FCC

Comcast Serves Up Last Tennis Brief

MSO Maintains FCC Got it Wrong in Upholding Discrimination Complaint
By: John Eggerton Nov 21 2012 - 11:48am
MSO Maintains FCC Got it Wrong in Upholding Discrimination Complaint
 
Comcast has made what it characterized as the last substantive filing in its court battle with Tennis Channel.

That came in a reply brief on Nov. 20 in its federal appeals court challenge of the FCC's decision that the nation's largest cable operator had discriminated against Tennis in favor of Comcast's own similarly situated co-owned programming networks Versus (now NBC Sports Network) and Golf Channel.

FCC to Hold Post-Sandy Field Hearings on Communications Net Resiliency

Announcement Follows Call by Senator Schumer for New Strategic Disaster Plan
By: John Eggerton Nov 21 2012 - 11:30am
Announcement Follows Call by Senator Schumer for New Strategic Disaster Plan

The FCC will hold field hearings on the resiliency of U.S. networks in the wake of communications failures during Superstorm Sandy. FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said Wednesday. It will likely take multiple hearings to address all the questions the FCC wants answers to (see below).

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Dish Network Says FCC Spectrum Plan “Significantly Flawed”

Claims Proposal Would Force Satellite Giant to Impair Lower Block of Spectrum
By: By Mike Farrell Nov 21 2012 - 10:34am
Claims Proposal Would Force Satellite Giant to Impair Lower Block of Spectrum

Dish Network blasted a proposed Federal Communications Commission ruling on its wireless spectrum licenses, claiming that proposed restrictions are “significantly flawed” and would hamper its ability to enter the wireless broadband business.

FCC Proposes Expanding Definition of 'Unserved' for Connect America, Phase I

Looks to Get More of its $300M Allocation in Field and Building out Broadband
By: John Eggerton Nov 20 2012 - 1:44pm
Looks to Get More of its $300M Allocation in Field and Building out Broadband
 
The FCC is proposing changing the rules on its first phase of the Connect America Fund to make it more attractive to the price cap telcos it wants to build out broadband to hard-to-serve, primarily rural, areas.

The commission, which is migrating phone subsidies in the Universal Service Fund from telecom to broadband, announced in July that $115 million would be invested by companies in 37 states. But that leaves most of the money -- $185 million -- in the first round of funding unallocated.

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FCC: Cable Companies Must Defend Confidentiality of Pricing Info

Comes in Response to FOIA Request for Cable Price Data Back to 1998
By: John Eggerton Nov 20 2012 - 12:04am
Comes in Response to FOIA Request for Cable Price Data Back to 1998

The Media Bureau is asking cable operators to weigh in on a Freedom of Information Act request to access the last 14 years' worth of price data submitted to the FCC for its annual cable price survey.

FCC Grants Tribune Waivers

Media Burea Okays Permanent Waiver In Chicago; Temporary Ones in Four Other Markets
By: John Eggerton Nov 16 2012 - 4:44pm
Media Burea Okays Permanent Waiver In Chicago; Temporary Ones in Four Other Markets
 
It's official. The FCC Media Bureau has granted Tribune a permanent waiver of the newspaper-broadcast crossownership rule in Chicago
 

FCC Will Lift Basic Digital Encryption Ban Dec. 10

Move Will Cut Truck Rolls, Help Prevent Theft of Service
By: John Eggerton Nov 16 2012 - 1:46pm
Move Will Cut Truck Rolls, Help Prevent Theft of Service

Cable operators can start encrypting digital basic tiers as of Dec. 19, according to the FCC.

FCC: First-Year Films Are Covered By Comcast/NBCU OVD Condition

Commission Also Finds Some Exclusive Deals Trump That Requirement
By: John Eggerton Nov 14 2012 - 2:40pm
Commission Also Finds Some Exclusive Deals Trump That Requirement

In a partial defeat and partial victory for the company, the FCC has ruled that NBCU cannot exclude films less than a year old from its Comcast/NBCUniversal Order benchmark condition requiring the programmer to make its content available to competing online video distributors if that distributor gets comparable fare from one of NBCU's peers not affiliated with that OVD.

But the commission also said that requirement does not extend to such programming or other programming that would breach particular exclusive licensing agreements common to the industry.

Genachowski Applauds New Broadcaster Auction Coalition

FCC Chair Welcomes Broadcasters Eyeing 'Once in a Lifetime Financial Opportunity'
By: John Eggerton Nov 13 2012 - 2:37pm
FCC Chair Welcomes Broadcasters Eyeing 'Once in a Lifetime Financial Opportunity'

FCC chairman Julius Genachowski Tuesday gave an “open, transparent and data-driven” shout-out to the new Expanding Opportunities for Broadcasters Coalition, which is being organized by former broadcast exec and one-time Association for Independent Television Stations president Preston Padden.

 

Padden Assembling Coalition of the Willing (Spectrum Sellers)

New Group Will Advocate for 'Right Conditions' for Stations to Auction Spectrum
By: John Eggerton Nov 13 2012 - 2:33pm
New Group Will Advocate for 'Right Conditions' for Stations to Auction Spectrum

Broadcasters that may want to sell some of their spectrum rights to the government in the upcoming incentive auctions have formed the Expanding Opportunities for Broadcasters Coalition to advocate for a successful auction, according to Preston Padden, former Disney Washington and News Corp. executive, who is putting together the group.

 

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