The FCC should ignore industry objections and keep current comment deadlines on the ISP privacy rulemaking, said nine consumer and public interest groups in a filing Monday. Industry groups asked for a 45-day delay (see 1604210048). Wireline Bureau Chief Matt DelNero said Friday that the FCC will likely respond soon to groups seeking extended deadlines (see 1604220055).

The director of the FTC Consumer Protection Bureau weighed in Friday in FCC docket 16-42 on FCC-proposed changes to rules for set-top boxes, alongside comments from pay-TV carriers, programmers, and advertisers. Set-top proposal opponent the Future of TV Coalition and proponent Consumer Video Choice Coalition filed thousands of citizen comments on the matter. Consumer Protection Bureau Director Jessica Rich didn't weigh in either way on the merits of the FCC plan but commented on the possibilities for enforcing privacy rules on third-party set-top makers, in a letter some industry officials said strengthened the case for the FCC proposal and others characterized as staking out a jurisdictional claim.

The FCC should ignore industry objections and keep current comment deadlines on the ISP privacy rulemaking, said nine consumer and public interest groups in a filing Monday. Industry groups asked for a 45-day delay (see 1604210048). Wireline Bureau Chief Matt DelNero said Friday that the FCC will likely respond soon to groups seeking extended deadlines (see 1604220055).

The director of the FTC Consumer Protection Bureau weighed in Friday in FCC docket 16-42 on FCC-proposed changes to rules for set-top boxes, alongside comments from pay-TV carriers, programmers, and advertisers. Set-top proposal opponent the Future of TV Coalition and proponent Consumer Video Choice Coalition filed thousands of citizen comments on the matter. Consumer Protection Bureau Director Jessica Rich didn't weigh in either way on the merits of the FCC plan but commented on the possibilities for enforcing privacy rules on third-party set-top makers, in a letter some industry officials said strengthened the case for the FCC proposal and others characterized as staking out a jurisdictional claim.

Americans for Limited Government raised concerns in a report Thursday about what it views as NTIA’s violation of the ban on its use of funds for the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) transition, which the group said it reported to the Department of Commerce’s Office of Inspector General. “The actions of officials in the NTIA in many instances have been directly in conflict with the appropriations language that was enacted into law by Congress,” including multiple speeches by NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling on the IANA transition and the use of federal funding for NTIA staff to attend ICANN meetings, ALG said in the report. “The amount of appropriated funds ... being expended by NTIA to continue its efforts to relinquish its responsibilities are unknown at this point, but the agency is clearly expending appropriated funds for this purpose.” ALG cited an expenditure request by NTIA Office of International Affairs Senior Policy Adviser Suzanne Radell for “approval of other than coach-class” airfare for Radell to travel to ICANN’s Oct. 18-22 meeting in Dublin. ALG said Strickling and other NTIA staff also traveled to the ICANN meeting, which centered on planning for the IANA transition and a related set of changes to ICANN’s accountability mechanisms (see 1510160058). “Congress prohibited” NTIA from spending money on the IANA transition, “yet NTIA continues to act as if that prohibition does not apply to it,” ALG said. “NTIA officials should also refrain from improperly using premium travel to any such conferences.” ALG President Nathan Mehrens urged Commerce’s OIG in February to investigate Radell’s purchase of “premium” airfare to travel to the Dublin meeting, saying the expenditure violated federal rules and the NTIA rider. Mehrens also urged the OIG to “investigate other actions NTIA is taking to relinquish its responsibilities as discussed above, and take further appropriate action to ensure that taxpayer funds are protected and not spent in violation of the law.” NTIA didn’t comment.

Americans for Limited Government raised concerns in a report Thursday about what it views as NTIA’s violation of the ban on its use of funds for the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) transition, which the group said it reported to the Department of Commerce’s Office of Inspector General. “The actions of officials in the NTIA in many instances have been directly in conflict with the appropriations language that was enacted into law by Congress,” including multiple speeches by NTIA Administrator Larry Strickling on the IANA transition and the use of federal funding for NTIA staff to attend ICANN meetings, ALG said in the report. “The amount of appropriated funds ... being expended by NTIA to continue its efforts to relinquish its responsibilities are unknown at this point, but the agency is clearly expending appropriated funds for this purpose.” ALG cited an expenditure request by NTIA Office of International Affairs Senior Policy Adviser Suzanne Radell for “approval of other than coach-class” airfare for Radell to travel to ICANN’s Oct. 18-22 meeting in Dublin. ALG said Strickling and other NTIA staff also traveled to the ICANN meeting, which centered on planning for the IANA transition and a related set of changes to ICANN’s accountability mechanisms (see 1510160058). “Congress prohibited” NTIA from spending money on the IANA transition, “yet NTIA continues to act as if that prohibition does not apply to it,” ALG said. “NTIA officials should also refrain from improperly using premium travel to any such conferences.” ALG President Nathan Mehrens urged Commerce’s OIG in February to investigate Radell’s purchase of “premium” airfare to travel to the Dublin meeting, saying the expenditure violated federal rules and the NTIA rider. Mehrens also urged the OIG to “investigate other actions NTIA is taking to relinquish its responsibilities as discussed above, and take further appropriate action to ensure that taxpayer funds are protected and not spent in violation of the law.” NTIA didn’t comment.

A point of agreement between independent and diverse programmers and major content companies was that many parties in the FCC indie programming notice of inquiry have cited practices like bundling as inimical to a fair and competitive market. Otherwise, the programmers and content companies diverge sharply, with CBS, Time Warner, 21st Century Fox, Viacom and Walt Disney calling such arguments "a rehash," while a number of indie programmers and allies said it was clear those programmers face an uphill struggle getting onto multichannel video programming distributors' channels. "There is widespread agreement that independent programmers face significant obstacles in reaching consumers," RFD-TV said in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 16-41.

A point of agreement between independent and diverse programmers and major content companies was that many parties in the FCC indie programming notice of inquiry have cited practices like bundling as inimical to a fair and competitive market. Otherwise, the programmers and content companies diverge sharply, with CBS, Time Warner, 21st Century Fox, Viacom and Walt Disney calling such arguments "a rehash," while a number of indie programmers and allies said it was clear those programmers face an uphill struggle getting onto multichannel video programming distributors' channels. "There is widespread agreement that independent programmers face significant obstacles in reaching consumers," RFD-TV said in a filing posted Wednesday in docket 16-41.

The American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016 is set to be voted on by House lawmakers on the House floor under suspension of the rules next week, said House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. (here). Votes under suspension of the rules allow for speedy approval. “American manufacturers can’t wait any longer to be relieved from the extra tax burden that has been placed on them the past few years—a tax burden that costs our economy $2 billion every year,” McCarthy said in his post. According to an email sent from McCarthy’s office to stakeholders, the House currently plans to consider the bill on April 27, though industry officials have said a suspension vote could happen either April 26 or 27. The House Ways and Means Committee approved the miscellaneous tariff bill (MTB) process legislation on April 20 (see 1604200021).

A Senate Republican appropriator questioned how the FCC handled its recent rate of return USF overhaul and is pressing for inquiries, he told NTCA members Tuesday. Scores of NTCA members flew to Washington this week for a meeting and to lobby congressional offices Tuesday.