An FCC panel approved plans to create an equal employment opportunity compliance survey. Approval came at the Diversity Federal Advisory Committee’s meeting Wednesday. The commission would need to give $50,000 to $75,000 to the EEO subcommittee, if those funds become available, to do the survey to get information about companies’ attitudes towards compliance responsibilities and best practices, said subcommittee Chairman David Honig. The FCC will continue to work with the subcommittee towards starting that project, said Chief of Office of Communications Business Opportunities Thomas Reed. The Diversity Committee also heard reports from the Wi-Fi Technology and Channels 5 & 6 subcommittees and presentations about updates to the AT&T Aspire program to mentor kids and Comcast’s Internet Essentials broadband service for the poor.
The question of if the FCC should make all TV stations put political ad information on the commission’s website (CD March 2 p7) changed focus at least briefly to shine on another agency. The question is if 2002 campaign finance legislation solely makes the Federal Election Commission the place for such disclosure, or whether the FCC also has a role. The NAB said the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA) doesn’t give the FCC authority to implement the FCC proposal to move political-ad files and much of the rest of public-inspection files from TV stations’ main studios to the Internet. A longtime advocate for such disclosure said the BCRA -- often referred to as the McCain-Feingold bill after its main sponsors -- doesn’t preclude the commission from acting, and few details about political TV spots are available in FEC filings.
Changes in the Universal Service Fund are throwing many rural carriers into confusion about how to keep afloat once the USF spigot is turned down starting July 1. Companies that invested heavily in rural broadband say new rules limiting reimbursable capital and operating costs mean they won’t be able to repay loans. Others question the “safety net additive” reforms that they say unexpectedly eliminated promised financial support. The end result, rural carriers say, will be decreased investment in broadband, and an inability to maintain the phone lines currently in place.
Republicans beat back Democratic opposition to a broad proposal to revamp FCC process, approving HR-3309 by a 31-16 vote Tuesday. But Democrats joined Republicans in supporting by voice vote an amended HR-3310 to consolidate FCC reports. The bills next move to the House floor. But the Democratic-controlled Senate has shown little interest in FCC revamp.
An Arizona company is marketing license preparation services for spectrum the FCC is not even close to making available, is not accepting applications for, and which may have little value when it does, Communications Daily learned from company documents and interviews. The company, Smartcomm LLC of Phoenix, also has charged up to 280 times what others are charging for similar license preparation services.
An Arizona company is marketing license preparation services for spectrum the FCC is not even close to making available, is not accepting applications for, and which may have little value when it does, Communications Daily learned from company documents and interviews. The company, Smartcomm LLC of Phoenix, also has charged up to 280 times what others are charging for similar license preparation services.
New Hampshire will see more legislation challenging telephone pole taxes, said Rep. John Burt (R-Hillsborough), who sponsored recently defeated HB-1305. The bill would have exempted phone companies from paying property taxes on the poles and initiated a study of how state utilities are taxed. The bill was defeated 161-133. The tax, which Burt called a “back door attempt to get more money,” stands.
The FCC said it will deliver documents on LightSquared to the House Commerce Committee. In letters Tuesday to the commission and other government bodies, the committee’s top Republicans requested “all written and electronic communications from April 2009 to present between any individual associated with LightSquared, Harbinger Capital Partners, SkyTerra Communications, GPS manufacturers, and [the Space-Based Positioning Navigation and Timing Executive Committee (PNT ExCom)] regarding the process used to evaluate the proposed spectrum license transfer, testing, and potential interference.” House Commerce wants a response by March 13.
Sky Angel petitioned a federal appeals court for a writ of mandamus, its latest step in long-lingering program access dispute against Discovery Communications. IPTV distributor Sky Angel complained to the FCC in March 2010 that Discovery had withdrawn its distribution agreement over concerns with Sky Angel’s distribution technology. Outside of a June 2010 order from the Media Bureau denying Sky Angel’s standstill petition, the FCC hasn’t acted on the complaint. A writ of mandamus, considered a judicial rarity, would require the FCC to issue a final order one way or the other. An FCC spokesman declined to comment.
LightSquared’s failure to satisfy the FCC’s requirements for the company to begin terrestrial service makes LightSquared’s request for a declaratory ruling moot, said Deere in comments at the FCC on the request (http://xrl.us/bmwc3o). LightSquared asked the agency to issue a declaratory ruling spelling out the legal protections afforded to GPS. That request was made before the FCC proposed to pull LightSquared’s terrestrial authorization, which means it’s unnecessary for the FCC to take up the issue, said Deere. Other filers urged the FCC to wait for a Comptroller General receivers report before taking on receiver standards.