June 2012

Thousands of AT&T workers stage a walkout in California, Nevada

Thousands of AT&T workers in California and Nevada have walked off their jobs, the latest development in an acrimonious contract negotiation that has dragged on for months.

AT&T landline workers in hundreds of locations gathered to protest what they saw as AT&T's unfair contract demands, which they say include "massive healthcare cost-shifting to workers and their families," as well as reductions in AT&T worker retirement security, according to the Communications Workers of America, the union to which the employees belong. The contract for 40,000 AT&T workers around the U.S. expired two months ago, and the company has since failed to reach an accord with the CWA. The CWA’s 9th district, which includes California and Nevada, covers 18,000 AT&T landline workers. Libby Sayre, a CWA spokeswoman, said that the actions did not amount to a full-blown worker strike, and were only likely to last through the day. Although the contract negotiations have been "excruciatingly slow and time-consuming," she said, "we'd much rather get a contract without a strike."

KUSF sale completed, FCC probe ends

The multimillion-dollar sale of the University of San Francisco-owned classical music radio channel was finalized after more than a year of discussion when all parties in the transaction agreed to pay $50,000 each to end a Federal Communications Commission investigation.

KUSF can now transfer its broadcast license to the nonprofit Classical Public Radio Network, a classical music station operated by the University of Southern California. The sale was announced in January 2011, with KDFC, the Bay Area's only classical music station, moving up the FM dial to 90.3 and booting out KUSF's student radio programming. The student radio station retained use of the KUSF letters, but is now accessible only online. Though the station will be owned by Classical Public Radio Network, which is owned by USC, the Bay Area will still have access to its programming at its 90.3 frequency, as well as to its relationship with the San Francisco Opera and San Francisco Symphony. KDFC has been running programming at 90.3 since the sale announcement in January 2011.

Children Now Asks FCC to Put Teeth in Tentative Kids Ad Conclusions

Children Now met with a top aide to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and others this week to press the FCC to take a stand against imbedded advertising and product placement in children's programming.

According to an ex parte filing by the group, Jeff McIntyre, director of national media policy for Children Now, and the group’s attorneys met with Genachowski senior counselor Josh Gottheimer and several bureau staffers. In addition to asking the FCC to explicitly ban interactive kids advertising, they also said the FCC should "carefully review whether broadcast licensees and cable operators are complying with the requirements of the Children's Television Act (CTA)" in terms of commercial limits (cable) and educational programming (broadcast TV). The FCC tentatively concluded back in 2004 that children's TV shows should not have interactive links to advertising unless parents have opted into such interactivity. At the time, the commission said it would be premature to make that tentative conclusion into a rule because there was not much direct connectivity between TV and the 'net. Children Now argues that with programming being offered on multiple platforms, it is time for the FCC to get ahead of the curve -- the group concedes that it is "not aware" of any commercial interactivity in any kids programming. But they argue it is just a matter of time given burgeoning interactivity elsewhere. "In the absence of clear and enforceable restrictions, children's programmers are likely to start using many of the interactive marketing techniques now being used in programs intended for teen or general audiences," they told the FCC.

Extending Viewability Would Aid TV Diversity

[Commentary] A coalition of broadcasters is working to extend the Federal Communications Commission rule that requires cable operators to carry must-carry signals in an analog format so viewers with old TV sets can continue to watch them. Many affected must-carry stations provide services that are appreciated by narrow segments of the America public. In other words, they provide diversity in programming — one of the pillars of FCC policy.

Spectrum-Sharing Agreements With Mexico

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski participated in high-level discussions with U.S. and Mexican telecommunications officials at the State Department where the United States signed two Protocols with Mexico for sharing spectrum in the 800 MHz and 1.9 GHz bands along the U.S.-Mexican border. The signing of these documents marks the beginning of the final phase for rebanding in the 800 MHz band across the country.

These actions will help support commercial broadband services and public safety mission-critical voice communications along the U.S.-Mexico border and throughout the United States. The United States and Mexico also signed a high-level expression of support, or “Joint Statement,” for continued coordination of spectrum along the border and cooperation on telecommunications policy issues as well as an ambitious work plan, or “Directory of Bilateral Issues,” for 2012-2014.

Specifically, the new 800 MHz Protocol: (1) allots band segments between the United States and Mexico, (2) specifies the technical parameters for operation on these band segments within 110 kilometers (68 miles) of the common border, and (3) creates a bi-national Task Force to support the transition of incumbent operators along the border to the new allotment plan.

The Protocol for 800 MHz replaces a previous agreement and paves the way for completion of 800 MHz rebanding by U.S. public safety and commercial licensees operating along the U.S.-Mexico border. The FCC ordered rebanding to alleviate interference to public safety licensees in the band caused by commercial cellular licensees. The new Protocol for the 1.9 GHz band allows Sprint Nextel Corporation to deploy CDMA service along the border with Mexico. Sprint obtained access to the 1.9 GHz band in 2004 as compensation for vacating its spectrum holding in the lower segment of the 800 MHz band in accordance with the rebanding project.

Olympic Games are Just the Beginning for Cyberwarfare

[Commentary] On June 1, the New York Times reported on President Obama’s decision to accelerate cyberattacks begun by the Bush administration, attacks aimed at slowing the progress of Iran’s efforts to develop the ability to build nuclear weapons. The United States government only recently acknowledged developing cyberweapons, and it has never admitted using them. There have been reports of one-time attacks against personal computers used by members of Al Qaeda, and of contemplated attacks against the computers that run air defense systems, including during the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-led air attack on Libya last year. But this effort, code named Olympic Games, was of an entirely different type and sophistication. It appears to be the first time the United States has repeatedly used cyberweapons to cripple another country’s infrastructure, achieving, with computer code, what until then could be accomplished only by bombing a country or sending in agents to plant explosives.

Broadband network expansion set for Dayton, other Ohio cities

A Canton (OH)-based company announced plans to build statewide network for wireless broadband services, bringing high-speed Internet access to 3 million Ohio address points, including 100,000 that currently have no service.

“It’s an exciting thing for the industry across the board,” said Kyle Quillen, chief technology officer of Agile Network Builders. “We’re going to enable anybody to get that last-mile connectivity with a fiber-grade connection anywhere in the state of Ohio. That’s a big deal.” The new venture was announced at a Telecommunications Industry Association conference in Dallas. Among its supporters is Connect Ohio, a Columbus-based nonprofit that’s been trying to expand broadband access to all Ohioans, particularly those in rural areas where fiber networks aren’t available.

Special Access Fight Brewing

Industry stakeholders are lining up in support of or opposition to changes to special access price methodology proposed this week by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski.

Currently large incumbent carriers have considerable flexibility in how they price special access circuits, which are used by competitive carriers, wireless network operators, and enterprise customers as well as smaller incumbent carriers. But according to news reports, the FCC is considering new limitations on what the carriers can charge – or at least restricting the extent of carriers’ pricing flexibility. Competitive carriers have been particularly vocal in their opposition to today’s system and at least two competitive carrier organizations this week voiced partial support for Genachowski’s actions. “Pricing flexibility triggers have resulted in unreasonable rates and unjustifiable rate increases,” said The Broadband Coalition, a competitive coalition whose agenda includes special access reform, in a statement. “We applaud the FCC for taking this step and hope it leads to broader reforms in this area.” Comptel issued a similar statement. But opponents of special access reform, including AT&T Vice President of Federal Regulatory Bob Quinn, argued just the opposite.

Digital Seniors

Sixty percent of US Seniors are online — that’s more than 20 million online Seniors in the US. How are US Seniors using the Internet and technology? While they trail behind younger generations when it comes to device ownership and online usage, they integrate technology into their lives in ways that are relevant for them. For example, they use it as a way to connect with family and friends — 46% of US online Seniors send and receive photos by email, and just under half have a Facebook account.

Tribune bankruptcy judge says he'll rule by July

The judge overseeing Tribune Company's bankruptcy adjourned a hearing on the company's reorganization plan and said he'll issue a decision by July.

With some of the parties in the case still haggling over some final language for the plan, Delaware Bankruptcy Court Judge Kevin Carey left open the possibility of a follow-up conference call if they can't resolve their differences and send him the final plan by next week. Still, he's expected to approve the Chicago-based media company's fourth amended bankruptcy plan and put the company on a path to exiting the 3½-year-old proceedings later this year.

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