Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., hires from office of Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Alex Damato as tech adviser ... House Commerce Committee adds Jon Adame, ex-JM Capital Strategies, as legislative counsel for House Communications Subcommittee ... Philip Corwin ends Virtualaw and is hired by Verisign as policy counsel; says he resigns from ICANN Business Constituency and from seat representing it on the Generic Names Supporting Organization Council; and remains co-chair of working groups on Curative Rights Protections for International Intergovernmental Organizations, and on Rights Protection Measures in all global top-level domains ... Ofcom's Grainne Morrissey joins Squire Patton as senior associate, Communications Practice, working on regulatory, competition and e-communications issues.
Congressional Spectrum Caucus co-Chairmen Reps. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., and Doris Matsui, D-Calif., filed their Spectrum Auction Deposits Act (HR-4109) Wednesday. The bill would require bidders' deposits in future spectrum auctions to be placed with the Treasury Department. The legislation's language would take effect Oct. 1. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said technicalities in the existing deposits process have been preventing the agency from holding additional auctions. The House Communications Subcommittee-cleared draft of the FCC Reauthorization Act also contains language to require auction deposits to go to Treasury (see 1710100066 and 1710110070). Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said in written testimony before a Wednesday oversight hearing that lawmakers should move the deposits fix as a separate bill to give it an easier chance of passing quickly (see 1710240065). CTIA believes HR-4109 “will help bring billions of dollars in auction revenue to the U.S. Treasury while unlocking much needed spectrum,” said Senior Vice President-Government Affairs Kelly Cole.
The House Communications Subcommittee easily cleared the draft FCC Reauthorization Act Wednesday on a bipartisan voice vote, as expected (see 1710100066). Lawmakers made clear additional negotiations need to happen before the full House Commerce Committee considers the bill. House Communications Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., filed a manager's amendment Tuesday that removed several contentious provisions included in her original discussion draft and incorporated bipartisan telecom-related bills in an effort to get Democratic support. Additional revisions to Blackburn's bill aren't likely to hinder House Commerce approval, industry lobbyists told us.
Mobile Future adds Margaret McCarthy, ex-aide to Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., as executive director ... Sidley Austin hires Wim Nauwelaerts, ex-Hunton & Williams, as partner and member, global Privacy and Cybersecurity practice ... NBCUniversal creates unified research group to align sales research, insights and data capabilities for all platforms and partnership, led by Kavita Vazirani, who moves to newly created role of executive vice president-strategic insights and analytics ... USTelecom promotes Lorna Johnson to vice president-finance and administration.
Key lawmakers foresee positive signs for moving some of the more contentious spectrum legislation that stalled in the past if David Redl takes the helm at NTIA, they said in interviews Wednesday. President Donald Trump announced his intent Tuesday to nominate Redl, chief counsel for the House Commerce Committee and a former CTIA official (see 1705160081). He has broad industry support and the support of agencies viewing him as known quantity, said industry officials.
Three House Commerce Committee Democrats requested a Communications Subcommittee hearing on Sinclair's buying Tribune. Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., led the letter, also signed by Communications Subcommittee ranking member Mike Doyle, D-Pa., and Rep. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., addressed to Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, R-Ore., and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. The Democrats pointed to FCC reinstatement of the UHF discount. “Its revival only serves as a loophole in the media ownership rules that opens that door to a wave of broadcast consolidation, as evidenced by this transaction,” they said Tuesday. “Even the FCC majority recognizes that there is no longer a technical basis for the UHF discount.” They believe the American people deserve to hear FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s “plans for loosening media ownership rules in a public setting.” House Commerce has long had a tradition of not holding hearings on takeovers, a GOP committee aide responded. Sinclair didn't comment.
Eleven House Democrats signed a letter on RT, a media outlet sponsored by the Russian government, that Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., was circulating in March (see 1703150066), sent May 3 and released Monday. The letter asks FCC Chairman Ajit Pai to apply sponsorship identification rules and public file ownership disclosure requirements to stations such as RT. “The American people deserve to know who is attempting to influence them,” they said. Other Democrats signing the letter included Reps. Mike Doyle, D-Pa., top Democrat on the Communications Subcommittee, Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Peter Welch, D-Vt.
Capitol Hill Democrats pledged massive pushback to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s NPRM to roll back the 2015 open internet order's classification of broadband as a Communications Act Title II service, set for a May 18 commission vote. GOP lawmakers presented a largely united front in praise of Pai and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., told us Tuesday this should kick off legislative negotiation (see 1704250062). Little bipartisan negotiation has seemed underway, and Republicans disagreed among themselves on what’s the basis for open internet legislation. Pai will go to a bipartisan member briefing Friday for House Commerce members, an aide said.
Lawmakers are bracing for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai’s possible rulemaking notice on the commission’s 2015 open internet order, which some believe will target Communications Act Title II for rollback and may be unveiled Wednesday (see 1704240049). The agency may be contacting some Capitol Hill offices on the matter, though Democrats say they're in the dark. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., is hopeful this possible pending action will spur bipartisan legislative negotiation that he has sought this year and in 2015, interests he has discussed with the FCC before this action.
CTIA is ready with asks for Congress on how to go beyond the Senate’s Mobile Now spectrum bill, Vice President-Regulatory Affairs Scott Bergmann plans to testify before the House Communications Subcommittee Wednesday. Chairman Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., also will outline ambitions to move spectrum legislation beyond what is in Mobile Now. This is the first time the lower chamber will directly consider S-19, a bipartisan package on both spectrum and broadband deployment. It has no precise House companion, and Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., is developing follow-up legislation that builds off the bill, putting together what one staffer called “Mobile Now Plus” ideas (see 1702210051).