More than 28% of broadband Internet users watch TV while they're online, “deepening the connection” between TV and PCs, according to Statistical Research Inc. study. Only 20% of those using telephone modems did same, study said. High-speed Web users also are almost twice as likely to have tried enhanced TV, it said -- www.statisticalresearch.com.

S.C. Dept. of Consumer Affairs urged S.C. PSC to delay action on industry proposals for area code overlays in 803 (Columbia) and 843 (Florence) areas and seek FCC authority to implement 1,000- block number pooling and other code conservation measures. Consumer agency said Thurs. that mandatory 10-digit local dialing required with overlays would cause confusion and inconvenience that could be delayed or avoided if PSC took advantage of code conservation measures. Codes now are projected to run out of numbers in spring 2003. Agency said FCC had granted 30 states expanded number conservation authority.

It’s “telling” that state regulators were only parties expressing support for FCC’s reversing ban on service-specific and technology-specific numbering overlays, USTA told Commission in comments filed March 7. “It is the states, rather than the public or the carriers, who would benefit from a lifting of the prohibition,” USTA said. If states could implement permanent overlays “they could become a substitute for true [numbering] relief efforts,” association charged. Overlays aren’t “efficient use of numbering resources” and conflict with Commission-ordered wireless local number portability requirement, USTA said.

“No further action is warranted” in case of allegedly subliminal anti-Gore message in Republican National Committee ad last fall, FCC Enforcement Bureau said. Most of stations that aired it weren’t aware word “RATS” appeared in it, according to FCC investigation, and others believed it was acceptable because it included identifiable appearance by candidate.

Former FCC official Janis Obuchowski now is front-runner for one of 2 Republican vacancies on Commission, according to GOP sources. Her appointment would fulfill Administration’s desire to retain woman commissioner after Democratic Comrs. Ness and Tristani leave, we're told. Obuchowski was NTIA dir. in first Bush Administration and now is international consultant.

Canada’s federal govt. announced Fri. start of 3-month public consultations on use of cellphone silencer devices that could block mobile phones. Industry Canada said purpose of consultation was to see “whether the public interest would be served if the present occasional authorization of these devices, for law enforcement and public safety purposes, were to be broadened for wider niche market and location-specific applications.” Jamming devices aren’t permitted for sale or use in Canada now because, “in the absence of a license and appropriate technical standards and equipment certification,” their use would contravene Canada’s Radiocommunication Act, said Industry Canada, govt. department that’s in charge of such matters. However, it said it wasn’t “prepared to address a license-exempt status for these devices.”

FCC closed book late Fri. on last spring’s nasty Time Warner- Disney programming fight, approving consent decree with AOL Time Warner that excused MSO from further sanctions for cutting off ABC in 7 markets for 2 days. Under decision by Cable Bureau, AOL Time Warner evaded any fines for its role in retransmission consent dispute but volunteered to make $72,000 contribution to U.S. Treasury. Cable Bureau held that MSO, while at fault for turning off ABC last May, responded to problem quickly by providing prompt subscriber refunds and taking other conciliatory steps. Contribution is based on $750 payment for each of 96 cable systems.

DirecTV and Hispanic Federation announced deal March 8 under which they will provide free access to School Choice educational TV programming and up to 500 DirecTV multisatellite systems for Hispanic neighborhood schools in New York City area as part of DirecTV Goes to School program.

SAN JOSE -- While more than video streams were served over Internet last year, streaming video still is far too immature to be viable business because of technical limitations, lack of consistent revenue model and other issues, Digital Hollywood conference here last week was told. That’s good news for traditional TV and cable because serious battle for viewers has been put off. But it’s bad news for content creators because new revenue from re-purposing TV programming over Internet also is years away, speakers said.

NBC and ABC joined CBS Fri. in denying charges by Network Affiliate Stations Alliance (NASA) in asking FCC to open inquiry into what Alliance claimed were “illegal” network practices (CD March 9 p2), while Fox said it still was “digesting the 42-page” document, plus attachments. “It’s a shame” request was filed, said NBC. “We've made so much progress in terms of our relationship with our affiliates [and] it’s as good as it has been for many years. We're confident the FCC won’t find any merit to their claims.” Said ABC: “The references in the NASA petition regarding ABC are wholly without merit. The public would best be served by deregulating the broadcast industry to reflect today’s highly competitive environment, not the sweeping and unjustifiable governmental intrusions that NASA demands.” After filing petition at FCC Thurs., affiliates took their arguments to Hill where they received “very thoughtful” reaction from telecom leaders in Congress, said NASA Chmn. Alan Frank, pres. of Post-Newsweek Stations. Several in Congress were “surprised that it took us so long” to challenge networks at FCC, Frank said. Asked why NAB wasn’t informed of filing in advance, he said Assn. “has some network members [CBS, ABC] and we didn’t think it was appropriate.”