Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa., and Dick Durbin, D-Ill., introduced a bill Thursday to require TV coverage of all open Supreme Court proceedings. The Cameras in the Courtroom Act would permit the justices to prevent televised coverage of their proceedings if they determine by a majority vote that doing so would constitute a violation of the due process rights of one or more of the parties before the court. “We can all agree that the American public deserves the opportunity to see firsthand the arguments and opinions that will shape their society for years to come,” Durbin said in a joint news release. “The accountability, transparency and openness that this bill would create would help increase understanding of, and appreciation for, the highest court in the land and the decisions the court makes,” said Grassley. Grassley and Durbin had previously sponsored the Sunshine in the Courtroom Act (S-410), which would require cameras in the courtrooms, and which failed to pass in the last session of Congress. The high court has never allowed reporters to bring cameras or tape recorders inside, and didn’t allow cameras to record oral argument about the national healthcare law in March. The justices have raised concerns that televising their hearings could hurt their collegiality and overall ability to make objective decisions.

The FCC’s indecency rules are too vague to survive court challenges or provide a clear definition of what constitutes a violation, said a host of filings from trade associations, broadcasters, affiliates and public interest groups on Wednesday,the deadline for comments on the commission’s indecency public notice. The Family Research Council said the commission has never defined “egregious,” while the Radio Television Digital News Association said the commission’s indecency policy is “unknown and unknowable to broadcasters, journalists, and program producers alike.” The commission must “step back from substituting its own editorial and artistic judgment for that of broadcasters and the creative community,” NAB said. “The Commission should decline to act absent a significant abuse of discretion."

FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez said the commission should use its authority under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act to investigate the business practices of patent assertion entities (PAEs) to examine whether those practices harm competition and consumer interests. Section 6(b) of the FTC Act gives the agency the authority to do a full investigation of an industry’s business practices, including issuing subpoenas, and report their findings to Congress and the public. Ramirez said at a Thursday joint Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and American Antitrust Institute (AAI) event that she supports conducting an investigation, but did not say she would formally ask the commission to vote to start one.

FTC Chairwoman Edith Ramirez said the commission should use its authority under Section 6(b) of the FTC Act to investigate the business practices of patent assertion entities (PAEs) to examine whether those practices harm competition and consumer interests. Section 6(b) of the FTC Act gives the agency the authority to do a full investigation of an industry’s business practices, including issuing subpoenas, and report their findings to Congress and the public. Ramirez said at a Thursday joint Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and American Antitrust Institute (AAI) event that she supports conducting an investigation, but did not say she would formally ask the commission to vote to start one.

But several stakeholders expressed concern that utilities don’t have their own dedicated spectrum throughout the meeting. Utilities do not have access and “future situations must change,” UTC CEO Connie Durcsak said. Pepco Holdings desires exclusive networks in order to ensure secure communication for its crews but “what we found very quickly was there was not one block of spectrum available to PHI or any utility in the United States,” said Communications and Network Systems Engineering Manager Russ Ehrlich. After Superstorm Sandy, crews struggled to communicate and used devices that couldn’t easily interconnect, said PSEG Lead Senior Consultant Jeffrey Katz, who said the amount of spectrum available to utilities is “absolutely none.” Commercial networks failed, he added. “We have no access to broadband spectrum,” said Great River Energy Principal Telecom Engineer Kathleen Nelson. “Yet somehow we utilities are expected to operate our critical infrastructure under these circumstances.”

In the sticky world of honey shipments -- where antidumping cases can span decades, criminal investigations can topple major suppliers and faulty testing can quash a court case -- industry stakeholders are hoping a provision in the Senate customs reauthorization bill will bring sweet relief. Tucked at the end of S-662, it aims to prevent honey transshipment by requiring CBP to create a honey characteristic database and report to Congress on honey testing capabilities. It also encourages the Food and Drug Administration to promptly create standard of identity for honey. A House Ways and Means Committee spokesperson said they are studying the provision for possible inclusion in a House customs bill.

The FCC will take meetings July 22-24 on user interface accessibility for people with problems seeing, said a Media Bureau public notice (http://bit.ly/102GWC1). With an Oct. 9 deadline in 2010’s 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act for completing the UI and programming guides proceeding, it’s “more efficient for Commission staff to set aside a few days for ex parte meetings,” said the notice. It said Media Bureau Policy Division and Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau staff “will be available for meetings with interested parties to discuss issues raised in comments.” Deadlines for those were also set Tuesday (CD June 19 p15).

The FCC will take meetings July 22-24 on user interface accessibility for people with problems seeing, said a Media Bureau public notice (http://bit.ly/102GWC1). With an Oct. 9 deadline in 2010’s 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act for completing the UI and programming guides proceeding, it’s “more efficient for Commission staff to set aside a few days for ex parte meetings,” said the notice. It said Media Bureau Policy Division and Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau staff “will be available for meetings with interested parties to discuss issues raised in comments.” Deadlines for those were also set Tuesday (WID June 19 p3).

Dish Network hasn’t dropped its bid for Sprint Nextel, but is refocusing on its bid for Clearwire, said the DBS company in a statement. FCC officials said Wednesday they have heard surprisingly little from the office of acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn on when it might circulate an order on SoftBank’s deal to buy most of Sprint.

Dish Network hasn’t dropped its bid for Sprint Nextel, but is refocusing on its bid for Clearwire, said the DBS company in a statement. FCC officials said Wednesday they have heard surprisingly little from the office of acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn on when it might circulate an order on SoftBank’s deal to buy most of Sprint.