In the week since landing its contested $3.5 million contract to provide the FCC with DTV transition consumer education support (CED May 12 p1), Burson-Marsteller has given the commission “a comprehensive list of media outlets that directly serve our at-risk constituents in the 49 hot spot markets and beyond,” said Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Chief Cathy Seidel. Speaking at the commission’s Wednesday meeting, she was referring to those who are least prepared for the June 12 analog cutoff.
The Commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission were scheduled to vote by May 13th on a CPSC staff recommendation to adopt the most recent (2008) revision to the ASTM F963 toy standard as a mandatory consumer product safety standard, with certain exceptions. (The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) made the 2007 version of the toy standard, and any successor standards (unless objected by CPSC) a mandatory safety standard.) (CPSC ballot vote sheet with staff recommendation (dated 05/11/09) available at http://www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia09/brief/ASTMF963-07.pdf)
Regulatory implications of cognitive radio systems should be discussed next week at an ITU-R working party meeting on mobile service, said Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks in a joint proposal. The discussion is aimed at developing preliminary text for a ITU-R recommendation on cognitive radio systems in the land mobile service, the proposal said. The companies said six areas should be discussed: (1) identification of suitable bands; (2) a pilot channel for initial access; (3) a global regulatory framework; (4) technical approaches for efficient and flexible use of spectrum; (5) deployment of cognitive radio systems in land mobile service; (6) key parameters and their ranges such as power level and out-of-band emission.
The Department of Homeland Security has recently released its fiscal year 2010 budget request which contains specific requests for U.S. Customs and Border Protection initiatives.
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has issued its instructions and reconciliation form for the Lacey Act Blanket Declaration Pilot Program, which began on May 1, 2009.
ITC Reports that Poor Infrastructure Conditions Undermine Certain Sub-Saharan Export Competitiveness
The International Trade Commission has issued a report entitled, Sub-Saharan Africa: Effects of Infrastructure Conditions on Export Competitiveness, which states that poor infrastructure conditions in the land transport, maritime transport, and electricity sectors undermine significantly the export competitiveness of many sub-Saharan African (SSA) industries.
As has been the case throughout the fight over whether to open the TV whites spaces to unlicensed, mobile devices, broadcasters squared off against high technology companies in comments on various petitions for reconsideration of the FCC’s Nov. 4 white spaces order. The FCC is unlikely to resolve remaining white spaces issues until a permanent chairman is in place later this year, officials said. Seventeen parties filed reconsideration petitions asking for changes to one or more parts of the order.
"Daily Update on Capitol Hill Trade Actions" is a regular feature of International Trade Today. The following are brief summaries of recent Capitol Hill actions.
CBP has issued a CSMS message stating that the Chicago Trade Support Office will be closed on Tuesday, May 12, 2009. For assistance, the trade can contact the Boston, Buffalo, Detroit, Seattle, San Francisco, or Cleveland offices (see CSMS message for phone numbers). (CSMS 09-000222, dated 05/11/09, available at http://apps.cbp.gov/csms/viewmssg.asp?Recid=17612&page=&srch_argv=09-000222&srchtype=all&btype=&sortby=&sby)
As has been the case throughout the fight over whether to open the TV whites spaces to unlicensed, mobile devices, broadcasters squared off against high technology companies in comments on various petitions for reconsideration of the FCC’s Nov. 4 white spaces order. The FCC is unlikely to resolve remaining white spaces issues until a permanent chairman is in place later this year, officials said. Seventeen parties filed reconsideration petitions asking for changes to one or more parts of the order.