Rules that allowed candidates more time to speak and the gravitas brought to last night's Democratic debate by hosts George Stephanopoulos and David Muir made the event more policy-focused and less about accusations and insults, earning ABC praise for learning lessons from previous debates. ABC correspondent Linsey Davis and Univision anchor Jorge Ramos also acted as hosts during the debate, leveling pointed questions at some candidates on their past records.

Advertisements from AT&T warning viewers that they could lose access to television channels if federal lawmakers fail to renew STELAR legislation when it expires this year are disingenuous and possibly deliberately deceptive, says National Association of Broadcasters President and CEO Gordon Smith. He is urging DIRECTV to "to reconsider airing alerts that only confuse your viewers, and to work with local broadcasters to ensure that all DIRECTV customers receive their network programming from local TV affiliates."

The number of television viewers over the age of 55 declined for the first time in the past two quarters, analysis of Nielsen data shows. While younger viewers have been abandoning television in favor of streaming alternatives for some time, this is the first indication of the erosion of older audiences, who represent more than half of TV viewers.

The Department of Justice has hundreds of comments to review before it can reach a decision on what should be done with ASCAP and BMI consent decrees, and any decision the DOJ reaches must then gain approval from ASCAP and BMI rate courts. The department aims to reach a decision before the end of this year, but the process could extend into 2020, says Makan Delrahim, assistant attorney general for the DOJ antitrust division.

Entercom systems are slowly returning to normal after a "digital meltdown," believed by some to be caused by a ransomware attack, took down the many of the company's digital systems, including email, automation, music scheduling, computer networks, printers and billing. Entercom has not issued public comment on the cause of the issue.

"Saturday Night Live" this week announced the addition of Bowen Yang, Chloe Fineman and Shane Gillis as regular cast members for its 45th season. Yang joined the SNL team last year as a writer, Fineman comes to the show from LA comedy troupe the Groundlings, and Gillis recently appeared on Comedy Central's "Up Next."

CBS affiliate KGBT in Harlingen, Texas, is mourning the death of Alex Herbst, a 26-year-old meteorologist who joined the station's team last year. The cause of Herbst's death is unknown.

NAB Congressional PSAs are now available for radio and television stations via Extreme Reach. Please consider airing the :30 PSAs when you have extra inventory between now and December 31, 2019. This year, over 300 members of Congress and their family members participated in the program. PSA topics include support for veterans, support for small businesses, prescription drug abuse, mental health, cancer prevention, and encouraging blood donations. More information can be found at nab.org/cpsa.

WeAreBroadcasters.com highlights the many ways stations serve their communities. As policymakers tackle legislation that could impact broadcasting's future, stations are encouraged to use this resource to remind lawmakers what makes broadcasters unique. Also, please download and air NAB's We Are Broadcasters spots.