fcc – Page 39 – Wetmachine

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Victory is SWEET!

Harold June 24, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

I will have a lot more to say on this later, but the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has issued its decision on the FCC’s media ownership deregulation that took place last summer.

The result is a near total victory for MAP and the other public interest clients and the American people. The FCC’s June 2, 2003, deregulatory Order is reversed as not supported by logical reasoning based on the record. The court reverses and remands to the FCC, keeping the old rules in effect until the FCC resolves this mess. The court rejects the FCC’s position that the provision of the 1996 Act that requires the FCC to conduct a review of its ownership rules is “deregulatory” or that it prohibits the FCC from making ownership regulations more stringent. Instead, the FCC is supposed to review its ownership rules and decide whether the public interest requires the FCC to keep the rule, relax the rule, eliminate the rule, or make the rule even more stringent.

More information at our website.

YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Community Radio Needs You!

Harold June 15, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

I’m reprinting below a call to arms by Free Press to help secure passage of S. 2505. This bill will repeal the NAB-sponsored law passed in 2000 that scaled back the community-based low power FM service (LPFM). Details below

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Clear Channel Settlement Signals Indecency Running Out Of Steam

Harold June 10, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

The FCC and Clear Channel reached a settlement on all pending indecency proceedings involving Clear Channel. You can read a copy of the Consent Decree and the statements of the various Commissioners here. As usual, I’m more interested in what it means. To me, this says “the Bush Administration wants indecency to go away as an issue.” Surprised?

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Goodies for the Broadcasters, Zip for the Public

Harold June 8, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

Only in Washington would the Clear Channels of the world, those great champions of efficiencies and deregulation, declare that their monopoly on local content must be protected with regulation. And only in Washington would the deregulatory anti-big-government Republicans lap it up with a spoon. The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has petitioned the FCC and Congress to prohibit the new satellite radio competitors from providing local content (mostly traffic and weather). Of course, this is moving at hyperspeed, while the effort to impose real public interest obligations on the broadcasters moves at one quarter impulse. Still, I can’t help stirring the pot at the FCC and seeing what bubbles up.

Unlicensed Spectrum in TV

Harold May 25, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

The FCC has released its eagerly anticipated (or dreaded) Notice of Proposed Rule Making which would authorize the use of unlicensed spectrum access in the television bands. (Word, PDF, and Text). This is one of the real important proceedings before the FCC on unlicensed. You can be sure that major companies on both the pro-unlicensed and the anti-unlicensed side will file? But will you? Are you content to let Microsoft or Intel cut a deal with Viacom, News Corp and the rest of the media conglomerates for you? Or would you rather participate yourself and help define your own rights?

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Of Open Access, Kicking Butt, and Why Arbs Don't Know Jack

Harold April 1, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

The Ninth Circuit has given us another win in the fight to make cable plants open their facilities to independent ISPs (aka “open access” ). Winning feels good, especially when you predicted it over the odds given by the “experts”. The experts here are the industry analysts and arbitrageurs (or “arbs” ). What does it mean, and why are the experts so often wrong? See my opinions below.

I'm Doin' a Speakin' Tour- Me Talk Good

Harold March 17, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

For anyone who goes to policy conferences (and who can ever get enough of those, eh?) and science fiction cons, I’m speaking at a couple of them over the next few months. Below is a list with links. If you actually read this thing, let me know; it gives my frail little ego something to cheer about and gives my pathetic life meaning. 🙂

Tales of The Sausage Factory: Unlicensed Spectrum Access II

Harold March 15, 2004 March 10, 2013General, Spectrum, Tales of the Sausage Factory

O.K., so what’s at stake this year and how can you participate? Read below on how to help get more spectrum available for unlicensed access, help boost available power, exercise your democratic rights with your web browser, and educate the FCC and your Congresscritter.

Or you can go back to being a cynical consumer moo cow who thinks bitching and moaning about how stupid government is relieves you of your responsibilities. (Think I have an opinion?)

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Indecent bandwagon rolls on

Harold March 9, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

Well the House and Senate have been busy little, ahem, beavers on the indecency front. The surprise is the provisions on media ownership. Will they survive a House vote over the opposition of the Republican leadership? Will Bush veto indecency regulation to save his buddies in big media? Stay tuned to Survivor: Washington.

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Why A Comcast/Disney Merger Sucks Rocks

Harold February 24, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

This op ed appeared in the industry Magazine Broadcasting and Cable on Monday Feb. 23.