Wilson Sonsini hires John Flynn, ex-McLeod Witham, as partner, litigation practice ... Among those Media Institute names to advisory council of new Global Free Speech and the Internet program are Robert McDowell, Wiley Rein, as chairman, and he becomes ex officio member of institute’s board, and as members are Stuart Brotman, Harvard University; David Gross, Wiley Rein; Larry Kilman, World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers; Karim Lesina, AT&T; Jackie Ruff, Verizon; Sally Shipman Wentworth, Internet Society; and Christopher Yoo, University of Pennsylvania Law School ... UL promotes Carlos Correia to president-global supply chain and sustainability ... Collective, digital advertising company, hires John Vandermay, ex-BlackBerry, as chief technology officer ... BrandShop, supplier of branded e-commerce services, hires Reuben Hendell, ex-eBay Enterprise, as CEO ... EdgeWave, cybersecurity firm, hires Farley Stewart, ex-McAfee, as vice president-product management.
One of the trickier questions facing the FCC as it moves forward on net neutrality is what to do about deals between wireless carriers and various services that could give one app an advantage over others. FCC and industry officials said in interviews that they expect Chairman Tom Wheeler and his staff to look closely at whether there's some way to let customers get the benefits of these services without giving carriers the ability to discriminate against other services. The FCC is taking another look at the rules in light of the Nov. 10 statement by President Barack Obama backing reclassification of broadband as a Title II Communications Act service (see 1411120041).
President Barack Obama’s statement Monday in favor of reclassifying broadband as a Title II Communications Act service (see 1411100033) sent the FCC scrambling to rewrite an order that had been expected to get a vote at the commission’s Dec. 11 meeting, said industry and agency officials. Even before the delays for reworking the rules, the FCC likely faced a long road as it partially reclassifies broadband. It remains unclear when an order will take effect and whether the Obama administration will be in office to promulgate new rules if the next version is also overturned in federal court, said agency and FCC officials.
Recent incidents of illegal use of the emergency alert system tones warrant more industry focus on a fix to flag such messages, EAS experts said. The FCC Public Safety Bureau released public notices Friday on the impact of false EAS alerts, and how broadcasters, cable systems, DBS systems and others are faring with recommendations for EAS system security. False EAS tones aren’t very common, but their occurrence points to flaws in the system and equipment that must be addressed ahead of the next nationwide EAS test, EAS professionals said.
Following President Barack Obama’s backing Monday of reclassification, (see 1411100033) it was unclear how Chairman Tom Wheeler would proceed. In at least two meetings Monday with those involved in the net neutrality debate, Wheeler focused on some difficult issues involved in a Title II Communications Act approach, officials involved in the meetings told us. One said Wheeler said the agency was grappling with how to deal with the issues. But he “seems dug in” with his focus on Title II’s problems “as opposed to the obvious benefits,” said a public interest official involved in one of the meetings.
A draft rulemaking notice seeking comment on allowing broadcasters to communicate contest rule information online rather than over-the-air owes its presence on the FCC's November agenda partly to a June blog post by FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly, several broadcast attorneys and an FCC official told us Thursday. Proposed in a petition from Entercom Executive Vice President Jack Donlevie in 2012, the item has languished since, despite receiving no opposition. “Small changes to our Contest Rule could improve consumer notice and options for broadcaster compliance,” O'Rielly said in the post endorsing the rule change. The item is set for a vote at the Nov. 21 open meeting.
A GOP-controlled Capitol Hill is likely to charge forward on telecom and media overhaul in a powerful way in the 114th Congress, advancing on issues it could never make ground on with two divided chambers, industry lobbyists and observers told us. Expect action on several key priorities, including overhaul of the Communications Act and potentially more partisan measures such as net neutrality and stopping FCC pre-emption of state laws restricting municipal broadband, they said.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler likely faces more congressional oversight after Republicans won full control of Congress Tuesday. But it's unclear whether the new Congress will have much effect on FCC decision-making, especially on net neutrality, said Washington insiders, including former FCC officials. Industry officials have speculated Wheeler may seek a net neutrality vote on an order in December, before the new Congress is seated (see 1410270055).
Democrats lost control of the Senate and several seats in the House turned over to Republicans, while partisan issues such as net neutrality heat up and debate takes hold over overhauling the Communications Act. Democrats had enjoyed a Senate majority of 55-45, and Republicans gained more than the six seats necessary to seize the chamber, winning at least seven.
While dozens of FCC staffers are working on various parts of pending net neutrality rules, a few insiders, most with long ties to Chairman Tom Wheeler, are considered to be the key go-to officials as the agency moves forward. Two names that came up the most in interviews about key insiders at the FCC are Jon Sallet, FCC general counsel, and Philip Verveer, senior adviser to the chairman. One longtime wireline lawyer described the two as “first among equals” as rules are taking shape.