It should be “unthinkable” for the FCC to reject diversity groups' calls for broad changes to equal employment opportunity rules, said Multicultural Media Telecom and Internet Council Senior Adviser David Honig in calls with Commissioners Brendan Carr and Jessica Rosenworcel, show filings for dockets including 18-23. The draft order on eliminating broadcaster midterm EEO reports doesn’t address the broad EEO reform requested by the diversity groups (see 1901030039) because it would involve “far-reaching substantive changes to the Commission’s EEO rules,” the draft said. “The NPRM’s focus was on improvements to EEO compliance and enforcement.” The agency shouldn’t reject a proposal for being “substantive and far-reaching enough to cure the horrible persistence of racial and gender discrimination in broadcasting,” Honig said. The “proper course of action” would be to issue the proposals out for more comment as a Further NPRM, he said. Since the EEO proposals are more than 15 years old, any further comment should be sought on an expedited schedule, Honig said. He rejected language in the order that would tout FCC transfer of EEO enforcement from the Media Bureau to the Enforcement Bureau and additional EEO audits as steps toward EEO change. That's no substitute for “anti-cronyism” EEO enforcement and data collection, Honig said. The commission didn't comment Friday.
LAS VEGAS -- Speakers at CES warned of the cybersecurity dangers posed by the growing IoT, during a panel Monday. For years, one of the biggest trends here has been expansion of the IoT, and thousands of IoT devices are on display. The discussion also played into the FCC focus on security threats from China and elsewhere (see 1812210032).
LAS VEGAS -- Speakers at CES warned of the cybersecurity dangers posed by the growing IoT, during a panel Monday. For years, one of the biggest trends here has been expansion of the IoT, and thousands of IoT devices are on display. The discussion also played into the FCC focus on security threats from China and elsewhere (see 1812210032).
LAS VEGAS -- Speakers at CES warned of the cybersecurity dangers posed by the growing IoT, during a panel Monday. For years, one of the biggest trends here has been expansion of the IoT, and thousands of IoT devices are on display. The discussion also played into the FCC focus on security threats from China and elsewhere (see 1812210032).
The FCC plans to vote on an order to drive down Connect America Fund Phase I support in price-cap telco areas where CAF Phase II auction winners will receive support and in the areas that weren't eligible for the auction, said the tentative agenda for the Jan. 30 commissioners' meeting. Commissioners will consider a caller-ID spoofing NPRM, an IP captioned telephone service (IP CTS) order and Further NPRM, an NPRM proposing changes to the rules on applications for noncommercial education stations and low-power FM stations, and a media modernization order to eliminate requirements for broadcaster midterm equal employment opportunity reports.
The FCC will investigate the nationwide CenturyLink outage that disrupted 911 service for many Americans, Chairman Ajit Pai said Friday. At our deadline, the carrier was still working to resolve the multistate outage that began Thursday (see 1812270050). The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) said the outage shows urgent need to fully deploy next-generation 911. NARUC and state consumer advocates applauded FCC action.
The FCC will investigate the nationwide CenturyLink outage that disrupted 911 service for many Americans, Chairman Ajit Pai said Friday. At our deadline, the carrier was still working to resolve the multistate outage that began Thursday (see 1812270050). The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) said the outage shows urgent need to fully deploy next-generation 911. NARUC and state consumer advocates applauded FCC action.
States diverted nearly 10 percent of $2.9 billion in 911 fee revenue for unrelated purposes in 2017, the FCC reported Wednesday. For the first time, every jurisdiction responded for this year’s report, so some exact comparisons may not be possible. The FCC flagged Montana, New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Rhode Island, West Virginia and the U.S. Virgin Islands as responsible for the $285 million in diverted revenue.
Localities building municipal broadband networks are “flirting with a perverse form of socialism” and pose a “serious” threat to the First Amendment, said FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly in a 2,200-word blog post Thursday that responded to “hysterical outrage” from critics of remarks he made before the Media Institute. “I could retreat in the face of my critics’ attacks and misinformation, or I could continue to defend the First Amendment,” O’Rielly said. He previously wrote an equally long post against criticisms of FCC handling of the since-canceled Sinclair/Tribune deal (see 1805180072).
Localities building municipal broadband networks are “flirting with a perverse form of socialism” and pose a “serious” threat to the First Amendment, said FCC Commissioner Mike O’Rielly in a 2,200-word blog post Thursday that responded to “hysterical outrage” from critics of remarks he made before the Media Institute. “I could retreat in the face of my critics’ attacks and misinformation, or I could continue to defend the First Amendment,” O’Rielly said. He previously wrote an equally long post against criticisms of FCC handling of the since-canceled Sinclair/Tribune deal (see 1805180072).