The Association of Public Safety Communications Officials is proposing best practices to make wireless E-911 more efficient. APCO, through its Project LOCATE (Locate Our Citizens At Times of Emergency), asked for comments on a draft best practices document from wireless service providers (WSPs) and other interested parties. The group is seeking comments by June 23, with a goal of final standards in late summer.

The FCC released a notice of inquiry on E-911 calls from “uninitialized” phones - discarded handsets without service plans -- a growing problem for public safety answering points. National and state public safety groups called attention to the matter. PSAP officials have complained of myriad prank 911 calls made from old, untraceable phones. APCO, the National Emergency Number Association and the National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators filed a petition at the FCC seeking action (CD March 5 p5).

Don’t designate TracFone Wireless an eligible telecommunications carrier unless TracFone commits to collect and remit 911 recovery fees in compliance with state and local government requests, the National Emergency Number Association urged the FCC in comments. The recommendation concurred with February comments by the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate. According to an ex parte, TracFone lawyers spoke about E911 fees Wednesday with Ian Dillner, aide to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. In comments, NENA cited “the emergence of frustrating patterns of behavior by TracFone related to whether or how to apply” 911 and E911 surcharges “commonplace for conventional wire and wireless telephony.” The prepaid carrier’s “apparent practice has been to offer to cooperate with 9-1-1 entities in the search for a fair and practicable way to surcharge prepaid services, only to turn against, and sometimes formally challenge, the legislative result,” NENA said.

Tuesday’s FCC meeting was twice delayed as commissioners negotiated over a finding in a coming report to Congress that cable operators have surpassed a threshold that would allow additional regulation by the commission, Chairman Kevin Martin said. He told reporters that other commissioners are reviewing his compromise plan. Under it, the agency would require the companies to report data to help determine whether the so-called 70/70 test has been met. Most of the commissioners have been skeptical of data in the 2006 Video Competition Report that the Media Bureau said show more than 70 percent of U.S. homes passed by systems with 36 or more channels buy cable (CD Nov 15 p3). “Obviously, a lot of the commissioners had raised concerns about that previously,” Martin said.

FCC Commissioner Deborah Tate adds Amy Blankenship, ex- aide to Senator Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), as aide on children, family and media issues… Jessica Insalaco, ex- MTV, becomes EchoStar senior vice president, chief marketing officer… NBC Universal moves Darren Feher to executive vice president, chief technology officer, heading new media technology organization within the company… New at National Geographic Ventures Music and Radio operation: David Beal, ex-Palm Pictures, president; Mark Bauman moves from NG’s Mission Program to be executive vice president… Bob Anderson resigns as president-general manager of KBWB-TV San Francisco… New at TV One: Consultant Jeff Meier becomes senior vice president, programming strategy and acquisitions; Toni Judkins, ex-MTV, becomes vice president, programming and production; Kinyette Newman promoted to vice president, production management; Endyia Kinney-Sterns, ex-BET, becomes senior director, programming and production… A.B. Cruz adds title of E.W. Scripps executive vice president… National 9- 1-1 Association names consultant Jeff Nedelman communications director.

The House passed the 9/11 Commission report 371-40 Friday that includes provisions upgrading the nation’s 911 systems and allocating $400 million beginning in FY 2009 for interoperable emergency communications and a dedicated interoperability grant program. The grants, managed by the Department of Homeland Security, would require annual reports to Congress on state progress toward implementing interoperability plans. The Senate passed the bill late Thursday and it now goes to the President to be signed.

Congress should build 911 awareness nationwide with a “National 9-1-1 Education Month,” said Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D- Calif.). Congressional E-911 Caucus co-chairs Eshoo and Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) Thursday unveiled H.R. 537, which would designate one month each year to educating Americans about 911 services through events, ad campaigns, school presentations and parent and teacher training. The bill aims especially at children, seniors, the hearing-impaired, those with limited English and other “vulnerable populations,” said Eshoo. Its passage would reduce inappropriate 911 use and stress on the 911 system from technological change, said Gregory Rohde, executive director of the E-911 Institute. The bill is a “silver bullet” in a comprehensive E-911 approach, Eshoo said. Along with 16 House cosponsors, the bill has backing by the E-911 Institute, National Emergency Number Association, National Association of State 9-1-1 Administrators, Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials, CTIA, 9-11 for Kids and Comcare. Those groups have adopted resolutions designating April for the 911 campaign.

New executive board members at the National Emergency Number Association: President Jason Barbour, Johnson County, N.C.; First Vice President Ronald Bonneau, SouthCom Dispatch; Second Vice President Craig Whittington, Guilford Metro 9-1-1… As a result the planned retirement of Disney- ABC Worldwide TV President Laurie Younger, Ben Pyne is promoted to president of global distribution, and David Preschlack to executive vice president of affiliate sales, Disney and ESPN Networks… CBS promotes Aaron Radin to senior vice president, ad sales and business development, CBS TV Stations Digital Media Group… Kent Schneider, ex- Northrop Grumman, becomes president and CEO of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association.

The FCC asked Liberty Media and News Corp. for additional information so the commission can consider their $11 billion asset swap of a controlling stake in DirecTV. The companies were asked to provide copies of national sports programming agreements and documents involving three regional sports networks Liberty will get from News Corp. as part of the deal. The FCC is reviewing News Corp.’s proposal to transfer its 38.5 percent stake in DirecTV to News Corp. Some cable companies want the Commission to curb exclusive sports deals between Liberty and News Corp. as part of approving the deal (CD March 27 p2). The companies have until July 9 to respond to the request for information, said June 15 letters to lawyers for Liberty and News Corp. The data request resembles one made by the FCC of Comcast and Time Warner as part of reviewing their $17.6 billion takeover of Adelphia. Commissioners approved the cable deal 4-1 in July.

Qualcomm said it will join wireless carriers in asking the U.S. Appeals Court, Federal Circuit, to stay an International Trade Commission order banning import of new wireless handsets with Qualcomm chips held to infringe a Broadcom patent. Qualcomm also will ask President Bush to veto the decision, the company said. CTIA blasted the move as bad for consumers, saying it will slow 3G network rollouts. COMCARE and the Assn. of Public Safety Communications Officials said the order will hurt efforts to make 911 more accurate. ITC in a “split-the-baby decision” Thurs. said the ban will apply to future handset models (CD June 8 p8), but not those already being imported.