Anne Boyle, Nebraska Public Service Commission, becomes chairman of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners’ committee on consumer affairs… Sea Launch promotes Kjell Karlsen to president and general manager, replacing Robert Peckham, taking new job at Boeing… CapRock Communications promotes David Cavossa to vice president of its SatCom Division… Charles Levine, ex-Sprint, joins RCN board… World Wrestling Entertainment promotes Cheryl Kong to vice president-marketing, Canada, Latin America and China.Greg Orlando, ex-aide to Rep. Mike Ferguson, R-N.J., becomes aide to FCC Commissioner Deborah Tate, specializing in wireline matters… New FCBA officers: Mark Schneider, Sidley Austin, president; Robert Pettit, Wiley Rein, president-elect; Lauren Van Wazer, Cox Enterprises, secretary; Yaron Dori, Covington & Burling, assistant secretary; Bryan Tramont, Wilkinson Barker Knauer, treasurer; Ryan Wallch, Willkie Farr & Gallagher, assistant treasurer… TLC names Brent Willman, ex-Game Show Network, chief financial officer… Luis Avila-Marco, ex-Scientific- Atlanta, becomes Juniper Networks senior vice president, corporate development… DTV software firm ANT names Jim Denenny, ex-RealNetworks, U.S. general manager… Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission staff moves: Mark Vasconi promoted to acting assistant telecom director; Executive Director David Danner will also act as the agency’s secretary.
A long-awaited FCC vote on the XM-Sirius merger won’t be completed this week and it may take several weeks for all the commissioners to vote, we've learned. FCC Commissioner Deborah Tate has left on a trip to Africa without voting on the merger, and several issues are unresolved. Tate has emerged as a swing vote on the merger. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin three weeks ago circulated among his fellow commissioners a draft order to allow the merger. Sirius and XM agreed to merge a year ago February.
John Quale, 61, a former FCBA officer and an attorney for TCI and others, died Sunday. A partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, he worked earlier at Kirkland & Ellis and Wiley, Rein & Fielding. He was a founding partner of Wiley, Rein and headed its mass media communications group. After he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, he and his wife, Diane Zipursky Quale, founded the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. A memorial service is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday at the National Press Club, with a reception immediately after. His wife and five children survive him. The family said gifts to the organization could be made in his memory.
LAS VEGAS -- FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein believes reforming universal service in 2008 is “worth trying,” aide Scott Bergmann said Tuesday in a Wiley Rein panel on USF at NXTCOMM. Officials from Sprint, Embarq, Cisco and Verizon agreed reform is needed, but disagreed on the details.
A proponent of open equipment for satellite radio called XM-Sirius’ voluntary commitment “a sham.” If the open access condition “is to be structured the way Sirius has proposed, then we have problems -- big problems,” Charles Helein, outside counsel for U.S. Electronics, told us.
Bilateral international discussions on telecommunications and information policy will begin shortly, starting with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Ministerial Meeting on Telecommunications and Information Industry (TELMIN7) next week, said Advisory Committee on International Communications and Information Policy Chairman Richard Wiley. He spoke at the International Communications and Information Policy advisory committee meeting.
A second round of side-by-side tests of three mobile DTV systems being considered for adoption as an industry standard was to begin Saturday in Las Vegas. The tests, run by the Open Mobile Video Coalition on behalf of the Advanced TV Systems Committee, mark the latest phase of an aggressive schedule intended to allow broadcasters to offer mobile DTV service soon after the analog cutoff. Similar tests in San Francisco ended earlier in March. Meanwhile, engineers in Washington have been holding marathon meetings, including an eight-hour session last week at NAB’s office, a six-hour March 11 meeting at the PBS office and a 10-hour-plus March 10 meeting at Wiley Rein. ATSC’s board is to meet Tuesday at NAB.
NTIA Acting Administrator Meredith Baker is doing an “absolutely excellent job” running the DTV converter box coupon program, said telecom lawyer Richard Wiley. He spoke at the Internet Video Policy conference Wednesday in Washington. Baker’s job is “very tough,” added Wiley, who was FCC chairman 1974 to 1977 and was influential in the development of DTV policy. Baker is leaving the agency and will be replaced by Neil Patel.
The digital TV transition will be the FCC’s top media issue in 2008, said industry lawyers, predicting that the big shift will eclipse a half-dozen other broadcast, cable and consumer electronics issues on commissioners’ menus. Chairman Kevin Martin believes DTV and the 700 MHz auction are among the commission’s top near-term priorities, he told reporters Tuesday. “The main focus of the DTV transition needs to be focusing on consumer education,” he said. Martin has items on the FCC’s top floor concerning the transition, he said, declining to be more specific. His priority is “making that transition as seamless as possible with minimal consumer disruption.”
The FCC won’t act quickly on two-way plug-and-play rules (CD Dec 21 p3), judging by Chairman Kevin Martin’s comments at the Consumer Electronics Show and other evidence, a number of industry officials said. In his CES appearance Tuesday, Martin defied months of industry speculation that he would outline his stance on the controversial issue, saying little about it, according to people who heard him. In a Q-and-A session with CEA President Gary Shapiro, Martin highlighted efforts by the cable and consumer electronics industries to deploy plug-and-play devices. The chairman didn’t get into policy specifics.