Broadcasting&Cable

AT&T and Time Warner have agreed to move the breakup date for their proposed merger until Jun. 21, 2018.  Each would have been able to terminate the deal if it had not closed by Apr. 22, 2018, but the Justice Department suit to block the deal does not begin until March 15, which would have been cutting it too close. AT&T and Time Warner informed the Securities and Exchange Commission of the change Dec. 21.

President Donald Trump's new America first National Security Strategy includes a key role for next gen wireless. "We will improve America’s digital infrastructure by deploying a secure 5G Internet capability nationwide," according to the White House plan, released Dec 18.

The Federal Communications Commission's decision to review what qualifies as high-speed broadband has drawn a crowd of critics armed with smartphones and other devices. Almost a dozen groups including Public Knowledge, New America’s Open Technology Institute, the National Hispanic Media Coalition (NHMC) have launched the #MobileOnly challenge. Between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, participants will spend an entire day only accessing the internet via a mobile device. The idea is to demonstrate that mobile has various limitations that make it not a sufficient substitute for wired broadband.

[Commentary] This holiday season, the Federal Communications Commission has made it clear they have massive broadcast conglomerates like Sinclair Broadcasting on their “nice” list while an independent and local media will only be receiving coal. Currently, the national media ownership cap is set at 39% of television households in the US. The FCC is proposing blowing the cap off the rule that ensures there is more than one source of information.