President Donald Trump denied he said Mexico has a year to improve drug interdiction (see 1904040030), but, for the second day in a row, he suggested Mexico is improving its control of migration, so he won't need to close the border soon. "I don't think we'll ever have to close the border because the penalty of tariffs on cars coming into the United States from Mexico at 25 percent will be massive," Trump told White House reporters a few hours after he made the one-year remark, on April 4.

Rep. Donald McEachin, Va., led a letter with other House Communications Subcommittee Democrats raising concerns about faulty data included in the FCC's draft 2017 Telecom Act Section 706 broadband deployment report that led Chairman Ajit Pai to overstate broadband deployment improvement for that year (see 1902190057). BarrierFree last month acknowledged an error in its FCC Form 477 filings of December 2017 broadband deployment data (see 1903070054). McEachin, House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., House Communications Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and others jointly urged Pai to withdraw the draft report or correct the faulty data. “We are deeply troubled by the FCC’s apparent failure to withdraw or correct its published claims,” the Democrats wrote. “The FCC’s apparent use of BarrierFree’s faulty data also raises serious questions as to what steps the Commission is taking to validate the data it receives from providers generally. Given the importance of the Report to policies pursued by the Commission, it is critical that the underlying data be accurate and carefully vetted.” The agency didn't comment Wednesday.

Rep. Donald McEachin, Va., led a letter with other House Communications Subcommittee Democrats raising concerns about faulty data included in the FCC's draft 2017 Telecom Act Section 706 broadband deployment report that led Chairman Ajit Pai to overstate broadband deployment improvement for that year (see 1902190057). BarrierFree last month acknowledged an error in its FCC Form 477 filings of December 2017 broadband deployment data (see 1903070054). McEachin, House Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, D-N.J., House Communications Chairman Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and others jointly urged Pai to withdraw the draft report or correct the faulty data. “We are deeply troubled by the FCC’s apparent failure to withdraw or correct its published claims,” the Democrats wrote. “The FCC’s apparent use of BarrierFree’s faulty data also raises serious questions as to what steps the Commission is taking to validate the data it receives from providers generally. Given the importance of the Report to policies pursued by the Commission, it is critical that the underlying data be accurate and carefully vetted.” The agency didn't comment Wednesday.

The House Commerce Committee continued considering the Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644) through Wednesday afternoon, after spending hours debating and voting on a litany of Republican-led amendments that Democrats claimed were mainly aimed at stonewalling advancement of the measure. The committee was expected to have ultimately advanced HR-1644 on a party-line vote. It still needed to handle many amendments and the measure's underlying text. HR-1644 and Senate companion S-682 would add a new title to the Communications Act that reverses the FCC order, rescinding its 2015 rules. The bill would restore reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 1903060077).

The House Commerce Committee continued considering the Save the Internet Act net neutrality bill (HR-1644) through Wednesday afternoon, after spending hours debating and voting on a litany of Republican-led amendments that Democrats claimed were mainly aimed at stonewalling advancement of the measure. The committee was expected to have ultimately advanced HR-1644 on a party-line vote. It still needed to handle many amendments and the measure's underlying text. HR-1644 and Senate companion S-682 would add a new title to the Communications Act that reverses the FCC order, rescinding its 2015 rules. The bill would restore reclassification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service (see 1903060077).

The FCC lacks authority to expand video description requirements to IP-delivered video and should be cautious about expanding the markets in which it's required, NAB commented, posted in docket 11-43 Tuesday. Comments are intended to inform an Oct. 8 report to Congress required of the agency by the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. Expanding requirements beyond the top 60 markets could be burdensome for broadcasters since revenue in such markets is lower, NAB said. “If the Internet is used to carry live terrestrial broadcast television, the Commission should have jurisdiction under the CVAA to regulate such program delivery systems,” the American Council for the Blind said. The FCC should establish a clear stance toward accessibility requirements as video and broadcast technologies evolve, the ACB said. It said the FCC should work with industry groups to create a centralized list of described programming. “Such a centralized list will also greatly assist in assuring that covered networks under the CVAA are meeting their required mandate of 87.5 quarterly hours of described content,” ACB said. ACB and NCTA raised concern over technical limitations of providing audio description over the secondary audio program channel, where it sometimes conflicts with foreign-language translations on legacy content. “Industry is aware of the interest in facilitating greater and easier access to video described programming to avoid conflicts with foreign language programming that may occupy this same audio stream, and is working to achieve that end,” NCTA said. “Cable operators are offering more than two audio streams where it is feasible.” The FCC should consider that proposed changes to kidvid rules could affect availability of described content, programmer Litton Entertainment said. Litton opposed FCC-proposed relaxation of kidvid requirements.

The FCC lacks authority to expand video description requirements to IP-delivered video and should be cautious about expanding the markets in which it's required, NAB commented, posted in docket 11-43 Tuesday. Comments are intended to inform an Oct. 8 report to Congress required of the agency by the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. Expanding requirements beyond the top 60 markets could be burdensome for broadcasters since revenue in such markets is lower, NAB said. “If the Internet is used to carry live terrestrial broadcast television, the Commission should have jurisdiction under the CVAA to regulate such program delivery systems,” the American Council for the Blind said. The FCC should establish a clear stance toward accessibility requirements as video and broadcast technologies evolve, the ACB said. It said the FCC should work with industry groups to create a centralized list of described programming. “Such a centralized list will also greatly assist in assuring that covered networks under the CVAA are meeting their required mandate of 87.5 quarterly hours of described content,” ACB said. ACB and NCTA raised concern over technical limitations of providing audio description over the secondary audio program channel, where it sometimes conflicts with foreign-language translations on legacy content. “Industry is aware of the interest in facilitating greater and easier access to video described programming to avoid conflicts with foreign language programming that may occupy this same audio stream, and is working to achieve that end,” NCTA said. “Cable operators are offering more than two audio streams where it is feasible.” The FCC should consider that proposed changes to kidvid rules could affect availability of described content, programmer Litton Entertainment said. Litton opposed FCC-proposed relaxation of kidvid requirements.

The FCC lacks authority to expand video description requirements to IP-delivered video and should be cautious about expanding the markets in which it's required, NAB commented, posted in docket 11-43 Tuesday. Comments are intended to inform an Oct. 8 report to Congress required of the agency by the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act. Expanding requirements beyond the top 60 markets could be burdensome for broadcasters since revenue in such markets is lower, NAB said. “If the Internet is used to carry live terrestrial broadcast television, the Commission should have jurisdiction under the CVAA to regulate such program delivery systems,” the American Council for the Blind said. The FCC should establish a clear stance toward accessibility requirements as video and broadcast technologies evolve, the ACB said. It said the FCC should work with industry groups to create a centralized list of described programming. “Such a centralized list will also greatly assist in assuring that covered networks under the CVAA are meeting their required mandate of 87.5 quarterly hours of described content,” ACB said. ACB and NCTA raised concern over technical limitations of providing audio description over the secondary audio program channel, where it sometimes conflicts with foreign-language translations on legacy content. “Industry is aware of the interest in facilitating greater and easier access to video described programming to avoid conflicts with foreign language programming that may occupy this same audio stream, and is working to achieve that end,” NCTA said. “Cable operators are offering more than two audio streams where it is feasible.” The FCC should consider that proposed changes to kidvid rules could affect availability of described content, programmer Litton Entertainment said. Litton opposed FCC-proposed relaxation of kidvid requirements.

AT&T “will have no other choice” but to sue certain Florida local governments the carrier claims are flouting the state’s 2017 small-cells law and FCC infrastructure rulings, unless the Florida legislature passes a bill to tighten the law pre-empting local governments, said AT&T Senior Counsel Tracy Hatch Tuesday. Some members at the livestreamed House Ways and Means Committee hearing questioned the extent of problems. Oregon lawmakers weighed different ways to spur broadband deployment in another hearing Tuesday.

A Wednesday House Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee hearing on the FCC's fiscal year 2020 budget request is likely to provide a first glimpse at whether House Democrats live up to expectations they'll do more critical oversight hearings on the agency under their regained majority of the chamber (see 1811140055), lobbyists told us. The Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies Subcommittee paid only limited attention to NTIA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology and Patent and Trademark Office during Tuesday's hearing on the Commerce Department's FY 2020 budget request.