JUNE 2026

Working for a Strong First Amendment and Sound Communications Policy

AN e-NEWS UPDATE FROM THE MEDIA INSTITUTE

COMMUNICATIONS FORUM LUNCHEON SERIES

Media analyst Paul Gallant, Managing Director of TMT Policy for TD Cowen, will sit down with Institute President Mike O’Rielly for a fireside chat at our next Communications Forum luncheon on July 23. Their conversation will explore how financial markets may view various litigation, merger, and policy developments in the technology, media, and telecom sector.

At our June 24 luncheon, Kate Riley, president and CEO of America’s Public Television Stations (APTS), discussed the structure of public broadcasting and how the elimination of federal funding has impacted public television stations in differing markets.  

Many thanks to our 2026 luncheon series sponsors for your support! We welcome new sponsors. To learn about becoming a sponsor, contact Susanna Coto at coto@mediainstitute.org. BE THERE and don’t miss another luncheon!

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MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS POLICY BLOG

Who Can Save Local Television? The Merger Main Street May Need

By Adonis Hoffman, Esq. 

By most accounts, America’s local television stations are in trouble. Declining viewership, diminished advertising revenue, and devastating competition from streaming services have left local broadcasters facing a dire future, and their fate now rests with a federal court in California.

Against this backdrop, Nexstar, America’s largest television station owner, moved to acquire Tegna in a $6.2-billion merger. The deal would establish the combined company as the undisputed leader of local television….

The Comfortable Fiction of Campus Neutrality

By Stuart N. Brotman

University presidents love to say that their institutional values are clear. It is a comforting claim, and an increasingly hollow one.

The pattern has become familiar. A university adopts a policy that touches on expression. Faculty or students object, arguing it chills speech or signals exclusion. Administrators insist the policy is content-neutral and procedural. Critics point out that no policy lands in a vacuum. The administration expresses concern, perhaps apologizes, and promises dialogue. A committee may be formed. The underlying tension goes unresolved.

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ISSUE WATCH

AT THE INSTITUTE

We find that our Communications Forum luncheons featuring market analysts are always among our most popular and interesting. Our luncheon coming up July 23 should be no exception as we welcome Paul Gallant, technology, media, and telecom analyst for TD Cowen. Be sure to attend this luncheon and find out how financial experts are adding up developments in this sector.

At our June 24 luncheon, APTS President Kate Riley gave us a fascinating look at how public television has been faring without government funding, and what efforts to restore funding to hard-hit rural stations on a case-by-case basis might look like. We thank Kate for sharing her insights with us.

As we head into the July 4 holiday weekend and take part in “America 250” festivities, it’s worth remembering that the First Amendment is the cornerstone of what makes our democracy great. Freedom of speech and press need to be protected as never before. The Media Institute is committed to defending these precious freedoms, and we’re pursuing programs and activities that reflect our determination to preserve these vital constitutional guarantees.  

But we can’t do this without your help. We count on your sponsorships of our Communications Forum Luncheon Series and “Free Speech America” Gala, and your Operating Support to make our work possible. Please consider becoming a sponsor or making a tax-deductible gift of operating support. To DONATE, learn more HERE. THANK YOU for your support!  –Mike O’Rielly

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