School and library groups asked the FCC to ensure E-rate requests aren't denied due to inadvertent errors caused by application wording changes they say the Universal Service Administrative Co. mishandled. They said parties that made "good-faith" efforts to fill out FCC Form 470 seeking competitive bids in funding year 2018 (starting this July 1) should be "held harmless" because USAC made "confusing" dropdown menu changes to service categorizations, particularly for bundled internet and fiber transport, after the filing window opened. They also want the FCC to ensure the menu is fixed before the FY19 window opens. "We are reviewing the requests," said an FCC spokesman.
The FCC’s Technological Advisory Council is zeroing in on antenna issues this year with a new working group chaired by Marty Cooper of Dyna, a cellphone pioneer. One likely recommendation will address the aesthetics of antennas, Cooper said. TAC is also digging into the spectrum needs of drones. A third working group will look at 5G and how and why it's poised to take off. The meeting was TAC’s first of 2018 and officials reported the working groups are just starting work on their assignments from the FCC.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai quickly rejected Thursday a push by Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., Tom Udall, D-N.M., and 10 other Democratic members for the agency to review Sinclair's fitness to maintain its existing broadcast licenses and the public interest implications of its proposed buy of Tribune. The senators wrote Pai citing their “grave concerns” about Sinclair's requirement that anchors throughout the country read on-air the same "must-runs" about "fake news" (see 1804020056). Sinclair's action drew widespread criticism and scrutiny from Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill., who also sought an explanation (see 1804030054 and 1804050051).
There's no evidence suggesting U.S. consumers value personal data “at all,” though news like the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach (see 1804110065) could change perceptions rapidly, acting Director of the FTC Bureau of Competition Bruce Hoffman said Thursday. “There is no good reason to think that consumers value data about themselves in the same way that they value money in their bank accounts,” Hoffman said at a Computer and Communications Industry Association event.
While Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told lawmakers Wednesday his personal information was scraped in the Cambridge Analytica privacy breach, he avoided committing to minimizing user data collection yet said regulation of social media companies is “inevitable.” His wide-ranging testimony at the House Commerce Committee was a second consecutive day of congressional testimony (see 1804100054).
LAS VEGAS -- DOJ appears to be taking a close look at whether music licensing consent decrees are still needed, including those requiring ASCAP and BMI to license their entire music catalogs, an NAB Show panel was told Tuesday. Speakers also offered a mixed outlook for copyright revamp legislation that passed a House panel earlier that day (see 1804110060). Speakers allied with broadcast interests noted Antitrust Division Chief Makan Delrahim said those pacts may not be necessary. And the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court overturning DOJ under then-President Barack Obama deciding the music licensing settlements should remain in force without major changes (see 1712190052).
The judge overseeing U.S. v. AT&T and Time Warner questioned DOJ's assertion that New AT&T would run its MVPD and programming arms in concert, coordinating their behavior. Justice's economic expert testified Wednesday that New AT&T could mean consumers paying $571 million more a year by 2021 in video subscription costs than they would otherwise.
The House Judiciary Committee unanimously passed a compromise version of the Music Modernization Act (MMA) (HR-5447) Wednesday without amendments (see 1804100051). Before the 32-0 vote, Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., criticized the bill for not permitting legacy artists to renegotiate unfair contracts, an issue Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, also hopes Congress will address.
Senate Commerce Committee members' concerns about Facebook's data privacy policies and the Cambridge Analytica data scraping controversy spilled over into their questioning of FTC nominee Rebecca Slaughter during a Wednesday confirmation hearing, a day after the committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee grilled Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (see 1804100054). President Donald Trump said last month he intended to nominate Slaughter, until recently chief counsel to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sending her nomination to the Senate Monday (see 1803260049, 1803270046, 1804100049 and 1804100050).
Dissents from the two FCC Democrats appear unlikely when commissioners vote Tuesday on an NPRM proposing to bar use of money in any USF program to buy equipment or services from companies that “pose a national security threat” to U.S. communications networks or the communications supply chain. Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel appear unlikely to dissent, despite concerns raised by small carriers, industry and agency officials said.