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from: The Mercury News

Local governments: FCC not playing fair

JOHN DUNBAR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON - The nation's chief telecommunications regulator stands accused of misrepresenting the facts while pushing through rules that will make it easier for big phone companies to get into cable television.

from: Washington Post

FCC to Feel Unfamiliar Heat from Democrats

From Washington Post, January 26, 2007
By Charles Babington

As congressional Democrats prepare to give the Federal Communications Commission its toughest scrutiny in years, a rivalry between the powerful agency’s two most prominent Republicans is raising questions about its readiness to handle barbed questions and stiff challenges.

SA Note: The Telephone companies have been using increased cable rates as a justification for deregulating their entry into cable delivery services (by eliminating public interest requirements, local control, etc). Cables pricing was deregulated federally in the '96 Telecom Act, since then, only local municipalities maintain some a level of control over pricing. The FCC is fueling the fire of the Telco campaigns by further deregulating cable prices, often in advance of Telco deployment and by removing the authority of local municipalities to limit rate increases.

from: Broadcasting and Cable

Breaking News
Challenge to FCC Local Video Franchise Process Expected
By John Eggerton

Local franchising authorities and community activists groups say they are preparing a court challenge to the FCC's recent order revamping the local video franchise process.

from: Alliance for Community Media
Alliance for Community Media and Local Governments Retain Counsel to Challenge FCC Rulings

The Alliance for Community Media Strongly Questions the Legality of FCC Actions

The Alliance for Community Media (ACM) and the Alliance for Communications Democracy (ACD) working with local government partners, National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA), National League of Cities (NLC), and National Association of Counties (NACo) announced today that they have retained legal counsel to challenge the FCC’s recent Order preempting local government control and authority over cable franchises, compensation for public property, community services and the availability of consumer protection in local communities.

from: Forbes

TV: The Bells’ Next Battle

From Forbes, January 24, 2007

Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin and his fellow commissioners will get their first taste of life under a Democratic majority on Feb. 1.

Martin and his cohorts are scheduled to appear before the Senate Commerce Committee, where they’ll have to address, among other issues, why they voted to override certain state and local laws that govern applications by AT&T and Verizon to sell TV service and to require local governments to act on those applications within three months. (Never mind that the FCC itself took nine months—months longer than it was supposed to—to act on AT&T’s recent application to take over BellSouth.)

from: Catholic News Service

Two FCC commissioners outline principles for an improved media system

By Mark Pattison
Catholic News Service

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (CNS) -- Media concentration is something that should be stopped, Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps told a Jan. 13 audience at the National Conference for Media Reform in Memphis.

from: Fort Collins Weekly

Future of public access TV in question

Is This the Future of Fort Collins Public Access TV?
Under-funded and under-equipped, the city’s fledgling public access channel could get switched off, thanks to the FCC

from: Broadcasting and Cable

Breaking News
Democrats Take a Close Look at FCC

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 1/8/2007

The new Democratic Senate Commerce Committee majority won't waste any time kicking the tires on the Republican led FCC.

The committee has scheduled an FCC oversight hearing among its first three of the new Congress--the others are aviation and rail security.

Republican Majority Attack Cities and Loot Community Television Centers Across the Country

On Wednesday Dec. 20th, The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted in favor of MB 05-311, adopting "Rules to Ensure Reasonable Franchising Process for New Video Market Entrants." The vote was split on partisan lines with three Republicans voting for and the two Democrats against the new rules. The ruling is expected to be challenged in the courts on numerous fronts since it imposes FCC authority over the existing legislative rights of local governments.