Universal Remote Control urged dealers in a Wednesday email to have customers postpone Sonos updates to preserve key features and functionality of its current URC two-way module ahead of a Sonos platform update scheduled for next week. “If the Sonos update is performed, users will lose the ability to browse all music services except for TuneIn from the two-way module,” said URC.
With the exact nature of expected divestitures from Sinclair buying Tribune likely depends on DOJ, industry officials and analysts said in interviews they expect stations to be spun off in the Seattle and St. Louis areas and that 21st Century Fox is a likely buyer. Broadcast attorneys and analysts don’t draw any conclusions from the FCC’s stopping of the deal shot clock Thursday (see 1801110063). Since the 180-day shot clock is largely a formality anyway, the agency’s decision to start or stop it rarely signifies much, said Holland and Knight broadcast attorney Charles Naftalin. “I wouldn’t read too deep into the tea leaves.”
With the exact nature of expected divestitures from Sinclair buying Tribune likely depends on DOJ, industry officials and analysts said in interviews they expect stations to be spun off in the Seattle and St. Louis areas and that 21st Century Fox is a likely buyer. Broadcast attorneys and analysts don’t draw any conclusions from the FCC’s stopping of the deal shot clock Thursday (see 1801110063). Since the 180-day shot clock is largely a formality anyway, the agency’s decision to start or stop it rarely signifies much, said Holland and Knight broadcast attorney Charles Naftalin. “I wouldn’t read too deep into the tea leaves.”
The FCC Media Bureau is pausing the 180-day “shot clock” for the Sinclair/Tribune deal so Sinclair can amend its application and file divestiture applications and staff can review them, the bureau said in a letter to Sinclair Wednesday. The pause, which the letter describes as being “as of January 4, 2018,” is a reaction to Sinclair’s informing the Media Bureau in a Jan. 4 meeting (see 1801100032) that it was evaluating divestitures and Top-4 showings and that DOJ review may “impact” divestiture choices, the letter said. “It is appropriate to stop the informal 180-day clock until after the referenced amendments and divestiture applications have been filed and staff has had an opportunity to fully review them,” the letter said. The shot clock on the FCC’s website was paused at day 167 Thursday. Sinclair didn’t comment.
The FCC Media Bureau is pausing the 180-day “shot clock” for the Sinclair/Tribune deal so Sinclair can amend its application and file divestiture applications and staff can review them, the bureau said in a letter to Sinclair Wednesday. The pause, which the letter describes as being “as of January 4, 2018,” is a reaction to Sinclair’s informing the Media Bureau in a Jan. 4 meeting (see 1801100032) that it was evaluating divestitures and Top-4 showings and that DOJ review may “impact” divestiture choices, the letter said. “It is appropriate to stop the informal 180-day clock until after the referenced amendments and divestiture applications have been filed and staff has had an opportunity to fully review them,” the letter said. The shot clock on the FCC’s website was paused at day 167 Thursday. Sinclair didn’t comment.
Backers of new limits on the U.S. intelligence community's use of data collected under Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section 702 girded themselves Wednesday for a Thursday House floor debate on replacing the revised text of the Rapid DNA Act (S-139), which now contains language similar to the controversial FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act (HR-4478), with text from alternate Section 702 legislation. The House voted 233-181 Wednesday to move forward with the Thursday debate and vote on the measure. The House Rules Committee voted 6-3 Tuesday to allow House consideration of an amendment to substitute text from the Uniting and Strengthening America by Reforming and Improving the Government’s High-Tech Surveillance (USA Rights) Act (HR-4124/S-1997) before a floor vote on the underlying S-139. House leaders moved last week to bring S-139 to the floor as a vehicle for taking up HR-4478's language (see 1801050059 and 1801080014).
Backers of new limits on the U.S. intelligence community's use of data collected under Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section 702 girded themselves Wednesday for a Thursday House floor debate on replacing the revised text of the Rapid DNA Act (S-139), which now contains language similar to the controversial FISA Amendments Reauthorization Act (HR-4478), with text from alternate Section 702 legislation. The House voted 233-181 Wednesday to move forward with the Thursday debate and vote on the measure. The House Rules Committee voted 6-3 Tuesday to allow House consideration of an amendment to substitute text from the Uniting and Strengthening America by Reforming and Improving the Government’s High-Tech Surveillance (USA Rights) Act (HR-4124/S-1997) before a floor vote on the underlying S-139. House leaders moved last week to bring S-139 to the floor as a vehicle for taking up HR-4478's language (see 1801050059 and 1801080014).
The Wyoming Public Service Commission suspended a CenturyLink service-quality probe to allow settlement talks, granting a request by the company and the Wyoming Office of Consumer Advocate in docket 14475 (see 1712080068). The PSC directed parties to update commissioners at their Jan. 30 meeting.
Amazon announced a workaround to not having access to Google Chrome and YouTube on the Echo Show and Fire TV (see 1712060058 and 1712200044). Amazon Fire TV users can now browse the web on TV via Fire TV using Firefox and Silk browsers, Amazon said Wednesday, listing Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, reddit and others. Amazon is “open to other browsers," a spokeswoman said. “We hope to resolve this with Google as soon as possible.” Google didn’t comment. On how Amazon ensures security via browsers, the spokeswoman said Fire TV doesn’t allow downloads. Silk and Firefox “both respect user privacy,” she said, and browsing history is kept “private and secure.” Neither stores personal identifiable information data, she said. Alexa controls some functions, but during playback, viewers use the Fire TV remote for play, pause, fast forward and rewind functions, said the spokeswoman.
Amazon announced a workaround to not having access to Google Chrome and YouTube on the Echo Show and Fire TV (see 1712060058 and 1712200044). Amazon Fire TV users can now browse the web on TV via Fire TV using Firefox and Silk browsers, Amazon said Wednesday, listing Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, reddit and others. Amazon is “open to other browsers," a spokeswoman said. “We hope to resolve this with Google as soon as possible.” Google didn’t comment. On how Amazon ensures security via browsers, the spokeswoman said Fire TV doesn’t allow downloads. Silk and Firefox “both respect user privacy,” she said, and browsing history is kept “private and secure.” Neither stores personal identifiable information data, she said. Alexa controls some functions, but during playback, viewers use the Fire TV remote for play, pause, fast forward and rewind functions, said the spokeswoman.