TV stations in markets where local stations have agreed to share resources often air the same news programming, a study of local news in eight markets found. “The obvious and unambiguous result was a reduction in the number of separate news voices in the market,” said the study by University of Delaware Professor Danilo Yanich. The stations shared resources including anchors, scripts, video, graphics and reporters, said the study filed with the FCC Monday (http://xrl.us/bmgxdy).
SAN DIEGO -- Spectrum constraints, connectivity beyond traditional consumer electronics devices, the cloud, emerging input interfaces and battery life were among the topics in the Five Technologies to Watch session that opened the CEA Industry Forum Monday. Jason Oxman, CEA senior vice president-industry affairs, spoke of the “looming spectrum crisis” due to consumer demand for wireless broadcast services and reiterated CEA’s position that there needs to be more spectrum allocated for wireless consumer devices. “We're not quite at a crisis point,” said Roger Cheng, senior writer for CNET, “but we're heading toward a spectrum crunch,” he said, citing consumers’ increased usage as they use wireless devices for listening to music, watching movies and playing games.
The FCC seems likely to stick with a notice of inquiry, rather than a rulemaking, in the draft item on TV station programming, political advertising and other disclosure (CD Oct 14 p7) that’s set for a vote at Thursday’s meeting, agency and industry officials told us. They said it seems unlikely for now that the commission will change course before the gathering and make the draft Media Bureau notice of inquiry on programming into a notice of proposed rulemaking. Some nonprofit groups had sought an NPRM, contending an NOI isn’t necessary because the enhanced disclosure proceeding began 11 years ago, while broadcasters have said an NOI is the right way to go (CD Oct 21 p13). And some at the commission still want an NPRM, agency officials said.
A subpoena to force LightSquared and the FCC to turn over communications about the company isn’t preferable for Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, though there are several ways to do so, his spokeswoman said. Grassley is unlikely to get help from the committee’s chairman, Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., in accessing the communications, said a former aide to that committee. Grassley could partner with House Republicans to force the FCC’s or LightSquared’s hands in providing the information, said the ex-aide.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski proposed a new plan to support small business cybersecurity efforts, during a speech at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Monday. The Small Business Cyber Planner is a free online tool to help U.S. small businesses increase their cybersecurity awareness and protections, and will be available on the FCC website in “a few weeks,” Genachowski said. The Department of Homeland Security endorsed the plan and encouraged small business owners to implement strong cybersecurity policies.
Chris Pearson, president of 4G Americas said the wireless industry must keep up pressure on the government to make the 1755-1780 MHz band available for wireless broadband. Unless the U.S. makes that band and other spectrum available, the country faces a “stop sign” that will halt the wireless growth the public has come to expect, he said in an interview.
AT&T accused Comcast of hypocrisy. The cable company had asked the FCC to eliminate special access rules, so competitive telcos can charge the same access rates as incumbents’ plain old telephone service terminations use, as long the CLEC provides a phone number from the number portability database. “The implication of this proposal is that as long as a CLEC provides the telephone number, it’s safe to conclude that the CLEC provides a service equivalent to all of the other functions -- and the associated costs -- included in access charges,” AT&T Vice President Hank Hultquist said on his company’s website Friday.
The AT&T/T-Mobile deal, spectrum bills and controversy over possible GPS interference drove communications industry lobbying in Q3, said quarterly lobbying disclosure reports due Thursday. Most telecom, cable and Internet companies increased their spending from Q3 2011. Public safety continued its high level of spending as Congress moved closer to decide on providing money and possibly spectrum for a national network. Google continued to increase its Washington presence, spending more than T-Mobile and Sprint Nextel combined last quarter.
Wireless carriers pushing for a bigger piece of the Universal Service Fund pie through a larger Mobility Fund still likely face an uphill fight, despite advocacy by Commissioner Mignon Clyburn (CD Oct 21 p1). With several parts of the USF/intercarrier compensation order in flux, wireless industry officials said Friday the three Democratic commissioners are not united in agreeing that more money should be added to the wireless fund. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., on Friday separately voiced a number of objections to USF reform proposals before the FCC.
News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch defended the company’s performance and its employees at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Los Angeles Friday. The recent closure of its News of the World newspaper following allegations of cellphone voicemail hacking in the U.K. prompted some shareholders to seek changes to the company’s governance structure. Other shareholders attended the meeting to voice their general displeasure with Murdoch’s leadership and the company’s share price performance over the past decade.