The FCC will hold a hearing on media localism Oct. 11 in Washington, D.C., two agency sources said. Unclear is whether the commission’s October meeting will be held in conjunction with the hearing, as Martin sometimes prefers with such field hearings. One source said Martin seemed disinclined to combine the meetings. Asked last week about the date of the October gathering, Martin told reporters that one had not been set because of scheduling conflicts. Martin reiterated that no meeting date had been set in comments to reporters Tuesday, said a third FCC official. Another FCC source griped that commissioners didn’t get adequate notice about the localism hearing and said the public won’t as well. At our deadline Tuesday, the FCC had not officially announced the date of the next localism hearing.

Momentum for rules to help minorities buy or run media assets is growing at the FCC, with recent public discussion of low ownership rates and solutions to the problem. At a Sept. 20 media ownership hearing, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said they want more minority participation in the industry. On Thursday, Commissioner Michael Copps bemoaned the fact that far less than 10 percent of broadcast assets are owned by minorities, urging the FCC to do more. The same day the FCC diversity committee recommended several steps the full commission could take to help women, minorities and small businesses.

The FCC may not vote in October on whether to let high-technology companies use the so-called white spaces between TV channels for portable broadband devices (CD Sept 14 p1), said Chairman Kevin Martin. Martin would like action next month, but the vote’s timing depends on whether the agency conducts more device tests, he said. A vote could occur on circulation outside the October FCC meeting, he told reporters after speaking at a DTV education workshop. Martin spoke with reporters Tuesday after appearing at a DTV education workshop.

Cable, videogame, music and broadcast executives faced tough questioning on the pervasiveness of violent and sexually explicit content at a marathon Tuesday House Consumer Protection Subcommittee hearing. During the five hour-plus event, members asked five executives how they ensure music videos, radio shows, albums and games avoid racial epithets, sexism and cursing. But committee members from both parties seemed disinclined to try to ban such objectionable content, citing First Amendment concerns.

The exodus of Progress & Freedom Foundation employees is growing, with the top official and chief fundraiser to depart at week’s end. Senior Fellow Thomas Lenard, acting president of the conservative high-tech think tank since his predecessor left in March, will work for the iGrowth Global think tank. He'll be joined at iGrowth by Garland McCoy, PFF senior vice president of development. They have worked at PFF since early 1995, said McCoy, who will be president of iGrowth.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin wants a vote on a sponsorship identification rulemaking recently circulated among the commissioners, he told a Chicago media ownership hearing. He and Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein also touted plans they say will bolster minority ownership. Commissioner Michael Copps lamented the broadcast license renewal process. In many of their opening remarks late Thursday, the regulators addressed their personal priorities, endorsing some plans as ways to help minorities buy radio and TV stations or get cable to carry shows they produce.

Several senators and a GAO official fear coordination of DTV education campaigns is lagging, they told a Wednesday Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing. Paltry government oversight of public and private efforts may leave consumers, especially seniors, uninformed. Skeptics included Committee Chairman Herb Kohl, D-Wis., Vice Chairman Gordon Smith, R-Ore., and Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. GAO official Mark Goldstein said “there is no one in charge” of coordinating public service announcements (PSAs) and other efforts.

Defending a franchising order, the FCC said several parts of the Communications Act give it oversight of most aspects of cable TV service and limit cities’ power to award or deny franchises. The filing said the FCC acted under congressional authority to limit how long municipalities can take to review franchise applications and the types of fees they can charge. FCC limits on public access channel support, data network fees and requirements for video system build-outs will make future franchise talks easier, the agency said in a brief to 6th U.S. Appeals Court, Cincinnati. The filing in Alliance for Community Media v. FCC couldn’t tout a similar order giving cable operators franchise deregulation because the FCC missed its self-imposed Sept. 5 deadline to issue it (CD Sept 13 p2). The order is still circulating on the eighth floor, FCC officials said.

Cable companies and programmers disagreed on whether the FCC should change its leased-access rules, in comments this week on a rulemaking (CD June 19 p1). NCTA, Time Warner Cable and Comcast said all evidence indicates that cable systems offer ample capacity to programmers, which generally buy time by the hour or half hour because they can’t afford to run a channel full time. The Community Broadcasters Association, Shop NBC and others said the FCC should overhaul the system because it’s too costly and difficult to access. The America Channel and NFL Enterprises, seeking cable carriage deals, singled out Comcast for criticism.

PHILADELPHIA -- The FCC appeared to face doubts during oral argument over an indecency fine it levied against CBS (CD March 17/06 p1) for a split-second broadcast of Janet Jackson’s breast during the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show. The three judges hearing CBS v. FCC at the 3rd U.S. Appeals Court in Philadelphia questioned the logic of the $550,000 penalty. Judge Marjorie Rendell scathingly grilled Eric Miller, assistant to the solicitor general, about why Jackson should be treated as a CBS employee. Miller represented the FCC and the rest of the federal government. Rendell also poked at arguments by Robert Corn-Revere, representing CBS, to the effect that the FCC didn’t do enough to take community standards into account. Other judges also had tough questions for him.