEED TRANSPARENCY.
00:34:31PEOPLE KNOW AND PEOPLE NEED TO
00:34:32KNOW, PEOPLE NEED CLEAR GUIDANCE
00:34:36AS TO WHICH COMPANIES WE'RE
00:34:38TARGETING AND SOMEHOW THEY CAN COME INTO COMPLIANCE.
00:34:41OTHERWISE, WITH THIS ACTUALLY
00:34:43LOOKS LIKE IS JUST INDUSTRIAL POLICY.
00:34:46REPORTER: AND ALSO WANTED TO ASK
00:34:49YOU, YOUR FORCES -- FORCED TO
00:34:53DEAL WITH THESE MEDIA ISSUES A LOT AND TALKING A LOT ABOUT
00:34:56THAT. BUT ONE OF THE OTHER AREAS I THINK THAT YOU'VE BEEN CONCERNED
00:35:00ABOUT IS MERGER APPROVALS IN --
00:35:03THE MERGER POLICY. AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF --
00:35:06THERE'S BEEN SOME REPORTING, YOU
00:35:08KNOW, NATIONAL PUBLICATIONS LATELY, THAT IT'S JUST SEEMS --
00:35:11LIKE A LOT OF COMPANIES ARE SORT OF LINING UP TO GET IN DURING
00:35:14THIS ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE IT'S EASIER TO GET DEALS THROUGH.
00:35:18ARE YOU SEEING THAT AT THE FCC?
00:35:21AND SO SORT OF WHAT'S YOUR -- HOW DO YOU THINK THAT'S GOING RIGHT NOW?
00:35:25WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THAT? YOU'RE NOT BEING ASKED TO VOTE
00:35:28ON A LOT OF THESE DEALS. >> FOR ME, THE BIGGER ISSUE HAS
00:35:31BEEN HOW LITTLE I'VE BEEN ABLE TO VOTE ON THESE TRANSACTIONS.
00:35:35I THINK THAT THIS COMMISSION HAS
00:35:38STRETCHED THE LEGALITY OF DELEGATED AUTHORITY TO ITS
00:35:42LIMIT. AND THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF TRANSACTIONS THAT I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE VOTED ON.
00:35:46AS A COMMISSIONER.
00:35:48YOU KNOW, BASED ON TODAY'S
00:35:51LIFTING OF THE 39% CAP, IT'S AN INVITATION TO BRING IN A LOT OF
00:35:55TRANSACTIONS WHICH APPARENTLY ARE GOING TO BE CONSIDERED ON A
00:35:58CASE BY CASE BASIS AND I'M VERY CURIOUS TO SEE EXACTLY WHAT IT
00:36:01IS ARE GOING TO BE THE -- THE --
00:36:07IS GOING TO BE THE TEST FOR SERVING THE PUBLIC INTEREST OF A
00:36:11PARTICULAR MERGER. I HAVE A SUSPICION THAT IT MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING IS TO DO WITH THE
00:36:14PARTICULAR PARTIES THAT ARE MERGING. BASED ON ALL OF THE ACTIONS THAT
00:36:19THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS TAKEN IN THE MEDIA CONTEXT.
00:36:23REPORTER: THANK YOU. REPORTER: COMMISSIONER, TED
00:36:26JOHNSON, FROM DEADLINE.
00:36:30THE LIFTING -- THE REPEAL OF THE
00:36:3339% CAP LIKELY WILL BE
00:36:35CHALLENGED IN COURT.
00:36:38THE AGENCY'S POSITION SEEMS TO
00:36:40BE THAT THEY ARE ON SOLID
00:36:44FOOTING.
00:36:44THEY CLAIM THAT THE CONGRESS'
00:36:492004 ACTION WAS MERELY TO MODIFY
00:36:52ITS RULES. WAS A DIRECTIVE TO MODIFY ITS
00:36:56RULES. THEY ALSO CITE A IT WOULD TWO
00:36:59APPELLATE COURT -- A 2002
00:37:04APPELLATE COURT DECISION. I WAS WONDERING WHAT IS YOUR
00:37:06IMPRESSION OF THAT?
00:37:08ARE -- DO YOU THINK THAT IS A
00:37:10SOLID LEGAL ARGUMENT FOR THEM TO
00:37:13MAKE JUST GIVEN THOSE TWO POINTS? >> I CLEARLY DISAGREE WITH THE
00:37:17MAJORITY'S DECISION ON THIS.
00:37:20CONGRESS MADE IT ABUNDANTLY
00:37:21CLEAR IN THE 2004 LAW THAT IT
00:37:26WAS NOT ONLY SETTING THE CAP, BUT THAT WE WERE NOT PERMITTED TO CHANGE THAT CAP.
00:37:30AND IT DID SO IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
00:37:33FIRST OF ALL, IT REMOVED THE CAP FROM OUR -- THEN BY ANY REVIEW
00:37:37WHICH BECAME THE QUADRENNIAL REVIEW. AND SAID YOU'RE NOT GOING TO
00:37:41MAKE A DECISION ON WHETHER THAT
00:37:44PARTICULAR CAP SHOULD BE --
00:37:46SHOULD BE CHANGED OR LIFTED BECAUSE OF CHANGED
00:37:50CIRCUMSTANCES. WHICH IS HOW WE LOOK AT THE
00:37:51OTHER THINGS.
00:37:54IT ALSO FORBADE US FROM
00:37:56FORBEARING FROM ENFORCING THE CAP. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW CONGRESS
00:37:59CAN TELL US YOU CAN'T ENFORCE
00:38:01THE CAP BUT WE CAN ALSO SAY WE CAN WAIVE THE CAP?
00:38:05A WAIVER IS ESSENTIALLY FOR --
00:38:09FOREBEARING FROM ENFORCING A CAP BUT ELIMINATING IT ALTOGETHER.
00:38:13SO THERE'S THAT.
00:38:16IT -- I'M TRYING TO THINK WHAT
00:38:18ELSE -- THERE'S NUMEROUS THINGS THAT IT SAID.
00:38:22OH, IT REQUIRES COMPANIES THAT
00:38:24GO OVER THE CAP TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE CAP WITHIN
00:38:28TWO YEARS. AND THAT'S STILL IN THE LAW.
00:38:32SO TO ME, THE LAW IS PRETTY
00:38:34CLEAR THAT CONGRESS DID NOT --
00:38:37DID NOT FORESEE US ACTING AS WE
00:38:41DID PRE-2004 AND AS THE DC
00:38:44CIRCUIT ON WHICH THIS COMMISSION
00:38:46RELIES, FOUND THAT IN FACT WE
00:38:49COULD HAVE WAIVED THE CAP PREVIOUSLY OR LIFTED THE CAP OR
00:38:52SET A HIGHER CAP PREVIOUSLY.
00:38:56IT CHANGED IN 2004.
00:39:00REPORTER: INTERESTED TO FOLLOW UP. I'VE HEARD THE ARGUMENT AS WELL
00:39:03THAT THEY GET RID OF THE CAP.
00:39:06YOU STILL HAVE ANTITRUST LAW
00:39:08THAT CAN BE KIND OF A BACKSTOP.
00:39:11AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD SAY WE'RE SEEING THAT WITH NEXSTAR.
00:39:15THE FCC APPROVED THAT DEAL.
00:39:18THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ALSO DID. BUT YOU HAVE STATE ATTORNEY
00:39:22GENERAL THAT STEPPED IN. AND A JUDGE SEEMS TO BE SIDING WITH THE STATE.
00:39:26WHAT ABOUT THAT ARGUMENT THAT
00:39:28ANTITRUST LAW CAN KIND OF FILL
00:39:31IN WITH THE ABSENCE OF THE CAP?
00:39:33>> YOU KNOW, ANTITRUST LAW IS VERY IMPORTANT.
00:39:36AND I DO THINK THAT -- IT
00:39:38APPLIES IN THE CONTEXT OF
00:39:41NEXSTAR-TEGNA.
00:39:44BUT THIS POLICY CHOICE OF PROTECTING LOCALISM AND
00:39:46VIEWPOINT DIVERSITY IS NOT ADDRESSED. COMPETITION IS.
00:39:50BUT LOCALISM AND VIEWPOINT DIVERSITY IS NOT ADDRESSED BY ANTITRUST LAW.
00:39:54AND THAT IS STILL FUNDAMENTAL TO THE SERVICES THAT COMMUNITIES
00:39:58RELY ON WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR BROADCASTERS.
00:40:02>> THANK YOU. >> GOT NOTHING? YEAH.
00:40:05THANK YOU.
00:40:13[CAPTIONS COPYRIGHT NATIONAL CABLE SATELLITE CORP. 2026]
00:40:17[CAPTIONING PERFORMED BY THE
00:40:18NA