U.S. government collection of phone data from millions of Americans re-emerged as a national issue Thursday after the publication of an order by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court giving the National Security Agency authority to collect data from Verizon. While a recurring concern of public interest groups and some conservatives alike, the publication marks the first time such an order has been made public, after it was reported by the Guardian newspaper (http://bit.ly/123rSXk).
All indications are Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is still weighing whom to recommend to the White House to replace former Commissioner Robert McDowell on the FCC. McDowell warned Friday that it could be late in the year before the Senate confirms both Tom Wheeler, President Barack Obama’s choice for chairman, and a Republican to fill out the commission (CD June 3 p1). McConnell appears to be looking for a heavy hitter who can stand toe-to-toe with Democrats, industry officials said.
A McConnell spokesman said his office would not comment before the president makes a formal announcement. Hill aides told us McConnell is feeling pressure from Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., and others to name a nominee soon. A spokesman for Rockefeller did not comment. Industry and Hill officials said the leading candidates for the post are: Anatolio “A.B.” Cruz, III, former chief legal officer at Scripps Networks Interactive; and longtime congressional aide Michael O'Rielly, who now works for Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Industry and Hill sources told us that another rumored candidate, Duke Economics Prof. Michelle Connolly, declined to be considered for the post. Connolly didn’t return our requests for comment. She’s a onetime FCC chief economist under former Chairman Kevin Martin. Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., ranking member of the Commerce Committee, is expected to play at least an advisory role in picking a nominee.
Last month’s appeals court decision striking down a National Labor Relations Board requirement that employers post a notification of collective bargaining rights shouldn’t help Verizon in its net neutrality challenge, the FCC told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a letter filed Thursday in docket 11-1355. Verizon wrote in late May to bring the case to the D.C. Circuit’s attention. The relevance of the case, say attorneys on both sides of the issue, will depend on whether the court agrees with the FCC’s position that broadband ISPs are more akin to conduits than speakers.
Last month’s appeals court decision striking down a National Labor Relations Board requirement that employers post a notification of collective bargaining rights shouldn’t help Verizon in its net neutrality challenge, the FCC told the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit in a letter filed Thursday in docket 11-1355. Verizon wrote in late May to bring the case to the D.C. Circuit’s attention. The relevance of the case, say attorneys on both sides of the issue, will depend on whether the court agrees with the FCC’s position that broadband ISPs are more akin to conduits than speakers.
FCC acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn has yet to lay out a clear agenda for what she will do in what could be an extended period leading the agency. More will be known next week, when Clyburn releases the preliminary agenda for her first meeting as chair, scheduled for June 27.
FCC acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn has yet to lay out a clear agenda for what she will do in what could be an extended period leading the agency. More will be known next week, when Clyburn releases the preliminary agenda for her first meeting as chair, scheduled for June 27.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the FCC can’t force Comcast to carry the Tennis Channel on the same tier as the operator’s own Golf Channel and NBC Sports, in a 3-0 ruling Tuesday (http://1.usa.gov/12gefp0). In an opinion that communications attorneys said could affect other FCC carriage conflicts, the judges said the agency failed to show unlawful discrimination, or present evidence to refute “Comcast’s contention that its rejection of Tennis’s proposal was simply ‘a straight up financial analysis.'” Judges were skeptical of the FCC’s case during oral argument, with some courtroom observers predicting the cable operator would win the case (CD Feb 26 p1). The channel said it will appeal, while FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai cheered the ruling, as did Robert McDowell, who left the commission earlier this month and had voted against the agency’s order siding with the programmer over Comcast.
The FCC, having contracted for $208,799 of preliminary research on barriers to entering businesses it oversees like owning radio and TV stations, may spend as much as $917,823 for studies acquiring new data including on new media. That’s according to documents the agency released to Communications Daily’s publisher under Freedom of Information Act requests. As the commission prepares to receive a new privately funded study on media ownership for which a vote on new rules was paused in February (CD Feb 27 p1), it’s embarking on what officials inside and outside the agency called the next phase of barriers-to-entry research.
The FCC, having contracted for $208,799 of preliminary research on barriers to entering businesses it oversees like owning radio and TV stations, may spend as much as $917,823 for studies acquiring new data including on new media. That’s according to documents the agency released to Washington Internet Daily’s publisher under Freedom of Information Act requests. As the commission prepares to receive a new privately funded study on media ownership for which a vote on new rules was paused in February, it’s embarking on what officials inside and outside the agency called the next phase of barriers-to-entry research.