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from: Broadcasting and Cable

Cities Weigh In Against Franchise Changes
Battle Over Regulating Local Franchise Authories Brews

by John Eggerton
10/5/2007 11:18:00 AM

"An order federalizing the franchising process cannot stand."

That was essentially the message from the Alliance for Community Media, which represents a number of localities -- including the cities of Los Angeles; Chicago; Boston; Tampa, Fla.; and Milwaukee and the New York villages of Larchmont and Mamaroneck -- in their court challenge to Federal Communications Commissioin changes to video-franchise rules.

from: Wired News

Report Says FCC Talks Too Much
By JOHN DUNBAR
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Communications Commission is doing a swell job communicating with lobbyists, but with the public? Not so good, according to a government report.

Note: Another case of Telcos behaving badly - in this case to get out from under regulated price caps on business service. With all the talk of the need for faster and more widespread broadband build-out to facilitate struggling local economies - this should help immensely.

from: National Journal

from: Broadcasting and Cable

Kevin Martin's Date with (Digital) Destiny

FCC Chairman Discusses Upcoming Digital-TV Transition, His Detractors and Why He's Not Running for Governor of North Carolina

By John Eggerton
Broadcasting & Cable, 9/22/2007 6:00:00 AM

Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin, who is rumored to have political aspirations in his home state of North Carolina and could always beat an early retreat to a private-sector payday, said he plans to be around Feb. 17, 2009, when the transition to digital TV takes place.

from: Wired

Verizon Dumps on Open Access, Sues FCC

By Bryan Gardiner EmailSeptember 13, 2007

VerizonCasting aside all pretense of public interest (and concern for corporate image), Verizon Wireless filed a petition in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit decrying the open access rules pertaining to the FCC's forthcoming 700 MHz auction.

from: Rocky Mountain news

Telcos await FCC action on broadband
Competition will suffer if Qwest wins, rival says

By Jeff Smith, Rocky Mountain News
September 8, 2007
Qwest Communications, AT&T and two other carriers are hoping to get federal relief next week from a requirement to sell high-speed services to competitors at certain rates.

from: Broadband Reports

FCC Attacks Exclusive Broadband Deals

From Broadband Reports, September 6, 2007

For months, AT&T and Verizon have been asking the FCC to ban cable operators from maintaining exclusive service contracts with the owners of apartment buildings, developments and MDUs (multiple dwelling units). When the phone company asks for something, the FCC delivers:

from: Broadcasting and Cable

DTV-Carriage Item Makes FCC Meeting Agenda
Extension of Program-Access Rules Also on the Docket

By John Eggerton 9/4/2007 7:31:00 PM

The Federal Communications Commission issued its agenda for the Sept. 11 public meeting Tuesday, and it is scheduled to include votes on cable's carriage of TV stations after the transition to digital, as well as maintaining the program-access rules for another five years.

from: Ars Technica

700MHz lobbying: Google good, wireless operators better, Frontline best

By Nate Anderson | Published: August 29, 2007 - 08:49AM CT

Google has stepped up its efforts in Washington, DC over the last few years, and those efforts appear to be paying off. An analysis of lobbying efforts at the FCC this year shows that Google lobbyists managed to record 19 separate phone calls or meetings with FCC staff, including the commissioners themselves—and that's only Google's 700MHz lobbying. But the company's efforts are overshadowed by those of the traditional wireless carriers, which have turned spectrum lobbying into an art form.

from: Ars Technica

FCC Chairman Suspects ‘Grassroots’ Astroturfing in à la Carte Debate

August 28, 2007
By Nate Anderson

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin isn’t usually associated with groups like Consumers Union (publisher of Consumer Reports), Free Press, and the Consumer Federation of America, but he’s with them on the issue of à la carte cable. The groups—and Martin—are in favor of à la carte cable, and all coincidentally believe that much of the “grassroots” opposition to the idea is actually cable-funded astroturf (that is, fake grassroots movements) meant to sway public opinion.