The FCC Media Bureau should change the status of the license renewal proceeding for Fox’s WTXF-TV Philadelphia from restricted to permit-but-disclose, said a letter Tuesday from the Media and Democracy Project (MAD). MAD has filed a petition to deny WTXF’s renewal (see 2307060065), and changing the proceeding’s status “would permit broader public participation” by other entities, the letter said. In restricted proceedings, ex parte presentations are generally prohibited but are allowed in permit-but-disclose if they are filed in the record. “Other public interest groups have contacted MAD and expressed an interest in participating in this proceeding.” Former Fox executive and lobbyist Preston Padden, who backs the MAD petition, has begun raising money online to fund the proceeding. Fox didn’t comment.
The FCC should promptly act on the Media and Democracy Project’s petition to deny the license of Fox station WTXF-TV Philadelphia, said the Media Action Center in an informal objection filed Thursday. The MAD petition isn't considered likely to lead to FCC action (see 2307060065). “It is not the marketplace, but the interests of the people that should determine what is broadcast,” said the filing. “Fox has failed in its duty to put the interests of the people it serves above its corporate profits.” MAD previously filed a petition against the renewal of the then-Entercom owned KDND Sacramento, which was designated for hearing over the death of a listener in radio contest, a matter cited by MAD in their petition against WTXF. Fox didn't comment.
A petition from the Media and Democracy Project (MAD) and former Fox executive Preston Padden asking the FCC to hold a hearing over and block a Fox-owned TV station’s license renewal isn’t likely to lead to agency action and would raise First Amendment concerns if it did, said attorneys we spoke with. Said MAD: “Owning a broadcast station is more than a business -- it is a public trust. Never before has the Commission been confronted with so much evidence attached to a petition that clearly shows that an FCC broadcast licensee undermined that trust." The FCC has historically stayed out of broadcaster editorial decisions and isn’t likely to change that, said Fletcher Heald broadcast attorney Frank Montero.
President Donald Trump to nominate officials including: Andrei Iancu, Irell & Manella IP lawyer, as undersecretary of commerce-intellectual property and director, Patent and Trademark Office; and Adam Klein, Center for a New American Security, as member and chairman, Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board ... Society of Broadcast Engineers 2017 elections for national board, in new positions for those individuals: for one-year terms, effective Oct. 26, Jim Leifer, American Tower, to president; Vice President RJ Russell, WTXF-TV Philadelphia; and Treasurer Jim Bernier, Turner; and to two-year terms, also effective Oct. 26, Andrea Cummis, AC Video Solutions; she was succeeded as treasurer; Steve Lampen, Belden; Kimberly Sacks, iHeartMedia; Barry Thomas, KSE Radio; and Kevin Trueblood, WGCU Public Media ... International Launch Services promotes Peter Stier to vice president-sales.
The FCC is looking to Capitol Hill for action on retransmission consent rules, perhaps by new legislation, instead of acting now on the issue, officials at and outside the commission said Monday. Almost 15 days into their retrans dispute, Cablevision and News Corp. over the weekend ended a blackout, restoring Fox TV stations as well as several cable channels to the cable operator’s subscribers. Fox and Dish Network averted a separate retrans blackout Friday, signing a long-term deal. With those negotiations wrapped up for now, the commission doesn’t seem poised to take regulatory action on the issue, FCC and other officials said.
Cablevision will give subscribers a $10 credit to pay for the cost of viewing World Series games live on MLB.com, since customers lack cable access to the games on the Fox network. Cable subscribers who buy the website’s “Postseason.TV” packages will get the credit, applied within two billing cycles to their monthly bill, Cablevision said late Wednesday. Late the next day, the cable operator asked government entities and non profits to consider retransmitting the World Series online for free. That’s allowed under the Copyright Act of 1976, Cablevision said.
Comcast said it wouldn’t change NBC Universal’s relationship with Hulu.com. The renewed promise came after a blackout by News Corp. of Fox video on the website was brought up in relation to Comcast’s deal to buy control of NBC Universal. It was Comcast’s first comment to the FCC on the Cablevision-Fox retransmission consent dispute and on News Corp.’s decision to temporarily block Cablevision broadband customers from Fox video on Fox.com and Hulu, which is partly owned by NBC Universal and News Corp. (CED Oct 19 p3).
Comcast said it wouldn’t change NBC Universal’s relationship with Hulu.com. The renewed promise came after a blackout by News Corp. of Fox video on the website was brought up in relation to Comcast’s deal to buy control of NBC Universal. It was Comcast’s first comment to the FCC on the Cablevision-Fox retransmission consent dispute and on News Corp.’s decision to temporarily block Cablevision broadband customers from Fox video on Fox.com and Hulu, which is partly owned by NBC Universal and News Corp. (CD Oct 19 p5). The FCC criticized Cablevision for using PR tactics in the retrans dispute. About 18 hours later, Cablevision said it’s willing to pay what News Corp. seeks from another major cable operator for carriage of two of three blacked-out TV stations. Fox rejected the offer hours after it was made.
The FCC is sticking to the sidelines in the Cablevision-Fox dispute that left all of the cable operator’s 3 million video subscribers without access for a fifth day to the three News Corp.-owned TV stations in the New York area and in Philadelphia. On Wednesday, Commissioner Michael Copps became the second FCC member to speak out against the contractual dispute, raising net neutrality concerns voiced by others. Chairman Julius Genachowski the day before criticized both sides for “petty gamesmanship” (CD Oct 20 p1). The head of the Fox affiliates group told us his members back the network’s position, as TV stations owned by networks and those held by independent companies seek more money to be carried by subscription-video providers.
More than 100 TV stations are poised to get new digital channels or make other changes, under an FCC order containing the full list of all U.S. DTV channels. The new table of allotments may take into account requests to expand coverage areas by many stations that will broadcast digitally on a different channel after Feb. 17, 2009, the FCC said late Monday. Among other changes, the FCC gave 13 stations alternative channels on which to broadcast after the digital transition.