The FCC reaffirmed its schedule for geo-targeting of wireless emergency alerts to “best approximate” the target area, and said the nation’s five largest carriers have to provide “clickable” embedded references by Nov. 1. It said smaller carriers must still meet the same geo-targeting requirement as their larger peers but will get an extra 18 months to meet the embedded messages requirement. The order was released about 8 p.m. Wednesday, the deadline day.
The FCC reaffirmed its schedule for geo-targeting of wireless emergency alerts to “best approximate” the target area, and said the nation’s five largest carriers have to provide “clickable” embedded references by Nov. 1. It said smaller carriers must still meet the same geo-targeting requirement as their larger peers but will get an extra 18 months to meet the embedded messages requirement. The order was released about 8 p.m. Wednesday, the deadline day.
The FCC approved an NPRM Tuesday proposing to rewrite parts of rules for the shared 3.5 GHz band, over a dissent by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Commissioner Mignon Clyburn concurred rather than approve, saying she would have preferred the FCC left the rules as is. The votes were as predicted, with all three Republicans voting yes (see 1710180043). Both Democrats voted against the FCC allowing stations to host studios outside their communities of license (see 1710240062).
The FCC approved an NPRM Tuesday proposing to rewrite parts of rules for the shared 3.5 GHz band, over a dissent by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Commissioner Mignon Clyburn concurred rather than approve, saying she would have preferred the FCC left the rules as is. The votes were as predicted, with all three Republicans voting yes (see 1710180043). Both Democrats voted against the FCC allowing stations to host studios outside their communities of license (see 1710240062).
The FCC approved an NPRM Tuesday proposing to rewrite parts of rules for the shared 3.5 GHz band, over a dissent by Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel. Commissioner Mignon Clyburn concurred rather than approve, saying she would have preferred the FCC left the rules as is. The votes were as predicted, with all three Republicans voting yes (see 1710180043). Both Democrats voted against the FCC allowing stations to host studios outside their communities of license (see 1710240062).
An ATSC 3.0 draft order that requires that broadcasters offer “substantially similar” 1.0 and 3.0 simulcasts and doesn’t prevent the new standard from coming up in retransmission consent negotiations is widely expected to be ready for the FCC’s Nov. 16 commissioners' meeting, said industry officials. The Media Bureau is believed to be nearly finished preparing the order, with the aim of circulating it by Oct. 26, in time for the November agenda, industry officials said in interviews. Meantime, MVPDs and broadcasters are stepping up their lobbying on the 3.0 transition.
An ATSC 3.0 draft order that requires that broadcasters offer “substantially similar” 1.0 and 3.0 simulcasts and doesn’t prevent the new standard from coming up in retransmission consent negotiations is widely expected to be ready for the FCC’s Nov. 16 commissioners' meeting, said industry officials. The Media Bureau is believed to be nearly finished preparing the order, with the aim of circulating it by Oct. 26, in time for the November agenda, industry officials said in interviews. Meantime, MVPDs and broadcasters are stepping up their lobbying on the 3.0 transition.
The National Hispanic Media Coalition pressed the FCC to put consumer complaint materials into the open internet docket and seek comment. Though the commission released many documents in response to an NHMC Freedom of Information Act request for complaint materials, "a significant number of carrier responses, consumer rebuttals, emails, and email attachments were omitted from those productions," said the group in a filing posted in docket 17-108 Monday on a meeting with Wireline Bureau and Office of General Counsel officials including Bureau Chief Kris Monteith. NHMC representatives including ex-Commissioner Gloria Tristani made similar but shorter filings (here, here, here) on meetings with aides to Commissioners Brendan Carr, Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel. NHMC said the FCC also apparently hasn't produced any consumer-commission interactions through an ombudsman email address since the prior ombudsman stepped down. "These omissions, which represent a clear failure by the Commission under its FOIA obligations, also make it impossible to conclude how the underlying complaints were ultimately resolved," said the group, which cited arguments for opening a new comment cycle. NCTA and USTelecom opposed (see 1709290049) a motion by NHMC and others (see 1709200033).
The National Hispanic Media Coalition pressed the FCC to put consumer complaint materials into the open internet docket and seek comment. Though the commission released many documents in response to an NHMC Freedom of Information Act request for complaint materials, "a significant number of carrier responses, consumer rebuttals, emails, and email attachments were omitted from those productions," said the group in a filing posted in docket 17-108 Monday on a meeting with Wireline Bureau and Office of General Counsel officials including Bureau Chief Kris Monteith. NHMC representatives including ex-Commissioner Gloria Tristani made similar but shorter filings (here, here, here) on meetings with aides to Commissioners Brendan Carr, Mignon Clyburn and Jessica Rosenworcel. NHMC said the FCC also apparently hasn't produced any consumer-commission interactions through an ombudsman email address since the prior ombudsman stepped down. "These omissions, which represent a clear failure by the Commission under its FOIA obligations, also make it impossible to conclude how the underlying complaints were ultimately resolved," said the group, which cited arguments for opening a new comment cycle. NCTA and USTelecom opposed (see 1709290049) a motion by NHMC and others (see 1709200033).
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel slammed FCC direction on media consolidation and Sinclair's planned buy of Tribune Media, the proposed ATSC 3.0 transition and rolling back Title II net neutrality regulation under the Communications Act. Her speech drew NAB and 3.0 supporter pushback, as well as some plaudits from other Democrats. “This is the first time I’ve seen that she’s been willing to be very vocal about her disagreements with her colleagues," said Gigi Sohn, an Open Society Foundations fellow and former aide to previous Chairman Tom Wheeler, a Democrat. Rosenworcel said she wanted "to make a little ruckus" and believes in fighting to make the "future work for all," according to her prepared remarks to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Thursday (see 1710120012).