Turner has used HBO as leverage in MVPD affiliation negotiations, Turner Classic Movies President Coleman Breland testified Monday in U.S. v. AT&T and Time Warner. Breland -- who until last year was Turner's head of content acquisition and negotiations, was called by DOJ as an adverse witness. The agency spent part of the day walking Breland through Turner emails covering such topics as strategy and the array of near-blackouts the company saw in recent years.
NTCA is the latest group to express concerns about an NPRM teed up for a vote at the April 17 commissioners’ meeting 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 (see 1803260037). The draft NPRM cites a 2012 report by the House Intelligence Committee raising concerns about Chinese equipment makers Huawei and ZTE.
Momentum could be growing for transparency bills that would require public notice and comment before using new surveillance technologies, privacy advocates said in interviews. Several California localities passed or are close to passing measures, and local politicians in other states also are promising measures. A California Senate panel plans to take up a bill Tuesday. Advocates said the state bill could be stronger, but law enforcement remains opposed to what it says could guide criminals.
President Donald Trump tweeted in support of Sinclair Monday after the company was widely criticized for requiring anchors to read a script condemning fake news. “So funny to watch Fake News Networks, among the most dishonest groups of people I have ever dealt with, criticize Sinclair Broadcasting for being biased,” Trump tweeted. “Sinclair is far superior to CNN and even more Fake NBC, which is a total joke.”
Policymakers should collaborate internationally to develop universal IoT standards to address privacy and cybersecurity concerns, panelists said Friday at an event hosted by American University’s Internet Governance Lab. Open Internet of Things Certification Mark Coordinator Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino’s organization is pushing for a global, consumer-facing certification program for internet-connected products. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif., made a similar effort with the Cyber Shield Act (S-2020/HR-4163), which would establish a voluntary certification program to ensure internet-connected devices meet “industry-leading” standards on cyber and data security (see 1802150034).
Broadcast industry officials see the recent seizure of a pirate radio operator’s equipment as a positive sign that the FCC is increasing its enforcement efforts against unlicensed operators (see 1803280049), but the existence of the pirate stations can be a reaction to a lack of diversity and localism in radio, a person affiliated with one of the stations involved in the seizure told us. The listeners of pirate station Big City FM won’t start listening to other Boston-area stations now that Big City is shut down, because those licensed stations don’t offer diverse or local voices, the unlicensed-affiliated person said. “I understand the need for diversity, but there’s other ways to provide that rather than stepping on [the Emergency Alert System],” said Massachusetts Broadcasters Association Executive Director Jordan Walton in an interview.
Miguel Gamiño, chief technology officer for the city of New York, told FCC Chairman Ajit Pai he's resigning from the Broadband Deployment Advisory Committee’s (BDAC) Model Code for Municipalities Working Group. Andy Huckaba, city council member from Lenexa, Kansas, and lone local government member of the full BDAC, told us he understands Gamiño’s frustration but plans to stay. The FCC didn't comment.
New Jersey should stop diverting 911 fee revenue to unrelated purposes, said a New Jersey state lawmaker with a bill that addresses fees but is criticized by FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly and others for not stopping diversion altogether (see 1803210050). In an interview, Assemblywoman Valerie Huttle (D) said lawmakers can’t fully shut off the leak unless there’s a change to the New Jersey Constitution. The New Jersey Assembly Homeland Security and State Preparedness Committee has a hearing Thursday at 10 a.m. on Huttle’s 911 diversion bill (AB-2371) and three other 911 bills.
In its approval last week of SpaceX's planned mega constellation of 4,425 satellites, the FCC voiced concerns about the increasing orbital debris issues from the expected proliferation of smallsats. And orbital debris and satellite experts said they expect the agency could look at requiring significantly shorter de-orbiting windows for non-geostationary satellites as it considers an orbital debris NPRM (see 1801160030). The FCC didn't comment. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel is pushing the agency for a comprehensive orbital debris and collision policy.
FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly believes there will be broad wireless carrier interest in the 4.9 GHz band now that reallocation for wireless broadband is possible. Commissioners approved a Further NPRM at their March meeting, opening the door to major change for the band. O’Rielly told us industry hasn’t focused on the band in the past because the FCC never before considered reallocating it for wireless broadband. O’Rielly called the current situation “a mess.”