The FCC Media Bureau dismissed Sam-Sno Educational Media’s request for a new FM translator construction permit in McCleary, Wash., and denied its waiver request for provisions prohibiting contour overlap between two applications filed by the same licensee in the same market. Sam-Sno, Issaquah, Wash., filed applications for the McCleary permit and a permit for North Olympia, Wash., during the 2003 Auction 83 filing window, the bureau said in an order (http://bit.ly/ZOY2iw). Sam-Sno contended that its proposed FM translator stations “are intended to serve different geographical areas and the overlap encompasses only 1.4 square kilometers,” containing a population of about 760 people, it said. There are no “special circumstances here that would warrant a deviation from the general rule,” the order said.
In Europe, 85 million TV homes receive signals from satellites, up from 84 million homes in 2011, SES said in a study. Terrestrial and cable reception decreased slightly, “from 8 million in 2011 to 7.6 million in 2012 for terrestrial homes, and from 5.8 million to 5.2 million for cable homes,” it said in a press release (http://bit.ly/XWYUoD). Satellite is the leading infrastructure of choice for digital TV reception in the Ukraine, it said. More than 85 percent of 4.3 million households in the Ukraine subscribe to satellite TV, SES said. Most satellite-TV households in the Ukraine receive TV service from SES satellites, it added. The research was conducted by GfK Ukraine, it said.
Cox Communications will sell discounted broadband service to students and families nationwide who qualify for the National School Lunch Program, the cable operator said Tuesday (http://bit.ly/13uFqrU). It’s part of a partnership with Connect2Compete, a nonprofit that offers discounted Internet access, low-cost computers and digital literacy training to families, Cox said. The C2C program was piloted in April 2012 in San Diego, and since expanded to markets in Georgia, Rhode Island, Louisiana and Oklahoma City, Cox said. Besides that company, other C2C partners include Comcast and Microsoft, the group’s website said (http://bit.ly/YR5zy6), and the FCC and other agencies have worked with it.
Davis Wright warned its media clients of the implications of California’s Confidentiality of Medical Information Act, which regulates the disclosure of individually identifiable medical information by healthcare providers and recipients (http://bit.ly/ZkSeS8). The law firm’s blog Tuesday gave an example of a nurse on a reality TV show mentioning a former patient, and warned of “fairly significant consequences,” including fines, penalties and even criminal liability, for violations.
NASA selected Orbital Sciences Corp. to design, manufacture and test an astrophysics satellite under a four-year, $75 million contract. As part of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) program, the new satellite “will perform a full-sky search for exoplanets around nearby stars,” OSC said in a press release (http://bit.ly/10dq0Eg). The TESS program, led by NASA and MIT, “will rely on Orbital’s LEOStar-2 platform, a flexible, high-performance spacecraft for space and earth science, remote sensing and other applications,” it said.
DirecTV requested authority to operate a 3.5-meter transmit/receive earth station in the 17/24 GHz broadcasting satellite service, it said in an application to the FCC International Bureau (http://bit.ly/15H3dJA). Intelsat requested a 30-day special temporary authority from June 3, 2013, through July 2, 2013, for its Hagerstown, Md., earth station. Intelsat plans to use the STA “to provide launch and early orbit phase services for the SES-6 satellite that is expected to be launched on June 3, 2013,” it said in its application (http://bit.ly/11PcJn1).
The European Commission wants feedback on whether convergence of audiovisual media requires new rules. Its “green paper on preparing for a fully converged audiovisual world: growth, creation and values” (http://bit.ly/ZOp2P1) looks at several issues, including connected TV. The consultation doesn’t presuppose any particular outcome but convergence may affect several EU laws, including the audiovisual media services directive, the EC said. “Connected TV is the next big thing in the creative and digital worlds,” Digital Agenda Commissioner Neelie Kroes said. She wants a “converged and EU-wide debate” about how to deal with such changes. Among other things, the EC seeks comment on: (1) How to create the right conditions for EU businesses to deal with international, especially U.S., competition. (2) How European values can be protected online and on TV. (3) How the technology environment can be improved to ensure devices work the same way across Europe. (4) Whether convergence and changing consumer behavior will influence how films, TV programs and other content are financed. (5) Whether pre-defined filtering mechanisms, such as in search engines, should be subject to public intervention. Comments are due August 31 -- CNECT-CONVERGENCE-AV@ec.europa.eu. European commercial broadcasters said the discussion paper is welcome “on two conditions.” First, it should kick-start an ambitious, global discussion focused on the future of European broadcast media and content production, said Association of Commercial Television in Europe Director General Ross Biggam. There’s evidence in the paper that the EC shares ACT’s view that a “clear vision is needed from the EU, rather than more debates focusing on detailed quantitative micro-management of the media business,” he said in a statement. The strategy must also home in “rigorously” on the production and financing of content, he said. Continuing excellence in the content business “will be the key to future growth in the audiovisual sector,” he added.
Deutsche Telekom confirmed it will throttle bandwidth of flat-rate users once they cross certain limits of data volumes. Users paying for 16 Mbps will have the speed of their access line downgraded when they pass 75 gigabytes of data, those who pay for 50 Mbps will be slowed down when the get over 200 gigabytes in a month, and those with a 200 Mbps contract will be cut back after 400 gigabytes of data. Once the user crosses, the connection will be slowed down to 384 kbps. Users have the option to buy additional data volume, said DT. Starting May 2, all new DT DSL contracts will include the data volume limits, but speed throttling would not be implemented before 2016, Michael Hagspihl, managing director-marketing of Telekom Deutschland, told the German Press Agency. The downgrading of speed to 384 kbps has resulted in an outcry from user organizations warning against “castration” of the Internet and harming innovative developments like cloud computing and streaming. A DT FAQ said “this has nothing to do with a rip off, most customers will not be affected by the volume limits.” Customers would instead benefit from the differentiated rates and only have to “pay more, if they use more,” the company said (http://bit.ly/ZH19wK). A member of the German Parliament from the Social Democratic opposition, meanwhile, announced a legislative initiative to not violate the principle of net neutrality (http://bit.ly/11BpOSq).
If President Barack Obama appoints FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn as the agency’s interim chair upon FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski’s departure, addressing interoperability in the 700 MHz lower B block will be one of her “higher policy priorities,” said Louis Peraertz, Clyburn’s aide, during an FCBA event Tuesday. Earlier this month, the FCC Wireless Bureau extended the deadline for smaller carriers to build out on the band (CD April 9 p1). Clyburn is hoping to resolve interoperability “fairly quickly,” because it will give options to customers in urban and rural areas, Peraertz said. Interoperability is an important part of the agency’s band plan, but it’s also complicated, said Renee Gregory, Genachowski’s aide. Genachowski’s office continues to be engaged on the issue, she said. FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel believes issues with interoperability on the band demonstrate that the agency needs to ensure similar problems do not arise when they address the 600 MHz band, said David Goldman, Rosenworcel’s aide.
House Communications Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., said in a news release Tuesday that last week’s Boston Marathon attack shows the need for states to move forward on next-generation 911. “First responders in Boston did not hesitate and, without question, saved lives,” Eshoo said. “We owe it to them and to the public to ensure the best possible emergency response technology is being utilized.” Eshoo cited a recent GAO report (http://1.usa.gov/17sEwN7) that said states are making progress on E-911 and that as of March, 98 percent of public safety answering points are capable of receiving Phase I location information and 97 percent have implemented Phase II for at least one carrier (CD April 19 p12). “The GAO report shows states are making good use of funds to implement enhanced 9-1-1 services that can pinpoint the location of emergency callers,” Eshoo said. “But it also shows we are still in the early phases of implementing Next Generation 9-1-1 technology that gives 9-1-1 call centers the ability to receive text, photos and video directly from bystanders at the scene of an emergency.”