FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski plans to put substantial emphasis on process, ensuring that the commission’s work is done through the its bureaus and offices, staffed by longtime experts. That emphasis, industry and commission officials said, marks a major change from the Kevin Martin FCC, in which power was concentrated in the chairman’s office. An immediate result, commission officials acknowledged, is that the FCC probably won’t make major policy calls in August.
The RUS’s definition of “remote” in the notice of funds availability has stirred complaints from potential applicants and oversight committees. But this isn’t the first time that the agency has had problems defining the most rural areas.
Preparing clients to seek federal broadband funds has helped many communications law practices offset stagnation in other areas, as the recession continues and FCC-related work proves elusive, a Communications Daily survey found. Ten of the 11 communications practices responding said they were getting more business advising parties on whether and how to pursue some of the $7.2 billion in grants and loans. Those billings helped make up for an ebb in work on takeovers and regulatory submissions found in an earlier survey (CD July 1 p3) as well as lessened demand for interactions with an FCC between permanent chairmen Jan. 20 to June 29, many respondents said.
Communications lawyers faced a recession-induced slump with fewer deals, less regulatory work and clients taking longer to pay bills in the first five months of 2009, a Communications Daily survey of 14 firms with media and telecom regulatory practices found. Corporate restructuring work largely took the place of traditional takeovers, as some firms left attorney vacancies unfilled and cut costs by other means, said firms we surveyed, which together employ almost 700 communications attorneys.
The effect of the $7.2 billion broadband stimulus package could be reduced by bad weather in some places -- unless the NTIA and the RUS take shortened construction seasons into account in their notice of funding availability, expected within a week. Completing broadband projects within two years, as required, is difficult in states such as Alaska and Vermont. That could hold back a program pushing for “shovel-ready projects,” efficiency and speedy job creation.
Each state will play a different role in the doling out of $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus, depending on how well prepared they are to begin broadband deployment, Rich Wonder, Alcatel-Lucent’s vice president of strategic marketing, said Thursday on National League of Cities TV and BroadbandCensus.com webinar. “Some have their act together,” Wonder said. The ones that have done some mapping and already have broadband programs “will be active participants” in the process, he said. Others, though, “will not be given a role nearly as active,” he said. Alcatel recently started a “Broadband For All” program (CD May 13 p11) to help customers considering applying for federal broadband money. ----
Mobile DTV may be broadcasters’ brightest prospect because stations can provide it better than pay-TV operators, said Glenn Reitmeier, NBC Universal’s vice president of technology and ATSC’s chairman. “I'm sorry, but the big TV in the living room is kind of gone” for broadcast TV, he said Wednesday at a BIA Advisory Services conference. “It’s dominated by multichannel” pay-TV services. But developing mobile services is a great opportunity still up for grabs, he said.
New BigBand Networks board members: Harald Braun, Harris Stratex Networks, and Michael Pohl, ex-C-Cor …Adam Copeland, ex-Wiley, Rein, becomes associate at Fleischman and Harding … MPAA names Daniel Mandil, ex-Sony BMG, senior executive vice president and chief of legal affairs and intellectual property protection.
Renda Broadcasting said it can’t meet FCC equal employment opportunity requirements for some positions at a Florida station. It blamed poor record-keeping during a time of abnormally high turnover in the area’s business manager position, the person charged with EEO compliance. “Renda recognizes that these reports fall short of the FCC’s requirements and has requested that Wiley Rein provide training and other compliance assistance for all its stations,” it said.
Former RUS Administrator Hilda Legg joins Wiley Rein as a consultant … ERF Wireless board member Mike Jones becomes chief technology officer … Hallmark Channel promotions: Lisa Barroso to senior director, network distribution & service; Tara Donnelly to senior director, consumer marketing … Matthew Allee, ex-ACLU Washington Legislative Office, joins Constitution Project as communications and outreach director …Senate confirms Christine Varney to head Justice Department’s antitrust division, Tony West for civil division … Gene Kimmelman, ex-Consumers Union, started Tuesday as chief counsel for competition policy and intergovernmental relations in the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division … Wenda Harris Millard steps down as Martha Stewart Living co-CEO and president of media and won’t be replaced; Chairman Charles Koppelman will oversee media businesses; Merchandising President Robin Marino likely to be recommended to become a board member … Vishal Sharma, ex-Boston Consulting Group, becomes Clear Channel Radio senior vice president, strategic initiatives.