The Federal Communications Commission has issued a final rule, effective January 30, 2008,1 which provides a progress report on the U.S. transition from analog to digital television and includes the procedures and rule changes necessary to ensure that broadcasters timely complete their transitions. This summary focuses on the progress report.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
What is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is the U.S. federal government’s regulatory agency for the majority of telecommunications activity within the country. The FCC oversees radio, television, telephone, satellite, and cable communications, and its primary statutory goal is to expand U.S. citizens’ access to telecommunications services.
The Commission is funded by industry regulatory fees, and is organized into 7 bureaus:
- Consumer & Governmental Affairs
- Enforcement
- Media
- Space
- Wireless Telecommunications
- Wireline Competition
- Public Safety and Homeland Security
As an agency, the FCC receives its high-level directives from Congressional legislation and is empowered by that legislation to establish legal rules the industry must follow.
Latest News from the FCC
The Federal Communications Commission implemented the final phase of its requirement that all televisions or TV devices with tuners (VCRs, video recorders, etc.) imported or sold across state lines in the U.S. on or after March 1, 2007 have a digital tuner (known as an ATSC tuner).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection has posted to its Web site a document on the International Trade Data System (ITDS) program.
On April 26, 2006, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on "Authorization of Customs and Trade Functions" in order to review the operation of customs and trade functions in the federal government. This review will assist the Finance Committee in preparing legislation to reauthorize those functions.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has posted to its Web site a report for the trade regarding the Automated Commercial Environment (ACE)/International Trade Data System (ITDS) Standard Data Set (SDS), which is updated through February 20, 2006 and is based on SDS version 4.4.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued an administrative message regarding the Customs and Trade Automated Interface Requirements (CATAIR) FC01 input record which states that page OGA-24 (Other Government Agencies) of the CATAIR was changed in Amendment 1 (dated March 2005) to allow for the submission of new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) import condition 5A (the described equipment is a non-U.S. standard cellular phone than can only function outside of the U.S.).
In ITT's 11/15/04 news, 04111505, Part I of BP's summary on U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP's) expanded and revised FAQ on mandatory advance electronic information requirements for truck cargo should refer to this FAQ as the "November 10, 2004" version (rather than the "October 10, 2004" version) in the first and third paragraphs. ITT's Online Archives have been corrected to reflect the correct November 10, 2004 date.
According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the first phase of its plan to require new broadcast television receiving equipment to include the capability to receive digital television (DTV) signals took effect July 1, 2004.
The Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) held a quarterly meeting on June 18, 2004 in Washington, DC to discuss and receive updates from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials on various trade and customs issues.
The Journal of Commerce reports that the DHS Bureau of Transportation and Security Directorate (BTS) Container Working Group, which is working on "secure systems of transportation" and container seals and locks, is thinking about leveraging DHS' scarce assets, including whether the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) known-shipper program can somehow help the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT). The article notes that the CWG intends to present the results of its work to the Departmental Advisory Committee on Commercial Operations of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (COAC) and obtain input from technology providers. (JoC dated 05/17-23/04, www.joc.com.)