FCC Wireless Bureau plans to convert maritime coast and aviation ground services to universal licensing system (ULS) April 30. Bureau’s ULS is consolidating 11 licensing systems used to process wireless applications in electronic filing system that includes automated checking of applications.
Top Walt Disney executives pressed FCC Chmn. Powell and Commission staffers to impose interactive TV (ITV) open access requirements on cable operators in several recent meetings. Disney Chmn. Michael Eisner, Pres. Robert Iger, Exec. Vp Preston Padden and Vp-Govt. Relations Susan Fox met with Powell, legal adviser Susan Eid and staffs of Mass Media Bureau, Cable Bureau and Office of Plans & Policy, stressing potential for cable operators to discriminate against independent programmers by not providing return path for their ITV offerings. Disney executives also raised concerns about ability of vertically integrated MSOs to favor their own ITV services. In addition, Disney officials pressed their case for FCC to relax its broadcast ownership cap. Meetings, revealed in new ex parte filings at Commission, came just before agency, in response to petition from Media Access Project, extended deadline to May 11 for reply comments in its ITV inquiry (CD April 11 p7).
FCC approved its first batch of low-power FM construction permits, it said in public notice (44965) issued Tues. CPs are for stations in Fresno, LeMoore, Lucerne, N. Edwards, Oroville, Porterville, San Clemente, Smith River, Turlock and Woodland, Cal.; Augusta, Colquitt, Ft. Valley, LaVonia, Louise, Tallapoosa and Trenton, Ga.; S. Bend and Valparaiso, Ind.; Mansfield, La.; Rockland, Me.; Ocean City, Oakland and Sherwood, Md.; Enid Okla.
VoiceStream and Deutsche Telekom asked FCC to amend their pending merger review documents to reflect several licenses that VoiceStream had bought since license transfer applications were filed in Sept. Additional licenses include several that VoiceStream purchased from Cook Inlet Region Inc. and application to transfer control of GTE Wireless of Cincinnati to VoiceStream subsidiary. VoiceStream subsidiaries Omnipoint and VS Washington also have acquired wireless license since application was filed involving DT acquisition of VoiceStream. VoiceStream and DT asked that licenses that DT is acquiring include those recent VoiceStream acquisitions, as well. “The Commission’s staff has now requested that VoiceStream and DT submit an amendment to expressly list in the petition all licenses which have either been acquired or have been proposed to be acquired since the filing of the petition,” companies wrote in April 12 ex parte filing. They said DT’s indirect foreign ownership of VoiceStream’s licensee subsidiaries, including newly purchased assets, wouldn’t violate any Commission rule and “would yield substantial public interest.”
Verizon will offer “simple” long distance calling plans in Mass. that provide services without “gimmicks” inherent in competitors’ plans, company announced Tues. in news conference. “Competitors’ business practices are often confusing and misleading,” full of “hidden charges,” Verizon Long Distance Pres. Maura Breen said. “We will offer honest plans with one call for service with a fair price.”
FCC denied request for stay of assignment order from Norris Satellite Tues. as moot because of nullification of company license for failure to meet milestones. Petition to deny filed by CAI also was denied.
FCC Comr. Furchtgott-Roth expressed optimism Tues. that Commission would get its reciprocal compensation item out “shortly,” although he said he was disappointed with results. “This item has just a dreadful history,” he told reporters at monthly breakfast, referring to order that now is on circulation. FCC order vacated and remanded by U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C., reflected “a mistrust in state government” and belief “that the federal government could do things better,” Furchtgott-Roth said. Citing “unsubstantiated” rationale for federal jurisdiction over certain kinds of traffic, he said that 2 years later item is “frankly much the same result from the Commission.”
Successful DTV reception depends more on received signal strength than on modulation scheme or receiver quality, according to in-depth report by Advanced TV Systems Committee (ATSC) Task Force on RF Performance. Report suggests that perceived DTV problems may be result of inflated expectations, that broadcasters shouldn’t count on receiver improvements to solve any problems and that signal improvements, such as use of on-channel receivers, could provide big reception improvements.
FCC Cable Bureau fined Charter Communications $20,000 for repeated violation of Commission’s signal leakage standards in Burlington, Colo., cable system. Agency hit Charter’s 1,000- subscriber system with fine after finding that it had violated signal leakage limits many times in 3 separate tests last April. Cable Bureau also found that Charter willfully failed to comply with agency’s cease operations order.
Ga. PSC set May 31 deadline for comments and June 21 for replies on BellSouth’s request for PSC endorsement of its long distance entry. Carrier requested PSC’s support for interLATA long distance application to FCC later this year.