The FCC should immediately reject last week’s complaint from the Maryland Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City calling for an investigation into the news content of Sinclair's WBFF Baltimore, said Commissioner Brendan Carr Monday. “The FCC should make clear that it will not operate” as the Democratic National Committee’s “speech police,” said Carr. The complaint by the Baltimore City State’s Attorney Communications Director Zy Richardson calls on the FCC to investigate WBFF over its coverage of State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, which Richardson said could incite racist violence: “They have become a megaphone that amplifies, encourages, and provides fodder for racists, throughout the city and beyond, to continue sending hate mail and death threats.” While WBFF understands "it’s not always popular with the individuals and institutions upon which we are shining a light, we stand by our reporting,” said General Manager Billy Robbins in a statement. Carr said it's “particularly troubling that a public official would work to silence reporters that are investigating her work at a time when federal prosecutors have already opened a criminal investigation into her activities.” He linked the complaint letter to other recent attempts by Democratic officials to lobby the FCC to take action against media outlets (see 2104200077). An FCC official told us that a week would be an unusually accelerated turnaround time for the agency to respond to a complaint of this nature. The agency has historically not acted on complaints about broadcaster content outside of indecency rules. “The Commission carefully reviews all communications sent to the agency, from formal filings to informal consumer complaints,” emailed a spokesperson. “We’re reviewing the Baltimore State Attorney General’s recent letter. The acting Chairwoman is clear about her support of the First Amendment and believes freedom of the press is a cornerstone of our democracy.”

Preliminary vote counts indicate Tegna shareholders have “overwhelmingly” re-elected all 12 directors at the annual meeting, it said Friday. Standard General, the shareholder behind an effort to replace three board members including Tegna CEO Dave Lougee and Chairman Howard Elias (see 2105060069), didn’t comment.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reissued (on Pacer) the mandate for the court’s Prometheus IV. The Supreme Court ruled in the FCC's favor in April (see 2104010067). “This Court’s prior opinion and amended judgment are hereby VACATED. This Court and panel do not retain jurisdiction,” the 3rd Circuit said Friday. The reissue is largely pro forma and rules restored by the SCOTUS decision are already back in effect, said Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Senior Counselor Andrew Schwartzman, who represented public interest groups here. The FCC cites reinstatement of the eligible entity definition and its effect on a specific auction rule (see 2104270078).

The FCC Media Bureau’s grant of Gray Television’s request to swap KCBD Lubbock, Texas’s channel from 11 to 36 takes effect Thursday, says that day's Federal Register. The bureau also granted Gray’s request to swap KFVS Cape Girardeau, Missouri’s channel from 11 to 32 and to swap WRDW-TV Augusta, Georgia’s channel from 12 to 27.

There's room for growth in streaming and with the spectrum switch involving the C-band, said the head of a cable and telecom tech company. About a quarter of Harmonic’s streaming customers are “in the process of fully launching their new streaming services,” said CEO Patrick Harshman on a Q1 call Monday. Video was $70.3 million in revenue, up year over year and “indicating growth is more than just post-pandemic recovery,” he said. Harmonic is “not immune to the global supply chain constraints,” said Harshman. “We're seeing shortages of several key components and related significantly higher costs,” with some of the most significant impacts on its “shelf hardware products,” he said. The stock closed 13% lower Tuesday at $7.05. Others also are seeing chip crunches (see 2105040071). On TV broadcasting, the vendor is “seeing a general rebound" worldwide and “capturing an increasing share,” the CEO said. “We're also seeing 5G bandwidth reclamation.” Harmonic thinks the success the industry is beginning to experience with C-band “is opening the door to a broader opportunity for wholesale IP video distribution via terrestrial fiber rather than satellite networks,” he said. Harshman sees “substantial new opportunities” in C-band “beginning to materialize in the second half of the year, and we also see it as high probability for 2022,” he said. The “next wave of opportunity” will be in the U.S., though it won’t be “overnight,” he said: A “huge amount of video” throughout the world is still “moving around over satellite networks.”

The National Translator Association plans its in-person annual convention in Salt Lake City May 20-22, said President John Terrill. The event will feature “in-person exhibitors properly distanced, and a combination of in person and Zoom presenters meetings are scheduled in a large room allowing for social distancing,” Friday's release said.

A Radio, Television and Digital News Association survey showing rising attacks on journalists “gravely troubled” NAB, said NAB President Gordon Smith. Twenty percent of TV news directors say their employees have been attacked, and 86% of newsrooms acted to protect staff. RTDNA called the results “alarming” and sought signatures on a petition asking Congress to act to protect journalists. “The bigger the market, the more likely that there have been attacks, with 39% of news directors in top 25 markets reporting attacks,” said the report. “Journalism is more dangerous in the West than any other part of the country; network affiliation made no difference." The survey shows “an unprecedented level of harassment, intimidation and violence directed at journalists covering the historical events of 2020,” Smith said Wednesday. Groups want journalist protection legislation (see 2101120061).

Univision wants the FCC to modify a declaratory ruling to allow the company to be foreign owned in excess of 25% so SoftBank and Liberty Global Ventures can own voting interests of more than 5% in Univision, said an undocketed petition posted Thursday. “Anticipated investments in Univision by SoftBank and a conversion of Liberty Ventures’ investment to voting status have prompted the filing of the instant Petition,” it said. “Approval of these proposed investments in Univision will serve the public interest by allowing the company to raise additional capital.” Softbank invested $1 billion in Univision’s proposed purchase of content assets from Grupo Televisa (see 2104140067).

Gray Television will divest seven TV stations to Byron Allen’s Allen Media Broadcasting for $380 million, in connection with its proposed $925 million buy of Quincy Media, Gray announced Thursday. The stations are owned by Quincy in markets where Gray has overlaps, such as Tucson and Madison, Wisconsin. Gray/Quincy isn’t expected to hit regulatory snags (see 2102010072). The divestiture will close when the Quincy deal does, expected in Q3, Gray said. “At no time will Gray own, control or operate any of the divestiture television stations.” Allen repeated in the release that he plans to invest about $10 billion over the next two years to buy top four network stations “with the goal of being the largest broadcast television group in America.”

OMB approved data collection aspects of the FCC order allowing stations to use all-digital AM tech, says Thursday's Federal Register. The rule takes effect Thursday (see Notebook, 2010270035).