President Barack Obama’s statement Monday in favor of reclassifying broadband as a Title II Communications Act service (see 1411100033) sent the FCC scrambling to rewrite an order that had been expected to get a vote at the commission’s Dec. 11 meeting, said industry and agency officials. Even before the delays for reworking the rules, the FCC likely faced a long road as it partially reclassifies broadband. It remains unclear when an order will take effect and whether the Obama administration will be in office to promulgate new rules if the next version is also overturned in federal court, said agency and FCC officials.
President Barack Obama’s statement Monday in favor of reclassifying broadband as a Title II Communications Act service (see 1411100033) sent the FCC scrambling to rewrite an order that had been expected to get a vote at the commission’s Dec. 11 meeting, said industry and agency officials. Even before the delays for reworking the rules, the FCC likely faced a long road as it partially reclassifies broadband. It remains unclear when an order will take effect and whether the Obama administration will be in office to promulgate new rules if the next version is also overturned in federal court, said agency and FCC officials.
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler likely faces more congressional oversight after Republicans won full control of Congress Tuesday. But it's unclear whether the new Congress will have much effect on FCC decision-making, especially on net neutrality, said Washington insiders, including former FCC officials. Industry officials have speculated Wheeler may seek a net neutrality vote on an order in December, before the new Congress is seated (see 1410270055).
FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler likely faces more congressional oversight after Republicans won full control of Congress Tuesday. But it's unclear whether the new Congress will have much effect on FCC decision-making, especially on net neutrality, said Washington insiders, including former FCC officials. Industry officials have speculated Wheeler may seek a net neutrality vote on an order in December, before the new Congress is seated (see 1410270055).
Mexican sugar exporters and the U.S. industry have reached a tentative deal to avoid antidumping and countervailing duties on sugar from Mexico, said the Commerce Department on Oct. 27. Under a preliminary agreement to suspend the ongoing antidumping and countervailing investigations, Mexican sugar exporters would limit the amount of sugar they ship to the U.S., and abide by minimum prices, said Commerce. The announcement came on the same day that Commerce reached its preliminary determination in the AD duty investigation, deciding to require AD duty cash deposits ranging from 39.54% to 47.26% (here). The agency set CV duty cash deposit requirements at 2.99% to 17.01% in September (see 14082919). If the suspension agreements are finalized, the U.S. will suspend its AD/CV duty investigations, end cash deposit requirements, and refund any cash deposits already collected.
The FCC Media Bureau’s temporary suspension of pleading schedules for AT&T's planned buy of DirecTV and Comcast/Time Warner Cable (see 1410220058) is likely to strengthen the cases of those calling for delays of Comcast/TWC reviews at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and New York Public Service Commission (PSC), parties in those states’ reviews told us. The CPUC is evaluating a new timeline for its review based on recommendations from its Office of Ratepayer Advocates and public interest groups (see 1410150092), while the New York PSC is to vote on its review Nov. 13. Public interest groups in California and New York are concerned that programmers’ objections to the disclosure of confidential documents will preclude the groups from effectively participating in the reviews. The FCC cited similar concerns at the federal level as the main reason to suspend its pleading cycle for the deal.
The FCC Media Bureau’s temporary suspension of pleading schedules for AT&T's planned buy of DirecTV and Comcast/Time Warner Cable (see 1410220058) is likely to strengthen the cases of those calling for delays of Comcast/TWC reviews at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and New York Public Service Commission (PSC), parties in those states’ reviews told us. The CPUC is evaluating a new timeline for its review based on recommendations from its Office of Ratepayer Advocates and public interest groups (see 1410150092), while the New York PSC is to vote on its review Nov. 13. Public interest groups in California and New York are concerned that programmers’ objections to the disclosure of confidential documents will preclude the groups from effectively participating in the reviews. The FCC cited similar concerns at the federal level as the main reason to suspend its pleading cycle for the deal.
The FCC Media Bureau suspended the pleading schedules for both the AT&T/DirecTV and Comcast/Time Warner Cable deals until it rules on a stream of objections filed by a group of programmers to prevent their contracts with providers from being viewed, said an order issued Wednesday (http://bit.ly/ZO1D80). The order also stops the 180-day shot clock for the AT&T deal. The Comcast shot clock had already been put on hold (see 1410070029). The stoppage is a response to a joint request (see 1410210042) from several commenters on the deal -- including Dish Network -- to extend the reply comment period for Comcast/TWC in part because the programmers -- which include Viacom, Disney, CBS and Scripps -- have filed objections to every request from any party to view confidential documents filed in both transactions. “We agree with these commenters that their current inability to review Highly Confidential Information … significantly hampers their ability to meaningfully comment and participate in these proceedings,” said the order.
The FCC Media Bureau suspended the pleading schedules for both the AT&T/DirecTV and Comcast/Time Warner Cable deals until it rules on a stream of objections filed by a group of programmers to prevent their contracts with providers from being viewed, said an order issued Wednesday (http://bit.ly/ZO1D80). The order also stops the 180-day shot clock for the AT&T deal. The Comcast shot clock had already been put on hold (see 1410070029). The stoppage is a response to a joint request (see 1410210042) from several commenters on the deal -- including Dish Network -- to extend the reply comment period for Comcast/TWC in part because the programmers -- which include Viacom, Disney, CBS and Scripps -- have filed objections to every request from any party to view confidential documents filed in both transactions. “We agree with these commenters that their current inability to review Highly Confidential Information … significantly hampers their ability to meaningfully comment and participate in these proceedings,” said the order.
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) will receive the same information the FCC receives on the Comcast/Time Warner Cable (TWC) deal and associated transactions following a legal hearing at the CPUC Thursday, but other aspects of the commission’s review remain undecided pending further action at the FCC, industry stakeholders who attended the hearing told us. The hearing, led by Administrative Law Judge Jean Vieth, was meant to clarify the scope of allowable discovery requests in the CPUC’s review of the deals and set a new schedule for the commission’s review (see 1410150092). The CPUC didn’t webcast the hearing and a transcript wasn’t available at our deadline.