Sohn Broadcast Ties Questioned, Broadband in Baltimore, Facebook Asked to Sell Giphy in U.K.

December 1, 2021 – The National Association of Broadcasters has this week raised what it calls “serious concerns” regarding President Joe Biden’s Federal Communications Commission nominee Gigi Sohn and potential ties to streaming service Locast.

Locast was a nonprofit service which used statute within the Copyright Act to retransmit local broadcast signals to its 2.8 million registered users for free, but shut down its services in September following a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC. Locast had operated in 35 U.S. markets.

NAB flagged Sohn’s involvement as one of three directors of Locast, yet did not go so far as to oppose her nomination, a hearing of which began in the Senate Wednesday.

The organization stated that it is “confident that these concerns can be resolved,” though it contends that the ethics agreement Sohn submitted to the Senate does not adequately address the conflict of interest between her role with Locast and her nomination to the FCC.

A district court dismissed Locast’s argument that it could not be sued for copyright violations before it shut down.

Mayor of Baltimore commits to closing digital divide in city by 2030

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott has committed to closing the digital divide in his city by 2030 and plans to use current funding made available by President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act to make investments in Baltimore’s digital infrastructure.

The first $6 million in funding that the city receives will be used to expand fiber access to 23 recreation centers and create 100 Wi-Fi hotspots in 10 west Baltimore neighborhoods.

“The COVID-19 pandemic showed us that internet access is critical, basic public infrastructure,” said Mayor Scott.

Overall, the city plans to use $35 million in ARPA funds, with more details on specific allocation to come in early 2022.

The city also plans to hire a digital equity coordinator and staff with significant knowledge of Wi-Fi, fiber engineering, operations and tech support.

Its approach to ending the digital divide will focus on root causes of broadband inequality by constructing open-access fiber infrastructure across the city.

UK competition watchdog asks Facebook to sell Giphy

The United Kingdom’s Competition and Markets Authority is asking Facebook’s parent company Meta to sell Giphy, a GIF-sharing platform, marking the first time that the antitrust watchdog has attempted to end a tech deal, according to the Associated Press.

Per CNBC, the watchdog group found that if Facebook were able to limit other social platforms’ use of Giphy’s content and decrease competition, Facebook’s “already significant market power” would increase.

“By requiring Facebook to sell Giphy, we are protecting millions of social media users and promoting competition and innovation in digital advertising,” said Stuart McIntosh, inquiry chair of the Competition and Markets Authority.

A Meta spokesperson said the company disagrees with the watchdog’s request.

Meta and the watchdog group have entered into a legal fight over Facebook and Giphy’s deal, reportedly worth about $400 million.