Attorneys for Cox, Bonneville, The Scranton Times, Calvary and Morris Communications met with officials in the FCC chairman’s office and Office of General Counsel to discuss their pending waiver request from the FCC’s ban on newspaper broadcast cross ownership (NBCO). The commission had recently dismissed as moot their joint motion for an extension of time for submitting information about how changes to the rules affect their waiver applications. During the meeting on Aug. 29, “counsel for the Media Parties expressed their concerns that changes to the NBCO Rule and to applicable standards for evaluation of requests for waiver of that rule are still under consideration by the Commission on remand from the Third Circuit and in the pending 2010 Quadrennial Regulatory Review proceeding,” the notice said (http://xrl.us/bnnwcv). Should the commission adopt some of the provisions in its 2010 quadrennial review rulemaking notice, some of the parties wouldn’t need the waivers or at least the standards for granting them could change, the notice said. “Accordingly Media Parties requested that the commission consider deferring the deadline for filing supplemental waiver showings pending the Commission’s decision in the 2010” proceeding, the notice said.
The FCC released the pleading cycle on AT&T’s requests to buy multiple Wireless Communications Service and AWS-1 licenses from Comcast, Horizon Wi-Com and NextWave Wireless. The three transactions include the transfer of 13 WCS licenses from Comcast and eight WCS licenses from Horizon, as well as the transfer of 30 WCS licenses and 12 AWS-1 licenses from NextWave, according to an FCC public notice released Friday. “According to the applications, if the proposed transactions are consummated, AT&T would be acquiring 10-25 megahertz of A, B, and C Block WCS spectrum from Comcast in 149 Cellular Market Areas,” the notice said (http://xrl.us/bnnwcc). “In addition, AT&T would be acquiring 10 megahertz of A Block WCS spectrum from Horizon in 132 CMAs. Further, AT&T would be acquiring 5-30 megahertz of A, B, C, and D Block WCS spectrum from NextWave in 476 CMAs.” Petitions to deny are due Oct. 1. Opposition must be filed by Oct. 11, replies by Oct. 22.
The FCC fined WKLC Inc. $7,000 for failing to file a timely license application and for unauthorized station operation after its construction permit expired, a forfeiture order said (http://xrl.us/bnnwbs). The fine dates back to a 2004 grant of construction permit for new facilities at WKLC-FM St. Albans, W.Va., which expired three years later, the order said. The licensee failed to file a covering license application until 2011, the order said.
Birch Communications and DayStar Communications are asking for FCC approval to transfer DayStar assets to Birch control, according to an FCC public notice released Friday. Birch reached a deal to buy DayStar’s assets earlier this month, and the companies filed the FCC request Aug. 13. Birch said it expects to complete the deal during the current quarter (http://xrl.us/bnnwbh). Interested parties have until Sept. 14 to file comments, Sept. 21 to file replies, the FCC said (http://xrl.us/bnnwbb).
The FCC Homeland Security Bureau said it is working with stakeholders to address concerns with the agency’s Emergency Alert System rules. The revelation came in a letter sent to Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., (http://xrl.us/bnnwcn). Bureau Chief David Turetsky acknowledged that broadcasters have raised significant objections to the FCC’s mandatory override/force tuning practices and in response the commission will revisit the issue, he said in the letter published this week. “While I cannot predict the outcome of this review, I can assure you that the commission remains committed to ensuring the public has access to timely and accurate public safety information across all information and media platforms,” Turetsky wrote.
A quiet period on a cable industry forbearance petition that would make it easier for cable operators to buy CLECs will begin Sept. 5 at 5 p.m. (EDT), a public notice from the FCC said (http://xrl.us/bnnwaz). The commission is expected to grant the petition (CD Aug 23 p2). If the FCC fails to act on the petition before Sept. 19, it will be deemed granted, the notice said. “All presentations to decision makers concerning NCTA’s Condition Petition for Forbearance, whether ex parte or not, are ... prohibited during the two-week quiet period,” before the statutory deadline, the notice said.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski responded to a letter from five House lawmakers who urged the commission to identify and pursue spectrum allocation policies to free up more spectrum for commercial use. Genachowski said in a letter posted last week (http://xrl.us/bnnwck) that the FCC had identified “several bands” of federal spectrum, including Defense Department spectrum, that “could be promising resources to address the spectrum crunch.” Genachowski added that the commission continues to work with LightSquared representatives to resolve the “complex issues” associated with the withdrawal of the company’s conditional terrestrial broadband network license. He said if the company were to submit a petition to seek alternative spectrum, the FCC would work with NTIA to “consider any proposals carefully.” Genachowski’s letter was sent to Reps. James Moran, D-Va., Steve Rothman, D-N.J., Maurice Hinchey, D-N.Y., Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., and Rodney Alexander, R-La. Genachowski sent a similar response to Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and John Kerry, D-Mass., and Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., Joe Pitts, R-Pa., and Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., in separate letters.
The FCC Media Bureau clarified in a letter published last week that noncommercial educational (NCE) broadcast stations are prohibited from airing commercial advertisements but are permitted to acknowledge and identify contributors on air (http://xrl.us/bnnwci). Bureau Chief of Communications and Industry Information Michael Perko said the commission was currently seeking public comment on whether and under what circumstances NCE stations are permitted to conduct on-air fundraising activities for charities and third-party nonprofit organizations. Perko responded to separate letters sent from Sens. James Inhofe, R-Okla., and David Vitter, R-La., who previously requested the FCC’s clarification on the issue.
The Georgia Public Service Commission announced Sept. 10-16 will mark Lifeline Awareness Week, it said Thursday. “The Commission’s focus this year is making consumers aware of new eligibility requirements adopted this year by the Federal Communications Commission,” the PSC said (http://xrl.us/bnnwar). In a statement, Chairman Tim Echols emphasized the way Georgia had sought to instill accountability and prevent fraud.
FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski told lawmakers in a letter published last week that while it’s important to “keep moving” on USF and intercarrier compensation reform, the commission would work closely with affected carriers to ensure that residents in rural areas receive adequate voice and broadband services (http://xrl.us/bnnwcg). Genachowski responded to letters from nearly 50 House and Senate members that urged the commission not to undermine the network investments of rural carriers with its regulatory reforms. The FCC’s revised methodology “takes recent investment into consideration; it accounts for several additional drivers of cost in comparing spending between carriers; it extends the transition period to give carriers time to adjust; and it provides a streamlined process to address any concerns about the accuracy of carriers’ data,” Genachowski wrote.