ICANN spent about $13.5 million on transitioning U.S. government oversight of handling some of the Internet's technical guts, showed new disclosures on the still-pending and controversial transfer of Internet Assigned Numbers Authority. With the IANA transition not expected until at least Sept. 30, that figure excludes costs during the infancy of the transition and those after September 2015. The nonprofit's disclosure Thursday was called unusual by experts who reviewed the figures. They told us there is little precedent for release not just of U.S. lobbying spending in one aggregated place, as that must be disclosed in quarterly filings available only through document searches online, but also other types of expenditures relating to what some call the influence industry such as law-firm retainers.

If DTV receivers and converters aren't properly tuning WJLP Middletown, New Jersey, on virtual-channel 33, the products may be violating FCC rules, said CBS in a letter posted Wednesday in docket 14-150. It responded to WJLP owner PMCM's emergency request last month for Media Bureau relief to grant the broadcaster's virtual channel 3.10 request. "The FCC should take appropriate enforcement action against" makers of equipment that can't tune WJLP, said CBS. "The need for FCC action is particularly important given that the impact of such equipment performance problems is likely to be exacerbated once broadcast television stations are operating on fewer RF channels following the upcoming incentive spectrum auction." PMCM's request said it tested TVs, including smart sets, and digital converters from companies including Hisense, JVC, Panasonic, Phillips and Sony and some of the devices didn't work properly. Representatives for those companies didn't comment Thursday, nor did CEA. When viewers selected Channel 33, PMCM said, the receivers in most sets instead tuned to WCBS-TV New York, which broadcasts on that channel. In August and September, more than 40 sets were tested, some in viewer homes, and most couldn't get WJLP over the air, said broadcast lawyer Don Evans of Fletcher Heald, which represents PMCM, in an interview Thursday. The number of viewer complaints to WJLP is rising, he said. CBS responded to PMCM's filing that the alleged failure by equipment makers to sell receivers that follow FCC rules shouldn't mean that WJLP can use a virtual channel number or a common major channel number that overlaps service contours of stations that have been on-air for "decades" on the same major channel number. CBS, owner of KYW-TV Philadelphia, which FCC records show uses virtual channel 3, and Meredith, owner of WFSB Hartford, also uses that virtual channel according to records, each opposed PMCM's newest request. After winning a court order allowing WJLP to move cross country, it has been seeking FCC OK for what many have said is a technological first in broadcasting: to run on the same main program and system information protocol (PSIP) channel as another station -- WFSB -- while each would have different PSIP subchannels (see 1409160043). Amid "the unexplained tuning anomalies alleged by PMCM, switching WJLP to a virtual channel already duplicated in the market risks extending the confusion and harm to additional stations," said Meredith. "The anomalies that PMCM identifies, if widespread, may well warrant careful investigation by the Commission." Of the sets WJLP tested, "it's not just old, off-brand sets, it’s TV sets from major manufacturers, they are fairly new sets, and for whatever reason, they’re not applying the PSIP channel properly," said Evans. "We agree with CBS that there is some problem with the receivers, because some of them don’t have the problem, and some of them do." He said PMCM isn't seeking enforcement action against the manufacturers, as CBS sought.

An economist and lawyer who has done research on net neutrality and other communications issues resigned from the Brookings Institution after it said he didn't follow its rules on independence, amid criticism related to a different regulated industry. Robert Litan had been a nonresident senior fellow at Brookings, its website said, and has been a special consultant at Economists Inc. according to EI's website. Organizations which Litan and the colleague who co-wrote the controversial paper continue to be affiliated have been involved in communications issues such as net neutrality. But despite this controversy, many times experts write papers without disclosing any more information, said a fan of such disclosure. A colleague who helped with Litan's research said best practices were followed.

Service glitches, billing errors and product changes are all but assured as multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) digest a record spree of mergers and acquisitions, many experts said. Some said already-low customer satisfaction for broadband and pay-TV service will worsen during integration of M&A worth about $166 billion. That includes AT&T's now-completed (see 1507240055) takeover of DirecTV, Charter Communications' planned buys of Time Warner Cable and of Bright House Networks, and Altice buying control of Suddenlink. At stake for broadband and video subscribers of these and other ISPs and MVPDs is whether their experiences ever improve from levels that some research finds are lower than any other U.S. industry.

Energy efficiency advocates, despite praising a voluntary agreement (VA) to cut set-top box energy use that has averted state and federal rules so far, want regulations on household gear that connects devices to broadband service. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and Natural Resources Defense Council agree with multichannel video programming distributors and makers of consumer electronics that the set-top VA that such companies and ACEEE and NRDC signed is a success. But staffers at those energy efficiency advocates and the Consumer Federation of America said in interviews Friday that they want regulators to consider adopting requirements for how much electricity broadband modems, Wi-Fi routers and other home Internet equipment can use.

Media business models, still in flux, may have a long way to go before fully developing, judging by some experts' comments on a panel Wednesday and by conversations with some industry officials in attendance. Speaking at a Media Institute luncheon to media executives, lobbyists and current and former FCC officials, journalists and those who study media said that there remains an oversupply of online advertising, along with a plethora of media outlets. With newspaper ad revenue and circulation down in recent years, and government and private-sector officials increasingly putting conditions on access to information (see report in the Oct. 18, 2013, issue), some said that it's a challenging time even while encouraging would-be journalists to consider the profession.

Top multichannel video programming distributors and makers of consumer electronics expanded energy reduction efforts to target broadband modems, Wi-Fi routers and other home Internet equipment. The program includes many of the same companies and participants as a pay-TV set-top box energy reduction initiative begun in 2013 in the face of potential Department of Energy rules. The new initiative will cut up to 20 percent of small network equipment energy use by the end of 2017, CEA and NCTA said Thursday.

Many eyes are on NTIA's multistakeholder proceeding on drones, since other agencies and Congress may not enact comprehensive privacy measures. At a Society of Professional Journalists D.C. chapter panel Wednesday night, a privacy advocate, drone and media industry lawyers, and the NTIA official helping oversee the agency's nascent privacy discussion voiced some optimism that accord could be reached. Some pointed out that would be in contrast with the agency's multistakeholder dialogue on facial recognition privacy, from which privacy advocates withdrew Tuesday (see 1506160041).

DALLAS -- The U.S. wireless industry is looking to the ITU to release standards on 5G, which will help carriers define timelines to roll out the more-efficient, higher-broadband-speed technology, executives said. ITU IMT (international mobile telecommunication) 2020 specifications for international mobile telecom are widely believed to be 5G, said vendor and carrier executives on a panel at a Telecommunications Industry Association conference, and an ITU spokesman confirmed that to us.

DALLAS -- FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly is open to considering formal requests to delay the FCC TV incentive auction, though he's OK with Chairman Tom Wheeler's current planned Q1 start, he said Thursday at a Telecommunications Industry Association conference.