Nokia Networks unveiled wireless solutions that provide advanced services such as prepaid calling and virtual private networks for GSM, General Packet Radio Service and 3rd-generation systems. Nokia said it planned to start deliveries in 2nd half of year.
FCC asked for comments by Feb. 20 on CLEC access charge issues raised in U.S. Dist. Court, Alexandria. Acting in suits brought by several CLECs against AT&T and Sprint, court Jan. 5 referred to FCC issues involving obligation of interexchange companies (IXCs) to purchase CLEC access service. As part of referral process, AT&T and Sprint filed petitions Jan. 19 seeking FCC ruling on 2 key issues: (1) Whether there is any regulation or law preventing IXCs from refusing to use certain access services. (2) If not, what steps IXCs must take to avoid ordering access service or canceling service after it has been ordered. Replies are due March 2. Court has stayed remaining issues in case, pending FCC ruling, until July 19.
Only one TV station aired average of 5 min. of political news coverage per night in most recent campaign, and average of 74 stations surveyed was about 45 sec., survey by Annenberg School/Norman Lear Center reported. “Forty-five seconds is barely enough time to clear your throat,” said Martin Kaplan, dir. of Lear Center. Five min. per night was recommended by FCC Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of DTV Bcstrs. Although stations typically didn’t meet that standard, study said those who committed to it came closer (2 min., 17 sec. per night) than those that didn’t. Study included all time devoted to all candidates for all races in late afternoon and evening newscasts.
Metricom began wireless Internet service Ricochet in L.A., in area from Ventura County in south to Newport Beach and Riverside in eastern metro area. Service provides mobile Internet access at speeds of up to 182 kbps.
Ill. state Rep. Steve Davis (D-Benthalo) introduced House version of legislation that would largely deregulate Ameritech. Bill is similar to Senate deregulation bill (SB-134) introduced by state Sen. Steve Rauschenberger (R-Elgin) last week that was incorrectly listed as SB-69. Davis’s bill, like Rauschenberger’s, would replace current Public Utilities Act, which expires July 1, with new code that would immediately deregulate all business services and optional/discretionary residential services. Basic residential service rates would be under 2-year rate cap, then would be indexed to inflation. It would continue requirement that customers be notified of rate changes but would reduce notice interval to 30 days from 45 and would establish mandatory dispute resolution process for retail customer complaints. Bill is in House Rules Committee.
Senate subcommittees continued fleshing out their memberships last week as Congress prepared for its first week of substantive hearings. Republicans and Democrats were to spend weekend in policy retreats, but be back in Washington by Tues. On Senate Appropriations Committee, Commerce-Justice-State (CJS) Subcommittee kept same slate of 6 Republicans, led by Chmn. Gregg (R-N.H.). Democrat Sens. Kohl (Wis.) and Murray (Wash.) were added, with Sen. Hollings (S.C.) remaining ranking minority member. CJS panel funds FCC and other agencies. Labor-HHS Subcommittee, which also finds itself involved most years in funding communications and Internet-related activities, added Sens. DeWine (R-O.) and Landrieu (D-La.). Sen. Specter (R-Pa.) remains chmn., Sen. Harkin (D-Ia.) ranking minority member. On Senate Banking Committee, Sen. Bennett (R-Utah) remains chmn. of Financial Institutions Subcommittee, which claims some e-commerce jurisdiction. Sen. Hagel (R-Neb.) has moved to chmn. of International Trade Subcommittee, which handles issues such as export controls, replacing Sen. Enzi (R-Wyo.), who has moved to Securities Subcommittee but promises to remain involved in export issues.
Group of industry committees has come up with solution to so- called soft-slamming problem that sometimes occurs when consumers move their long distance service to switchless resellers. Switchless carriers ride on other long distance companies’ facilities and those underlying companies often are ones listed on consumer bills. That confuses users, who think they were slammed. Committees operating as part of Alliance for Telecom Industry Solutions (ATIS) developed software that makes it easier for ILECs, which handle billing for many long distance companies, to reveal true carrier on bills. New process makes use of existing subscription and customer ordering system to help ILECs identify switchless long distance providers. ATIS submitted solution to Cal. PUC, which had required industry to come up with way of fixing soft-slamming problem.
MGM will buy 20% stake in 4 of Rainbow Media Holdings’ national cable networks for $825 million in cash, MGM and Rainbow Media parent Cablevision Systems announced late Feb. 1. Move by Hollywood studio, which came after Cablevision called off full- scale auction for its programming unit because bids weren’t high enough, paves way for MSO to proceed with earlier plans to create separate tracking stock for Rainbow Media later this month. MGM, which said it might try to boost its stake in Rainbow Media to as much as 50% eventually, will receive interest in American Movie Classics, Bravo, Independent Film Channel and We: Women’s Entertainment (formerly Romance Classics). But MGM won’t get stake in Rainbow Media’s sports or regional programming networks. Nor will MGM gain any management control, board seats or guaranteed cable distribution for its films, companies said, but MGM officials indicated that they hoped to work out some kind of exclusive licensing or promotion deal with Rainbow Media. Cablevision said cash infusion would be used to finance Rainbow Media’s expansion and reduce unit’s debt. MSO doesn’t intend to sell any other stakes in Rainbow Media, it said. As result of deal, which values all 4 channels at just over $4.1 billion, Cablevision once again rescheduled its special stockholders meeting for voting on creation of tracking stock. Instead of shareholder vote Feb. 2, as most recently planned, Cablevision said it now would hold meeting Feb. 16.
Nokia outlined plans to shift part of its wireless phone manufacturing operations from Tex. to plants in Korea and Mexico, resulting in loss of 800 jobs at 2 Tex. sites over next 5 months. Ft. Worth operations will focus more on engineering support for N. and S. America and will continue to manufacture wireless phones, Nokia said. In all, Nokia has 5,500 employees at its Tex. operations. “We are taking actions designed to increase our market and cost leadership,” said K-P Wilska, Nokia pres.- Americas.
John Tupper, principal owner of 2 small-market Fox TV affiliates -- WVSX Lewisburg, W.Va., and KNDX Bismarck, N.D., launched frontal attack on Nielsen ratings for markets with only diaries, charging company “as a monopoly provider is knowingly issuing inaccurate ratings books in diary-only markets.” Station executives in several Nielsen nonmetered markets agreed to some degree with Tupper’s charges. He made presentation last fall to NAB’s Committee for Local TV Audience Measurements (COLTAM) and last month to Assn. of Local TV Stations (ALTV) board. Nielsen said it had no comment.