The retransmission consent battle between Time Warner Cable (TWC) and Hearst Television continues with the parties still far apart.
In order to allow subscribers to maintain access to network signals, TWC began importing signals from outside the affected markets. In several markets it has imported the signals from Nexstar owned stations.
Nexstar filed an emergncy petition with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) citing violation of FCC rules for changes in carriage by a cable operator. The rules require system owners to provide 30 days notice to subscribers on any change in channels or channel lineup. Obviously, TWC did not do this.
To further its case, Nexstar has filed a suit in US DIstrict Court in Texas claiming copyright infringement and "willful and repeated" violations of federral law. Nexstar is seeking a restraining order and other injunctive releif to prohbit TWC from importing its channels.
TWC has issued a statement saying that its contact with Nexstar allows for the importation of the group owners stations into other TWC markets. TWC also noted that it was " disappointed that Nexstar is working to assist and expand Hearst's
leverage against us and our customers by bringing this suit."
While the suit may not succeed, the FCC complaint may have some traction.
Ad Week has more
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The 2013 Labor, Health and Human Services appropriations bill passed a House subcommittee yesterday by an 8-6 vote.
The bill slashed appropriations to several programs democrats and President Obama wanted and will continue to fight for. Among those items slashed were Obama's signature Race to the Top programs, the agency that monitors child labor and the agency that distributes Social Security payments. Social Security payments to retirees are noit aaffevcted by this bil only the agenncy that distriubutes the payments.
The measure would also cut funding to Planned Parenthood as long as it continued to provide abortions.
The bill also includes a provision to prohibit Obamacare from being implemented. The savings will be over $8 billion if approved by the Senate and signed by the President. Opponents of the measure say the savings is a gimmick.
This appropriations bill is also the funding mechanism for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting CPB), public media stations, PBS and NPR. Provisions in the bill call for reductions in funds for fiscal 2013, more cuts in fiscal 2014 and elimination of funding for CPB in fiscal 2015. CPB is forward funded to prevent political interference in public media. Over the years that has not stopped politicians including President Obama from coercing public media to interview and feature administration officials in its on-air programming and initiatives. Shortly after his election, President Obama and White House officials pressured public television station to air a musical performance in the White House which featured a speech by the present among the musical numbers. Stations were told by WETA staff, producers of the program, that this administration wanted cooperation from station to maintain federal funding.
One amendment to the bill passed in the committee prohibited public radio stations from using federal monies to buy programming or pay dues to NPR. There is no similar provision for public television stations that are PBS members.
Like so many budget, appropriation and budget bills, this bill is likely to sit in Sen. Harry Reid's (D-NV) inbox until after the election.
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Before the Supreme Court decision that affirmed Obamacare as a tax, the Obama administration made it clear that employers must provide access to contraception as provided in the law. This provision included religious organizations and their affiliates (schools, hospitals, charities and universities).
Within days of the announcement a number of affiliated with the Catholic Church filed lawsuits over the contraceptive mandate.
The Supreme Court decision did not dampen the resolve of the parties to the suit. They said the suit ha nothing to do with the decision, but is about religious freedom and liberty.
Wednesday, and evangelical college has joined the suit over the contraceptive mandate.
Wheaton College announced that it was joining the suit with the Catholic institutions.
Wheaton College President Philip Graham Ryken said the colleges joining the suit from a different angle. Its objections to the contraceptive mandate is the possibility that it will require access to "abotion inducing drugs."
Ryken reaffirmed in a conference call that religious freedom and liberty are at danger with this mandate.
More from Fox News
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When unemploymet statistics are released by the Labor Department, critics of the Obama adminjistration claim the department and Obama campaign are "cooking the books." Claims are the statistics do not fully reflect the total number of people who arte only working part-time and those who have given up seeking employment are not counted.
Opponents say the true unemployment number is between 11 and 18 percent.
Last wek a story circulated about states that elected GOP governors were seeing lower unemployment rates. In some cases significant drops in the rate of unemployed.
One state claiming victory in reduc ing unemployment is Florida. It announced with great fanfare that unemployment in Florida had dripped from 9.9 percent in December 2011 to 8.6 percent in May 2012. A significant and impressive drop.
A report released Tuesday by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity shows that up to two-thirds of the drop may be the result of labor force dropouts. This includes individuals that have given up seeking employment and those that have returned to school. Neither classification are considered unemployed.
The good news of states successfully lower unemployment rates is tempered by the statitical manipulations made by the Obama administration.
More here
That's it for now and, yes, I made this.
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