FCC’s C- and F-block auction continued to linger around $16.8 billion mark Tues., with Verizon Wireless remaining virtually unchanged in top slot with $8.8 billion in high bids. In sign that bidding for 422 PCS licenses continued to drag, as few as 9 new bids were made in one round Tues. afternoon. In last 10 rounds, bids have increased only $150 million. In all, auction has gone 85 rounds since starting Dec. 12. AT&T Wireless-backed Alaska Native Wireless had $2.9 billion in high bids, followed by Cingular Wireless-backed Salmon PCS with $2.3 billion, DCC PCS with $546.1 million, Cook Inlet with $499.2 million, VoiceStream PCS with $482.3 million and Leap Wireless International with $350 million. Licenses still drawing new bids are mostly smaller markets in southern and western parts of country. Separately, Leap Wireless said late Tues. it had reached agreement with Qualcomm, which will provide wireless carrier with $125 million in financing to support its bidding. Qualcomm is planning to transfer to Leap auction discount voucher it previously received from agency. Qualcomm stipulated it had no role in auction. Leap said it would repay Qualcomm for value of voucher in form of loan payable in single payment within 5 years. Qualcomm had received voucher from FCC as part of litigation settlement involving pioneer’s preference license.
Ronald Frieson promoted to chief diversity officer, BellSouth… Dale Hatfield, ex-FCC, named technical adviser, Fantasma Networks… Jeff Bartlett, ex-KHBS Ft. Smith, Ark., and KHOG-TV Fayetteville, Ark., named pres.-gen.mgr., WMUR-TV Manchester, N.H… Gerry Anderson, gen. mgr., Mid-Rivers Telephone Co-op, reelected chmn. of Independent NECA Services (INS), subsidiary of National Exchange Carriers Assn.; Donald Bond, pres.-gen. mgr., Public Service Telephone, named vice chmn., INS board… Promotions at Comcast: Richard Palmer to senior vp- finance and administration, Eastern Div.; Debbie Brodsky to senior dir. of online content, online communications… Len Marino advanced to senior vp-creative services and on-air promotion, Odyssey Network… Barbara Zaneri, ex-USA Bcstg., named senior vp- program planning & acquisitions, TNN… Lorinzo Joyner, ex-deputy Attorney Gen. in N.C. Justice Dept., appointed to serve 6 months remaining in term of N.C. Utilities Comr. William Pittman, who resigned to join Raleigh law firm… Frank Urbany, vp- international affairs, BellSouth, elected chmn., Universal Wireless Communications Consortium… Vicki Lins promoted to senior vp-marketing and communications, Adlink… Douglas Wiley promoted to dir.-govt. relations, Alcatel USA… Linda Marshall advanced to regional vp-midwest region, Nextel… Phil Bond, ex- Information Technology Industry Council, becomes dir.-federal public policy, Hewlett-Packard… Frank Brilliant, ex-BizRate.com, appointed vp-Business Solutions Group, Arch Wireless… Elected to AirFiber board: Brett Helm, pres.-COO, AirFiber; Marcel Gani, CFO, Juniper Networks… William Wiberg, ex-Lucent, becomes general partner, Private Equity Group, Bowman Capital…Neil Cox, pres. of SecurityLink from Ameritech, joins Wireless Online board… Appointed at Pacific Broadband Communications: Sydney Carey, ex-Entera, as CFO; Clint Tripodi, ex-Entera, as vp-human resources.
Coalition for Noncommercial Media (CNM) filed motion for preliminary injunction with FCC seeking to block Western N.Y. Public Bcstg. Assn.(WNYPBA) from allowing its noncommercial TV station WNEQ-TV Buffalo to be operated commercially following its decision to sell station to LIN TV for $26.2 million (CD Nov 9 p5). Motion came on heels of petition by CNM to deny WNYPBA’s application with FCC for voluntary assignment of license of WNEQ- TV to LIN TV. Saying it was not unusual for FCC to “consume 7 years investigating allegations” in petition to deny, CNM said that unless status quo were maintained during that time, denial of application would be “a hollow remedy.” In addition to WNEQ-TV (Ch. 23), WNYPBA has been operating WNED-TV (Ch. 17) noncommercially to carry mainstream PBS schedule, CNM said, and FCC’s April 2000 modification of table of TV allotments de- reserving Ch. 23 and making Ch. 17 reserved was not final order as CNM had sought review in U.S. Appeals Court, D.C. FCC decision based on allotments policy didn’t address whether “it would serve the public interest for Buffalo, or any other community, to surrender a noncommercial TV station to commercial operation,” it said. WNEQ-TV’s LMA is unlike others because it actually would combine commercial and noncommercial service on same channel, CNM said. That would confuse audience by “deploying the prestige and integrity of public broadcaster to promote the offerings of a commercial enterprise,” it said.
FCC hasn’t decided how to react to “regulatory freeze” memo sent to agency by White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card Mon. (CD Jan 23 p1), although it does believe freeze is voluntary for independent agencies like FCC, Commission sources said. Industry sources said they couldn’t recall similar memos in past transitions. White House hadn’t returned our calls at our deadline.
FCC Wireless Bureau is seeking comment on informal request by International Assn. of Fire Chiefs/International Municipal Signal Assn. (IAFC/IMSA) for frequency coordination certification in 800 MHz and 900 MHz public safety pool Private Land Mobile Radio (PLMR) frequencies. In 1998, FCC created plan for reallocation of 700 MHz band to public safety use, allowing any of certified frequency public safety coordinators, including IAFC/IMSA, to provide coordination. Agency hasn’t taken similar steps to alter frequency coordination process for 800 MHz and 900 MHz PLMR bands. Assns. contended that because of similarities between PLMR systems in bands such as 700 MHz and 800 MHz and 900 MHz public safety channels, IAFC/IMSA would be equally qualified to coordinate applications in those upper bands. Comments are due Feb. 21, replies March 8. Separately, bureau is seeking comments on similar request last month by American Assn. of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Request involves frequency coordination certification in 800 MHz PLMR public safety radio service frequencies. Comments also are due Feb. 21, replies March 8.
Delivering major blow to broadcasters, FCC tentatively concluded that cable operators didn’t have to carry both analog and digital signals of TV stations during digital transition. In order adopted by 4-1 vote with at least one partial dissent Thurs. but not released until late Mon., Commission said that, “based on the existing record, such a requirement appears to burden cable operators’ First Amendment interests more than is necessary to further a substantial governmental interest.” But agency didn’t rule out dual carriage requirement completely, seeking further comment on need for it to hasten digital transition, updated channel capacity from cable operators, digital compression advances and status and scope of digital retransmission consent agreements between broadcasters and MSOs.
LAS VEGAS -- Broadcasters and other regulated industries can expect from new FCC “a greater feel for the law… and a more humble approach,” FCC Comr. Furchtgott-Roth said here. Commission will regulate “only what the law requires… and it will be a greater day at the FCC,” he told ALTV panel Mon. afternoon. Michael Powell, who had been FCC chairman for just a few hours, deferred first question from ALTV’s David Donovan -- on what changes broadcasters could expect under Bush Administration -- to his Republican colleague, after which Powell said “my final sincere hope” is that agency would become “more efficient and responsive” to needs of those it regulated: “The greatest enemy of regulation is… uncertainty.” After panel, longtime Washington lawyer told us: “We're in for a sea change of deregulation if you follow their comments to their logical conclusion.”
Nextel Partners posted loss of $202.2 million from operations in 2000, up from $71.6 million in 1999. Company said loss includes stock-based compensation expense of $70.1 million. Due in part to strong subscriber growth, Nextel Partners had revenue of $135.9 million in 2000, vs. $32.7 million in 1999. Company ended year with 227,400 digital subscribers, up from 181,300 at end of 1999.
Europolitan and Hi3G, which won 3rd-generation wireless licenses in Sweden last month, signed agreement to jointly build part of their next-generation infrastructure, terms not disclosed. Europolitan and Hi3G will form separate company that will build infrastructure mostly outside of metro areas of Gothenburg, Malmoe, Stockholm. Under cooperative agreement, companies said they jointly would build and maintain up to 70% of infrastructure required by their licenses. Each will have equal access to network and retain operating independence.
Sen. Brownback (R-Kan.) reintroduced bill (S-124) to exempt voluntary industry guidelines governing content from antitrust laws. It was referred to Judiciary Committee. Bill would cover Internet content as well as TV, movies, videogames, music lyrics. Content industries have complained they can’t self-regulate their content as govt. is pressuring them to do because that would require illegal consorting. Senate Antitrust Subcommittee Chmn. DeWine (R-O.) and ranking Democrat Kohl (Wis.) and Sen. Dorgan (D- N.D.) are initial co-sponsors.