US viewers, housebound due to the coronavirus crisis, have streamed 400 billion minutes of programming to their TVs during March's initial three weeks, Nielsen reports. The total was up 85% from the same period last year.

The Federal Communications Commission recently postponed the deadline for broadcasters to submit first-quarter reports on Children's Television Programming, citing challenges raised by the coronavirus pandemic. Reports were initially due March 30 and April 10, but can now be submitted as late as July 10, which is still the due date for second-quarter reports.

New York sports radio celebrity Mike Francesa criticized the federal administration's coronavirus response and some of President Donald Trump's recent remarks. Francesa accused Trump's administration of not providing adequate medical supplies to New York, the epicenter of the country's outbreak and decried the president's assertion that a death toll of less than 200,000 would mean his administration had performed well.

President Donald Trump talked by phone Tuesday with the CEOs of Verizon, AT&T and other internet service providers providers to see how their networks are withstanding strain as more Americans work from home amid the coronavirus outbreak. Trump also thanked the companies for their coronavirus response efforts.

The US Defense Information Systems Agency has awarded Comcast Business a $9.3 million, 10-year contract to construct ethernet gateways for its northeastern information network. Comcast will use the Ethernet Virtual Private Line platform that's designed to provide a point-to-multipoint secure network between various locations.

A new weekly dashboard will show how cable operators' broadband networks are handling the increased load created by the coronavirus pandemic. The "COVID-19 Internet Dashboard," created by NCTA -- The Internet & Television Association, shows that the networks in the study are currently performing well despite a double-digit increase in use since the beginning of March.

The National Football League has agreed to add a pair of wildcard games to the upcoming playoff season. CBS and Nickelodeon, which are both ViacomCBS properties, will air one game, while Comcast's NBC and Telemundo will show the other, as will the Peacock streaming platform.

Virgin Media has given UK parents free access to seven children's channels, including Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon, to help cope with school closures caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The access, which will continue until April 21, will automatically go into effect for some bundles.

Media consultant Hank Price recalls a National Association of Broadcasters slogan from 2019, "We are broadcasters," and how relevant it is in this time of crisis. Price praises stations' focus on public service and staff safety rather than revenue or costs.

A growing number of local newspapers are being forced to cut salaries and hours and lay off employees as outbreak-related closures drive advertising revenue down. The virus has accelerated the demise of an already-struggling industry, and proposals to save it might not come in time, writes Jon Allsop.