Senate Democrats are continuing the vetting process in their search for a so-far elusive consensus candidate to potentially replace FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn at the commission if she retires. Questions about Clyburn's plans have continued amid pending Senate consideration of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai's renomination and fellow commission nominees Brendan Carr and Jessica Rosenworcel. Clyburn recently said in a C-SPAN interview she didn't intend to leave in the immediate future (see 1706290063 and 1706290070). The search for a potential replacement for Clyburn also raised questions about the extent to which President Donald Trump's administration will be willing give leeway to Senate Democratic leaders' preferred candidate, lobbyists and observers told us.
Critics of the FCC's deregulatory business data service (BDS) order asked for a court stay after the agency declined to act on their request for regulatory relief (see 1706260054 and 1707030046). Windstream, BT Americas, Incompas and the Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee filed their stay motion (available here) Monday in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which was selected by lottery to hear challenges to the order (Citizens Telecommunications v. FCC, No. 17-2296 and consolidated cases). The FCC Friday and Citizens and CenturyLink Monday filed oppositions (here and here in Pacer) to a recent request -- by the stay movants plus Granite Telecommunications and Sprint -- that the 8th Circuit transfer the case to the D.C. Circuit.
Critics of the FCC's deregulatory business data service (BDS) order asked for a court stay after the agency declined to act on their request for regulatory relief (see 1706260054 and 1707030046). Windstream, BT Americas, Incompas and the Ad Hoc Telecom Users Committee filed their stay motion (available here) Monday in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which was selected by lottery to hear challenges to the order (Citizens Telecommunications v. FCC, No. 17-2296 and consolidated cases). The FCC Friday and Citizens and CenturyLink Monday filed oppositions (here and here in Pacer) to a recent request -- by the stay movants plus Granite Telecommunications and Sprint -- that the 8th Circuit transfer the case to the D.C. Circuit.
The retirement of an FCC security official involved in a physical altercation with a reporter last month was announced at commissioners' meeting Thursday, where new security policies involving the news media were put into effect. The retirement of Administration Security Operations Center Head Fred Bucher was planned before the May incident with CQ Roll Call Senior Writer John Donnelly and isn’t related, an FCC spokesman told us. Reporters covering the June meeting were for the first time issued bright orange badges marked “PRESS,” and the event included a noticeably more visible security presence, similar to what was in place last month when the commission considered controversial agenda items involving net neutrality.
The retirement of an FCC security official involved in a physical altercation with a reporter last month was announced at commissioners' meeting Thursday, where new security policies involving the news media were put into effect. The retirement of Administration Security Operations Center Head Fred Bucher was planned before the May incident with CQ Roll Call Senior Writer John Donnelly and isn’t related, an FCC spokesman told us. Reporters covering the June meeting were for the first time issued bright orange badges marked “PRESS,” and the event included a noticeably more visible security presence, similar to what was in place last month when the commission considered controversial agenda items involving net neutrality.
Industry lobbyists are hopeful President Donald Trump will announce a nominee as soon as this week for the remaining GOP FCC seat but hadn't received additional signals to indicate a nomination announcement was imminent. Chatter increased since the White House formalized Jessica Rosenworcel’s nomination last week to again be a Democratic commissioner (see 1706140065).
Industry lobbyists are hopeful President Donald Trump will announce a nominee as soon as this week for the remaining GOP FCC seat but hadn't received additional signals to indicate a nomination announcement was imminent. Chatter increased since the White House formalized Jessica Rosenworcel’s nomination last week to again be a Democratic commissioner (see 1706140065).
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected public interest groups’ request for an emergency stay of the FCC’s restoration of the UHF ownership discount, and ended the administrative stay of the rule (see 1706070053). “Petitioners have not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending review,” said the order issued Thursday. “This is not very surprising, since stays are rarely granted. However, it is extremely disappointing,” said Georgetown Law Institute for Public Representation Senior Counselor Andrew Schwartzman, who represented Free Press, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Prometheus Radio Project and the others in the case. Since the restored discount’s effective date of June 5 passed during the administrative stay, the rule is effective immediately, an FCC spokesman said: “We are pleased by the court's decision.”
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has rejected public interest groups’ request for an emergency stay of the FCC’s restoration of the UHF discount, and ended the administrative stay of the rule. “Petitioners have not satisfied the stringent requirements for a stay pending review,” said the order, issued Thursday. “This is not very surprising, since stays are rarely granted. However, it is extremely disappointing,” said Georgetown Law Institute for Public Representation Senior Counselor Andrew Schwartzman, who represented Free Press, Prometheus Radio Project, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Prometheus Radio Project and the other groups in the case. Since the restored discount’s effective date of June 5 passed during the administrative stay, the rule is effective immediately, an FCC spokesman told us. “We are pleased by the court's decision,” the spokesman said. The case will continue on the merits, attorneys told us.
Federal judges shot down key parts of an FCC order that limited inmate calling service charges without regulating ICS provider "site commission" payments to correctional authorities. A divided panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit vacated caps on intrastate ICS rates, use of industry-averaged cost data in setting rate caps, and exclusion of site commissions from industry costs. It remanded rate caps, ancillary fees and site-commission costs for further agency consideration. Judges Harry Edwards and Laurence Silberman approved the ruling and Cornelia Pillard largely dissented in Global Tel*Link v. FCC, No. 15-1461 (see 1706130012).