Washington, D.C., launched an initiative against cellphone theft. D.C. Mayor Vince Gray and Police Chief Cathy Lanier announced a new webpage devoted to “bricking” cellphones, which disables them remotely upon request to the carrier, said the mayor’s office Monday (http://xrl.us/bn4syw). D.C. residents can now find information about how to brick their phones at www.brickit.dc.gov (http://xrl.us/bn4sy4). Gray said smartphone theft is “on the rise” in the District of Columbia, and people should be especially watchful during the holidays. Lanier called cellphones the primary item taken in many robberies. About 40 percent of robberies in D.C., New York and other major cities involve cellphones, said the announcement: “There is an added risk of identity theft if the stolen smart phone isn’t password-protected to prevent a thief from getting access to private information on the device."
The draft FCC media ownership order won’t make easier common ownership of a top TV station and major daily newspaper in the same market, Media Bureau Chief Bill Lake said. Reports otherwise “are wrong,” he said by email Monday. “In fact, the order would strengthen the current rule by creating an express presumption against a waiver of the cross-ownership ban to allow such a combination.” The draft would allow waivers for stations not rated top-four and dailies in the same top-20 market (CD Nov 15 p1). The order would “preserve” the “TV duopoly rule, which forbids ownership of more than one of the top four TV stations in any market,” Lake noted. Public interest groups have criticized the forthcoming rules as allowing more consolidation.
Hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) lines can deliver the equivalent of ILEC time division multiplex-based dedicated connections, USTelecom told an aide to FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai Monday (http://xrl.us/bn4opv). The association said it was responding to a question asked by Pai’s office about whether HFC can deliver special access or similar services. Cable companies like Charter Communications explicitly market Ethernet over coaxial facilities, USTelecom said. “Therefore, special access and similar services can be provided over HFC lines."
NTCA and the Western Telecommunications Alliance spoke with FCC Wireless and Wireline Bureau officials Friday regarding potential changes to Form 477, they said in an ex parte filing (http://xrl.us/bn4oii). Staff reviewed potential changes to subscription data collected, changes in filing mechanisms and policies for submission confidentiality, NTCA said.
California politicians and activists are unhappy with TracFone and its Mexican owner, Carlos Slim. They plan to ask the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to investigate “the predatory and monopolistic practices of Carlos Slim” at a Tuesday event at the state capitol, said the Two Countries One Voice coalition that oppose the businessman. The gathering will include state senators, assembly members and leaders of the Consumer Federation of California and The Utility Reform Network, said the coalition’s Monday release (http://xrl.us/bn4ooq). The group questions the TracFone purchase of California-based Simple Mobile this summer and the lack of CPUC oversight. TracFone fails to pay its public service fees to the CPUC, the group said. “TracFone may be liable for $13 million in unpaid fees and additional penalties to the CPUC.” The politicians will talk about “introduction of legislation” that gives the state commission “authority and discretion to review all mergers--including pre-paid cell phone services--when it is in the best interest of the public,” said the release. TracFone has 22 million customers in the U.S., which amounts to more than 42 percent of the prepaid cellphone market share, the coalition said. The coalition promises a “large inflatable Carlos Slim/Pac-Man” as a visual at the gathering. TracFone parent América Móvil declined comment.
Sinclair bought another Newport TV station. It said it bought the non-license assets of Newport’s WHAM-TV Rochester, N.Y., for $54 million. The deal also gives Sinclair an option on the station’s license, it said. It will provide sales and non-programming services to the station under a shared services and joint sales agreement, it said. It also said it completed its purchase of WTTA-TV St. Petersburg, Fla.; WKRC-TV Cincinnati; WOAI-TV San Antonio, Texas; WHP-TV Harrisburg, Pa.; WPMI-TV Mobile Ala.; WJTC Pensacola, Fla.; and KSAS-TV Wichita, Kan.; from Newport. Additionally, Sinclair said it completed its sale of KMYS Kerrville, Texas; KBTV-TV Port Arthur, Texas; and WSTR-TV Cincinnati along with WPMI-TV and WJCT to Deerfield Media. But Sinclair will provide sales and non-programming services to those stations through shared services and joint sales agreements, it said.
Level 3 Communications and tw telecom have entered into a long-term settlement-free agreement on Internet traffic exchange, the two Internet service providers said Monday. The peering agreement allows the two providers’ networks to exchange data, which allows for more efficient and cost-effective Internet content transmission, Level 3 said. This particular peering agreement, known as bit-mile peering, measures the volume of traffic exchanged and the distance each network carries it. This type of agreement allows for both networks to share an equitable amount of data transmission, Level 3 said. “We look forward to working with our peering partners to drive broader adoption of this bit-mile model to ensure fair and equitable interconnection,” said Jack Waters, Level 3’s chief technology officer, in a news release. “We are also working with providers of traffic-flow monitoring systems to make the measurement process straightforward and consistent across the industry” (http://xrl.us/bn4oow).
NRJ TV RL License completed its purchase of Red Lion Broadcasting’s WGCB-TV Red Lion, Pa., for $9 million, broker Patrick Communications said.
WeFi said Time Warner Cable is using its Wi-Fi network management tools to help run its Wi-Fi service. The terms weren’t disclosed.
Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said he opposes the Internet Radio Fairness Act (S-3609). His opposition came in a “dear colleague” letter made public Monday. Corker said in the letter the legislation would “impose below market rates for music creators” and “force American property owners and creators to provide a subsidy to digital radio services, primarily Pandora.” Corker said the standard for establishing music royalty rates “should be based on marketplace benchmarks, not a below-market standard that favors one side.”