What's on the agenda for policymakers.
Agenda
The agenda at this meeting will feature a report from each of the Advisory Committee on Diversity and Digital Empowerment (ACDDE) Working Groups. Each of the Working Groups will report on their work under the current ACDDE charter, which expires July 5, 2019.
Google and Facebook sucked profits from newspapers. Publishers are finally resisting.
Legislation in the House and Senate would provide a temporary “safe harbor” — a four-year antitrust exemption for news publishers as they negotiate with Google and Facebook over how news content is used and how advertising dollars are distributed. While Google and Facebook gave media organizations new, and popular, ways to distribute their journalism, they also sucked up much of the advertising revenue. Meanwhile, the tech platforms benefited because they drew lucrative audiences for “content” — the journalism produced by local reporters who, as a rule, are hard-working and not well paid.
As part of the Committee’s oversight responsibilities, this hearing will examine policy issues before the Federal Communications Commission and review its ongoing activities and proceedings.
Witnesses
The Technological Advisory Council will introduce the 2019 TAC members and discuss status of the 2019 TAC work program.
The FCC will attempt to accommodate as many people as possible. However, admittance will be limited to seating availability. Meetings are also broadcast live with open captioning over the internet from the FCC Live web page at http:// www.fcc.gov/live/.
The hearing will examine how television programming and the delivery of video content have evolved over the past decade.Witnesses will discuss how new entrants in the video marketplace and the development of digital programming and streaming services have impacted consumer viewing habits and preferences. The hearing will also examine existing laws governing the video marketplace and their role in fostering access to content and promoting competition, localism, and diversity of viewpoints.
Witnesses:
Congress knows the Internet is broken. It’s time to start fixing it.
The "Internet is broken." That, according to Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI), is the sentiment animating a bipartisan antitrust review of technology titans in the House of Representatives. He is right to initiate the effort. But exploring the particulars of so sweeping a contention may take years. Meanwhile, there’s one broken thing Congress already knows it has to fix. A small group of companies has substantial control over a massive part of American life. This control has come with costs, from the flourishing of online disinformation to a flood of security breaches.
Witnesses
Gordon H. Smith
President and CEO
National Association of Broadcasters
Robert D. Thun
Senior Vice President of Content and Programming
AT&T Mobility and Entertainment
Patricia Jo Boyers
President and Vice Chairman of the Board
BOYCOM Vision
John Bergmayer
Senior Counsel
Public Knowledge
It’s been almost ten years since the Federal Communications Commission released its National Broadband Plan and policymakers continue to bicker over the best way to catalyze the expansion of broadband networks to remote and sparsely populated areas. A number of programs aim to fill the access gap including a revitalized FCC Universal Service program, a new mapping effort, new and old state and local programs, and the possibility of funds from a federal infrastructure stimulus. And, despite a long list of failed government efforts, some continue to advocate for the government to con
The Board will vote on a consent agenda consisting of the minutes of its March 6, 2019 meeting, USAGM Social Media Policy, USAGM Smith-Mundt Guidelines, a resolution honoring the 65th anniversary of Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty’s Belarus Service, and a resolution honoring the 15th anniversary of the Middle East Broadcasting Networks’ Alhurra Television and Alhurra-Iraq Television.
The Board will receive a report from the USAGM’s Chief Executive Officer and Director.
Google and Amazon Are at the Center of a Storm Brewing Over Big Tech
Google and Amazon have thrived as American regulators largely kept their distance. That may be changing. Politicians on the right and left are decrying the tech companies’ enormous power. President Donald Trump (R-NY) and other Republicans have taken swipes at Amazon over taxes and at Google over search results they say are biased.