The federal govt. would devote $500 million to E-911 deployment, under legislation introduced Thurs. by Sens. Burns (R-Mont.) and Clinton (D-N.Y.). The bill would also create an NTIA task force to help coordinate E-911 deployment and require the FCC to monitor how states are spending E-911 funds.
XM Satellite Radio came under scrutiny of House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.), who told FCC Chmn. Powell he had concerns that XM was pursuing permanent licenses for terrestrial repeaters and wanted Commission to find out what XM’s business plan was for repeaters. In June 9 letter that was co-signed by Committee member Rep. Green (D-Tex.), Tauzin said permanent repeaters could allow XM to provide localized content, “an activity that the Commission has previously indicated should be prohibited.” Letter said concern with permanent licenses had increased with recent announcement that XM would offer localized weather programming to marine, aviation and emergency subscribers. “It is clear that nothing now stops XM from taking this a step further and offering local programming in the terrestrial radio market to hundreds of thousands of automobile subscribers,” letter said. Final licenses for repeaters should prohibit devices from being used to broadcast localized programming, it said. “Given this latest expansion into localized programming, we believe that the Commission must guard against the possibility of XM eventually trying to skirt the intent of the Commission, should it determine XM cannot offer localized programming through repeater networks,” letter said. Tauzin said FCC should require XM to disclose its business and technology plans for offering localized programming to learn what it planned for repeaters. “This knowledge is necessary for the Commission to make a fully informed final license decision,” Tauzin said. XM Vp-Corp. Affairs Chance Patters said its weather service was national service for marine, aviation and emergency management usage and XM provided all of its service in accordance with FCC regulations.
GENEVA -- Lines were drawn Wed. at the World Radio Conference (WRC) here on an agenda item on globally and regionally harmonizing bands for public protection and disaster relief. Administrations staked out a wide array of positions on how best to meet the needs of emergency and relief agencies. Proposals in a working group meeting of the committee on allocation policy differed even on basic elements such as whether specific harmonized spectrum blocks needed to be earmarked for such services and, if so, which bands.
Stakeholders of National Electronics Product Stewardship Initiative (NEPSI) head into crucial 2-day meeting at Seattle today (Thurs.) whose outcome could decide future of govt.- industry dialog to get national system in place for collection and recycling of electronics waste (e-waste). Meeting comes in wake of EPA’s threat to pull out of NEPSI if parties can’t agree on financing model at meeting. EPA had supported NEPSI so all players, including industry, could design national electronics recycling system, said Marianne Horinko, asst. administrator of EPA’s Solid Waste Office. “That process is now at a turning point,” she said, and it must “rally around 1 or 2 workable options soon or it should close up shop.”
House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) told FCC Chmn. Powell that he had concerns that XM Satellite Radio was pursuing permanent licenses for terrestrial repeaters and wanted the Commission to find out what XM’s business plan was for the repeaters. In a June 6 letter that was co-signed by Committee member Rep. Green (D-Tex.), Tauzin said permanent repeaters could allow XM to provide localized content, “an activity that the Commission has previously indicated should be prohibited.” The letter said concern with permanent licenses had increased with the recent announcement that XM would offer localized weather programming to marine, aviation and emergency subscribers. “It is clear that nothing now stops XM from taking this a step further and offering local programming in the terrestrial radio market to hundreds of thousands of automobile subscribers,” the letter said. The final licenses for the repeaters should prohibit the devices from being used to broadcast localized programming, it said. “Given this latest expansion into localized programming, we believe that the Commission must guard against the possibility of XM eventually trying to skirt the intent of the Commission, should it determine XM cannot offer localized programming through repeater networks,” the letter said. Tauzin said the FCC should require XM to disclose its business and technology plans for offering localized programming to learn what it planned for the repeaters. “This knowledge is necessary for the Commission to make a fully informed final license decision,” Tauzin said. Chance Patters, XM vp-corp. affairs, said the XM weather service was a national service for marine, aviation and emergency management usage and XM provides all of its service in accordance with FCC regulations.
Congressional E911 Caucus Co-Chmn. Burns (R-Mont.) and Clinton (D-N.Y.) will unveil E911 legislation Thurs. The bill is said to address the challenges facing E911 services, but no specific details were given. Reps. Shimkus (R-Ill.) and Eshoo (D-Cal.) also are co-chum. of the caucus. Also on Thurs., FCC Chmn. Powell is scheduled to join National Emergency Number Assn. Pres. John Melcher at a news conference announcing a “call to action” to make E911 a top priority for federal and local regulators.
The Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) should have the limited role of only setting up general logistical aspects of the Media Security & Reliability Council’s (MSRC) plans to improve emergency warning systems, council members were told at the group’s 3rd biannual meeting May 28 (CD May 29 p3). Media executives said in interviews after the meeting that federal govt. involvement of some sort was necessary, and many even suggested the Council would agree to work with any conditions DHS proposed.
Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.), chmn. of the Senate Communications Subcommittee, said in a National Show speech that he thought there was a chance his broadband tax credit bill would be revived before the end of the session. The original didn’t make it out of conference. “I think before the end of the year, we may get that,” Burns said, adding that govt. should be giving incentives to provide infrastructure, especially in rural places like his home state of Mont. House Telecom Subcommittee Chmn. Upton (R- Mich.) told 60 cable industry executives at the same event that he was working to pass a bill that would accelerate depreciation on equipment bought for business. Burns said his subcommittee would mark up an antispam bill next week and he expected “very fast” action on the floor, where he predicted it had a good chance of passing. Upton said he expected a similar measure would come up in his House subcommittee next month. On the DTV transition, Upton said he expected another industry meeting in July, as well as possibly a hearing on the subject. Asked afterward about the chance of moving a bill that would lower the broadcast ownership cap back to 35%, Burns said he thought that would make it out of committee, but after that he couldn’t predict what would happen to it.
While 50W plasma TVs so far have remained above price- cutting fray that has enveloped 42W, screen size is showing first signs of inching downward as manufacturers settle in around $10,000. Mitsubishi and Hitachi were most recent companies to lower prices on 50W to $9,999, leading industry sources to speculate that another $1,000 decline may be ahead in 2nd half. Hitachi and Mitsubishi moves took effect June 1. Hitachi executives confirmed price change, but Mitsubishi officials weren’t available for comment.
House Telecom Subcommittee Chmn. Upton (R-Mich.) outlined plans Wed. for a bill that would create a “major” block grant program for Enhanced 911 funding for public safety agencies, but would condition the money on states’ not “raiding” 911 funds. At a hearing, he said the “comprehensive” bill also would create a national E911 program office in an existing agency such as the Dept. of Homeland Security (DHS) or NTIA. Upton expressed optimism after the hearing that a bill could move before the Aug. recess: “It’s ambitious. We don’t have a lot of weeks left. But it is important to everybody.”