Cross Community Working Group on Enhancing ICANN Accountability's work on recommendations about the organization's jurisdictional issues appears to be progressing. U.S. officials tell us they're more confident the working group won't seek to move ICANN's place of incorporation from Los Angeles. CCWG-Accountability is examining ICANN's jurisdiction as part of its work on a second set of recommended changes to the organization's accountability mechanisms (see 1610030042). U.S. interests raised concerns earlier this year about the CCWG-Accountability Jurisdiction Subgroup's work (see 1701030021).
Notable CROSS rulings
The FCC is considered likely to grant Fox’s request for a temporary waiver of the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule despite objections raised by a number of public interest groups (see 1703090049), numerous broadcast attorneys told us. Fox wants the waiver to allow it to continue operating the New York Post and running TV stations in the same New York market while awaiting an FCC decision on petitions for reconsideration of the FCC’s 2014 quadrennial ownership review. In a joint opposition filing in docket 07-260 for Monday’s comment deadline, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Free Press, the United Church of Christ Communication Office and Voice for New Jersey said the waiver is unjustified and granting a temporary waiver that's dependent on a pending reconsideration process would “violate long-standing, sensible Commission policy.”
Broadband infrastructure legislation has strong prospects, with the 2018 election conducive to passage, said NTCA CEO Shirley Bloomfield in an interview for C-SPAN's The Communicators to be televised soon (here). Recognizing that securing additional rural USF support from the FCC is difficult, she said she remains hopeful and believes broadband infrastructure legislation could help fill the funding need. She said the broadband net neutrality dispute gives lawmakers a hook to pursue a Communications Act rewrite but it's a heavy lift.
The International Trade Commission should highlight foreign countries' data localization laws as a top barrier to digital trade in a forthcoming report, telecom and tech officials said Tuesday during an ITC hearing. The commission began an investigation in February at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative's request into developments in the digital trade market and how laws in the U.S. and “key foreign markets” are affecting digital trade. The ITC is examining laws in the EU, Brazil, China, India, Indonesia and Russia. The commission is expected to release the first of three reports on the investigation by Aug. 29, with the other two reports to be released in 2018 and 2019.
Petitions to deny Entercom’s proposed buy of CBS Radio are due May 1, the Media Bureau said in a public notice posted in docket 17-85. Oppositions to petitions are due May 11, replies May 18. The all-stock deal would include divestitures in seven markets, and the companies requested a six-month waiver of the TV/radio cross-ownership rules to allow CBS CEO Les Moonves and CBS Chief Operating Officer Joseph Ianniello to sit on the Entercom board after the deal (see 1703210063).
A news media association launched a campaign aimed at fighting fake news, highlighting the harm caused to the public and the importance of real news produced by trusted organizations and journalists. A Wednesday news release said the News Media Alliance's (NMA) Support Real News campaign is urging people to subscribe to local newspapers and donate to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists. ICIJ, the Inland Press Association and the Local Media Consortium are partners. This "raises awareness of the damage that can be and is being caused by fake news, and to demonstrate why the continued presence of real news organizations is vital to a strong democracy," said NMA President David Chavern. One thing that would help fight fake news, NMA told the FCC, would be to end newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rules (see 1703280051).
The potential investments in newspapers blocked by the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership ban are more important now that newspapers face the challenge of “fake news,” said the News Media Alliance in a letter to the FCC posted in docket 14-50 Tuesday. “Social media platforms have the global scale to attract the advertising dollars on which newspapers used to rely,” said NMA. “Without any prohibition on investment, newspapers would finally have a fair chance to achieve the scale necessary to compete in the digital space.” Without the ban, broadcasters could invest in newspapers and combine with them on digital ventures that would be attractive to advertisers, NMA said. The FCC should grant NAB’s petition for reconsideration of the 2014 quadrennial review of ownership rules, NMA said. “Real, reputable, and trusted news content is the true remedy to fake news.”
Entercom and CBS Radio filed applications with the FCC for approval of Entercom’s all-stock buy of CBS (see 1702020070), show FCC and SEC filings. As part of deal approval, Entercom agreed to divest stations in seven markets, and the companies are asking the FCC for a six-month waiver of the TV/radio cross-ownership rules to allow CBS CEO Les Moonves and CBS Chief Operating Officer Joseph Ianniello to sit on the Entercom board (see 1703210041), said an SEC filing. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2017, Entercom said.
The FCC shouldn’t grant Fox’s request for a temporary waiver of the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule, said Free Press, the United Church of Christ Office of Communication, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and Voices for New Jersey in a letter to acting Media Bureau Chief Michelle Carey posted in docket 07-260 Thursday. Fox requested a waiver to allow it to own both the New York Post newspaper and two TV stations until the reconsideration proceeding on the 2014 quadrennial review is completed (see 1703010059). The groups also said the FCC should put Fox’s waiver request on public notice. The bureau issued a PN later that day. Comments on the waiver request are due April 10, oppositions April 25, replies May 2.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai sought to stick to bipartisan ground during his first appearance as chief before Congress Wednesday. He emphasized broadband deployment and other areas of potential cooperation. Senate Commerce Committee Democrats pressed Pai on President Donald Trump and tried to box him in on a possible FCC role overseeing AT&T buying Time Warner. Pai avoided giving details on how he may address the 2015 open internet order. He did say the FCC is likely to stick with the new plan, now in test mode, of releasing some draft items when they've been given to commissioners.