The Trump administration's outgoing antitrust head said he won't act to change consent decrees governing performing rights organizations' licensing of public performance of music. After a two-year DOJ Antitrust Division investigation into the pacts with ASCAP and BMI, division chief Makan Delrahim laid out principles to keep in mind. But he said he's not acting now.

The 2.5 GHz competitive bidding procedures NPRM saw an important change after it was circulated by Chairman Ajit Pai, FCC officials told us. Pai had proposed a single-round, sealed-bid auction design rather than the more traditional simultaneous multiple round auction format. The notice was changed to seek comment on both, we were told.

Making good on a threat Wednesday when protesters turned violent at the Capitol after the president encouraged them to go there during the Electoral College ratification (see here), Twitter said Friday it permanently suspended the account of Donald Trump. The social media platform said this followed the company's "close review" of recent @realDonaldTrump tweets "and the context around them -- specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter." The platform cited "the risk of further incitement of violence."

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai slammed Donald Trump over the outgoing president's rhetoric against the Nov. 3 election results, which led protesters to storm the Capitol Wednesday and turn violent. Pai also confirmed he won't propose changes to how the FCC interprets a tech liability shield law, conforming with expectations (see here and here).

E.W. Scripps completed its $2.65 billion deal to buy Ion Media from Black Diamond Capital Management, divesting 23 stations to the newly formed Inyo Broadcasting as part of the transaction, it said in a news release Thursday. The FCC approved the deal Dec. 15, with no public notice of the approval issued after no petitions to deny were filed, a broadcast industry official told us. Scripps is holding on to 48 of the stations and plans to combine Ion’s content with its Katz networks and Newsy for a “full-scale national television networks business,” the release said. “Bringing our networks together with ION will create a formidable national television business focused on connecting with audiences and advertisers in the rapidly evolving media landscape,” said Scripps CEO Adam Symson in the release.

The draft NPRM on circulation about opening the 12 GHz band to 5G service has been added to the FCC's January agenda, per the sunshine agenda Wednesday evening. Also added are two public notices: one unveiling the first round of selections for the agency's Connected Care pilot program, and one seeking comment on competitive bidding procedures for a 2.5 GHz auction. It was expected that Chairman Ajit Pai might put 12 GHz NPRM and 2.5 GHz auction procedures on the agenda to assure a vote on them. Both were circulated last month. The Connected Care selections began in late December.

Commissioner Brendan Carr, among those in the communications sector condemning an outbreak of violence Wednesday afternoon in the Capitol, became one of the first FCC Republicans to say he believes Joe Biden is the next president. In an interview, Carr agreed with the statement that President-elect Biden will take office Jan. 20.

Defying some expectations, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai decided not to seek action on any items at the Jan. 13 commissioners’ meeting. Pai released an agenda today for the meeting, which lists five panels updating commissioners on various parts of the FCC’s work. The meeting will be Pai’s last as chairman.

The chief of the nation's capital city 911 system, Karima Holmes, has resigned and will stay on until after the inauguration of Joe Biden as president. Office of Unified Communications Director Holmes several days ago gave her resignation to District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) and it was accepted, said OUC's spokesperson.

Bidding in the C-band auction is accelerating, hitting $40.3 billion as of midday today, per the FCC's Auction 107 public reporting system. That's nearly double the amount at the close of bidding Thursday. Today marks the 10th day of the auction, which began Dec. 8. It could eclipse the AWS-3 auction, which raised $45 billion in 2015 and become the largest spectrum auction in commission history.