NAB will host symposium for mgrs. May 21 titled “A Future for Diversity in Broadcasting,” Four Seasons Hotel, Washington. Registration is free on first-come basis -- Dwight Ellis, 202-429- 5496.

Tenn. legislature passed and sent to Gov. Don Sundquist (R) bill to end state regulation of long distance companies. Under bill (SB-1282), interexchange carriers such as AT&T, Sprint and WorldCom wouldn’t be classified among public utilities subject to Tenn. Regulatory Authority (TRA) jurisdiction. Intrastate interexchange services of BellSouth and state’s 17 other incumbent telcos would continue under TRA regulations. Currently, IXCs can cut rates with advance notice but must cost-justify increases. TRA took no position on bill, and there weren’t significant objections from other interests. State Rep. Tommy Head (D- Clarksville), among sponsors of measure, said he would be first in line to reregulate IXCs if long distance rates rose rather than fell. He said with 400 IXCs in state, rates should decline. Tenn. Citizen Action said it feared rates would rise for low- volume users.

Skybridge, DirecTV and EchoStar joined Satellite Bcstg. & Communications Assn. in filing petitions Tues. asking FCC to reconsider decision to allow terrestrial Multichannel Video Distribution & Data Services (MVDDS), including startup Northpoint, to share spectrum with satellite operators in 12.2- 12.7 GHz band (CD March 14 p3). PanAmSat and Skybridge also filed motions for reconsideration in effort to amend rulemaking and order (R&O) that would permit nongeostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) fixed-satellite service (FSS) providers to share frequencies in Ku-band with geostationary orbit FSS systems. Each of petitions filed involved critical spectrum-sharing issues that Commission made in crucial R&Os in Jan. (CD Jan 31 p3).

AT&T late last week offered proposal to FCC aimed at reducing CLEC access charges to level charged by incumbent LECs within year’s time. Plan is 2nd one proposed to agency, which is expected to act in 2-3 months to rein in CLEC prices that can be 14 times what ILECs charge long distance companies. AT&T has proposed that FCC immediately reduce originating and terminating access charges to 1.2 cents, which carrier said still would be twice what incumbent LECs charge, and then drop rates further over year. ALTS 2 months ago proposed another plan to reduce rates to 2.5 cents per min. on either end, which Assn. said would be 60% reduction from 4.27 cents CLECs now charge on average.

U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) voted to start investigation of digital set-top boxes owned by 4 companies following complaints of interactive program guide patent infringement filed by Gemstar-TV Guide International last month. ITC said it would probe whether importation of set-top boxes and their components violated Sec. 337 of Tariff Act of 1930. First step will be evidentiary hearing by ITC Administrative Law Judge Debra Morriss. Companies under investigation are EchoStar, Pioneer Corp., Scientific-Atlanta, SCI Systems.

House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) has focused on organizing committee, filling staff vacancies and setting legislative agenda rather than rushing into reintroduction of last session’s HR-2420, which would streamline regulation of Bell company data services, his spokesman Ken Johnson said. Johnson acknowledged that some observers this year had expected Tauzin, who co-sponsored HR-2420 with ranking Democrat Rep. Dingell (Mich.), to move similar bill immediately. However, Tauzin is only 60 days into new chairmanship and isn’t going to be “one- issue” leader, he said. “The big thing is, we've been moving bills and processing legislation,” Johnson said. No date has been set, but bill could be introduced “in a few weeks.” He reiterated position (CD March 2 p4) that bill probably would be same as last year’s version. Another Congressional source said House leadership had been putting pressure on all committees to move legislation to floor quickly, but without prioritizing this or any other bills. USTA spokesman said Tauzin and Dingell probably weren’t attempting to reinvent HR-2024, which last year had 224 co-sponsors, but could be drumming up comparable level of support before reintroducing bill. Competition Policy Institute Exec. Dir. Debra Berlyn said group this year expected to see more Bell companies file applications for relief from Telecom Act’s Sec. 271 obligations that, if approved, could “reduce necessity for LATA relief legislation” on Hill.

Spectrum Astro and Northrop Grumman jointly announced Tues. they had brought Boeing and Lockheed Martin together as part of Space-Based Infrared System Low industrial team. Joint team is designing missile defense system for first launch in 2006.

U.S. Air Force is reaching out to private sector to assist govt. development of airborne data system that would centralize data links among intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance networks. It seeks industry sources experienced in deploying networked wireless, radio frequency signal processing, high rate digital, encryption, antijam communication systems. “The envisioned 4-year program will award separate contracts to develop the prototype airborne and surface client terminals,” Air Force said Tues. on CBDNet. Airborne and surface terminal contractors will “jointly define the network-mode waveform and frequency plan,” it said. Multi-Platform Common Data Link system will operate in Ku-band, but “should support future growth capability to operate in one or more alternative RF bands [including X and Ka bands] to allow multiple simultaneous links.” It also said “limited spectrum availability” would impose constraints on deployment of jam-resistant communications technologies. Govt. isn’t yet seeking proposals, but will hold briefing with potential bidders in April, it said -- (John.Myer@wpafb.af.mil or Patricia.Kendrick@wpafb.af.mil.)

L.A. officials met with FCC staff recently to press for open access requirements on all cable operators and cable must-carry status for local Hispanic broadcasting station. In March 13 ex parte filing with Commission, L.A. City Councilman Alex Padilla, Govt. Representative Diego Alvarez and Asst. City Attorney Edward Perez urged agency to adopt “a uniform national open access policy” that matched or went beyond obligations imposed on AOL Time Warner by FTC and FCC. Otherwise, “some consumers in the same jurisdiction will have the benefits of open access while others will not,” they argued. They also stressed benefits of competition and First Amendment implications. In separate must- carry case, 3 city officials urged FCC to reverse itself and approve bid by Costa de Oro, L.A.-area station that presents bilingual programming. Calling agency’s failure to grant request “inequitable result” that denies more than one million Hispanic viewers access to station’s programming, officials said. Commission should consider “both the public interest and First Amendment issues” raised by station’s bid.

Mich. House Transportation Committee opens hearings today (March 21) on tough bill to stop use of handheld mobile phones while driving. Measure (HB-4158) would classify such use as primary moving violation, punishable by $25 fine and one violation point against driver’s record. Most other moving traffic violations in Mich. carry 2 or 3 points. Further, if mobile phone use was contributing factor to another moving violation such as speeding, fine and point for carphone use would be added to penalties for other violation. Mich. bill is believed to be first carphone bill in nation to assess violation points against drivers’ licenses. Wireless industry is expected to argue that bill unfairly would single out mobile phones while ignoring other electronic driver distractions and that there was no proved link between carphone use and impaired highway safety.