Public broadcasting and foreign ownership of telecom companies we...

Public broadcasting and foreign ownership of telecom companies were among subjects on what House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin called panel’s “ambitious” oversight agenda. List released Wed. includes topics Tauzin and others on Committee have talked about repeatedly in last few weeks, such as FCC reform, DTV transition, networks’ election night coverage, broadband deployment. But it also includes: (1) Review of federal funding needed for CPB, including “in-depth examination of the estimated transition costs of the public broadcasters for converting from analog to digital television.” (2) Cybercrime prevention and critical infrastructure protection activities of various agencies, including FCC. (3) Wireless privacy and wiretapping issues, including examination of law enforcement’s needs under Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). (4) Violent content in media. (5) State of high-tech industry, including examination of causes of “economic malaise affecting the e-commerce industry. (6) FCC’s broadcast ownership rules and whether they comport with congressional intent. (7) Copyright rules online. (7) Spectrum management and other wireless policies such as spectrum cap. (8) Educational technology programs. Agenda said Committee planned to find “best way to combine the many differing and competing programs into a single funding mechanism.” (9) Phone calling rates for calling cards and in hotels. (10) Efforts of other countries to comply with their trade obligations, particularly in regard to telecom agreements, on which U.S. Trade Representative will release assessment March 31. Meanwhile, Tauzin and ranking Democrat Dingell (Mich.) submitted a budget request giving the Republican majority two- thirds of the Committee’s funds and staff, an arrangement Dingell called “a significant improvement” from the previous session.