Adonis Hoffman – Media & Communications Policy

October 16, 2025October 16, 2025 By Adonis Hoffman, Esq.

TV Consolidation – A Moat Against Extinction

Broadcast television, once the unquestioned center of American life, now stands at the edge of obsolescence. What was once a cultural hearth has been pushed to the margins by streaming, cord-cutting, “cord-nevers,” and the algorithmic dominance of Big Tech. Viewers have migrated, advertisers have followed, and revenue models that once sustained thousands of stations are eroding at an accelerating pace.

The uncomfortable truth is that fragmentation has become fatal. American broadcasters, still bound by ownership rules written for another era, are ill-equipped to compete against digital behemoths that operate without limits. Unless policymakers, regulators, and industry leaders embrace consolidation, the medium that has long been free, universal, and trusted risks being reduced to a relic of a bygone era.

December 4, 2024December 3, 2024 By Adonis Hoffman, Esq.

A New Era at the FCC: What’s Ahead

Media have become more important and invasive in our lives than ever. Whether online, TV, video, wireless, or wearable devices, Americans can’t seem to survive more than a few minutes without them.

It thus stands to reason that a newly established Federal Communications Commission led by incoming Chairman Brendan Carr will expand the agency’s reach into areas where more and more Americans are engaged. As such, it could become as important and involved in our lives as the very media it regulates.

July 24, 2024July 24, 2024 By Adonis Hoffman, Esq.

Big Tech and Principled Policy

As the election draws closer and the stakes become clearer, we should not forget the outsized influence of Big Tech in our country.

Not long ago, Facebook and Twitter emerged as key figures in U.S. elections when foreign propaganda, fake news, and objectionable content became a part of the process. Since then, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X have become embedded in the fabric of American society, affecting democracy itself.

May 29, 2024May 28, 2024 By Adonis Hoffman, Esq.

American TV Is Changing for Better or Worse

The American TV market is changing before our very eyes, presenting viewers, creators, and advertisers an unprecedented degree of choice, convenience, and competition. We are witnessing a platinum age of television, where an alluring array of movies, sports, and specials is accessible on our phones, tablets, and computers, available anytime and anyplace, on demand. Though we now refer to it as “video,” at its essence it remains television, and we just cannot get enough of it.

But, for traditional TV broadcasters, these changes are both a blessing and a bane. A blessing because more people are watching more video than ever before. A bane because more people are viewing that video through non-traditional media, which represents an evolving societal shift.

November 21, 2023November 21, 2023 By Adonis Hoffman, Esq.

Why Self-Regulation Is Best for Artificial Intelligence

As the Biden Administration seeks to get its arms around the global phenomenon that is artificial intelligence, it should recognize a few realities.

First, artificial intelligence (AI) is more than an idea whose time has come – it is indelibly written into the fabric of our society. AI has grown from a theoretical, academic concept to an indispensable tool in just about every sector imaginable. It has become ubiquitous and universal, transforming commerce, culture, industry, and individual lives the world over, fostering a new era of innovation.

November 6, 2023November 5, 2023 By Adonis Hoffman, Esq.

FCC Ready To Ramp Up Rulemaking on Two Key Issues

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is one of the most important regulatory agencies in America, and perhaps the world. It is home to scores of talented, dedicated, and hard-working engineers, economists, and legal experts who have eschewed private-sector lucre for selfless public service.

With statutory authority to regulate the nation’s communications systems, devices, and technology, the FCC has power to approve or deny mergers; levy fines and penalties; bring suit; award licenses and contracts; allocate spectrum; conduct hearings and inquiries; establish standards and codes; and promulgate regulations governing television, radio, telephone, wireless, mobile, Internet, cable, satellite, and international services in the multibillion-dollar telecom, media, and technology sector.

November 8, 2022November 7, 2022 By Adonis Hoffman, Esq.

TikTok Is China’s Trojan Horse

People are easy to dupe. Give us something for free and we will open the door to just about anything in return, including our most sensitive family, health, and financial information.

The ancient Greeks knew something about the human psyche when they built a massive wooden horse and put it outside the enemy gates at Troy. Unsuspecting Trojans marveled at the gift and ushered it inside unexamined. Hidden in the horse were the Greek men of war who emerged to sack the city.

January 25, 2021July 7, 2021 By Adonis Hoffman, Esq.

Big Tech Must Self-Regulate To Protect Public Safety

In a single swipe, Twitter and Facebook have done what the U.S. government and the Constitution could not: delete the power of an irreverent president to rile and rally Americans to violent action.

Twitter announced Jan. 8 that it permanently suspended Trump’s account, while Facebook announced Jan. 7 it had suspended Trump’s account indefinitely.

December 10, 2020July 7, 2021 By Richard T. Kaplar

The Role of Targeted Advertising In Supporting First Amendment Principles

One can scarcely remember the time, only a few short decades ago, when life moved along without the array of personal digital devices that have come to define today’s culture. All of that changed, of course, with the advent of the Internet and the ability to access a burgeoning number of websites (which themselves were rapidly evolving).

Personal desktop computers, portable laptops, tablets, cell phones, and “smart phones” would fuel the tech revolution. Who could imagine that someday one’s phone, tablet, and computers would all be synchronized into a seamless whole. Or that millions of Americans would spend vast amounts of time engaging each other via something called “social media.”

August 13, 2020August 13, 2020 By Adonis Hoffman, Esq.

Cancel Culture Is Techno Tyranny

Hyper partisan politics and our divided nation make it easier than ever to vilify anyone, any time, in any way. In the words of Michael Corleone, “If anything in this life is certain, if history has taught us anything, it is that you can kill anyone.”

Used figuratively here, of course, but that is what cancel culture has wrought in today’s society.

While cancellation may seek to stifle speech, it causes social and economic destruction as well. It projects permanence and public shame for its targets whether deserved or not. And it promotes a kind of techno tyranny against which we all should be vigilant.