AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless agreed Wednesday to end lawsuits accusing each other of lying in TV ads. AT&T Inc. agreed to dismiss a lawsuit that sought to force Verizon to pull its "Theres a Map for That" commercials. Verizon agreed to drop a suit that sought a declaration that AT&Ts claims of "more bars in more places" was inaccurate. The ads show maps of the United States with areas highlighted to depict where third-generation, or 3G, data network coverage is available. Verizons coverage, in red, is clearly wider than AT&Ts, in blue. In response to Verizons ads, AT&T …

Comcast has joined Mediacom in asking the FCC to look into whether Sinclair is violating the FCC's "good faith" bargaining rules by negotiating retransmission consent for both its owned stations and ones it has local marketing agreements with in the same markets, specifically two in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Commenting on the situation, Comcast said there were "substantial questions as to the propriety of local broadcast stations using LMA's or similar arrangements to negotiate jointly retransmission consent agreements in a particular market."

Lou Dobbs, who is expected to make a decision about his post-CNN career this month, has been talking with business news network CNBC in recent weeks, say knowledgeable sources. He has also spoken with Roger Ailes, chairman of Fox News. A CNBC post would give him an important media platform, especially if he wants to make a political run. Last week, he said he was pondering both a Senate bid and a presidential run ahead of the 2012 elections. Dobbs worked for CNBC before, when he left CNN in 1999.

The new tobacco laws have alarmed the Association of National Advertisers, the American Association of Advertising Agencies and the American Advertising Federation, which filed a "friend of the court" brief in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The brief contends that the act violates the First Amendment by restricting free speech. Signed into law in June, the Tobacco Control Act restricts the sale, marketing and production of tobacco products, which impacts nearly every media outlet. Outdoor advertising may not appear within 1,000 feet of elementary or secondary schools; T-shirts promoting …

Five years ago, Sirius lured shock jock Howard Stern to satellite radio with an astounding $500 million contract. The contract is up and Sirius XM CEO Mel Karmazin, facing financial challenges, has to decide if the self-proclaimed King of All Media is worth the money. Stern is one of the biggest draws of Sirius XM's satellite radio service, which counts 18.5 million subscribers. His decision to exit FM radio for Sirius in 2004 is credited with establishing satellite radio as an established form of media. But some analysts claim high-priced contracts like Stern's contributed to financial woes …

Fledgling newswire service BNO, started by a Dutch teenager, will hand over control of its massively popular Twitter account @breakingnews to MSNBC today, in a move that could mark a significant step forward for the young company. The account lets nearly 1.5 million people receive streams of news updates on their mobiles or the Web. BNO is moving from focusing on Twitter and looking to services that can deliver profits, including a scheme to sell more specialized services to media companies in the new year. The financial terms of the deal have not disclosed, but the news network said …