The FCC Media Bureau dismissed 10 Auction 83 FM translator Form 349 “tech box” proposals, as part of the continued implementation of procedures adopted in the fifth order on reconsideration in the low-power FM proceeding. Applicants in or near spectrum-limited markets had to amend their applications “to show that they would not have a preclusive impact on LPFM availability in these markets,” it said in a public notice (http://bit.ly/11SjJGf). Applications from Kent State University in Ohio, Calvary Chapel of Tucson in Arizona and other entities do not satisfy the filing requirements, it said. In an appendix, the bureau provided a list of the applications and its reasons for dismissing them (http://bit.ly/14oY1XG).
ViaSat added two premium classes of its Yonder satellite Internet service for business aviation. The new service options will provide higher data rates, “compared to current Yonder service, new quality of service assurances and enhanced network operations and field engineering customer support,” ViaSat said in a press release (http://bit.ly/18cwOZS). The service options will be available to aircraft operators beginning this summer, it said. The Yonder Premium product will offer multimedia streaming and video teleconferencing and Yonder VIP “is designed to support a high number of Internet connections and simultaneous multimedia streaming sessions,” it said.
U.S. Trade Representative nominee Michael Froman will shed his investments in various Citigroup funds within 90 days of his potential confirmation as USTR. Froman reported his investments, assets and which ones he intended to divest in May 6 submissions to the Office of Government Ethics. Froman told OGE he will divest his interests in Citigroup Capital Partners I LP -- which he listed as being worth between $1,001-$15,000 -- and Citigroup Employee Fund of Funds LP, which are worth between $50,001 and $100,000. Froman will also get rid of his interests in Citigroup Capital Partners II and CVC International Growth Partnership (Employee) II LP, each one with estimated value of between $500,001 and $1 million. Froman worked at Citigroup from 1999 to 2009. OGE last week released financial documents from FCC Chairman nominee Tom Wheeler, who said he plans to divest stakes in about 80 technology, media and telecom companies within 90 days of his confirmation (CD May 20 p3).
Dish Network upgraded its Anywhere app to include on-demand access and social sharing features for iPhone and Android devices. All Dish customers can access on-demand content “associated with their programming package regardless of their set-top box model,” Dish said in a press release (http://bit.ly/18YIyjP). Dish customers will have the ability to share their viewing experiences on Twitter and Facebook, it said. Users can use the new “Audio Only” mode “to listen to any live or pre-recorded show while doing other activities like driving or interacting with other apps on their device,” Dish said.
Rolka Loube Saltzer Associates (RLSA), the Interstate Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS) Fund administrator, has submitted TRS Fund payment formulas for the period between July 1 and June 30, 2014, the FCC said Friday. RLSA proposed new per-minute compensation rates for all TRS forms except VRS -- $2.1647 for interstate traditional TRS, $3.2957 for interstate Speech-to-Speech, $1.7877 for interstate captioned telephone service and interstate and intrastate Internet Protocol captioned telephone service, and $1.0391 for interstate and intrastate IP Relay. The FCC is currently considering whether to modify the current interim VRS rates. RLSA proposed a funding requirement of $1.54 billion and a carrier contribution factor of 0.0233, the FCC said. Comments on RLSA’s proposed formulas are due May 31; reply comments are due June 7 (http://bit.ly/16rZ9he).
Four House lawmakers introduced a bipartisan bill to prevent federal agencies from seizing citizens’ telephone records without a court order. The Telephone Records Protection Act (HR-2014) comes on the heels of the revelation that Justice Department officials seized the telephone records of several Associated Press reporters. The bill would strike from U.S. law a provision that permits the government to demand telephone companies turn over telephone records with an administrative subpoena. Under the bill the government would be required to state “specific and articulable facts” that prove to a court that the information sought is “relevant and material to an ongoing criminal investigation,” according to a news release. The bill was sponsored by Reps. Jared Polis, D-Colo.; Justin Amash, R-Mich.; Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.; and Mick Mulvaney, R-S.C.
The FCC Media Bureau admonished two Georgia TV stations applying for renewal for violating the commission’s children’s television commercial limit rules, according to two letters filed with the commission Friday. WTOC-TV Savannah (http://bit.ly/13By9Ir) overran its limit for commercial content by 20 minutes and 30 seconds after a technical failure in November 2012 caused the station’s master control operator to reset the programming server during an episode of Liberty Kids II, which “re-cued” a paid program that had already aired earlier. The Media Bureau letter said the technical failure was “an extenuating circumstance” but that an admonishment was still appropriate. WUPA, Atlanta (http://bit.ly/17GGTAv) was admonished for a December 2006 incident, in which the station aired a commercial for Cocoa Pebbles during the show “Xiaolin Showdown” that contained shots of the show’s characters. The letter said that WUPA blamed the CW network for the error, but the Media Bureau ruled that the station’s dependence on a programmer to follow FCC rules “will not excuse or mitigate violations which do occur.” In a separate notice of apparent liability filed Friday (http://bit.ly/Z1Koi1), the Media Bureau also proposed fining the Detroit Free Press $2,000 for violations of the commission’s rules on publicizing the existence and location of children’s television reports at its WUSA, Washington.
TracFone Wireless said Friday it supported a recent request by Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., for an audit of the FCC’s USF Lifeline program and urged lawmakers to impose further reforms of the program. “In our view, all responsible Lifeline wireless service providers will embrace such additional scrutiny,” said the company in a news release. Reforms to the program are “working, but additional steps must be taken to further streamline the program and reduce opportunities for waste, fraud and abuse,” the company said. Last week, McCaskill urged the U.S. Comptroller General to conduct a forensic audit of the FCC’s USF Lifeline program to prevent fraud and abuse in the program. McCaskill previously sponsored a failed amendment to this year’s budget resolution that sought to end the program.
The FCC killed more than 120 regulatory requirements on telcos, it said Friday (http://fcc.us/13Bv8YF). The order grants forbearance for 126 of about 141 rules and requirements that USTelecom sought in its petition. Companies will no longer have to retain certain records made redundant by digital databases, property record filings and calling cards record reporting, the FCC said. “In so doing, we further our commitment to eliminate burdens on industry and promote innovation while ensuring our statutory objectives are met,” the order said. “We grant forbearance to the full extent supported by the record. Where we cannot forbear from a requirement completely, we in several instances reduce burdens by granting partial or conditional forbearance.” The ruling is not intended to preempt any state rules, it added. The FCC also issued a further NPRM in which “we examine whether to retain, modify, or eliminate the comparably efficient interconnection (CEI) and open network architecture (ONA) requirements as well as the ‘All Carrier Rule,'” according to the order. It’s also adopting a second further NPRM on “whether we should modify or eliminate the separate affiliate requirement for independent incumbent LECs that are subject to rate-of-return regulation,” it said. “With 126 regulations removed, we're talking about millions of dollars in savings, which will ultimately result in a more dynamic, competitive market and lower prices for consumers,” outgoing Chairman Julius Genachowski said in a statement. The order also preserves “consumers’ right to notice when services are being eliminated, a vital protection as we move forward on trials of wireline to wireless, TDM to IP, and copper to fiber technology transitions,” Genachowski added. Commissioner Ajit Pai called the order “bipartisan compromise, an important first step,” but wished the FCC had “gone further, faster” with eliminating legacy obligations. USTelecom expressed some pleasure with the order, but the FCC “missed the opportunity for the thorough spring cleaning that has long been needed,” USTelecom President Walter McCormick said in a statement. “Given the fact that we have already gone through 15 months of study, we would expect that this further review could be completed by the end of the year.” In a Friday blog post (http://bit.ly/10KunZ7), McCormick slammed the FCC for leaving in place “Part 32 accounting rules, CEI/ONA rules and streamlining Section 214 notification requirements” and called the step “timid.” The order was adopted May 10.
The FCC should relax rules for AM stations to revitalize AM radio, several Clear Channel officials told Commissioner Ajit Pai, said an ex parte filing (http://bit.ly/10WtaTc). Clear Channel asked Pai to repeal the “Ratchet Rule,” which limits AM stations to prevent interference. Clear Channel said the rule did little to stop interference but impeded improvements to AM stations. Requirements for license coverage hinder AM relocation, and the commission should relax those rules, said the filing posted Thursday to docket 09-182. The company said the commission should increase opportunities for AM stations to use FM translators to rebroadcast AM stations, which it said “have served to encourage listeners usually accustomed to the FM band, including young adults and females, to tune directly to the AM band.” Clear Channel said it would be difficult to set a date for AM stations to convert to all-digital, but that FM translators could serve “as a bridge” until that transition -- or a move to new spectrum, such as the Channel 5 and 6 bands -- could be accomplished.