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Source: 30dB.com – @AjitPaiFCC
That was Pai’s first (and largest) offense in Social’s eagle eyes, but he’s made other decisions that are drawing ire. In light of the Sinclair “must read” propaganda debacle in which local anchors at nearly 200 stations were required to deliver a speech about fake news, Pai’s involvement with the media conglomerate has become a point of interest. Last year the FCC rolled back multiple rules and regulations, including one that opens the door for Sinclair to merge with other large telecommunications companies to the detriment of independently owned stations. Pai’s FCC also got rid of the “main studio” rule, which “required radio and TV stations to operate a physical studio in the areas where they were licensed,” according to The Washington Post. In February, The New York Times reported that an internal watchdog at the FCC had opened an investigation into whether Pai had pushed for the changes on behalf of Sinclair, whose lobbyists reportedly have had Pai’s ear. And last week a group of senators sent Pai a note to argue against his proposal to make sharp cuts to the Lifeline program, which provides affordable Internet service to low-income Americans. Over the past 90 days, @AjitPaiFCC has a 19 percent positive score on Twitter. –Alex Shultz
Republished from 30dB