Streaming music company Roxi is partnering with Sinclair on an offer of interactive music channels broadcast over ATSC 3.0 in U.S. homes starting this year, said a Sinclair news release Tuesday. The initial Roxi music, karaoke and games channels will “feature the interactivity and capabilities of a music app, without having to download or launch an app,” the release said. “Our viewers will be able to pause, play and skip on broadcast TV for the first time,” said Roxi CEO Rob Lewis in the release. The Roxi Music Video Channel will feature “curated collections of the very best high-quality music videos from the biggest names in music” and allow viewers to pay for an ad-free version. The Roxi Music Games Channel features interactive music games, and the Roxi Music Video Karaoke Channel will feature karaoke tracks with original music videos and scrolling lyrics, the release said. “We’re confident this partnership will help accelerate the adoption of NextGen TV by delivering entertainment features that consumers will increasingly come to demand on their televisions,” said Skip Flenniken, Sinclair vice president-general manager, technology business development.
321 de minimis
De minimis is a policy described in Section 321, 19 USC 1321. It allows the import of articles duty and tax free, provided their aggregate fair retail value does not exceed $800 in the country from which the articles are imported. Additionally, the articles must be imported by only one person on one day. The previous de minimis threshold was $200, but the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act increased it to $800.
CTIA promotes Sarah Yi to assistant vice president-executive director, ACTwireless; Justin Perkins to director-cybersecurity and policy; and Courtney Tolerico to director-regulatory affairs … Ritter Communications advances Heath Simpson to CEO, effective Jan. 31, succeeding Alan Morse, moving to executive chairman ... Sinclair advances Ryan Moore to senior vice president-chief revenue officer.
The National Content & Technology Cooperative joined the Associated Carrier Group, which should grease the path for NCTC cable operator members wanting to launch mobile virtual network operator service, NCTC said Tuesday. ACG membership lets NCTC members take advantage of discounts with mobile original equipment manufacturers, it said.
The five-year satellite disposal requirement that just went into effect won't trigger a faster pace of low earth orbit satellite launches as operators won't try to put vehicles in orbit under the regulatory wire, space experts tell us. In addition, the new rule shouldn't propel LEO missions to seek licensing in nations outside the U.S., they believe. The five-year deorbit rule adopted in 2022 (see 2209290017) covers all launches after Sept. 29.
The FCC should dismiss three counterproposals from Pacific Radio Group for allocating FM channels on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, said SSR Communications in an opposition filing posted Friday in docket 23-197. The counterproposals are defective because PRG already owns four FM facilities in that market, SSR said. SSR originally proposed allocation of three channels on the island, and PRC's counterproposals involve the same three channels but would allocate them to different communities with larger populations, the SSR filing said. In addition, PRG said it would seek construction permits to build stations for each channel: “PRG certifies that [it] will participate in a future Commission spectrum auction for a new permit at Princeville, Hawaii, and if it is the winning bidder, will build the station promptly,” said one PRG filing. As PRG already owns four full-service FMs in that market, FCC radio ownership limits would prevent it having additional stations on Kaui, SSR said. “Because PRG is not eligible to receive a construction permit for any of the channels that are the subject of the counterproposals, the counterproposals are akin to ‘strike applications’” filed to delay competitors, SSR said. PRG didn’t comment.
An order set for a vote during the FCC’s Jan. 25 open meeting would require nationwide wireless carriers to implement location-based routing (LBR) for calls to 911 within six months of approval, according to a draft order released Thursday. Smaller carriers would have 24 months. Both would be required to use the technology for real-time texts within two years. An order and further notice on outage reporting during disasters would make updating the FCC's disaster information reporting system mandatory for cable, wireline, wireless and VoIP providers and seek comment on doing the same for broadcasters, satellite providers and broadband internet access service (BIAS) providers.
The House Communications Subcommittee plans a Jan. 11 hearing on the subject of improving U.S. communications networks’ cybersecurity, the Commerce Committee said Thursday. “Every day, there are more than 2,200 cyberattacks" on U.S. communications infrastructure and many "originate from foreign adversaries, like communist China, that exploit vulnerabilities in our networks and compromise our national security,” said House Commerce Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., and Communications Chairman Bob Latta, R-Ohio. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in 2123 Rayburn.
Comments are due Feb. 2 on a petition asking the FTC to protect consumers’ right to repair products, the agency announced Wednesday. U.S. Public Interest Research Group and iFixit filed a petition for rulemaking in November asking the agency to implement rules making independent repair “easier” and “more widely available.” In addition, they asked the FTC to require makers of parts that routinely wear out ensure there are replacements readily available during a product’s lifespan. An example is batteries. Moreover, consumers should be able to choose repair providers or fix a product themselves, the petition said. Components from “identical devices should be interchangeable without needing manufacturer intervention,” and independent repair shops shouldn’t be forced to share a customer’s personal information with the original manufacturer, they said.
Provisions in the 2018 quadrennial review order could inject uncertainty into negotiations between broadcasters and networks, several broadcast attorneys told us. The order’s extension of the top-four prohibition allows networks to switch an affiliation from one station to another even if that would create a same-market duopoly but only as long as there isn’t “any undue direct or indirect influence from a broadcast entity.” Attorneys told us it isn’t clear what constitutes undue influence. The QR "creates more confusion," said Rob Folliard, Gray Television senior vice president-government relations and distribution. “You can’t have a transaction where there’s confusion.”
SpaceX's accomplishments in 2023 are "what increasing domination of the world launch market looks like," the National Space Society blogged Monday. Those accomplishments include 96 Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy flights versus 61 in 2022, increasing flight cadence with 10 launches in November, and 1,985 Starlink satellites launched on 63 flights, NSS said. 2023 saw a total of 107 U.S. launches, with SpaceX responsible for 92% of them, up from 78% in 2022, it said. By comparison, China launched 62 times in 2023, NSS said. The society said SpaceX's rideshare launches have "taken a big bite out of the small launch providers" market. United Launch Alliance's Vulcan, Blue Origin's New Glenn and ArianeGroup's Ariane-6, once flying regularly, will likely influence SpaceX's launch manifest, yet Falcon 9 launches will continue to show steadily increasing metrics for another year or two, the report predicts. SpaceX's 2024 manifest "is stuffed," with 144 launches projected, the society said.