Democratic senators are criticizing the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission for pressuring broadcasters to take ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel off the air.

The Federal Communications Commission voted to end discounts for library and school Wi-Fi hotspot lending programs on Tuesday, drawing criticism from lawmakers and librarians who say the move will make it more difficult for people who are low-income or live in rural areas to access the internet.

Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel will return to ABC on Tuesday night, but not without sparking a heated debate among top Republicans about free speech and the Federal Communications Commission.

ABC has taken Jimmy Kimmel's late-night show off the air indefinitely.

Jimmy Kimmel’s television future is hanging in the balance after ABC suspended his late-night show following the host’s comments about Charlie Kirk’s killing.

Skydance and Paramount officially closed their $8 billion merger on Thursday — kicking off the reign of a new entertainment giant after a contentious, over year-long endeavor to get the transaction over the finish line.

Executive at Paramount Global can breathe a sigh of relief with FCC approval of its $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.

Federal regulators on Thursday approved Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance, clearing the way to close a deal that combined Hollywood glitz with political intrigue.

President Trump's head of the FCC had Disney and ABC in his sights.

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments in a major legal fight over the $8 billion a year the federal government spends to subsidize phone and internet services in schools, libraries and rural areas, in a new test of federal regulatory power.

Unwanted phone calls are out of control.

President Donald Trump is moving to give the White House direct control of independent federal regulators such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Trade Commission and the Federal Communications Commission.

The Supreme Court has stepped into a major legal fight over the $8 billion a year the federal government spends to subsidize phone and internet services in schools, libraries and rural areas, in a new test of federal regulatory power.

President-elect Donald Trump has named the senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission as the new chairman of the agency tasked with regulating broadcasting, telecommunications and broadband.

The communications tower that went down in Sunday night’s fiery Houston helicopter crash was initially built in 1987, Federal Communications Commission records show.

Some Verizon customers have been hit by a service outage.

The FCC voted in July to allow schools and libraries to use federal money to loan out WiFi hotspots to students and patrons.

A company that sent deceptive calls to New Hampshire voters using artificial intelligence to mimic President Joe Biden’s voice has agreed to pay a $1 million fine, federal regulators said.

In today’s economy, Houstonians are more mindful than ever of where their money is going.

The Federal Communications Commission has advanced a proposal that would require political advertisers to disclose their use of artificial intelligence in broadcast television and radio ads.

A federal appeals court in New Orleans has ruled unconstitutional a method the Federal Communications Commission uses to fund telephone and broadband services for rural and low-income users.

A political consultant who sent artificial intelligence-generated robocalls mimicking President Joe Biden’s voice has made an initial court appearance in New Hampshire, where he is charged with voter suppression and impersonating a candidate ahead of the state’s first-in-the-nation presidential primary.

T-Mobile is buying U.S. Cellular’s wireless operations and certain spectrum assets in a deal valued at $4.4 billion, and further consolidating the industry.

A former New Hampshire Democratic Party chair whose phone number was spoofed in artificial intelligence-generated robocalls mimicking President Joe Biden's voice ahead of New Hampshire's presidential primary says today's charges related to the case show the steep price for trying to interfere in elections.

The nation’s top telecommunications regulator is introducing a proposal to require political advertisers to disclose when they use content generated by artificial intelligence in broadcast TV and radio ads.

As parts of the Houston area begin cleaning up after last week’s flooding, scammers are waiting to prey on vulnerable families.

The Federal Communications Commission has leveraged nearly $200 million in fines against wireless carriers AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon for illegally sharing customers’ location data without their consent.

The Federal Communications Commission has voted to restore rules to prevent broadband internet providers such as Comcast and AT&T from favoring some sites and apps over others — for instance, by slowing or blocking certain content or by offering higher speeds to customers willing to pay extra.

Internet service providers will be required to be more transparent about the cost and performance of their internet service packages, thanks to new FCC rules that take effect this week.

The Affordable Connectivity Program provides a $30 monthly subsidy to help low-income households pay for internet service. The program is slated to run out of money at the end of the month.

The agency that regulates U.S. telecommunications is considering a rule that could stop domestic abusers from tracking their partners through vehicles that are connected wirelessly.

A historic $3.3 billion federal investment in broadband could connect millions of Texans to the internet. But getting the money to the right hands could be a challenge.

The Federal Communications Commission is outlawing robocalls that contain voices generated by artificial intelligence.

The top U.S. telecommunications regulator is asking automakers how they plan to protect people from being stalked or harassed by partners who have access to vehicle location and other data.

The Federal Communications Commission is implementing new rules banning internet providers from discrimination in how they provide service to communities based on income level, race and other protected classes.

The White House is releasing a strategy to potentially expand the availability of radio spectrum needed for cell phones, satellites, navigation, space travel and other emerging technologies.

Amazon has launched the first test satellites for its planned internet service.

The White House held its first-ever cybersecurity “summit” on the ransomware attacks plaguing U.S. schools.

The Biden administration and major consumer tech players are launching an effort to put a nationwide cybersecurity certification and labeling program in place.

Airline passengers who have endured tens of thousands of weather-related flight delays this week got a welcome respite from the headaches Saturday, despite concerns about possible disruptions being caused by new wireless 5G systems rolling out near major airports.

Paloma Perez with the FCC shares how the program helps households get and afford the internet service they need for work, school, health care and more.

Former Federal Communications Commission head Newton Minow, who famously described network TV as a “vast wasteland,” has died.

Top state prosecutors are urging Congress to pass legislation allowing state prisons to jam signals of cellphones smuggled to inmates.

President Joe Biden has signed into law a bill aimed at easing the cost for prisoners to call family and friends.

States are racing against a deadline to challenge the map federal officials will use to divvy up the nation’s largest-ever investment in high-speed internet.

Local officials, echoing Glenn Hegar, say the current maps are flawed and the process to lodge complaints is cumbersome.

The U.S. is banning the sale of communications equipment made by Chinese companies Huawei and ZTE and restricting the use of some China-made video surveillance systems, citing an “unacceptable risk” to national security.

You’re probably already sick of the messages bombarding your phone as Election Day nears. Whether it’s phone calls or texts ringing or dinging at all hours of the day, we’re here to tell you how to get those messages to stop. Seriously.

Some flights to and from the U.S. have been canceled even after AT&T and Verizon scaled back the rollout of high-speed wireless service that could interfere with aircraft technology that measures altitude.

The airline industry is raising the stakes in a showdown with AT&T and Verizon over plans to launch new 5G wireless service this week, warning that thousands of flights could be grounded or delayed if the rollout takes place near major airports.

Telecom giants AT&T and Verizon have agreed to postpone the launch of a new slice of 5G wireless service after airlines and aviation groups complained that the networks can interfere with systems on board planes.

Verizon and AT&T have rejected a request by the U.S. government to delay the rollout of next-generation wireless technology.

The airline industry is trying to delay next week’s scheduled rollout of 5G wireless service near dozens of major U.S. airports.

TV stations in Philadelphia, New York City and Cleveland are taking down the “Dr. Oz Show,” now that the show’s host, Mehmet Oz, has formally become a candidate for U.S. Senate.

Wireless carrier T-Mobile is paying $19.5 million in a settlement with the Federal Communications Commission over a 12-hour nationwide outage in June 2020 that resulted in thousands of failed 911 calls.

Two conservative hoaxers face a record $5.1 million fine for allegedly making illegal robocalls to wireless phones without the owners' consent in the 2020 election.

The Senate’s $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure plan includes a $65 billion investment in broadband that the White House says will “deliver reliable, affordable, high-speed internet to every household.”.

Federal regulators are considering allowing state prisons across the country more technological options to combat contraband cellphones.

A federal appeals court has refused to hear Chinese tech giant Huawei’s request to throw out a rule used to bar rural phone carriers on national security grounds from using government funds to purchase its equipment.

Americans can begin applying for $50 off their internet bill on Wednesday as part of an emergency government program to keep people connected during the pandemic.

The Office of the New York Attorney General said in a new report that a campaign funded by the broadband industry submitted millions of fake comments supporting the 2017 repeal of net neutrality.

Recognizing that many Americans rely on texting, U.S. regulators are considering requiring that phone companies allow people to text a suicide hotline.

The Supreme Court has unanimously upheld federal regulators’ decision to ease ownership limits on local media, rejecting a claim that the change would hurt minority and female ownership.

In response, seven states and Puerto Rico enacted their own net neutrality policies. In response, seven states and Puerto Rico enacted their own net neutrality policies. Nine states have introduced net neutrality bills this session, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Ad___WHAT TELCOS WANTBig telecom companies hate the stricter regulation that comes with the net neutrality rules and have fought them fiercely in court. They say they prefer a national approach to a state-by-state one, but the industry has fought prior federal net neutrality rules.

FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2020, file photo, people wearing face masks to protect against the coronavirus look at a display from Chinese telecommunications firm China Unicom at the PT Expo in Beijing. China's government on Thursday called on Washington to drop efforts to expel three state-owned Chinese phone companies, including China Unicom Americas, a unit of China Unicom, from the United States in a new clash over technology and security. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)BEIJING – China’s government on Thursday called on Washington to drop efforts to expel three state-owned Chinese phone companies from the United States in a new clash over technology and security. The latest action targets China Unicom Americas, a unit of China Unicom Ltd.; Pacific Networks Corp. and ComNet (USA) LLC, a unit of Pacific Networks. Trump also blocked access to most U.S. technology for telecom equipment giant Huawei Technologies Ltd. and some other Chinese tech companies.

(Senate Television via AP)NEW YORK – All the words abounded — the ones that you're not supposed to hear on broadcast television or, for that matter, in a lot of other places. Many of the networks bleeped out the offending language when repeating videos later, but not when they were broadcast live. WHAT'S THE LIKELIHOOD THAT BROADCAST NETWORKS WILL BE PENALIZED? Networks could argue the same thing with the impeachment trial; it strengthens that point when they “bleeped” out the bad language for later reruns. Given the explicitness of the language used this week, during daytime hours, Levinson said he believes it's a watershed moment in broadcast standards.

Pending applications

The shield from liability for social media companies has been grounded in Section 230 of a landmark 1996 telecommunications law. Trump and Republican lawmakers have persistently accused the social media companies, without evidence, of suppressing conservative viewpoints, and Trump portrayed his executive order as a remedy for bias. With Simington confirmed to the five-member FCC, there will then be a 2-2 split between Democratic and Republican commissioners. That likely will stymie Biden’s agenda until he’s able to get a fifth, Democratic FCC member confirmed, with an extended delay possible if the Republicans continue to control the Senate after the two Georgia Senate runoff elections. During Pai’s tenure, the FCC worked to free up spectrum for cellphone companies to enable them to roll out 5G.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai, a Republican, says he is leaving the telecommunications regulator on Inauguration Day. Section 230 shields internet companies from lawsuits about posts by users. The Trump administration has gone after the law, alleging with no evidence that social networks censor conservatives. Pai and another Republican commissioner, Michael O'Rielly, are leaving the agency. O'Rielly is leaving because the White House pulled his nomination after he said he wasn't sure the agency had authority on Section 230.

The company received government approval to put more than 3,200 satellites into orbit with the goal of beaming internet service to earth. Amazon said the satellites could provide internet to parts of the world that don't have it. It could also become a new business for Amazon, selling internet service to people or companies. Amazon said it will spend $10 billion on the initiative, called Project Kuiper. Other companies have already put satellites into orbit, including SpaceX, the rocket company owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

NEW YORK The head of the U.S. communications regulator said T-Mobile's nationwide, hours-long outage Monday was unacceptable and that the Federal Communications Commission will investigate. T-Mobile, one of the country's three largest cellphone service providers, said it had a voice and text wireless issue" that began around noon EDT Monday. The company blamed an internet-traffic issue that caused problems with its network for the outage. But calls between their customers and T-Mobile customers could have run into trouble because of T-Mobiles issues, creating the impression of a widespread communications failure. T-Mobile paid a $17.5 million fine for two nationwide service outages on the same day in August 2014, which together lasted three hours and prevented customers from being able to call 911.

The U.S. communications regulator on Tuesday proposed a $225 million fine, its largest ever, against two health insurance telemarketers for spamming people with 1 billion robocalls using fake phone numbers. The Federal Communications Commission said John Spiller and Jakob Mears made the calls through two businesses. The FCC said the robocalls offered plans from major insurers like Aetna and UnitedHealth with an automated message. The telemarketers faked their calls to make them appear they came from other companies, which then received angry calls and were named in lawsuits from consumers. He declined to provide contact information for Mears and said neither would speak before talking to an attorney.

The U.S. communications regulator on Tuesday proposed a $225 million fine, its largest ever, against two health insurance telemarketers for spamming people with 1 billion robocalls using fake phone numbers. The Federal Communications Commission said John Spiller and Jakob Mears made the calls through two businesses. The FCC said the robocalls offered plans from major insurers like Aetna and UnitedHealth with an automated message. The telemarketers faked their calls to make them appear they came from other companies, which then received angry calls and were named in lawsuits from consumers. He declined to provide contact information for Mears and said neither would speak before talking to an attorney.

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