The PyeongChang Olympics "were a great success" for Korean broadcasters that showcased ATSC 3.0 for Ultra HD video reception with high dynamic range, said Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley on a Wednesday earnings call. The “first iteration” of 3.0 for Korean broadcasters “has just been focused on better resolution, better pictures, which we don’t think is the ultimate best use of that technology, and I think they’ll agree,” said Ripley. He also said Sinclair feels "we're getting close" to landing DOJ and FCC approval of the proposed Tribune buy, but opponents of the deal disagree (see 1802280047).

Commissioner Brendan Carr said FCC members will vote at their March 22 meeting on changes to rules on historic and environmental reviews of small cells and larger macro towers. More details will be available Thursday when Chairman Ajit Pai is expected to release items for the meeting. Carr and industry officials discussed 5G at a CTA event Wednesday. Many industry groups applauded the proposed changes.

In oral argument in the “Microsoft Ireland” Supreme Court case Tuesday (see 1710160009), Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor asked whether the high court should defer to Congress for a legislative solution on police access to data stored abroad. Ginsburg called the environment of U.S. v. Microsoft a “brave new world.” Citing the 1986 Stored Communications Act, Microsoft challenged a U.S. government warrant demanding emails stored in Ireland as part of a drug trafficking investigation. The high court granted the government’s application to review a 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that said Microsoft didn't have to comply with a probable-cause warrant for the customer's emails in Ireland because U.S. law doesn't apply abroad.

In oral argument in the “Microsoft Ireland” Supreme Court case Tuesday (see 1710160009), Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor asked whether the high court should defer to Congress for a legislative solution on police access to data stored abroad. Ginsburg called the environment of U.S. v. Microsoft a “brave new world.” Citing the 1986 Stored Communications Act, Microsoft challenged a U.S. government warrant demanding emails stored in Ireland as part of a drug trafficking investigation. The high court granted the government’s application to review a 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals decision that said Microsoft didn't have to comply with a probable-cause warrant for the customer's emails in Ireland because U.S. law doesn't apply abroad.

Based on public broadcasting's success with lthe FY 2018 federal approprirations process, America's Public TV Stations (APTS) CEO Patrick Butler said . While the White House's FY 2019 budget proposal zeroes out CPB (see 1802120037), "we enjoy incredible support from Congress," APTS Chairman Ronnie Agnew said.

The outlook for FirstNet to change the communications landscape for first responders remains uncertain even as construction gets underway, David Furth, deputy chief of the FCC Public Safety Bureau, told the Consumer Advisory Committee Monday. CAC focused largely on public safety and robocalls, with recorded remarks from Chairman Ajit Pai. Furth said interoperable communications among first responders historically varies by region. “It is very difficult to impose a top-down solution when it comes to interoperability,” he said. “It usually has to be developed from the bottom up.”

Chairman Ajit Pai said the FCC hopes to hold an auction of the 28 GHz band in November, followed immediately by a 24 GHz auction. But Pai, at the Mobile World Congress, Monday, said doing so relies on Congress passing legislation by May 13 giving the agency the ability to handle upfront payments. On a third band, NTIA Administrator David Redl said Monday his agency will study the 3450-3550 MHz band for wireless broadband. It sits just below the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service frequencies, a focus of the commission.

Chairman Ajit Pai said the FCC hopes to hold an auction of the 28 GHz band in November, followed immediately by a 24 GHz auction. But Pai, at the Mobile World Congress, Monday, said doing so relies on Congress passing legislation by May 13 giving the agency the ability to handle upfront payments. On a third band, NTIA Administrator David Redl said Monday his agency will study the 3450-3550 MHz band for wireless broadband. It sits just below the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service frequencies, a focus of the commission.

The FCC Enforcement Bureau warned the Department of Public Works of Glen Cove, New York, against use of an unauthorized land mobile radio service station operating at 450.500 MHz. An agent for the bureau investigated and identified the station in January, said a notice to the department. The department is in apparent violation of federal law and continued operation “may subject the operator to severe penalties, including, but not limited to, substantial monetary fines, in rem arrest action against the offending radio equipment, and criminal sanctions, including imprisonment,” the bureau said. “Since January, resolution of this matter has been a priority for Mayor [Tim] Tenke and the City of Glen Cove, even before we received official notice from the FCC,” said a spokeswoman for the city: “We are working proactively with the FCC and our vendor, Integrated Wireless Technologies, to rectify the situation.”

Net neutrality litigation flared Thursday after Federal Register publication of the FCC’s December "Restoring Internet Freedom" order, as expected (see 1802210057). New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (D) announced he and 22 other Democratic AGs filed their petition for review at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The order is “arbitrary, capricious, and an abuse of discretion within the meaning of the Administrative Procedure Act,” and violates the Constitution, Communications Act and notice-and-comment rulemaking requirements of 5 U.S. Code § 553, the AGs said.