CTA President Gary Shapiro called then-candidate Donald Trump “dangerous and unqualified to lead.” Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Jim Cicconi, since-retired AT&T senior executive vice president-congressional affairs, publicly endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (see 1606230070). NAB President Gordon Smith donated to Trump's Republican primaries opponent Jeb Bush (see 1611150062) . Now that the election is over, those stances aren't expected to affect those entities' efforts to lobby the Republican-controlled Congress or the FCC, numerous attorneys, lobbyists and industry officials said in interviews.
CTA President Gary Shapiro called then-candidate Donald Trump “dangerous and unqualified to lead.” Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and Jim Cicconi, since-retired AT&T senior executive vice president-congressional affairs, publicly endorsed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton (see 1606230070). NAB President Gordon Smith donated to Trump's Republican primaries opponent Jeb Bush (see 1611150062) . Now that the election is over, those stances aren't expected to affect those entities' efforts to lobby the Republican-controlled Congress or the FCC, numerous attorneys, lobbyists and industry officials said in interviews.
Past FCCs have continued to do work after “change” elections, in which the party in charge lost the White House but have generally steered clear of major policy calls. If Chairman Tom Wheeler, as expected (see 1611100041), pushes forward on broadband data services (BDS) rules and the creation of a new phase of the mobility fund at Thursday’s commission meeting, he will essentially be bucking a trend. Former FCC officials, Democrats and Republicans, said Wheeler hasn't been a traditional chairman and may steam ahead even if any new rules are in immediate peril of being reversed once Republicans at the commission and the administration of Donald Trump take control Jan. 20.
Past FCCs have continued to do work after “change” elections, in which the party in charge lost the White House but have generally steered clear of major policy calls. If Chairman Tom Wheeler, as expected (see 1611100041), pushes forward on broadband data services (BDS) rules and the creation of a new phase of the mobility fund at Thursday’s commission meeting, he will essentially be bucking a trend. Former FCC officials, Democrats and Republicans, said Wheeler hasn't been a traditional chairman and may steam ahead even if any new rules are in immediate peril of being reversed once Republicans at the commission and the administration of Donald Trump take control Jan. 20.
The GOP election victory is seen as complicating FCC action on business data services near term and putting the commission's broadband net neutrality policy in serious doubt for next year. The FCC Thursday put a BDS item on the agenda for commissioners' Nov. 17 meeting, and while it could still be withdrawn, several agency and industry officials told us Thursday they thought the commission would adopt the item. It nevertheless could still get gummed up in post-vote procedural steps that leave it vulnerable when President-elect Donald Trump takes power, and a new Republican-run FCC could always change course, they said.
The GOP election victory is seen as complicating FCC action on business data services near term and putting the commission's broadband net neutrality policy in serious doubt for next year. The FCC Thursday put a BDS item on the agenda for commissioners' Nov. 17 meeting, and while it could still be withdrawn, several agency and industry officials told us Thursday they thought the commission would adopt the item. It nevertheless could still get gummed up in post-vote procedural steps that leave it vulnerable when President-elect Donald Trump takes power, and a new Republican-run FCC could always change course, they said.
Industry players look forward to working with the incoming administration and lawmakers on policies to encourage broadband investment and communications sector innovation, even after some criticized Donald Trump before he became president-elect (see 1611090038). Associations, lobbyists and others in telecom said Wednesday that they would work with the new administration regardless of political disagreements.
Industry players look forward to working with the incoming administration and lawmakers on policies to encourage broadband investment and communications sector innovation, even after some criticized Donald Trump before he became president-elect (see 1611090038). Associations, lobbyists and others in telecom said Wednesday that they would work with the new administration regardless of political disagreements.
The FCC has overcompensated the largest video relay service (VRS) provider by about $1 billion since 2008, says a former commission investigator who wrote a 2010 internal report that was disputed and shelved. Sorenson Communications collected upward of $500 million more than it would have from 2008 to 2010 if the FCC had adopted staff proposals in 2007 to enforce its own compensation standard establishing allowable costs and profits, according to the report, provided us by Stanley Scheiner, who authored it for the Office of Inspector General. Although the FCC has cut rates closer to costs since then, Sorenson collected another $500 million in estimated excess profit from 2010 to 2016, Scheiner told us.
An FCC proceeding on Entercom's KDND(FM) Sacramento license renewal application likely will take years and is seen as unlikely to result in the station losing its license, despite a 2007 radio contest that led to the death of a listener, attorneys told us. Though hearing designation orders such as that issued against KDND are exceedingly rare, larger companies such as Entercom generally are able to handle the burden of the expensive litigation required and reach some sort of resolution with the commission that allows them to keep the license, said Fletcher Heald broadcast attorney Peter Tannenwald. But Tannenwald, who has defended clients in such proceedings, said the process probably will be difficult, comparing the hearing process to a “death ray.” Such hearing proceedings are rare, Tannenwald said, but when the FCC “gets really mad” at a licensee, it “lets them have it,” he said. The order directs the ALJ to commence the hearing within nine months.