| | | | | |  | | By Caitlin Oprysko | Presented by Consumers for Digital Progress | With Daniel Lippman MEDIA GIANTS TEAM UP TO COUNTER PUSH FOR NEW STREAMING RULES: Broadcast TV networks are teaming up with production companies and some of the largest streaming providers to form a new coalition pushing back on revived efforts to update broadcasting rules for the streaming era, threatening to intensify friction within the broadcast lobby between large broadcasters and local TV affiliate owners over how to grapple with the rise of streaming services. — Members of the Preserve Viewer Choice Coalition include broadcasters ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC, Telemundo and Univision, streaming platforms like Fubo, Roku and production studios like Warner Bros. Discovery. The coalition argues that a simmering push for the FCC to reexamine broadcast rules — which currently cover cable and satellite TV providers — to apply them to streaming platforms as well would amount to an unnecessary government intervention that would diminish consumers’ viewing options. — Local broadcast groups, backed by affiliate associations for ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, launched a rival advocacy group called the Coalition for Local News earlier this month, after Senate Commerce Chair Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) took up their cause in a letter to the FCC in June. — The new coalition puts major broadcasters in the awkward position of being at odds with the industry’s chief lobbying body, the National Association of Broadcasters. NAB’s board decided last fall to ask the FCC to seek new feedback on a dormant rulemaking on the issue. POLITICO’s John Hendel reported at the time, the decision came over the objections of networks like ABC, NBC and Fox. NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt downplayed any friction between his members, and the trade group echoed the same sentiment today. — "Like many large trade associations, some of our members invest significant time and resources in issue-specific coalitions or other organizations outside of NAB, highlighting the diversity of our membership," NAB spokesperson Alex Siciliano told PI, adding that “on this issue, NAB continues to advocate for the FCC to refresh the record in the vMVPD proceeding. We always strive for advocacy that maintains unity for the good of the broadcast industry and the tens of millions of Americans who rely on our service every day.” — The new rules would be aimed in part at giving local broadcasters like Nexstar, E.W. Scripps and Tegna more power to negotiate contracts with streaming platforms to carry their programming. Right now, national broadcasters currently decide those terms, and streaming platforms have also pushed back on changing the status quo, arguing that applying dated rules to their platforms would hinder innovation. — The Preserve Viewer Choice Coalition asserts that in addition to forcing streaming platforms to negotiate with local broadcasters over content that station groups don’t own, the “regulations could eliminate options for streaming consumers and risk reducing the amount of local content available online today,” said Bryce Harlow, a spokesperson for the group. Happy Thursday and welcome to PI. Tips, plz: coprysko@politico.com. And be sure to follow me on Twitter: @caitlinoprysko.
| | | | HITTING YOUR INBOX AUGUST 14—CALIFORNIA CLIMATE: Climate change isn’t just about the weather. It's also about how we do business and create new policies, especially in California. So we have something cool for you: A brand-new California Climate newsletter. It's not just climate or science chat, it's your daily cheat sheet to understanding how the legislative landscape around climate change is shaking up industries across the Golden State. Cut through the jargon and get the latest developments in California as lawmakers and industry leaders adapt to the changing climate. Subscribe now to California Climate to keep up with the changes. | | | | | | | | | A message from Consumers for Digital Progress: Digital assets are here to stay.
Congress: Act now to create a comprehensive market structure for digital assets. | | | FROM THE OCTAGON TO REPUBLICANS’ PUNCHING BAG: House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) backed off today from a vote to hold Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in contempt of Congress. The vote would have represented a fever pitch in conservatives’ campaign to paint tech giants as biased against the right, our Rebecca Kern writes, but even the threat of the contempt vote is emblematic of Republicans’ laser focus on Zuckerberg as the face of their anti-Silicon Valley crusade. — The dispute stems from Jordan’s dissatisfaction with Meta’s cooperation with his panel’s investigation into alleged bias by social media platforms, but per Rebecca, “other tech platforms caught up in the investigation, including Google’s parent company Alphabet, have offered similar compliance without facing the threat of a contempt vote.” — Political and industry observers see the dust up “as a piece of political theater waged against the most powerful social-media billionaire who isn’t Elon Musk. ‘It looks a lot like political showmanship. Zuckerberg — to these far-right members — really represents Big Tech censorship in a way that no other tech CEO does,’ said Chris MacKenzie, senior communications director at Chamber of Progress, a tech industry trade group whose members include Meta.” — “Likewise, Katie Harbath, who previously was a public policy director for Facebook and a former Republican National Committee strategist, said, ‘Let’s just be pragmatic here — having Mark’s name in headlines gets a heck of a lot more clicks than necessarily having some of the other CEOs in there.’” — “Twitter, now called X, also took its share of GOP criticism before Musk bought the platform and aligned himself with Republicans by reinstating former President Donald Trump and releasing internal documents dubbed the Twitter files.” Since then, Meta has launched a direct competitor, drawing the ire of Musk and even more criticism from Jordan. — “‘In this partisan Congress, it may be the political price you pay for challenging Elon Musk,’ Nu Wexler, who worked in policy communications for Google, Facebook and Twitter, said of Jordan’s focus on Zuckerberg. ‘Google and Microsoft aren’t building text-based social apps to take on Twitter.’” HUNTER BIDEN PLEA DEAL DERAILED OVER FARA QUESTIONS: First son Hunter Biden on Wednesday pleaded not guilty, for now, to misdemeanor tax offenses after a hearing to have a plea deal approved by a judge was derailed following questions about whether the deal struck between Biden and the government would preclude prosecutors from bringing charges down the road for possible illegal foreign lobbying. — At the hearing in a federal court in Delaware, prosecutor Leo Wise told U.S. District Judge Maryellen Noreika that the Justice Department’s investigation into Biden is still ongoing, POLITICO’s Betsy Woodruff Swan reports. That prompted questions from Noreika about the scope of a non-prosecution clause in a pretrial diversion agreement on a felony gun charge. — Noreika noted that income from Biden’s work for multiple foreign companies was at issue in the tax evasion charges, according to a transcript of the hearing obtained by Betsy. Noreika asked whether, under the plea deal, the government would hypothetically be allowed to charge Biden with FARA violations. Wise responded that it could. Asked whether there was agreement between the two sides on the issue, however, Biden’s lawyer Christopher Clark objected. “As stated by the government just now, I don't agree with what the government said,” Clark said. — “Then there is no deal,” Wise responded. After huddling to clarify the terms of the deal, Noreika informed the parties that she couldn't accept the agreement "today."
| | | | A message from Consumers for Digital Progress:   | | | ANNALS OF CAMPAIGN FINANCE: DOJ said last night that it does "not intend to proceed" with a campaign finance charge against FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried. The department’s decision “came after it consulted with The Bahamas on the campaign finance charges in Bankman-Fried's extradition document last year,” per CoinDesk’s Nikhilesh De. — “DOJ originally indicted Bankman-Fried on eight different counts near the end of 2022. Prosecutors later added another five charges, but Bankman-Fried's defense team argued that The Bahamas, which originally arrested the former FTX CEO, had to agree to those charges under the terms of the U.S.'s extradition treaty with the nation. Judge Lewis Kaplan, of the District Court for the Southern District of New York, allowed the DOJ to sever those charges, scheduling a March trial date.” — DOJ said in its filing last night that a charge for what prosecutors alleged were tens of millions of dollars’ worth of straw donations and political contributions made using stolen customer funds had not been included in the Bahamas’ extradition treaty. — “The Government has been informed that The Bahamas notified the United States earlier today that The Bahamas did not intend to extradite the defendant on the campaign contributions count,” DOJ wrote. “Accordingly, in keeping with its treaty obligations to The Bahamas, the Government does not intend to proceed to trial on the campaign contributions count.” H.A.G.S.: “Lawmakers and lobbyists are set to leave town for August recess on the far-flung destination fundraising circuit — a sleep-away camp for lawmakers and their K Street benefactors,” Bloomberg’s Kate Ackley reports. — “They’ll hobnob on the golf course in Jackson Hole, luxuriate in posh resorts like the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, and hit the beaches from Nantucket to San Diego. They’re shipping out to Disneyland, baseball at Wrigley Field, and retreats in Sun Valley, Idaho, according to fundraising invites and interviews with lobbyists and lawmakers.” — “‘A lot of great political dollars are raised in August, which is why they can’t wait to adjourn,’ said Michael Toner, a former Federal Election Commission chair who leads the election law and government ethics practice at Wiley. This off-election-year August makes for a pivotal fundraising period, especially for incumbents looking to build up their war chests before 2024 to scare off potential challengers. It offers something for lobbyist donors, too: quality time with lawmakers.”
| | | | A message from Consumers for Digital Progress: The challenge for the U.S. is to regulate digital assets properly by protecting consumers, nurturing innovation, and strengthening our tech-innovation leadership. The time is now for Congress to take the lead with legislation that creates a clear market structure for digital assets. Act now and help deliver a future of unlimited possibilities. | | | | | New Lobbying REGISTRATIONS | | — Kristian Havard has joined Holland & Knight as an aviation senior policy adviser. She was most recently government affairs department head for the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. — Brian Fallon, co-founder and executive director for Demand Justice, is departing his role this fall after five years. — Outdoor Recreation Roundtable has named Ambreen Tariq as senior program director. She was most recently a strategic communications specialist at the Labor Department and is an EPA and White House alum and launched @BrownPeopleCamping. — APCO Worldwide has promoted Courtney Crowder to managing director and chair of advocacy for North America and Licy M. Do Canto to North America head of market engagement. — Briget Polichene is joining BGR’s advisory board with a focus on financial services issues. Polichene was most recently CEO of the Institute of International Bankers. — Applecart is adding Carrie Ponder and Joe Farren as senior managing directors. Ponder previously was executive vice president for corporate and public affairs at BCW. Farren previously was chief strategy officer for the Maryland Department of Labor. — New Heights Communications has added April Avant as senior vice president and Paris Kissel as director. Avant previously was principal at Tr3fecta Media. Kissel previously was a director at Spitfire Strategies. — Mark Jacobson is joining the Partnership for Public Service as vice president of research, evaluation and modernizing government. He most recently was assistant dean at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. — Lisa Pino is joining Food for the Hungry as COO. She previously was director of the Office for Civil Rights at HHS. — Patrick Gilman is now a partner at Eversheds Sutherland. He previously was a partner at Brown Rudnick.
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