May 2008

A Q&A with Republican Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Robert McDowell. He concedes he has differed from FCC Chairman Kevin Martin on a number of issues lately, but his divergent points of view on some issues don't indicate a larger rift between the two. The independent-minded commissioner cautions against a heavy regulatory hand on the Internet, and takes issue with new broadcast localism proposals that have broadcasters worried. He believes the FCC already has the authority to keep the Internet open, and says broadcasters are already programming to their communities and don't need the government to exhume old rules. Commissioner McDowell, who says he thinks DTV transition is on track for a smooth switchover, talks about the analog shut-off and other issues including Network Neutrality.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6557245.html?rssid=193

The Federal Communications Commission's proposals for increasing public interest reporting requirements and other steps to promote broadcast localism have drawn a flood of comments from understandably worried broadcasters. But they have also revealed a potential new battleground in this issue: a schism between religious groups. On one side of the faith divide over the proposals are the Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United Church of Christ, which support some form of new licensing guidelines tied to a fast-tracked renewal process. On the other is the National Religious Broadcasters, which represents some 1,400 members, primarily radio and TV stations. Evangelical in nature but nondenominational in makeup, the NRB argues the proposals could “strangle” Christian media and create an “official orthodoxy” on what is acceptable local programming.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6557189.html

The American Cable Association, the lobbying organization for small and mid-sized cable operators, again asked the Federal Communications Commission to deny News Corp.'s effort to get out from under conditions the FCC put on the company when it bought DirecTV. This time, the ACA argued that the company "manipulated Commission processes to suppress scrutiny of a key issue in the Liberty [Media]/DirecTV transaction." The FCC Feb. 25 approved the sale of DirecTV to Liberty. News Corp. petitioned the FCC March 11 to lift the conditions. The company said its sale of DirecTV to Liberty justified lifting the conditions that required it to submit to commercial arbitration in cable-operator program-access complaints about negotiations for regional sports networks or retransmission-consent talks.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6556914.html?rssid=193

[Commentary] Sezmi, the latest wireless cable scheme involving broadcast spectrum, cable networks, Internet access and a big, honkin' DVR could just work if stations don't decide to keep all their digital space for diginets or mobile. Backed with $17.5 million in venture capital, the company is now trying to put together the pieces that it needs to begin trials in three markets later this year. It needs spectrum from broadcasting, distribution deals from cable networks and marketing help from ISPs. That represents a lot of work. But the proposed Sezmi service possesses a few elements that its ill-fated predecessors did not and they could make all the difference. First, the Sezmi box not only connects to a smart antenna to receive the local TV stations and cable networks off air, but also to the Internet so that subscribers can tap into the VOD movies and TV shows that the studios and networks are making available as well as the blizzard of videos on YouTube and elsewhere. Second, the Sezmi box will contain a super DVR with one terabyte of storage. That means that it can record much of what it receives off the air or finds on the Web and have it ready when you are. Finally, Sezmi is promising a smart interface that will help subscribers sort through it all and organize it so they will always have their favorites right at their fingertips.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/05/02/daily.6/