The Federal Maritime Commission will amend its proposed rule on unreasonable carrier conduct (see 2209130040), after industry, lawmakers and at least one federal agency said the rule was too broad, missed congressional intent and didn’t go far enough to address carriers that refuse to carry exports in favor of imports. The commission plans to issue a “supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking” to incorporate changes to the rule, FMC Chair Daniel Maffei said during a Jan. 25 commission meeting, adding that he hopes to publish the updates “as quickly as possible.”
Industry continued to urge the FCC to help facilitate the transition to fully IP-networks and Stir/Shaken caller ID authentication. In reply comments posted Tuesday in docket 17-97 (see 2212130065), some disagreed whether the transition should be mandated and how to treat existing non-IP networks.
Competition from digital advertising and tech companies, broadcast ownership rules and FCC regulatory fees lead a list of policy priorities for the 118th U.S. Congress released by NAB Thursday. “Local broadcast stations must be available on all platforms and every device to remain relevant to audiences and advertisers,” said the NAB policy agenda. “But Big Tech platforms have a stranglehold on digital advertising.” The FCC should respond to rising competition from tech companies by relaxing ownership rules and increasing the payor base for regulatory fees, NAB said. The FCC should also refresh the record on applying retransmission consent to streaming services and “maintain a reasonable, flexible framework for NEXTGEN TV deployment,” NAB said. The policy agenda also calls for Congress to avoid imposing a performance tax on radio stations, to revive the minority tax certificate, and to oppose legislation that would change the way tax laws handle advertising expenses. Changes that would make advertising expenses nondeductible for businesses “raise significant First Amendment concerns and ignore the important consumer benefits that advertising provides,” NAB said. The policy agenda didn't specifically mention the Journalism Competition and Preservation Act, which Senate Antitrust Subcommittee Chair Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., unsuccessfully tried to pass via the FY 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (see 2212070056). The measure would create a limited antitrust exemption to allow news publishers to collectively bargain with tech platforms for the use of their content.
U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz for Southern Florida in Miami should follow “the legion of case law” in the 11th Circuit and dismiss all counts in plaintiff Christa Simmons’ class action alleging Procter & Gamble violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Florida Telephone Solicitation Act. So asserted P&G in a memorandum of law Tuesday (docket 0:22-cv-61956) in support of its motion to dismiss.
FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel isn’t signaling what the FCC may do following up on last year’s receiver performance notice of inquiry. Initially, some experts speculated the FCC may focus on a policy statement rather than rules (see 2208050044). At an FCBA webinar Tuesday, an aide to Commissioner Nathan Simington said the commissioner wants a follow-up to the notice (see 2301170072).
Challenges to the FCC’s USF program filed in three federal circuits by Consumers Research raise larger questions about the nondelegation doctrine and how the FCC interprets Section 254 of the Communications Act, lawyers said during an FCBA hybrid event Wednesday. The case could be headed to the Supreme Court, they said.
The top trade official in the EU, Valdis Dombrovskis, said that he would talk about the changes they want to the Inflation Reduction Act during his planned meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Jan. 17. He said there have been improvements on how the tax credits for electrical vehicles will be applied, but said, "We're continuing to work on supplies and inputs into batteries and how to make some progress there," as well as other areas.
Hundreds of companies, as well as trade groups from agriculture, retailers and manufacturing, have told the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative that the Section 301 tariffs on $350 million in Chinese goods have not achieved their aim, have hurt U.S. businesses and, often, have not even moved production to other countries in Asia or to Mexico.
Frank Walker's family should be permitted to do discovery in support of their allegations the cellphone industry “suppressed, misrepresented and concealed known health risks” under the guise that cellphones are safe, said their brief Friday (docket 2:21-cv-00923) in U.S. District Court for Western Louisiana in Lake Charles.
The top trade official in the EU, Valdis Dombrovskis, said that he would talk about the changes they want to the Inflation Reduction Act during his planned meeting with U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai on Jan. 17. He said there have been improvements on how the tax credits for electrical vehicles will be applied, but said, "We're continuing to work on supplies and inputs into batteries and how to make some progress there," as well as other areas.