Former Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) lost Tues. in GOP primary for his state’s lone open House seat, coming in 2nd to Gov. Bill Janklow in 5-candidate race (CD June 5 p5). Janklow drew just over 50% of vote, with Pressler at 27%. In N.M., former FCC Comr. Gloria Tristani won 3/4 of vote in Democratic primary for Senate seat held by Sen. Domenici (R), with Tristani beating Santa Fe attorney Francesca Lobato. Despite her strong primary win, however, Tristani -- granddaughter of late Sen. Dennis Chavez (D-N.M.) -- is considered sizeable underdog to Domenici, 30-year veteran running for his 6th term as ranking Republican on Senate Budget Committee, in general election. Tristani said she would bring better wages and education to N.M. if elected: “We can no longer be complacent about being 50th on almost every list.”
Coalition of civil rights and consumer groups urged FCC Chmn. Powell to conduct more thorough study of what they called “the anticompetitive and other dangerous effects” of growing number of media mergers. In letter written Tues., they said Powell should heed advice of Sens. Hollings (D- S.C.), DeWine (R-O.), and Kohl (D-Wis.) to study how media ownership influenced programming decisions and opportunity for new programmers to offer news, information and entertainment to public. Groups, which included National Urban League, NAACP, National Council of La Raza, National Congress of American Indians, Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America (CFA), Media Access Project (MAP) and others, said debate wasn’t about entertainment variety and number of channels available, but rather how consolidation of ownership of transmission lines and programming networks “undercut diversity of thought and speech, undermine the creation and distribution of independent news and limit the range of culturally important entertainment products.” Groups said in accompanying press release that Powell in recent speeches had signaled increasing inclination to relax media ownership rules. Commission is weighing new rules after U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., struck down FCC’s old 30% ownership cap as being arbitrary and without justification.
House Commerce Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) was critical of FCC ultra-wideband (UWB) order Wed.,, saying at Telecom Subcommittee hearing that Commission was too quick to adopt restrictions based on NTIA recommendations. He said NTIA’s concerns were based on hypotheticals that had little research backing them up. “We have an FCC order that permits a limited deployment of new technology,” Tauzin said. “NTIA determined the outcome of this proceeding, and the FCC’s order is pretty clear about that. The Commission adopted emissions limits based on levels with which NTIA was comfortable.” Tauzin said FCC had to draw conclusions on “mountains” of conflicting data, with NTIA detailing potential interference and UWB developers arguing that devices wouldn’t cause harmful interference. He said he was hopeful FCC would be able to conduct enough “real world” tests in next 6-12 months to determine whether there was “solid” evidence that UWB created harmful interference in restricted bands.
FCC issued $10,000 forfeiture order against Rev. Philius Nicholas for operating radio station at 88.1 MHz without license, it said. Nicholas didn’t respond to original complaint, which was result of investigation by N.Y. field office, FCC said.
Govt. and industry officials generally were still trying Wed. to evaluate results of Bcst. Protection Discussion Group (BPDG) failure to agree on many copy protection issues involving DTV and Internet. FCC officials, asked whether lack of agreement would result in govt. action, said it was too early to comment. Broadcasters expressed disappointment with outcome and its likely impact on DTV transition. Most consumer electronics (CE) companies said it still was too early to comment.
Lockheed and Loral may be moving toward merger of satellite manufacturing operations, but they wouldn’t comment on reports that their top officials had been meeting quietly on possible consolidation for several months. Speculation that 2 of 3 largest companies eventually could join manufacturing units have surfaced repeatedly in last 5 years. Reports have heightened recently with declining U.S. satellite market and growing dominance of Boeing and European manufacturers. Timing and industry climate also could be right for companies to obtain regulatory approval from FCC and Dept. of Justice, some believe.
ALTS and CompTel urged FCC to appeal recent line-sharing decision by U.S. Appeals Court, D.C. (CD May 28 p1). In letter sent Wed. to FCC Chmn. Powell and other commissioners, 2 groups said agency also should get commitment letters from Bell companies promising to continue providing line-sharing while Triennial Review of unbundled network element (UNE) is pending. “It is our understanding that the incumbent LECs may interpret that court decision as requiring them to provide all UNEs except the line-sharing UNE while the Commission completes its Triennial Review proceeding,” letter said. “We are extremely concerned about the disruption that may occur if the incumbent LECs adopt that interpretation… ALTS and CompTel member companies provide broadband services via line-sharing UNEs to tens of thousands of consumer and small business users and hundreds of new users are signing up every day.” Letter said seeking stay of line-sharing mandate was “most efficient means of preventing disruption in the broadband sector,” particularly since FCC was expected to resolve issues raised by court in Triennial Review.
President Bush is expected to issue Executive Order “very shortly” directing Office of Management & Budget (OMB) project called Safecom to accomplish its goal of interoperability for federal public safety systems, said William Speights, public safety program mgr. at NTIA’s Office of Spectrum Management. Speights spoke at Assn. of Public- Safety Communications Officials (APCO) Homeland Security Summit in Washington Wed. at which continued lack of interoperability of some public safety systems was among key themes. Wireless Public Safety Interoperable Communications Program, called Project Safecom, is OMB e-govt. initiative designed to accelerate readiness of public safety wireless systems for homeland security for federal agencies. Public safety community is important part of federal Project Safecom, said Mike Byrne, senior dir. for response and recovery in Office of Homeland Security. It “isn’t about the federal government telling state and local jurisdictions how they need to do things,” said Byrne, former N.Y.C. firefighter. “It’s about a bottom-up approach in terms of local [agencies] and the states determining and helping to craft what the right solution set for communications is.”
FCC late Wed. issued order permitting ILECs to raise subscriber line charge (SLC) for residential and small business consumers to as high as $6 July 1 and $6.50 year later. Action comes after conclusion of cost study that was required under May 2000 CALLS access charge reform order before SLC cap could be raised above $5. SLC is flat-rate charge imposed by LECs on end users to recover interstate- allocated portion of local loop costs. CALLS order reduced implicit subsidies in access rates while gradually increasing SLC cap in return but, in answer to concerns of consumer groups, called for cost study before SLC cap rose this year. Telecom Act requires FCC to convert explicit subsidies, such as those in access charges, to implicit charges such as SLC. CALLS order had raised SLC cap to $4.35 from $3.50 on July 1, 2000, and to $5 on July 1, 2001. FCC said cost study “verified” that latest increase to $6 was “appropriate.”
Nokia and radio frequency subsystem developer Endwave signed agreement to develop wireless broadband solutions for 58 GHz unlicensed spectrum. Joint initiative, terms not disclosed, will demonstrate capabilities of 58 GHz for wireless local area network backhaul, campus networking, microcell backhaul for cellular networks. Nokia also said it had received approval for its 58 GHz microhopper radio to be rolled out in U.S. in compliance with FCC regulations. That equipment already has been launched in Europe and Endwave makes transceiver units for it, companies said.