TV stations need ownership flexibility because the spectrum auction the FCC wants to hold could hurt the industry unless it continues to use multicasting and other arrangements linking separately owned stations within a market, some broadcasters said. Networks and affiliates alike cited last month’s passage of spectrum legislation in saying the agency shouldn’t place new limits on use of multicast channels to transmit signals of two or more network affiliates. But networks and affiliates disagreed on whether the agency should lift a ban on common ownership of more than one top-four rated broadcast network. And nonprofits and station owners of all stripes disagree, in comments on a media ownership rulemaking notice, on whether new media ginned up enough competition to TV to warrant more broadcaster mergers and acquisitions, much as they disagreed in the last quadrennial review.
Smaller ISPs are taking a variety of approaches to managing consumer bandwidth use, and many are watching closely the moves by industry peers such as Time Warner Cable, which is again testing a usage-based pricing model in Texas. TWC has said it will offer a slightly lower bill to customers who accept a lower monthly bandwidth allotment of up to 5 GB a month, with overages costing $1 per additional GB. Companies that have recently instituted new broadband policies said they affect very few subscribers.
Republicans beat back Democratic opposition to a broad proposal to revamp FCC process, approving HR-3309 by a 31-16 vote Tuesday. But Democrats joined Republicans in supporting by voice vote an amended HR-3310 to consolidate FCC reports. The bills next move to the House floor. But the Democratic-controlled Senate has shown little interest in FCC revamp.
BERLIN -- Governments at a diplomatic conference Tuesday drew close to a decision on the financial obligations of satellite companies. Representatives cleared the last substantive hurdles before final consideration of a proposal to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment that could lead to the ITU overseeing an international register that would be used to establish priority for creditors in space investments, participants told us. Talks will continue Wednesday to work out remaining kinks for formal consideration later this week, official said.
An FCC decision to put off a key policy call on how Dish Networks can use spectrum it’s buying from TerreStar and DBSD creates significant uncertainty for the future of the frequencies, industry officials said Monday. The International Bureau released an order late Friday (http://xrl.us/bmwqn9) that approved Dish’s purchase, but denied its request for a waiver of the integrated services rules for the spectrum (CD March 5 p1). FCC officials hope to wrap up a rulemaking notice on the use of the spectrum by the end of the year. Industry officials said Monday the delays now built into the deal underscore the complications of bringing online for broadband any of the spectrum bands delineated in the FCC National Broadband Plan.
Online video distributors’ concerns on giving to executives at Comcast and its NBCUniversal access to programming deals signed with major broadcast, cable and film companies underscores for some the difficulty in enforcing government behavioral conditions on mergers and acquisitions. The now-merged companies want the FCC to change terms of a protective order so their executives and in-house lawyers can see OVDs’ deals with other major programmers so they can deliver on the benchmarking condition in the 2011 order OK'ing Comcast buying control of NBCUniversal. While it seems reasonable for Comcast and NBCU to want and perhaps get such expanded access -- outside counsel and consultants now can view the benchmarking documents -- it raises competitive concerns and shows why it’s hard to deliver on such remedies, lawyers who opposed or backed the deal said in interviews Monday.
Verizon FiOS services aren’t just for families anymore. After the success of a Washington, D.C., area pilot campaign, Verizon launched an ad campaign for its FiOS services that targets tech savvy 25-39 year old singles living in apartments and condos. The campaign will focus on metropolitan areas in the New York, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles markets. “Some people think they have to live in a single family home to get the very best broadband and video entertainment services, but that’s not true,” said Pedro Correa, vice president of Verizon Enhanced Communities.
Verizon Wireless and cable companies shot back at critics of Verizon’s proposed buy of AWS licenses from SpectrumCo and Cox in a reply filed at the FCC. The companies said that by their calculations, in 98 percent of the counties covered the combinations will not push Verizon Wireless above the FCC’s spectrum screen, or the level at which the FCC would consider divestitures as part of any order approving the deals. Critics led by T-Mobile, small carriers, and public interest groups, took aim at the transaction last month, in various petitions to deny (CD Feb 23 p1). SpectrumCo is a joint venture of Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks.
BERLIN -- The U.S. and Germany differed with other countries over the length of time to delay remedies for creditors of satellite projects when public services are involved. The differences were aired at a diplomatic conference for adoption of a space assets protocol to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment according to documents, speakers and interviews. An official from a country with a strong satellite industry said a definition of public services is needed. Executives attending the conference were from Astrium, BHO Legal, EADS, Eutelsat, Intelsat, Munich Re, SES and Thales Alenia Space.
Dish Networks got some but not all of what it was asking for from the FCC Friday. In an order, the FCC approved Dish’s purchase of TerreStar and DBSD, but denied its request for a waiver of the integrated services rules for the spectrum. The order was handed down by the International Bureau and did not require a vote by commissioners. On Wednesday, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski circulated a notice of proposed rulemaking asking questions about the service rules, which is set for a vote by the full commission at the FCC’s March 21 meeting.