Locast Settlement Leaks

The Senate Commerce Committee was believed to be still on track to announce plans Wednesday night to hold a Feb. 2 vote on Democratic FCC nominee Gigi Sohn (see 2201250073), lobbyists told us. That would follow the leak of a confidential version of Locast’s lawsuit settlement that opponents think raises ethical questions about the nominee. Commerce ranking member Roger Wicker, R-Miss., has been seeking a hearing on the settlement due to Sohn’s role as a board member for Locast operator Sports Fans Coalition (see 2201180064). Broadcasters agreed in the confidential settlement to accept $700,000 in Locast’s remaining cash and liquidation of the shuttered sports rebroadcaster’s used servers, two sources with knowledge of the agreement told us. Broadcasters agreed in the confidential settlement to release Sohn and other individuals from “liabilities of every kind and nature” due to the lawsuit’s claims, but this reflected an agreement among parties at the beginning of the case that any judgment wouldn’t involve individual liability, the sources said. The broadcasters have until Thursday to file a satisfaction of judgment but hadn’t as of Wednesday afternoon, the sources said. Bloomberg Law first reported the settlement’s details. Locast originally settled in October for $32 million (see 2110280039). Sohn, lawyers for SFC, NAB, Senate Commerce and Wicker’s office didn’t comment. Communications Workers of America President Christopher Shelton endorsed Sohn Tuesday night.