TDK Mediactive (TDKM) and Activision Value Publishing said they planned to co-publish at least 4 new computer games this year as part of expansion of deal companies signed last year. TDKM CEO Vincent Bitetti said: “We had a very successful 2001 with our co-published titles -- Shrek Game Land Activity Center and The Land Before Time Three Pack.” Activision Value Pres. Danny Hammett said: “The marriage of Activision’s sales and distribution network and TDK Mediactive’s licensed content is a win/win partnership that has produced fantastic results for both companies.”
SAN JOSE -- Moxi Digital needs to upsell thrifty cable operators from set-top boxes to hardware with company’s home- entertainment gateway software at hundreds of dollars per subscription, and founder Steve Perlman outlined to MIT- Stanford Venture Lab panel here Tues. marketing arithmetic he hoped would do it. Perlman’s strategy: Dangling opportunities to capture much larger chunk of consumers’ entertainment and electronic-commerce dollar, without significantly boosting upfront costs.
Moxi Digital needs to upsell thrifty cable operators from set-top boxes to hardware with company’s home-entertainment gateway software at hundreds of dollars per subscription, and founder Steve Perlman outlined to MIT-Stanford Venture Lab panel in San Jose Tues. marketing arithmetic he hoped would do it. Perlman’s strategy: Dangling opportunities to capture much- larger chunk of consumers’ entertainment and e-commerce dollar, without significantly boosting upfront costs.
Industrial Telecom Assn. (ITA) lauded FCC for keeping “an open mind” in seeking solutions to interference for public safety operators at 800 MHz. “I like the Commission’s approach in seeking information on ‘all available options and alternatives,'” ITA Pres. Laura Smith said. At agenda meeting March 14 (CD March 15 p3), Commission unanimously launched rulemaking seeking input on solutions to interference in band, including proposals floated by Nextel and National Assn. of Mfrs. Nextel White Paper has caused concerns in private wireless community on extent to which those licensees would be compelled to relocate without compensation. “The land mobile community will work together to create a measured solution to this problem that will not cause undue hardship for the more than 4,000 private wireless licensed systems that reside in the 800 MHz band,” Smith said.
FCC took first step Thurs. toward remedying interference problems for public safety users at 800 MHz by unanimously approving notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that covered potential solutions. Proposal adopted at agenda meeting requested information on how much spectrum would be necessary to meet public safety needs. It seeks comments on band restructuring proposals by Nextel and National Assn. of Mfrs., as well as alternatives submitted by others. Most closely watched so far has been Nextel plan submitted to FCC last fall that would swap spectrum at 700 MHz, 800 MHz and 900 MHz for new capacity at 800 MHz and 2.1 GHz. NPRM tentatively concluded that increasing levels of harmful interference to public safety operations at 800 MHz “must be remedied.” Citing several recent moves Commission has taken to free up public safety spectrum, FCC Chmn. Powell said item showed “Commission’s redoubled commitment” to make sure users had adequate spectrum for critical needs in emergencies.
EchoStar-DirecTV deal represents “enrichment of competitive choice,” U.S. Internet Council (USIC) told Senate Judiciary Committee in letter. Continued expansion of Internet “depends on further growth in its capacity,” USIC Pres. Mark Rhoads said. Frontiers of Freedom called DBS deal answer to Digital Divide. “I've seen a lot of sights over the years on our family ranch in Wyoming,” former U.S. Sen. Malcolm Wallop said in letter to Senate Judiciary Subcommittee reviewing deal, “but I never expected to see a cable company crew stringing wire across miles of grazing land to provide us with cable TV and the option for broadband digital services.” Meanwhile, MDS America expressed “cautious support” of EchoStar-DirecTV proposal to open CARS band to terrestrial companies seeking to use satellite spectrum to provide service. MDS CEO Kirk Kirkpatrick said band was “already crowded” and putting his company in band was “unrealistic” alternative to satellite spectrum in 12.2- 12.7 GHz band that’s available.
MTV Networks signed long-term affiliation agreement with Cablevision, giving expanded distribution to TV Land, MTV2, new TNN channel, VH1. MTV Networks also said it was expanding its suite of channels available for digital distribution, launching 4 new 24-hour channels for children and music fans. New channels are MTV Hits, MTV Jams, Nicktoons TV and VH1 Mega Hits, expanding MTV Networks’ digital offerings to 13 services. Agreement with Cablevision makes latter first distributor of MTV Hits and Nicktoons TV, both to be on Cablevision’s iO: Interactive Optimum service.
FCC could have notice of proposed rulemaking out for comment as soon as early March soliciting feedback on how to address interference issues at 800 MHz. Industrial Telecommunications Assn. Pres. Laura Smith said expectation now was that NPRM would address broader set of issues than those raised in Nextel White Paper given to FCC in Nov. Nextel submitted proposed plan on dealing with interference concerns of public safety licensees at 800 MHz by realigning frequencies at 700, 800 and 900 MHz and 2.1 GHz. Proposal would entail commercial wireless operators’ providing public safety community with up to $500 million for costs of retuning. “It’s a great proposal if you're public safety and you're Nextel, but if you're anybody else you end up getting hurt,” Smith said at media lunch Tues. “There are better alternatives out there. There is a problem out there, we agree.” While there isn’t disagreement about interference, both public safety and private wireless operators are experiencing it, she said. Although Nextel isn’t transgressing FCC rules, interference still has been problem in bands such as 800 MHz because technologies there don’t co- exist well together, Smith said. Private land mobile industry, including ITA, has been working on alternative proposal, which will be released during public comment period for NPRM, she said. Besides Nextel White Paper, National Assn. of Manufacturers (NAM) has submitted proposal on possibilities for rebanding, without relocating users such as private wireless systems. Smith said that besides citing those proposals, she would like NPRM to describe interference problems and seek broader range of solutions. Resolution of interference problems will take years, “because you are talking about reconfiguring an entire band,” Smith said. “There are thousands of licensees in there.” In other areas, NPRM released earlier this month that set out service rules for 27 MHz being transferred from govt. to nongovt. services was somewhat disappointing for private wireless, Smith said. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to be as helpful as we wanted it to be originally,” she said. FCC had 1999 policy statement that indicated agency would provide 10 MHz to land mobile communications service as part of this proceeding, Smith said. Instead, under proposal, land mobile communications will get potential 6 MHz, which has to be auctioned for fixed and mobile services, she said. “Depending on how they open up that auction, we could get nothing,” she said. “If they open it up to all the commercial providers, then this industry will be unable to compete against the larger providers.” Land mobile industry also has access to 2 MHz at 1390-1392 MHz, but that’s open to large range of providers, she said. “We kind of were hoping for a land mobile communication service allocation, which we didn’t really get.”
Before it entered bankruptcy earlier this year, Global Crossing had spent $10 million over last 3 years in campaign contributions and direct lobbying Congress, FCC and FTC, according to public disclosure records. In 6-month period in 1999, for example, Global Crossing paid former Asst. Attorney Gen. Anne Bingaman -- wife of Senate Energy Committee Chmn. Bingaman (D-N.M.) -- $2.52 million in successful lobbying campaign against U.S.-Japan cable proposed by AT&T, WorldCom and Sprint. When it began its Washington spending binge in 1999 it was focused on traditional telecom issues such as implementation of 1996 Telecom Act, although company’s interest in broadband led it into Internet-related topics as well.
Effort to consolidate multitude of recordable next- generation HDTV optical disc proposals got major boost Tues. when consortium of 9 companies announced agreement on basic specifications for format to be called “Blu-ray Disc.” Companies said Blu-ray licensing is expected to start in spring, but products based on new specs still are expected later rather than sooner.