Pillsbury Winthrop hires Shaalu Mehra, from Gibson Dunn, as partner-leader, global technology policy ... Senate confirms Keith Krach, ex-DocuSign, as undersecretary of state-economics and Privacy Shield spokesperson ... Senate Judiciary Committee OKs Edward Felten for member, Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board.
Despite calls for carriers to provide robocall-blocking tools for free, it would be a bad outcome if every carrier opted for the same, cheap option instead of employing a variety of them, said Patrick Halley, USTelecom senior vice president-advocacy and regulatory affairs, at an FCBA robocalls CLE Monday. "Carriers face legitimate costs." He said noted secure handling of asserted information using tokens (Shaken) and secure telephone identity revisited (Stir) implementation will be expensive for some carriers. Call-blocking tools' costs came up repeatedly at last week's FCC commissioners' meeting (see 1906060056). And Commissioner Geoffrey Starks on Monday wrote 14 providers seeking details on their plans to offer free, default call blocking services to consumers (see 1906100025).
Formerly confidential incentive auction broadcaster bidding information released by the FCC Monday (see 1904220054) reveals the “highs and lows” some stations experienced during the auction, Wiley Rein broadcast attorney Ari Meltzer blogged. The final station in the auction, Mid-State Television’s WMFD-TV Mansfield, Ohio, was initially frozen in first round of the reverse auction at $71 million, only to have its offered price drop to $17 million in Round 43 of Stage 4, Meltzer said Monday in a post emailed the following day. WMFD's price later dropped to $7 million and then nothing, which Mid State declined. Of the 175 stations with winning bids in the auction, the overwhelming majority -- 160 -- didn't have their final price frozen in the auction until the final stage, Meltzer said.
Wiley Rein's Kevin Rupy wasn't referring to a need for additional anti-illegal robocall legislation when he told the Senate Communications Subcommittee Thursday there isn't a "single silver bullet" that will fix the problem (see 1904110066) ... Arkansas is the 23rd state to enact small-cells legislation (see 1904110059). Georgia's bill needs gubernatorial OK.
Senate Communications Subcommittee Chairman John Thune, R-S.D., said he's aiming for the chamber to pass the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (S-151) by unanimous consent (UC) once Congress returns at the end of April from its two-week recess. Thune and other subcommittee members boosted the bill during Thursday's hearing on illegal robocalls. S-151 would increase FCC authority to act against robocalls violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. It would increase coordination between federal agencies and state attorneys general in a bid to increase criminal prosecution of illegal robocallers (see 1901170039). Other anti-robocall legislation is also coming, lawmakers said.
LAS VEGAS -- There are “great things going on at ATSC,” besides 3.0 “implementation stuff,” but Mark Richer plans no role once he retires as president in mid-May, he told us at the NAB Show. “My little toe will be available to be put in the water if ATSC needs my advice or counsel,” but “I’m really, truly retiring,” he said.
The Senate Communications Subcommittee plans an April 11 hearing on illegal robocalls, which will examine the FCC's February report on its efforts to curb the robocall problem (see 1902140039) and Capitol Hill actions. Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson is among those to testify, the Senate Commerce Committee said. Wiley Rein's Kevin Rupy and National Consumer Law Center Counsel Margot Saunders are also scheduled to be on the panel. The hearing will begin at 10 a.m. in 216 Hart. The hearing will come just over a week after Senate Commerce advanced the Telephone Robocall Abuse Criminal Enforcement and Deterrence Act (S-151) on a voice vote (see 1904030078). Also Thursday, the FCC got comments to curb spoofed robocalls (see 1904040047).
Former FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn made headlines in February when she became part of the growing team supporting T-Mobile’s buy of Sprint (see 1902040064). The move was a surprise since Clyburn is best known for working on such issues as curbing prison calling rates and preserving the Lifeline program. Clyburn said she's doing no lobbying in Congress and ethics rules bar her from outreach to the FCC (see 1903050071). Industry officials said she has likely had a net positive effect.
Wiley Rein names Kevin Rupy, ex-USTelecom, partner-telecom, media and technology ... TDI Executive Director Claude Stout retiring, effective May 29, 2020 ... Paul Grove, ex-WTCI Chattanooga, returning to WEDU Tampa as president/CEO, replacing interim Jack Conely ... Bahakel Communications taps Mike Costa, ex-Sinclair, as vice president-general manager, Montgomery, Alabama, TV operations.
Fox appoints Jeff Taylor, ex-General Motors, executive vice president-chief litigation counsel ... O’Melveny announces Lisa Monaco, ex-White House, as partner, co-chairing Data Security and Privacy group ... DLA Piper taps Patrick Anding, ex-Wilson Sonsini, as partner-technology, digital media, entertainment; announces launch of Blockchain and Digital Assets practice, led by partners Mark Radcliffe, Margo Tank and Michael Hamilton-U.S., Martin Bartlam-London and Scott Thiel-Hong Kong.