The White House released its cybersecurity plan Thursday, and urged lawmakers to fortify the nation’s cybersecurity, critical infrastructure and federal networks. Notably absent from the proposal was any “kill switch” authority for the president to shut down Internet traffic during a cyberattack. Lawmakers applauded the White House move, but some said it was long overdue and made clear they wanted changes or provisions added from their own legislation. The plan was more than two years in development.
The FCC and the Federal Emergency Management Agency said Tuesday they're working with major carriers on an early version of a system that will send emergency alerts to wireless devices. The Personal Localized Alerting Network (PLAN) will premier in New York and Washington by the end of the year, with deployment to follow elsewhere in mid-2012.
On May 10, 2011, the European Commission issued a proposal that would drastically revise the European Union’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) eligibility criteria, which may cause the number of countries receiving its GSP benefits to drop by half, from 176 countries and territories to 80. The EC is also proposing other modifications to the GSP+ program, graduation, procedures, etc.
MTV Networks Chairman-CEO Judy McGrath to step down; heads of MTV operating units to report directly to Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman …Cisco assignments of senior vice presidents as part of streamlining units: Pankaj Patel and Padmasree Warrior will lead engineering, and the Emerging Business Group will be run by Marthin De Beer … USTelecom promotes Karn Dhingra to director-communications … MUSL TV hires Robb Weller, ex-Weller/Grossman Productions, as executive vice president-programming and production … National Religious Broadcasters hires Aaron Mercer, ex-Generation Forum of the National Association of Evangelicals, as vice president of government relations … Univision promotes Carlos Deschapelles to senior vice president, sports sales … Julian Bellamy, ex-Channel 4 U.K., becomes Discovery Networks International creative director-head of production and development.
The following are trade-related highlights of the Executive Communications sent to Congress on May 2-4, 2011:
Federal and private energy organizations were largely receptive to the Senate Energy Committee’s draft cybersecurity bill to amend the Federal Power Act (FPA), but squabbled over which organizations would have what authority if a major attack on the nation’s electric grid occurs. Witnesses at Thursday’s hearing did agree that that a strong public/private sector partnership is essential to protecting the grid, identifying its vulnerabilities and reacting to an emergency or immediate threat.
DANA POINT, Calif. -- Facing shrinking TV margins, PRO Group members are looking toward audio components and headphones and the emergence of tablets to boost their bottom lines, dealers said at the group’s annual meeting. While large 55-inch and up TVs remain strong sellers for PRO dealers, the business starts to “tail off” for them in the sub-46-inch category, PRO Group Executive Director David Workman said. So, many retailers are returning to selling higher margin audio components and headphones to attract customers who may have already bought a flat-screen TV, Vann’s CEO George Manlove said. PRO Group audio sales have increased in the “high double digits” from a year ago, Workman said.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Executives of California’s three giant private electric utilities said they have taken good advantage of a regulatory requirement to develop detailed plans for smart-grid development to 2020. Under a 2009 state law, the plans are due to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in July. The sections required are a vision statement, a deployment baseline, a smart grid strategy, a strategy for cyber and other security, a road map, cost and benefit estimates, and metrics.
On May 2, 2011, the National Association of Manufacturers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, American Farm Bureau Federation, Business Roundtable, Coalition of Services Industries, Emergency Committee for American Trade, National Foreign Trade Council, and the U.S. Council for International Business issued a joint statement about the lack of progress in the World Trade Organization’s Doha Round.
The State Department has issued a May 1, 2011 travel alert which alerts U.S. citizens traveling and residing abroad to the enhanced potential for anti-American violence given recent counter-terrorism activity in Pakistan.