U.S. Supreme Court has turned down petition for review of FCC guidelines for health and safety standards of radio frequency radiation and procedures for FCC licensees to meet National Environmental Policy Act. Cellular Phone Task Force had lost appeal of FCC order last year in 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals, N.Y., which upheld Commission’s decision. Supreme Court turned down, without comment, group’s petition on Mon., effectively leaving FCC decision intact. FCC guidelines concern human exposure to RF radiation from transmitters and facilities. In part, Cell Phone Task Force had argued that Commission “arbitrarily” ignored expert recommendations that would tighten exposure standards.
Arbitron Co. said it has placed Portable People meters (PPM) with first 50 consumers for its upcoming Philadelphia market trial. Arbitron plans to install meters in another 250 homes over next 6 to 8 weeks. Company said 54 radio, broadcasting and cable outlets are now encoding their signals in preparation for trial, with at least another 16 expected to be added to list.
Adelphia Communications said it plans to offer about $485 million in class A common stock and $400 million in convertible subordinated notes to investors, following successful offering by Charter Communications late last week. Separately, Adelphia said it began rolling out Wink Communications’ interactive TV service in upstate N.Y., offering service as free feature for digital cable subscribers in Buffalo area. MSO said it plans to introduce in another 2 undisclosed markets by early Feb.
In response to FCC’s latest video competition report (CD Jan 9 p5), NCTA said report confirms “irrefutable trend of the last five years” that DBS has emerged as cable’s biggest video rival and “is rapidly becoming a significant competitor in data as well.” NCTA argued that report, which indicated that cable’s dominance of pay TV market is slipping because of DBS inroads, also shows why no new regulation of cable industry is needed. “Competition from satellite, wireline overbuilders and wireless operators is benefitting consumers,” group said. “It has made cable rise to the challenge by providing digital tiers, video-on- demand and data and phone services. This competition is reason enough to reject government micro-management of these communications markets.”
Hughes Electronics said 2 of its subsidiaries, DirecTV and Hughes Network Systems, would start new high-speed satellite Internet service “Powered by DirecPC” as key part of expanding broadband strategy. Company plans to bundle satellite Internet service with DBS and offer it to DirecTV DBS subscribers. Service is expected to begin in this quarter.
Level 3 plans to build western link to previously announced pan-Asian undersea cable system it’s constructing with Flag Telecom to connect Hong Kong and Japan. Total cost of system is $900 million, with Hong Kong-Japan segment expected to be in service by June. New western segment will include connections to Korea and Taiwan and is expected to begin operating in early 2002. Taiwan segment is to start late this year. “Our partnership with Flag enables us to mitigate the cost of this expansion, as well as our initial cost of building the Hong Kong-to-Japan segment,” Level 3 Asia CEO Steven Liddel said. Companies said that Asian undersea cable system would connect to N. America and Europe through Level 3’s ownership in Japan-U.S. cable and company’s own transatlantic cable. Level 3 is overseeing construction of eastern link of pan-Asia system and Flag has purview over western link and management of entire system when it’s completed. Each company will own 3 fiber pairs in new system, which will have capacity of 320 Gbps. Carriers said upgrades could provide maximum capacity of 2.5 terabits per sec (tbps) on eastern link and 3.8 tbps on western segment.
NAB said 6 more TV stations have begun broadcasting digital signals, raising industry DTV total to 172 stations in 60 markets. List of new DTV stations includes: (1) WALA-DT, Mobile, Ala., Fox affiliate owned by Emmis Communications. (2) KTXA-DT, Dallas, UPN affiliate owned by Viacom. (3) WVIA-DT, Scranton, Pa., PBS station licensed to Northeastern Pa. Educational TV Assn. (4) KXAN-DT, Austin, NBC affiliate owned by Lin TV. (5) WNBC-DT, N.Y.C., NBC owned station. (6) KDNL-DT, St. Louis, ABC affiliate owned by Sinclair Bcst. Group.
U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., handed important victory to Assn. of Communications Enterprises (ASCENT) late Tues., vacating FCC order on one of conditions imposed on SBC-Ameritech merger in 1999. Court vacated order that covered tradeoff FCC made with SBC in which company was permitted to provide advanced services free of interconnection requirements if it created separate affiliate to provide those services. Decision focused on arguments by challenger ASCENT that FCC essentially was forbearing from regulating when it decided to bypass interconnection requirements of Telecom Act’s Sec. 251 because SBC would be providing advanced, not basic, service through separate subsidiary.
Percentage of minorities working in PTV stations dropped slightly in 1999 with minority employment growing marginally less than overall total, CPB said in annual report to Congress on Public Bcstg. Services to Minorities and Diverse Audiences. However, minority employment in public radio grew 4.7% as against 2.8% overall increase, resulting in 0.4% gain overall. Public broadcasting stations blamed situation on tight job market combined with fewer resources to spend on recruitment and salaries than larger for-profit corporations, making hiring and retention of all qualified employees, including minorities, difficult.
FCC is holding first meeting of World Radio Conference (WRC) Advisory Committee Jan. 30, 10 a.m.-noon in Commission meeting room. International Bureau’s Planning & Negotiations Div. will take lead on FCC’s WRC efforts, with Julie Garcia directing preparations and serving as designated federal official to advisory panel. Brian Fontes, Cingular Wireless vp-federal regulation, and Jennifer Warren, Lockheed Martin senior dir.- telecom trade and regulatory affairs, are chmn. and vice-chmn. of committee. FCC said particular emphasis at next WRC in June 2003 will be on International Mobile Telecommunications-2000, terrestrial wireless interactive multimedia services, sharing in 40 GHz with aeronautical mobile-satellite services. FCC also expects focus on public protection and disaster relief, broadcasting-satellite interregional sharing, amateur and amateur satellite services, high frequency broadcasting, regulatory procedures for satellite networks. “Our priority during this WRC cycle is to successfully complete the domestic preparatory process in a time frame that allows the U.S. to be a leader at regional and international meetings,” International Bureau Chief Donald Abelson said. FCC also has created new Web site: http://fcc.gov/wrc-03.