Cablevision used a court ruling from January to attempt to undermine the authority of the National Labor Relations Board and complaints to the NLRB from its New York workers. The cable company sought a petition for a writ of mandamus and a motion for a stay in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to stop the NLRB from pursuing labor relations cases that it called “baseless,” in a news release Thursday (http://yhoo.it/13qsS4K). A former chairman of the board said the court ruling that led to Cablevision’s writ of mandamus was unprecedented, and the union that’s organized opposition to the company criticized the request.

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) approved Japan-based SoftBank’s bid to buy 70 percent ownership of Sprint Nextel, the two carriers confirmed Wednesday (http://bit.ly/117byQ5). The multi-agency committee decided there were no unresolved national security issues related to the deal, despite recent concerns voiced by lawmakers and another company competing for control of Sprint. The FCC’s review is the deal’s remaining regulatory barrier -- which Medley Global Advisors analyst Jeffrey Silva predicted will be removed “within days."

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) approved Japan-based SoftBank’s bid to buy 70 percent ownership of Sprint Nextel, the two carriers confirmed Wednesday (http://bit.ly/117byQ5). The multi-agency committee decided there were no unresolved national security issues related to the deal, despite recent concerns voiced by lawmakers and another company competing for control of Sprint. The FCC’s review is the deal’s remaining regulatory barrier -- which Medley Global Advisors analyst Jeffrey Silva predicted will be removed “within days."

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the U.S. (CFIUS) approved Japan-based SoftBank’s bid to buy 70 percent ownership of Sprint Nextel, the two carriers confirmed Wednesday (http://bit.ly/117byQ5). The multi-agency committee decided there were no unresolved national security issues related to the deal, despite recent concerns voiced by lawmakers and another company competing for control of Sprint. The FCC’s review is the deal’s remaining regulatory barrier -- which Medley Global Advisors analyst Jeffrey Silva predicted will be removed “within days."

"As you and other Commissioners have recognized, the Commission is charged with not only safeguarding, but advancing the public interest through its role in approving transactions involving Commission licensees,” said the letter, signed by MMTC President David Honig. “This means that it is not sufficient to put forth minimum qualifications and cite to ephemeral benefits. The applicants must make a positive showing of how the transaction will produce concrete benefits for consumers, including historically underserved and underrepresented groups. ... SoftBank’s record, and its forward looking commitments to these diversity issues, are especially critical to the Commission’s public interest determination because SoftBank is a new entrant to the U.S. market, and the Commission has not yet had an opportunity pass on SoftBank’s qualifications to hold Commission licenses."

"As you and other Commissioners have recognized, the Commission is charged with not only safeguarding, but advancing the public interest through its role in approving transactions involving Commission licensees,” said the letter, signed by MMTC President David Honig. “This means that it is not sufficient to put forth minimum qualifications and cite to ephemeral benefits. The applicants must make a positive showing of how the transaction will produce concrete benefits for consumers, including historically underserved and underrepresented groups. ... SoftBank’s record, and its forward looking commitments to these diversity issues, are especially critical to the Commission’s public interest determination because SoftBank is a new entrant to the U.S. market, and the Commission has not yet had an opportunity pass on SoftBank’s qualifications to hold Commission licenses."

The National Public Safety Telecommunications Council said in a filing at the FCC posted Tuesday the costs of moving the public safety agencies with narrowband operations in spectrum that will be used for FirstNet’s wireless broadband network should be paid for by FirstNet. The NPSTC responded to a March 7 NPRM that asked broad questions about technical rules for the new public safety network.

Industry representatives commended the Senate customs reauthorization bill in its first formal hearing May 22, and said the bill’s provisions on intellectual property rights, the Automated Commercial Environment, the International Trade Data System and de minimis will go a long way towards facilitating trade. The bill -- S-662, the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act -- was introduced by Senate Finance Committee leaders Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in March (see 13032906 for more on specific provisions in the bill).

NTIA mobile privacy stakeholders considered concerns raised by FTC staff at the most recent stakeholder meeting when crafting the newest draft of the short form privacy policy code of conduct (CD May 1 p8). But the draft can’t be expanded to platforms, Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum and a drafter of the code, told us ahead of Thursday’s stakeholder meeting. “We did as much as we could” to incorporate the FTC’s suggestions, Dixon said. “They are a stakeholder as well, and they came in very late to the process."

NTIA mobile privacy stakeholders considered concerns raised by FTC staff at the most recent stakeholder meeting when crafting the newest draft of the short form privacy policy code of conduct (WID May 1 p1). But the draft can’t be expanded to platforms, Pam Dixon, executive director of the World Privacy Forum and a drafter of the code, told us ahead of Thursday’s stakeholder meeting. “We did as much as we could” to incorporate the FTC’s suggestions, Dixon said. “They are a stakeholder as well, and they came in very late to the process."