Changes at NBC Enterprises: Alan Seiffert, ex-NBA, named vp-business affairs; Betsy Braun, ex-Telepictures Productions, appointed vp-programming & development… Victoria Bassetti, ex-Senate Judiciary Committee, named vp- legal & public policy, EMI… Annette Erdmann, ex-Qwest, moves to Access Global Holdings as chief information officer… Lisa Dollinger, ex-Capstar, becomes senior vp- mktg. & communications, Clear Channel Radio… FTC Dir.- Office of Policy Planning Ted Cruz appointed Tex. Solicitor Gen… Linda Standen, ex-Pacific Bell, named vp-mktg., @Road… Changes at Internet Photonics: Peter Dale, ex-Narad Networks, named vp-cable business unit; Imaginary Universes CEO Stephen Dukes becomes chmn. of technical advisory board… Hallmark Channel promoted Elizabeth Yost to head of original programming & development and Marcey Mascotte to mgr.-original programming… Communications consultant James Maiella named Cablevision vp-communications for N.Y. metropolitan area.
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Qwest told FCC that despite “good-faith efforts” to move Enhanced 911 Phase 2 rollouts forward, T-Mobile USA had tried to “blame” it for problems in providing wireless 911 service to certain public safety answering points (PSAPs) by end of 2002. Issue of ILEC readiness for Phase 2 deployment of E911 has been cited in past by some carriers and public safety groups as “missing link” for E911 rollouts. In Fri. filing at FCC, Qwest took issue with Dec. 10 letters from T-Mobile to PSAPs in its 14-state region. Qwest said T-Mobile informed PSAPs it wouldn’t be able to offer Phase 1 E911 services to them because Qwest had refused to provide those services over connection capable of handling Phase 2 location identification information. Qwest said T-Mobile painted “overall inaccurate picture.” It said it had advised T- Mobile to consider digital solution called noncall associated signaling to support wireless 911 deployments. Instead, filing said T-Mobile opted for use of analog-based technology called CellTrace, which was used to roll out Phase 1 E911 in Ariz., Iowa and Colo. “It was T-Mobile’s subsequent change in its deployment strategy for Phase 1 services from its original decision to proceed with an analog approach to one now involving digital technology that has in large part created the current difficulties in T-Mobile’s deployments,” Qwest said. In letter to Wireless Bureau Acting Policy Div. Chief Blaise Scinto, Qwest took issue with change in T- Mobile’s deployment strategy for Phase 1 E911 data. Qwest said while it technically was possible to deliver automatic location identification data on interface technology selected by T-Mobile, system identified information as Phase 2, not Phase 1, data. It said it became clear that E2 Plus interface wasn’t well-suited for Phase 1 deployments. “Qwest advised T-Mobile that, if T-Mobile continued to want to deliver Phase 1 data over an interface designed for Phase 2 delivery, it should make changes to correct the inaccurate characterization of the data,” Qwest said. It said T-Mobile hadn’t made those changes. Phase 1 of E911 rules requires carriers to supply 911 dispatchers location of cell site or base station receiving emergency call. Phase 2 requires more specific automatic location information. Robert Calaff, T- Mobile corporate counsel in Washington, told us Mon. that carrier was “perplexed that Qwest seems to be the only major LEC that can’t figure out how to do what we are trying to do here, which is to deliver Phase 1 information over the E2 interface.” Position of T-Mobile is that issue “is solely within Qwest’s capability and control because the problem that is potentially surfacing now is one that relates to the presentation of the location information that T-Mobile is delivering to the LEC.” That presentation capability is part of E2 interface itself and is programmed by Qwest and its 911 database vendor Intrado, Calaff said. “We are doubly perplexed because that is within T-Mobile’s control to solve,” he said.
Comcast and Radio One announced plan to launch joint venture cable channel targeted primarily at African-Americans aged 25-54. Yet-to-be-named network is scheduled for mid- 2003 start and will compete with Black Entertainment TV (BET), which was acquired by Viacom in 2000. New network will be general interest channel featuring entertainment, news, opinion and sports programming, Radio One CEO Alfred Liggins said in Mon. conference call. It will include mix of original and acquired programming, he said, but more programming details will be available near debut date. Comcast and Radio One will have equal ownership in network, he said, with each below 40%, and Radio One having supervisory oversight over network’s standalone management team. Radio One will invest $70 million in joint venture, with $60 million from Comcast and others, he said. Companies said Liggins would be chmn. of network. He said African- Americans were “tremendously underserved in TV space.” They were largest minority group but have had only one dedicated TV channel serving their interests in for more than 20 years, he said. In contrast, there were 5 Hispanic networks and 20 digital startups catering to group, he said. African- American per capita income has grown 60% since 1980, Liggins said, and had 2001 aggregate buying power of $572 billion. Radio One, which “long thought we could leverage our expertise in serving this demographic,” had been looking for partner for more than 4 years, he said. Network will be primarily digital, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts said. Since channel would be “highly targeted,” number of subscribers would be lot fewer than it would take general market network to be successful, Liggins said, with 50% of African-Americans in top 25 markets where Comcast operates. Network is expected to reach breakeven point in subscribers toward end of 3rd year, he said.
Former FCC Chmn. James Quello has some advice for current Democratic commissioners: Current financial interest and syndication (finsyn) rules are justified, and requests from independent producers to set aside 25% of network prime time for them are aren’t. Quello said today’s multiplicity of program outlets -- 7 networks, more group broadcasters, hundreds of cable channels, satellite channels and Internet outlets provide “more than adequate diversification and individual choice.” In FCC filings on media ownership rules, Center for Creative Community and Coalition for Program Diversity asked that 25% of network prime time go to independents (CD Jan 3 p1). Quello stressed that independents had plenty of places to turn now, but they didn’t always. While on FCC, he noted, he originally had opposed finsyn rights for networks but changed his mind when he saw tremendous growth of cable, 4 additional broadcast networks, multiplicity of oncoming competition in 1993. As for ownership issue, he said current number of outlets “should justify some ownership or reach relief. How much and where is a controversial issue for the FCC to decide with their full record.”
As state legislatures opened their 2003 sessions, sampling of new bills showed lawmakers focusing on state regulatory commissions along with telemarketing. Major regulatory measures included Minn. bill to totally deregulate broadband and Ind. bill giving regulators needed power to enforce their rules. Telemarketing front saw more new bills for no-call lists and other restrictions on phone sellers, including Ind. bill that took aim at telemarketing campaigns by political candidates.
Informal survey of several NAB TV and radio board members showed large majority would back proposal to commit to help fund broadcast technical lab -- including several who formerly had said they didn’t support idea, in part because they felt it wasn’t needed and/or hadn’t been explained adequately. However, any commitment of $2 million annually for 3 years would be conditioned on similar commitments from CEA and TV networks, we're told. Idea originated at MSTV several years ago and its Pres. David Donovan and Senior Vp Victor Tawil are scheduled to make presentation, asking for financial backing, to NAB joint board Sun. in La Quinta, Cal. (CD Dec 30 p1).
LAS VEGAS -- Cable’s sudden realization of importance of HDTV to customer retention “was a real head knocker,” Cox Cable CEO James Robbins said at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) here Thurs. “We realized that was where our best customers were going, and we weren’t there.”
LAS VEGAS -- Rebranding of Sirius as deliverer of independent music to public turned off by deficiencies of traditional commercial-supported radio or music TV was among highlights of marathon news conference Wed. on eve of CES here. Sirius also has dropped words “Satellite Radio” from its corporate name, apparently in keeping with plans to stream data and video content to mobile receivers.
Qwest amended proposal before Utah PSC for local rate deregulation in areas where competition existed. Qwest had proposed local residential and business rates be deregulated in exchanges served by 17 wire centers along Wasatch Front where competitors were operating, including cities of Provo and Ogden. Consumer advocates objected on ground that competitors’ services weren’t available to every customer in every exchange. Qwest’s main local competitor in area is Comcast, formerly AT&T Broadband. Qwest modified petition so that local rate deregulation would occur only in specific portions of specific exchanges where competing local services actually were available to customers. Qwest said originally it didn’t have detailed information on exactly where competitors were offering service but now had such data. Utah Committee on Consumer Services said Qwest’s concession was fine as far as it went, but urged PSC also to cap Qwest’s local rates at or near current levels in competitive exchanges until Qwest’s local market share dropped to around 50%. Agency said that as long as Qwest retained bulk of local customers, it shouldn’t be allowed to “jack up” local rates. PSC is scheduled to rule on Qwest’s request Jan. 13.
CTIA plans to petition FCC next week to seek another delay in implementing wireless local number portability (LNP), Pres. Tom Wheeler said Wed. In July, Commission gave wireless carriers 3rd extension, to Nov. 24, 2003, to provide LNP in 100 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Wheeler cited new CTIA data on wireline rate centers that 90% of time when consumers wanted to keep phone number when switching from wireline to wireless, “they're told to go pound sand.” Point of new challenge to LNP rules, he said, is that they shouldn’t be implemented until “the competition that they claimed they were doing in the first place is made possible by their rules.”