The FCC could grant forbearance to Verizon and Qwest without either Bell filing a me-too forbearance petition. Late Friday, the FCC sought comments on whether to give both carriers relief from cost-assignment rules requiring Bell companies to keep records that, among other tasks, separate interstate and intrastate costs. The FCC granted an AT&T forbearance on the subject in April (CD April 28 p5).
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said Friday it will serve as the unified aggregator and message gateway when wireless carriers send subscribers emergency alert system warnings. The move clears up a major question on the alert program (CD Feb 22 p1). FEMA will verify that alerts are from authorized senders, then transmit them to carriers.
The FCC clarified “overly broad” rules meant to protect Telecommunications Relay Service users from unwanted marketing and lobbying. In a declaratory ruling issued late Wednesday, the FCC gave examples of settings in which interstate relay service providers may use TRS databases to contact users. But the extra guidance fails to eliminate a double standard for relay and non-relay users, said an official at TRS provider GoAmerica.
FCC appointees to Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced Services: Mark Johnson, Alaska Regulatory Commission; Rachelle Chong, California PUC; Betty Ann Kane, District of Columbia PSC; Krista Tanner, Iowa Utilities Board; Vendean Vafiades, Maine PUC; Randy Mitchell, South Carolina PSC… Lawrence Nicholson, ex- WVEC-TV Hampton/Norfolk, Va., becomes president-general manager, KTVK and KASW-TV Phoenix … Intelsat promotes Kay Sears to president of Intelsat General subsidiary, effective June 30… Lowell Peterson, Meyer, Suozzi, English & Klein, becomes executive director, Writers Guild of America, East… Erkki Ormala, ex-Nokia, becomes president, executive-board chairman of European Information and Communication Technology Association, replacing Rudy Provoost, Philips… New members of the FCC Federal-State Joint Board on Jurisdictional Separations: Steve Kolbeck, South Dakota PUC; Anthony Palermino, Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control.
FCC wireless legal advisors told a packed lunch Thursday that carriers and others in the industry too often complain about the costs of FCC rules, but rarely supply the commission with numbers laying out how much a proposed mandate will cost.
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is considering an order that would declare wireless early termination fees to be under FCC rather than state jurisdiction. At the same time, Martin is likely to ask the commission to approve another rulemaking notice examining the rules that the FCC should impose. Martin has said repeatedly that he wants an en banc hearing on ETFs in FCC-regulated industries, but hasn’t scheduled one.
The FCC hopes to let stations file digital signal maximization requests for broadcasting after the analog cutoff sooner than expected, agency officials told a Federal Communications Bar Association lunch at NAB Tuesday. The current window for maximization filings is slated to open in August, but may be “a good deal sooner than what we originally thought,” said Media Bureau Associate Chief Eloise Gore. A public notice will contain details, she noted, suggesting stations get information ready now to make the requests. Stations should file FCC Form 388 for the second quarter, disclosing DTV education efforts, on the CDBS system instead of ECFS, used for last quarter, she said. That will make it easier for the commission and broadcasters, said Gore. A public notice detailing procedures for those documents, due July 10, will be forthcoming, she said. Stations that missed the April 10 deadline to file Q1 reports got letters of admonishment, but not fines, from the Enforcement Bureau, she said.
An online video start-up company hopes to make money by brokering political TV ads for ordinary folks. Saysme.TV, backed by such venture financiers as Intel Capital, hopes to exploit loose restrictions on electioneering communications paid for by individuals. Political action committees and campaigns must live with strict spending and disclosure rules, but individuals can spend on political ads with relative freedom, said former Federal Elections Commission Chairman Brad Smith, who’s advising the company. “One of the odd things about campaign finance law, if you're really rich, it’s not that hard to go out and buy ads and billboards,” Smith said. “But as soon as you get two or more people together, then you're subject to a whole other set of regulations.”
The FCC, as expected, approved a cap on payments to competitive eligible telecommunications carriers under the high-cost Universal Service Fund program. Also as expected, wireless carriers voiced deep concern about the cap exerting a chilling effect on their efforts to participate in the USF program. Wireless attorneys said some carriers may challenge the order in federal court. An accompanying FCC statement issued Friday said the cap clears a path for further reform.
TORONTO -- In an unusual display of ire, Canada’s dueling broadcast and cable industries have taken a long- running battle over monthly carriage fees for local over-the- air TV stations directly to Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s office.