A draft FCC order that would eliminate a requirement for broadcaster midterm equal employment opportunity reports is widely expected to be approved with minimal changes at the agency’s Jan. 30 meeting -- if that meeting happens (see 1901160051), broadcasters and broadcast attorneys told us.
Expect Senate and House Commerce Committee hearings on wireless carrier location tracking practices that stirred national security concerns, lawmakers told us. Senate Intelligence Committee ranking member Mark Warner, D-Va., wants briefings from carriers on recent reports companies sold customer location tracking data allegedly accessed by bounty hunters (see 1901110042). “I want to hear personally not only from folks on the communications side but also continue hearing if there are any national security implications,” Warner told us.
The public commenting systems of numerous regulatory agencies are, like the FCC's electronic comment filing system, seemingly frozen at the point where the agency was shut down, according to experts and our analysis. Government transparency advocates say that's better than nothing, though concerns are strong that the partial federal government shutdown could scare away the public from taking part in ongoing proceedings.
LAS VEGAS -- Though many industry watchers considered the wireless charging market to be Qi's when Apple chose that standard for the iPhone 8 and X (see 1709130040), startups told us at CES this month they have other ideas for the smart home and other consumer spaces. The technologies are low-power solutions lacking transmitter-receiver coil-to-coil contact requirements of the Qi specification.
A fight before the Supreme Court about whether public, educational and governmental channels could be deemed state actors (see 1810170027) is also becoming a venue for a skirmish between NCTA on one side and NATOA and PEG access groups on the other over constitutionality of cable operators' PEG requirements. The respondents in the Supreme Court case also got support from the New York County Lawyers Association (NYCLA) and Columbia University's Knight First Amendment Institute in amicus briefs posted Friday. Oral argument is Feb. 25.
Copyright-focused lawmakers are looking to build on the Music Modernization Act’s 2018 success with new projects this term, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., told us. Jeffries said he’s in discussions with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., and ranking member Doug Collins, R-Ga., all original MMA co-sponsors.
As the FCC closure dragged on Friday, the agency reversed course by reopening the equipment authorization system (see 1901180040). That EAS resumption potentially lets some new RF equipment get approval, though particularly complex gear might still need to wait. The Jan. 2 public notice on what the commission was shutting and leaving open during the partial government shutdown said the EAS wouldn't be available, the FCC noted Friday. All other parts of that earlier PN remain effective.
The partial federal shutdown isn’t affecting the repacking directly. But inability to get transaction applications and other non-auction filings processed is making things tough for some broadcasters, lawyers and industry officials told us.
The partial government shutdown appears to have slowed but not completely stalled White House plans to revive an infrastructure legislative package this year (see 1810100049), lawmakers and communications lobbyists told us. Officials in President Donald Trump's administration are considering whether to mention a revised infrastructure proposal in his State of the Union message. Communications interests hope for a return to focus on infrastructure legislation, particularly a robust broadband title, given perceptions it's an area of potential bipartisan agreement (see 1811130011).
Grace Koh is leaving DLA Piper's telecom practice to join the State Department as head of the U.S. delegation to the World Radiocommunication Conference, the law firm announced. Industry officials said it may be premature and the administration hasn't confirmed the decision.