If the FCC proceeds on a redefinition of MVPD to apply to some over-the-top services, it will need to address some critical implications of the proposal, including ensuring broadcast signals carried by virtual MVPDs are protected from piracy and distribution beyond a station's local market, NAB said Wednesday in docket 16-142. In two filings (here and here), it recapped meetings with aides to Commissioners Nathan Simington and Geoffrey Starks and Media Bureau Chief Holly Saurer. In the Simington and Media Bureau meetings, NAB also said there's "apparent fraud" in the ZoneCasting proceeding record and the vast majority of broadcasters oppose the petition because there's no evidence ZoneCasting doesn't cause interference. NAB also pushed for a decision on the ATSC 3.0 proceeding.

The FCC released its Disability Advisory Committee's report on best practices for sending and receiving captioning files so captioning associated with full-length programming remains available regardless of the distribution method. Members discussed the report at length before it was approved two weeks ago (see 2211010062). “The captioning ecosystem for video programming online is large and complex,” the Tuesday report says: “Captions are initially created by a content creator, owner, or provider, either internally or through a vendor. They are sidecar components to a video program and may be delivered as a file embedded in the media container, or may be streamed alongside the video, such as for most online program delivery, including live streams. After creation, the captions may be converted to various formats … as required by the content distributor or to suit the method (or platform) of distribution.” Among its recommendations for the FCC are “encouraging efforts by developers, vendors, and providers of professional and amateur video editing, production, and distribution tools to ensure that tools are available to creators to promote the availability and utility of captions in their videos” and “educating video creators at all levels about the importance of treating captioning as an integral part of the creative process.”

The Consumer Product Safety Commission urged consumers shopping for TVs this holiday season to include a “anti-tip-over” kit with the purchase. “It is critical to anchor your new TV or furniture to the wall to help prevent tip-over incidents,” said CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric Wednesday, citing CPSC data saying there have been 581 tip-over fatalities in the U.S. since 2000 involving furniture TVs or appliances. Kits are available online or in hardware stores for $20 or less, he said.

CTIA and the National Consumer Law Center jointly asked the FCC to extend by two weeks the Nov. 25 deadline for reply comments on possible robotext rules. Initial comments were due last week (see 2211140030). “The current reply comment period leaves insufficient time for parties to review the extensive comments in this complex proceeding and develop a complete record for the Commission’s consideration,” said a filing posted Tuesday in docket 21-402. “The reply comment period is effectively cut in half by two federal holidays, Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day, which fall within the reply comment period,” the groups said: “These events create significant challenges to parties’ ability to review the record, formulate positions with internal stakeholders and constituent members, and draft reply comments that substantively respond to the initial comments.”

Southern Co. urged continuing caution as the FCC considers approving automated frequency coordination providers in the 6 GHz band. The agency issued a public notice last week (see 2211030066). Some proposed AFC providers expect required tests to be completed by early next year (see 2211040055). Southern officials met with aides to Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel and Commissioner Geoffrey Starks, said a filing posted Wednesday in docket 18-295. Southern asked the FCC to require broader tests using Wi-Fi 6E systems available at the University of Michigan. “Southern noted the particular value of collecting data on current Wi-Fi operations to the successful development and implementation” of AFC, the company said. Southern “remains very concerned about the potential for harmful interference to licensed 6 GHz systems that support critical electric utility and public safety operations and the potential consequences of any disruptions in public safety communications or in utilities’ ability to monitor and control the electric grid,” the filing said: “Southern appreciates the urgency of making additional unlicensed spectrum available for use but urged the Commission not to rush and to take the time needed to ensure the effectiveness of AFC in supporting unlicensed use and protecting incumbent operations in the band.” The Wi-Fi Alliance in a call with an aide to Rosenworcel urged action. The FCC should finalize “procedures for obtaining certification for 6 GHz standard power devices” and issue “as soon as possible, the further Public Notices contemplated by the AFC Conditional Approval Public Notice that will provide additional details on AFC testing protocols,” the alliance said.

An FCC order allowing broadcasters to use computer models to verify the pattern of FM directional antennas (see 2205190023) takes effect Thursday, said a Federal Register notice released Wednesday. OMB approved revisions to the information collection requirement in the item, said the notice. Previously, the agency allowed only the use of full-size or scale models to verify such patterns for FM.

FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr drew attention Monday to a bipartisan House Commerce Committee letter questioning why Apple and Google allow TikTok on their app stores. Carr has repeatedly cited national security and data security concerns about the popular Chinese social media app (see 2210210072). He cited letters from last week signed by House Consumer Protection Subcommittee Chair Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and ranking member Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla. “Turning a blind eye to an application that permits such surveillance endangers Americans, specifically the overwhelming number of teenagers that use TikTok,” Carr quoted from their letter in his tweet Monday.

Hikvision USA said an FCC proposal to further clamp down on gear from mostly Chinese companies, preventing the sale of yet-to-be authorized equipment in the U.S. (see 2210130076), would be “unprecedented, unjustified and unlawful.” The China-based company said there's no justification for banning the gear it sells in the U.S. “Even when this equipment is connected to a public telecommunications or broadband network, the equipment itself generally operates on private networks, and only traverses public networks when instructed to do so by end users,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 21-232: “This video surveillance equipment simply has nothing to do with the operation, safety, and security of telecommunications and broadband networks, and nothing in the record establishes that this peripheral end user equipment poses any threat to those public telecommunications and broadband networks, or to the end users who purchased this equipment.”

The FCC should amend its rules on in-band/on-channel (IBOC) digital audio broadcasting to allow for higher digital FM power levels, said a non-docketed petition for rulemaking from NAB and Xperi posted Wednesday. The agency should “adopt an updated formula to determine FM power levels for stations seeking to exceed the currently authorized FM digital ERP of -14 dBc,” which would allow “more stations to increase digital power above the existing -14 dBc level, without the need for separate FCC authorization,” the petition said. The change would improve digital FM coverage and digital FM signal penetration of buildings while “continuing to minimize the probability of harmful interference to adjacent channel stations,” the petition said. Wednesday’s petition “dovetails” with a 2019 request from NAB, Xperi and NPR to permanently authorize FM radio stations to utilize IBOC with asymmetric sideband power levels, and the two petitions should be combined into a single rulemaking, NAB and Xperi said.

The FCC Office of Engineering and Technology Tuesday approved a waiver for Assa Abloy to permit the certification and marketing of a new ultra-wideband-enabled lock system. “The UWB technical and operational standards in Part 15 were adopted to ensure that UWB devices do not cause harmful interference to authorized radio services,” OET said. “We find nothing in the record to indicate that the Assa Abloy devices would differ from other UWB devices such that they would pose an increased risk of causing harmful interference to authorized radio service.” The system relies on Bluetooth technology “for an initial ‘discovery’ phase, and UWB will only be used for the ‘secure ranging and intent detection’ phase of the operation, which determines the distance between the phone and the door, tracks the movement of the user, and detects the intent of the user to go through the door,” the order said.