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from: Mondaq

United States: Communications Law Bulletin, September 2006
12 October 2006
Article by Charles H. Kennedy
The Month in Brief (excerpt)

Legislative Developments

With Congress set to recess at the end of October, many observers and analysts are predicting that Congress will not pass communications reform legislation before the November elections or even before the end of the year. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Ak.) conceded that, as of September 21, he was unable to round up the necessary 60 votes to avoid a filibuster on the Senate bill (HR-5252). Even if the 60 votes could be obtained, another hurdle to passing the bill this year is clearing time on the Senate floor to allow 60 hours of debate, as required under Senate procedural rules. The Senate bill continues to face strong opposition from Democrats seeking Net neutrality provisions, although portions of the bill, such as video franchise reform, enjoy strong bipartisan support. Some have speculated that the bill could be passed this year if it is segmented into separate bills, but Sen. Stevens has insisted that he will not section off portions of the bill or attempt to attach it to an appropriations or other bill in order to increase its likelihood of passage. It is unclear how a possible change of control of one or both houses of Congress would affect the bill’s prospects when Congress returns after the November elections.

from: Digital Destiny

AT&T’s “30-Month” Net Neutrality Merger Trade-in Offer: What a Joke!

So desperate to become a digital colossus once it swallows BellSouth, AT&T offered the dissident Democrats on the FCC a network neutrality “concession” today. Unbelievably, AT&T offered to operate its broadband Internet system as an open and democratic network—but only for 30 months! The offer illustrates how unethical and cynical the top executives are at Ma(d) Bell. `Yes, U.S. public,’ they say. `We will give you a democratic Internet for a brief moment, if you let us grow as an even larger unaccountable monopoly.’ AT&T’s offer underscores why permanent network neutrality safeguards are worth fighting for. The very companies who will provide the vast majority of broadband service, such as AT&T, really don’t want the public to have it.

from: The Nation

Google, YouTube and You

by JEFFREY CHESTER

[posted online on October 16, 2006]

Under the radar of all but the most savvy Internet users, powerful commercial forces are rapidly creating a digital media system for the United States that threatens to undermine our ability to create a civil and just society. The takeover of YouTube by Google announced October 9 and the 2005 buyout by Rupert Murdoch of MySpace are not just about mega-deals for new media. They are the leading edge of a powerful interactive system that is being designed to serve the interests of some of the wealthiest corporations on the planet. (EDITOR'S NOTE: The Nation has a content relationship with both companies: YouTube hosts our online videos and Google advertisments appear on this site.)

from: Broadcasting & Cable

FTC Issues Municipal Wireless Report
By John Eggerton -- , 10/10/2006 4:59:00 PM

Democratic FTC Commissioner Jon Leibowitz says a new staff report on municipal Wireless Internet networks released by the commission Tuesday should be used to counter state attempts to prohibit cities and towns from creating a government "third pipe" to the home.

from: Technology Daily

Minorities Complain About Cost Of Cable Regulation

By David Hatch

(Thursday, October 5) Organizations representing minorities complained this week to the FCC that new regulations governing set-top boxes for cable television would trigger higher costs for consumers.

from: National Journal

Senate Panel Releases Report On Its Telecom Bill

(Monday, October 2) The Senate Commerce Committee this past weekend released its long-awaited report on telecommunications legislation that it approved in late June. The 283-page report provides additional detail about the measure and includes a dissent from prominent Democrats.

from: Bloomberg News

Verizon may lobby states on TV service rules

By Bloomberg News | October 5, 2006

NEW YORK -- Verizon Communications Inc.'s lead lobbyist said the company is likely to abandon efforts to pursue federal rules to ease the sale of television service if pending legislation fails this year.

The FCC has begun a series of public hearings on media ownership that cover issues of localism, diversity and ownership caps. This is a revisiting of a controversial issue stalled by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in the Prometheus v. FCC ruling of 2004. More recently it was revealed that FCC studies on local ownership were 'buried' by the previous FCC chair, Michael Powell, when the results contradicted his position.

from: Lancaster Online

Cable choice picture unclear
Bills that could have brought competition die in state Legislature. Some customers could have been cut out.

By Gil Smart
Sunday News

Published: Oct 01, 2006 12:05 AM EST

LANCASTER COUNTY, PA - State Sen. Gibson Armstrong said he probably gets more complaints about ever-rising cable rates than anything else.

Excellent overview and response to local media coverage of video franchises

from: Sentry

Vigue: Letter writer uses ‘inaccuracies’ to make case

Editor:

I read with interest the response by Annie Kerry to an interview that I gave to the Sentry two weeks ago regarding the current Federal Telecommunications legislation, HR 5252 [also known as the Advanced Telecommunications Opportunity Reform (ATOR) bill]. The arguments given by Annie Kerry are remarkably similar to those given by telecom industry lobbying groups and public relations firms in other parts of the country. They complain that cities and towns across the country are somehow preventing Verizon, AT&T, SBC and other Telecommunications companies from providing low cost, competitive video service to residents. Let’s take a look at the facts: