News of Note—NCTA, AT&T, Facebook, Time Warner Inc. and more

Here is some of the other news we've been tracking today:

> NCTA said the ATSC 3.0 advanced broadcast transmission standard the FCC approved would be voluntary for everyone, including MVPDs and viewers. Multichannel News article

> Time Warner’s first-quarter earnings are down across the board at all operating divisions, resulting in a 13% decrease in operating income. FierceVideo article

> Standard Media, owned by investment firm Standard General, emerged as one of the big buyers amid Sinclair’s recently announced station sales. For the company, it’s a first step toward something larger. FierceVideo article

> The FCC has had Sinclair’s latest amended application for its Tribune purchase for more than a day and at press time had still not restarted the clock on its review of the deal, which has been paused since Jan. 4 on day 167. Multichannel News article

> As Facebook is experiencing a decline in passive video viewing on its platform, the company’s still-fledgling Watch tab could be in line for an upside. FierceVideo article

> AT&T reported wireless customer numbers that were slightly above some Wall Street expectations, and the carrier reiterated its promise that its financial footing in wireless would improve. However, some analysts expressed concern at the operator’s somewhat rocky performance. FierceWireless article