DirecTV is in “continuous discussions” with Time Warner Cable about carrying that cable operator’s new Los Angeles regional sports network TWC SportsNet, a spokesman for the DBS company said. The company wants “to figure out how to carry the channel in a way that’s affordable for everyone,” he said Thursday. The cable operator and DBS provider are the top-two pay-TV providers in Los Angeles, he noted. “As such, both share a responsibility to ensure that both fans and non-fans alike avoid any extraordinary increases to their families’ monthly bills.” SportsNet shows Lakers games and was recently started by Time Warner Cable, which along with Bright House Networks has been the only major pay-TV company in that area to carry it. Time Warner Cable said earlier last week the channel isn’t the most expensive regional sports network in the U.S., after Cox Communications said it has one of the highest prices (CD Oct 26 p17). The operator had no further comment on DirecTV’s remarks.
As the FCC examines rules for texting to 911, Microsoft representatives explained in a meeting with FCC officials, including Public Safety Bureau Chief David Turetsky, the texting capabilities of the Windows Phone. “Microsoft shared that the messaging application that ships on Windows Phone includes the ability to send an SMS and MMS message through the mobile operator infrastructure and to IM using Windows Live and some third party networks (e.g., Facebook) using a data connection,” said an ex parte filing on the meeting (http://xrl.us/bnv68d). “It is also possible for 3rd party applications to be installed on the phone that allow users to IM over different networks.” Microsoft said “neither the phone’s operating system nor any Microsoft applications shipping on Windows Phone blocks the user’s ability to send an SMS-to-911."
The Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials pressed the FCC in a meeting with David Furth, deputy chief of the Public Safety Bureau, to move forward “as soon as possible” on a “basic requirement” that wireless carriers be able to deliver emergency texts to 911 call centers. “We have ... been encouraged by recent successful trials of text-to-9-1-1 capability utilizing existing texting technology,” said an ex parte filing (http://xrl.us/bnv67i). The order should require that “there be a ‘bounce back’ message informing the sender to make a 9-1-1 voice call when a text cannot be delivered,” APCO said. “APCO International understands that compliance deadlines and other implementation rules related to the order will need to be considered in a further notice of proposed rulemaking. However, deferring action on the basic requirement would only lead to uncertainty and delay serious consideration of implementation issues and requirements."
TracFone filed additional information at the FCC, answering questions on its May petition asking for relief from a requirement that eligible telecom carriers re-certify, not later than Dec. 31, the continuing Lifeline eligibility of all customers enrolled in their Lifeline programs as of June 1. Most of the information TracFone submitted was redacted by the company from its public filing. TracFone asked that certain information get confidential treatment (http://xrl.us/bnv65v).
Oct. 29 FCBA Intellectual Property Committee brown bag lunch on Internet Radio Fairness Act, 12:15 p.m., Wilkinson Barker, 2300 N St. NW, Suite 7 -- http://xrl.us/bimfn6
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said Thursday he is pleased wireless carriers “are continuing to engage in the detailed technical testing and analysis needed to make government-commercial spectrum sharing work, in line with the testing authorization we issued this summer.” Genachowski responded to an announcement by Verizon Wireless that it is conducting tests at five Department of Defense sites (CD Oct 25 p1). “Sharing is a promising new avenue for bringing spectrum to market,” he said. “The FCC will continue to support cooperative efforts between the public and private sectors on these important efforts, and will also continue moving ahead with proposals at the Commission that can help the U.S. seize the exciting opportunities of spectrum sharing."
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks,” was the reaction of Solvable Frustrations (SFI) to the overwhelming opposition to its request that the FCC modify its rules to create a class action complaint procedure (CD Oct 11 p5). Despite the “strident opposition” of USTelecom, AT&T, Verizon and others, the proposed rule “addresses a concrete problem,” SFI said (http://xrl.us/bnv2ta). Opponents’ concerns about the impact on commission resources are “invalid,” and the agency has the authority to adopt class complaint procedures, SFI said. “To best serve the ends of justice, certain telecommunications-specific class actions may prove best suited to an expert resolution through class complaint procedures utilized by the Commission,” SFI said. The company, which runs a website addressing consumer complaints, asked the FCC to “expeditiously” grant the petition and start a rulemaking proceeding.
The Copyright Office will publish its final rule on exemptions to anticircumvention rules for certain classes of copyrighted works in Friday’s Federal Register, the office said Thursday (http://bitly.com/S9OvTX). One part of the ruling drew immediate criticism from Public Knowledge: its lack of a fair-use “space-shifting” exemption for transferring lawfully purchased DVDs to other devices that lack physical playback capabilities, such as tablets. That missing exemption “flies in the face of reality” and would mean that “every personal non-commercial space shift is a violation of copyright law,” including ripping a CD to an iPod, said Michael Weinberg, vice president of Public Knowledge’s Institute for Emerging Innovation, in an email statement.
The Internet Radio Fairness Coalition has formed to push Congress to change the royalties online radio companies pay. Members include the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), CEA, Digital Media Association, Clear Channel, Salem Communications, Small Webcaster Alliance and Pandora. The group will support the Internet Radio Fairness Act, it said. “The government is being directed [by the Copyright Act] to protect incumbents and discourage new market entrants,” said Ed Black, CCIA president. “It’s time to change the law and to encourage innovation -- not discourage competition.” Getting any telecom or intellectual property bill through Congress is a challenge, but this one has a better chance than most, said Michael Petricone, CEA senior vice president-government relations. “I think everyone understands that having a vibrant Internet radio sector is a good thing for the technology sector, for the artists and for the economy,” he said. “I'm hoping even the record labels will come to see that if you fix the royalty system and it results in growing the pie, then everyone makes more money.” A spokeswoman for the RIAA didn’t immediately respond to our query.
Time Warner Cable said any assertion that “we are the highest-priced regional sports outlet in the country is simply untrue.” As a significant buyer of regional sports programming, “we know that there are higher priced regional sports networks, including Root Sports that we buy from DirecTV,” the cable said in a news release. TWC started two sports channels this month and is in negotiations with DirecTV and Cox Communications to carry the channels that show L.A. Lakers games, it said. DirecTV said on its website that it’s “very engaged” with TWC “on how best to make the new TWC SportsNet available in all our local customers’ homes” (http://xrl.us/bnv2rr). Cox is working through the negotiations process and it hopes to reach an agreement “that does not burden our customers with excessive price increases,” that cable operator said in a written statement. “We have offered to carry TWC SportsNet channels on our optional digital tiers, which would enable those who want to pay for the programming to have it.” This offer was refused, Cox said. Cox also said that the price for the Lakers games is one of the highest wholesale prices it has seen.