Taking Tribune’s broadcast assets private in a leveraged buyout valued at about $8.2 billion would require a series of FCC waivers, broadcast officials said. Tribune accepted investor Sam Zell’s offer to take the company private over a similar competing bid by Eli Broad and Ron Burkle. Tribune will take on $7 billion in new debt to complete the deal, some to be paid down by selling the Chicago Cubs and the company stake in the Comcast Sports Net Chicago network. Publicly traded Tribune bonds aren’t involved in the deal. Tribune began considering a sale last year after a large shareholder pushed it to spin off the broadcast group (CD June 15 p18).
Campaigning to mobilize musicians for net neutrality, the Future of Music Coalition (FMC) Tues. announced a Rock The Net campaign and website, FutureOfMusic.org/RockTheNet. Rock The Net -- endorsed by House Telecom & Internet Subcommittee Chmn. Markey (D-Mass.), 26 bands and others -- maintains that indie musicians will suffer unless Congress stops AT&T, Verizon and other ISPs from charging websites for extra bandwidth. The campaign is “big, powerful and going to rock,” Markey said.
Campaigning to mobilize musicians for net neutrality, the Future of Music Coalition (FMC) Tues. announced a Rock The Net campaign and website, FutureOfMusic.org/RockTheNet. Rock The Net -- endorsed by House Telecom & Internet Subcommittee Chmn. Markey (D-Mass.), 26 bands and others -- maintains that indie musicians will suffer unless Congress stops AT&T, Verizon and other ISPs from charging websites for extra bandwidth. The campaign is “big, powerful and going to rock,” Markey said.
The FCC voted 5-0 Thurs. to study network management practices among telecom and cable broadband providers although Comrs. Copps and Adelstein said the agency should have taken stronger action. The Commission approved a net neutrality “notice of inquiry” (NOI) asking how telecom companies manage networks, whether there’s evidence of discriminatory practices and whether the FCC should expand 4 non-binding net neutrality “principles” it wrote in 2005. The NOI asks if a 5th principle should be added to encourage “nondiscrimination,” FCC officials said at the meeting.
The FCC voted 5-0 Thurs. to study network management practices among telecom and cable broadband providers although Comrs. Copps and Adelstein said the agency should have taken stronger action. The Commission approved a net neutrality “notice of inquiry” (NOI) asking how telecom companies manage networks, whether there’s evidence of discriminatory practices and whether the FCC should expand 4 non-binding net neutrality “principles” it wrote in 2005. The NOI asks if a 5th principle should be added to encourage “nondiscrimination,” FCC officials said at the meeting.
Comr. McDowell said Thurs. he has made no decision on a Skype petition asking that Carterfone rules apply to wireless. McDowell, addressing the Content Abundance in a Multiple World conference at Catholic U., said today’s timetable gives small and rural carriers time to prepare for the 700 MHz auction. He urged that the FCC “create incentives” for the private sector to cut the cost of effective safety communications.
Comr. McDowell said Thurs. he has made no decision on a Skype petition asking that Carterfone rules apply to wireless. He was addressing the Content Abundance in a Multiple World conference at Catholic U.
Cable operators compete on technological advances like faster broadband speeds and VoD, not exclusive programming, industry analysts said. That could inform how the industry approaches an FCC review this year of program access rules (CD Feb 22 p5), said industry lawyers. Cable operators are focusing on offering more services such as broadband and VoIP, Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett said: “Broadband is emerging as the cornerstone of the consumer bundle.” Some pay-TV lawyers continue to push for access rule changes.
Cable operators compete on technological advances like faster broadband speeds and VoD, not exclusive programming, industry analysts said. That could inform how the industry approaches an FCC review this year of program access rules, said industry lawyers. Cable operators are focusing on offering more services such as broadband and VoIP, Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett said: “Broadband is emerging as the cornerstone of the consumer bundle.”
A proposed record FCC kids-TV fine probably doesn’t mean the start of a crackdown on stations breaking educational and informational programming rules, said current and former FCC officials and industry lawyers. Chmn. Martin’s pursuit of a $24 million penalty against Univision (CD Feb 27 p3) seems to be an isolated event, they said. Univision’s need for FCC approval of its $13.7 billion sale gave Martin a chance to make an example of the company, since the agency can tie agreement to pay the fine to greenlighting broadcast license transfers, said lawyers. The penalty, if approved by an FCC vote, would eclipse the previous record fine of $9 million against Qwest, said an FCC official.