A group of broadcasters have asked the Copyright Office to establish a flat annual fee for online radio that would be paid monthly, regardless of audience size. The royalty rate would be based on a station’s market position and BIA revenue rank. Bonneville, Clear Channel, Infinity, Susquehanna and the National Religious Bcstrs. Music License Committee (NRBMLC) recently submitted their joint proposal to the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), which is considering revamping the current system. The digital media industry, music publishers, satellite radio companies and other players in the Web-based music space also filed proposals with the CRB.
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Robert Cresanti, vp-public policy for the Business Software Alliance, nominated by President Bush as Under Secy. of Commerce for Technology… Former U.S. Deputy Attorney Gen. Jamie Gorelick joins Lucent govt. advisory board… FCC Wireless Bureau Deputy Chief Scott Delacourt returns to Wiley Rein & Fielding as of counsel… Telecom attorney Kathleen Ramsey moves to Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal as partner, from Swidler Berlin… Infonxx names Yancy Oshita, ex-Oracle, chief mktg. officer… Stan Kozlowski moves up to Sirius senior vp-strategic sales development; Mike Roberts, ex-Delphi, becomes vp-retail distribution… Douglas Norby, Tessera Technologies, joins Neterion board… Tribune promotes John Reardon to pres.- CEO, broadcast group, and John Vitanovec to exec. vp… Univision promotes Michael Wortsman to pres., Univision TV Group… TV Land/Nick at Nite promotes Sal Maniaci to senior vp-development & original production… Former Tex. legislator Todd Baxter joins Tex. Cable & Telecom Assn. as vp-govt. affairs and gen. counsel.
Emmis Communications sold 4 more of its TV stations to the Blackstone Group and the SJL Bcst. Group for $259 million. The sale covers KOIN (Ch. 6, CBS) Portland, Ore., KHON-TV (Ch. 2, Fox) Honolulu, KSNW (Ch. 3, NBC) Wichita, Kan., and KSNT (Ch. 27, NBC) Topeka, Kan. Emmis in Aug. sold 9 of its 16 TV stations to 3 separate buyers for $681 million (CD Aug 23 P4). No deals have been made for Emmis’ last 3 TV stations -- KGMB (Ch. 9, WB), Honolulu, WVUE (Ch. 8, Fox) New Orleans, and WKCF (Ch. 18, WB) Clermont-Orlando, Fla. Emmis said it’s selling its TV business to cut debt and focus on radio. Meanwhile, Emmis TV net revenue for the 2nd quarter ended Aug. 31 was $60.3 million, and operating expense $39.8 million, it said Thurs. Emmis net revenue that period, excluding TV, now classified as discontinued operations, was up 11% to $107.9 million. Radio revenue rose 11% to $87.1 million. Operating income grew 13% to $28.5 million and station operating income was $42 million, compared with $39.1 million in the same quarter a year ago. Emmis Chmn. Jeff Smulyan said during the company’s earnings conference call Thurs. if he succeeds in a bid to acquire the Washington Nationals baseball team, Emmis will put up to $100 million into the venture, forming a new subsidiary to hold the team. Smulyan and D.C. area investors including former FCC Chmn. Dick Wiley and Radio One CEO Alfred Liggins would form a limited partnership to run the franchise. Smulyan also discussed talks regarding a bid for The Walt Disney Co. radio group. Disney, once in talks with Emmis, Entercom Communications and Citadel Bcstg., was disappointed when initial bids fell short of Disney’s $3 billion asking price. “You have seen all the speculation about the bid that we submitted, and it wasn’t anywhere near their interest level,” Smulyan said.
Emmis Chmn. Jeff Smulyan, a top contender for ownership of the Washington Nationals baseball team, added 2 Washington investors to his group: former FCC Chmn. Dick Wiley and Radio One Pres. Alfred Liggins, sources said. Owing to a non-disclosure pact, Smulyan hasn’t commented on the bidding, an Emmis spokeswoman said. Wiley wouldn’t comment. Liggins could not be reached. Eight groups are pursuing the Nationals; bidding could hit $460 million. Some broadcast executives have speculated that Smulyan’s sale of his 9 TV stations for $681 million could figure in his bid for the Nationals.
Wiley Rein & Fielding (WFR) have sent the FCC an analysis of programs and initiatives addressing communications as a tool in meeting homeland security needs. The 42-page report covers legislation pending in Congress, Homeland Security Dept. programs, the Justice Dept.’ role, activities before the FCC and efforts at other govt. agencies and departments. “Homeland security is growing in importance and since there are multiple areas in the federal government that work on this issue, we were trying to understand where all the different pieces are,” WRF Partner Nancy Victory told us: “We put it together for our own purpose and we decided to share it with the FCC for public to have access to it as well. It’s a very straight forward summary of what is going on, not an advocacy piece.” The document, filed in 29 different dockets, is available at www.wrf.com/publication.cfm.
Ex-FCC Chmn. Michael Powell joined Providence Equity Partners as a senior advisor, the private equity firm said Thurs. Powell will advise Providence on technology and regulatory issues in the media, communications and information industries in which Providence specializes. Since its start in 1990, Providence, which has more than $9 billion in equity commitments, has invested in VoiceStream Wireless, PanAmSat, AT&T Canada, Western Wireless, Nextel and other major firms. Powell said in a news release the job offers “a unique opportunity for me to apply my experience.” He told the N.Y. Times in an article Thurs. he is particularly pleased with the job because he didn’t want to be a lobbyist: “I didn’t want to be a classic former government official that does nothing but sell access back to the corridors of D.C.” The announcement drew fire from Jeff Chester, exec. dir. of the Center for Digital Democracy, as an example of the need to shut the “revolving door” between the FCC and industries it oversees. He said Powell is joining other Richard Wiley, Mark Fowler, Dennis Patrick, Reed Hundt, William Kennard and other former chairmen who left the FCC to work in the media and telecom industries. “With lucrative industry employment ahead of them, FCC chairs and most commissioners have a built-in conflict of interest,” Chester said. Asked for a response, Powell said he didn’t want to comment further on his new job.
The White House is expected to announce the nomination of White House aide Richard Russell and Tenn. state regulator Deborah Tate as new FCC commissioners, industry sources said Fri. The 2 were chosen Thurs. in a White House meeting from a slate of about 6 candidates, according to a source familiar with the proceedings. An announcement was expected late Fri., but could come this week, industry sources said. FCC Comr. Copps also is expected to be reappointed to another term.
While his conservative leanings have center stage, U.S. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts is better known among Washington communications attorneys for his telecom and media issues work as a judge on the U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., and a Hogan & Hartson attorney representing Fox in a successful challenge to FCC media ownership rules. Attorneys termed Roberts well-liked by people on both sides of the political spectrum, although communications issues don’t lend themselves to political divisions.
Donna Gregg, the new FCC Media Bureau Chief, is a limelight-shunning, highly effective D.C. communications attorney, former colleagues said. Gregg, called a “lawyer’s lawyer” by many, has made a mark with advocacy efforts as a FCBA member. “She’s not a grandstander. She is not someone who confuses herself with the issues,” said Precursor Group analyst Rudy Baca, who worked at the FCC for 12 years. “She is not someone who jumps immediately to the commissioners,” Baca said.
FCC Chmn. Martin said he will appoint Donna Gregg as Media Bureau chief. Gregg is vp-legal & regulatory affairs and gen. counsel at the Corp. for Public Bcstg. (CPB). She replaces Kenneth Ferree, who went to CPB as exec. vp after former FCC Chmn. Michael Powell left the Commission. Gregg also was a partner at Wiley Rein & Fielding. She began her legal career as a staff attorney in the FCC’s former Cable Bureau. Other Media Bureau appointments were Roy Stewart as Senior Deputy Chief and Deborah Klein as Deputy Chief. Stewart, a former Media Bureau chief, was most recently the Media Bureau’s Chief of the Office of Broadcast License Policy. Klein has been acting chief of the Media Bureau.