BellSouth Sets Up Tents for Employees in Katrina’s Wake

The company said it’s still assessing the storm’s impact over the hundreds of square miles affected. “This is not a normal hurricane recovery situation,” said Bill Smith, BellSouth chief technology officer. Given the scope of the damage, he said, the restoration effort in the hardest hit areas “will take more time than we would normally expect.” He said the flooding in New Orleans “has made working conditions extremely difficult.” BellSouth said customers who have lost service likely will be below the 1.75 million initially estimated and may be closer to 750,000. Early figures from the New Orleans area indicated at least 9 central offices serving about 81,000 lines were totally out of service.

BellSouth still has about 180 central offices on emergency generator power and is focused on restoring network facilities and services. A spokesman said BellSouth is in close contact with power companies to learn when an area will receive electricity, and with wireless carriers to coordinate communications recovery.

Wireless carriers said that as they bring cell sites back on line, they're immediately overwhelmed by call volumes. Major carriers said they're making progress with restorations across the region, except in flooded-out New Orleans. In central Fla., where BellSouth’s Katrina recovery efforts are nearly complete, the telco said it’s encountering a new service problem: “Residents and contractors are cutting underground phone cables or knocking out phone equipment as they excavate to restore property or dispose of debris.”

Meanwhile, the FCC Thurs. provided further relief for those affected by the hurricane. The Commission: (1) Granted a temporary waiver of the Commission’s numbering rules to allow carriers in La., Miss. and Ala., and the numbering administrators that support them, to port telephone numbers geographically outside of rate centers during the period of service disruption. (2) Extended to Oct. 31 the filing and regulatory deadlines between Aug. 29 and Oct. 30 for wireless licensees in the affected areas. (3) Announced procedures to provide emergency communications in the affected areas. (4) Extended the comment period in satellite and earth station licensing reform proceeding for parties impacted by the hurricane. The Sept. 6 deadline for comments was moved to Sept. 28, and the Oct. 6 replies deadline to Oct. 14. (5) Extended the Form 477 filing deadline for entities operating in Ala., La. and Miss.

The FCC also added emergency information to its website to help consumers and businesses affected by Katrina. Clicking on the hurricane information section brings up a list of links licensees might need about special temporary authorities, network outage reporting, FCC licensing procedures during emergencies and emergency preparedness rules. Information also is available for consumers such as a fact sheet called “Communicating During Emergencies,” links to TV stations in affected states, links to amateur radio organizations and relief organizations.

PBS Plans Flight over Stations to Assess Damages

PBS is trying to arrange a flight over New Orleans public TV stations WYES and WLAE for a video assessment of damage to transmitters and other facilities, Senior Vp- Technology & Operations Edward Caleca told us. He said the water was beginning to recede Thurs., and “if we don’t get it done soon we are only going to get partial knowledge of how bad the situation was.” The stations’ general managers were working out of temporary quarters in Houston and Pensacola, Fla. Caleca said the La. Public Bcstg. station in Baton Rouge was running on full power and providing feeds to other network stations. He said power has been restored to Ala. stations, including those in Mobile. Visual inspection of Ala. station sites revealed no significant damage, Caleca said, but more study is needed. Miss. stations remain on emergency power and their concern continues to be fuel, he said: “We are working with neighboring states trying to get some additional fuel trucked in.”

The Assn. of Public TV Stations (APTS) petitioned the FCC Thurs. for a blanket waiver of its rules to enable public TV stations to interrupt regular programming to raise funds for states affected by Hurricane Katrina. Commission rules bar noncommercial stations from raising funds for any entity other than licensees, “where such activities substantially alter or suspend regular programming.” But in other disasters the FCC has granted one-time waivers for public broadcasting stations to raise funds for other nonprofit organizations. APTS said the Commission has granted such waivers when applicants have demonstrated the “extraordinary, widespread and catastrophic nature of the events precipitating the fund- raising program,” as long as it’s limited and minimally impacts programming. APTS said several public TV stations want to conduct limited fund-raising drives on air to help hurricane victims. The FCC has granted some waiver requests by individual stations, APTS said, urging a blanket waiver for all stations that want them.

Meanwhile, the Corp. for Public Bcstg. announced $500,000 in immediate assistance for public broadcasting stations affected by Katrina to meet “urgent and critical” needs. Some storm zone stations are off the air due to “significant” equipment damage, CPB said. Others are relying on diesel generators, and soon will face fuel shortages. Even stations that weren’t harmed are incurring “extraordinary expenses” to provide local news coverage and public safety information, the CPB said. It said several public broadcasting stations around the country are pitching in with equipment, professional assistance, and offers of fundraising support. Stations also are providing information to evacuees and working with relief agencies to let the public know where to donate and how to help. The CPB said it will work with other public broadcasting entities to back stations’ efforts to restore facilities and service.

Relief Efforts Planned

More programmers and cable operators announced relief funds for Katrina. The Weather Channel will give $1 million to the American Red Cross. The network, owned by Landmark Communications, also will match contributions by its employees. Cox is starting a Cox Employee Emergency Relief fund, and will match donations 2:1, a spokesman said. Viacom also is giving $1 million to the Red Cross and matching employee donations. The Inspiration Networks and nonprofit Convoy of Hope are sending 22 truckloads of food, water and other supplies to La. and Miss., the 2 states hardest hit by the catastrophic storm.

In addition, Congress might convene late Thurs. or Fri. to pass an emergency supplemental relief appropriation concerning Hurricane Katrina, congressional sources said Thurs. No time has been set for floor consideration.

The NAB is acting as a clearinghouse for broadcasters’ needs. One of the hardest hit, station group owner Liberty Corp., has stations in La. “They lost everything they own,” said NAB President Eddie Fritts. NAB has teamed with the American Red Cross to provide public service announcements on donating to victims, and is asking members to donate equipment to broadcasters in affected areas. Meanwhile, NBC and sibling networks will air a live hurricane relief benefit concert today (Fri.). MTV Networks is planning a live concert Sept. 10. Broadcasters will raise a minimum of $100 million for victims of Hurricane Katrina, NAB said. NAB itself will donate $1 million in cash to the American Red Cross.

Citing Hurricane Katrina’s lingering impact, NCTA is evaluating the viability of retaining New Orleans as the site for its annual convention next spring. The group is “making appropriate contingency plans” for the convention, set for May 21-23, a spokesman said.