Sen. Burns (R-Mont.) asked Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. Hollings (D-S.C.) to hold hearing on ultra-wideband. Request came 2 days before FCC approved order authorizing UWB technology at Feb. 14 agenda meeting, but he said he wanted hearing regardless of outcome. “Although I do not feel it is always appropriate for Congress to weigh in during a regulatory process, the level of public concern in this matter has encouraged a higher level of interest than usual,” Burns said. He said he was “supportive” of UWB technology, citing potential applications for law enforcement, emergency services, military. “However, I am concerned about potential interference issues within restricted bands, especially Global Positioning System,” Burns said. Depts. of Transportation and Defense, FAA and NASA have voiced concerns about potential interference in safety-of-life frequencies, he said.
Senate Appropriations Commerce, State, Justice Subcommittee scheduled respective hearings March 7, March 12 and March 21 on fiscal year 2003 budget requests for FCC, Dept. of Commerce, Dept. of Justice (DoJ). All hearings are 10 a.m. in Dirksen Bldg. FCC hearing is in Rm. 253, Commerce and DoJ in Rm. 116.
Sen. Hollings (D-S.C.) told Attorney Gen. John Ashcroft Tues. that Congress never intended Justice Dept. (DoJ) and FTC to divide up merger review responsibilities. In an appropriations hearing on DoJ budget, Hollings asked Ashcroft why 2 agencies were considering such an agreement. Ashcroft said overlapping jurisdiction on merger reviews created too much delay when agencies must negotiate over which would review each case. Hollings specifically highlighted his concerns with Justice’s being given authority over media and telecom mergers. Two agencies were set to announce agreement in Jan., but canceled announcement after Hollings raised concerns. Since then, DoJ staff has met with Senate Commerce Committee (of which Hollings is chmn.) to discuss problems, while several consumer groups have expressed concerns about agreement.
Amendments to Tauzin-Dingell data deregulation bill (HR- 1542) that House Rules Committee was considering last night included measures that either would deregulate Bells or preserve CLEC access to Bells’ facilities in event that bill is passed. Rules Chmn. Dreier (R-Cal.) had scheduled hearing after our deadline that was expected to choose 4-5 amendments out of 25 submitted by Mon. Amendments figuring prominently included compromise measure that would increase role of Dept. of Justice in reviewing antitrust implications of communications industry disputes. Some congressional CLEC supporters had quietly given nod to proposal by House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) and House Judiciary Committee Chmn. Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.) that would bolster Justice involvement in such disputes, House sources said. Although House proponents have dropped their push for even more stringent DoJ oversight than called for in Tauzin- Sensenbrenner measure, another amendment was submitted that would preserve regulatory protections for competitive access to Bells networks, sources said.
Bipartisan group of House members is considering legislative remedy to hasten transition to digital TV conversion, House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) said Mon. in keynote at NAB State Leadership Conference in Washington. He said committee was planning one more hearing to assess whether progress had been made in private sector negotiations among broadcasters, cable operators and consumer electronics manufacturers to develop best approach to broadly deliver DTV across America. If progress hasn’t been made on private sector solution on stalled issues such as cable carriage of DTV and provision of digital tuners by electronics manufacturers, “Democrats and Republicans will come to the table and offer legislation to speed up the proceedings,” Tauzin said.
Advisers to House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R- La.) and ranking minority member Dingell (D-Mich.) held closed meeting Fri. to discuss strategies for fending off opponents of their data deregulation bill (HR-1542). Industry insider said 2 staffs were working with Reps. Towns (D-N.Y.) and Buyer (R-Ind.) to craft Bell-friendly line- sharing amendment to bill. Measure is seen by Tauzin-Dingell opponents as “procedural and tactical move” by Tauzin to subvert attempts by CLEC supporters to amend bill. Towns and Buyer said amendment would strike right balance between encouraging broadband network investment and guaranteeing CLEC access to Bell facilities.
Tribune Bcstg. promoted Robert Ramsey, WGN-TV, to vp- gen. mgr., KSWB-TV San Diego… Janis Kestenbaum, ex-Justice Dept. litigator, joins Wilmer, Cutler & Pickering communications and electronic commerce practice as counsel.
Justice Dept. confirmed Fri. that it was decision-making body on proposed Comcast acquisition of AT&T Broadband. Both companies said they had received requests from Justice’s Antitrust Div. for more information and were cooperating. Decision to leave merger in hands of Justice, rather than FTC, had consumer groups up in arms, and analysts concluded deal was more likely to be approved. Consumer groups agreed, but for different reasons. Center for Digital Democracy said it had “grave concerns that the Department of Justice may not engage in the same careful analysis of the cable industry’s market power as the FTC did in reviewing last year’s merger of AOL and Time Warner.” Specifically, while FTC was willing to place “open access” conditions on AOL-TW, Justice is seen as far less likely to do that on AT&T Broadband-Comcast, $72 billion deal that would leave merged company with 22 million subscribers nationwide.
Attorney Gen. John Ashcroft will testify Feb. 26 before Senate Appropriations Commerce, Justice, State Subcommittee. Hearing will cover FY 2003 Dept. of Justice (DoJ) budget request. Proposed DoJ funding would dip to $21.3 billion from $21.4 billion while FBI would get increase to $4.3 billion from $3.6 billion. Proposal includes $186 million to upgrade the FBI’s information technology infrastructure and $155 million that would be shared between the FBI and Immigration & Naturalization Service for intelligence gathering and electronic surveillance equipment. Hearing is 10 a.m., Rm. 138, Dirksen Bldg.
Before it entered bankruptcy earlier this year, Global Crossing had spent $10 million over last 3 years in campaign contributions and direct lobbying Congress, FCC and FTC, according to public disclosure records. In 6-month period in 1999, for example, Global Crossing paid former Asst. Attorney Gen. Anne Bingaman -- wife of Senate Energy Committee Chmn. Bingaman (D-N.M.) -- $2.52 million in successful lobbying campaign against U.S.-Japan cable proposed by AT&T, WorldCom and Sprint. When it began its Washington spending binge in 1999 it was focused on traditional telecom issues such as implementation of 1996 Telecom Act, although company’s interest in broadband led it into Internet-related topics as well.