Using phrase “push the envelope” several times, panelists at Thurs. session on language now being widely used on urban radio stations were unanimous at conference of National Assn. of Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB) in declaring that harsh language now had become staple on-air fare. Radio has “a new vocabulary,” said Vinny Brown, program dir. of WBLS(FM)-WLIB(AM) N.Y., originating stations for Howard Stern program. “Our society has changed, and radio has changed as a result of that,” said Darryl Huckaby of Radio One. Ron DeCastro of WDAS(FM) Philadelphia said what’s heard on radio is same language that’s heard every day on nation’s schoolyards and playgrounds.
Country of origin cases
FCC granted Cingular Wireless request for waiver of spectrum cap rules for up 1.5 MHz of 900 MHz specialized mobile radio spectrum (SMR), which is used by subsidiary Cingular Interactive for dedicated mobile data network. Cingular sought waiver of 45 MHz cap, with caveat that it would be used only for up to 1.5 MHz on its dedicated wireless data system. FCC order released late Tues. said spectrum used by Cingular Interactive used dedicated facilities that Cingular couldn’t use to provide mobile voice services on broadband PCS and cellular spectrum. Cingular told FCC that under spectrum cap, it couldn’t obtain 2nd 10 MHz broadband PCS license in nonrural markets where it already had 10 MHz PCS license, 25 MHz cellular license and at least one 0.25 MHz 900 MHz SMR license. Cingular said that meant that it could buy only attributable interest in 35 MHz of spectrum unless it disaggregated spectrum. Carrier told FCC it was difficult to market 1 MHz of spectrum to buy 2nd 10 MHz PCS license because there was no market for such small sliver of capacity. It said waiver request involved very small amount of spectrum and wouldn’t thwart original purpose of cap. FCC said that, compared with other PCS and cellular carriers, “Cingular alone is restricted by the cap from holding a cellular and two 10-MHz PCS licenses because it holds an attributable interest in a small amount of SMR spectrum in the same geographic service area.” Order said factors in Cingular’s favor were: (1) Relatively small amount of spectrum at stake. (2) Distinct network technologies separating mobile voice network and dedicated wireless data network.
Advanced TV Systems Committee postponed its seminar on PSIP, data broadcasting, closed captioning, DASE. Seminar, originally Oct. 23-24 at Millennium Hotel, St. Louis, will be Feb. 20-21, same place, panel said. Terrorist attack was cited.
Citing lack of detail and potential harm to consumers, state regulators are balking at Verizon Wireless request to FCC that agency forbear from local number portability (LNP) requirements for mobile carriers. In comments on Verizon request, several PUCs argued that failing to require LNP by carriers would lead to “unreasonable” rates and remove protections for subscribers. FCC rules require wireless carriers to provide LNP, which lets customers keep existing numbers when switching providers in top 100 metropolitan statistical areas by Nov. 24, 2002. Verizon Wireless said it didn’t seek forbearance from separate requirement that mobile providers participate in thousands-block number pooling, which carries same deadline.
Verizon said late Mon. it had reconnected 2/3 of voice lines served by its West St. switching center in lower Manhattan. Before Sept. 11 attacks on World Trade Center, West St. switching center had 200,000 voice lines for homes and small businesses and 100,000 for several large businesses. As of Mon. morning, Verizon said 200,000 of lines were either fully restored or redirected to new numbers. “Our people are focused on helping New York get back on its feet as fast as humanly possible,” Verizon Vice Chmn.-Pres. Larry Babbio said. Verizon said its crews had repaired or completely reconstructed significant part of electronic equipment and switching gear based at West St. facility, which suffered severe damage in attacks. It also is working with CLECs that connect to its network through lower Manhattan facilities. In several cases, Verizon rerouted service around damaged cables and equipment; in other cases, it cleared debris in West St. central office so CLECs could have access to their equipment. Besides voice lines, West St. facility has data capacity equivalent to 3.5 million circuits. Nearly 2 million of those circuits flowed through West St. but didn’t terminate there, and 80% of capacity has been restored. For data capacity that originates or terminates at West St. building, Verizon said it is working with customers to restore capacity on case-by-case basis. Equipment there was damaged by severe flooding and falling debris from collapse of nearby 7 World Trade Center Building. Verizon said that although crews had “made extensive repairs to hundreds of pieces of equipment inside areas of the building cleared of rubble, they still do not have access to other areas of the office.” Crews also don’t have access to some underground cable vaults, making it difficult to evaluate damage to “thousands of phone cables.” In next week, Verizon expects all debris to be cleared.
Organizers canceled East Coast Cable Show 2001, citing fear and uncertainty resulting from terrorist attacks on America. East Coast Show joins long list of telecom events scrapped recently, including National Assn. of Minorities in Cable (NAMIC) Diversity Week in N.Y., which had just started when planes crashed into World Trade Center Sept. 11. RTNDA subsequently canceled its convention in Tenn. and Mid-America Cable Telecom Assn. canceled its 44th annual convention in Kansas City, Mo. Washington Metropolitan Cable Club called off its luncheon, which was to take place Tues., spokesman saying it wouldn’t be “appropriate.” Karen Alexander of N.J. Cable Telecom Assn. said directors of East Coast Show, originally scheduled for Oct. 23-25 in Baltimore, were concerned that so many attendees were from N.Y., Pa., and D.C. -- areas targeted by attacks. “We feel the appropriate thing to do at this point in time for all parties involved is to cancel the show and look forward to bringing the industry together next year,” she said.
Group of thwarted PCS license winners in FCC’s Jan. re- auction of NextWave licenses is floating settlement proposal that would give bankrupt C-block winner $5-$7 billion for spectrum. Several news reports Fri. said U.S. Treasury would receive $10 billion as part of settlement, which isn’t final. NextWave originally bid $4.7 billion for 90 licenses in 1996. Re-auction of licenses, which FCC had cancelled for missed payment, brought $16.9 billion in Jan., of which $15.8 billion was for spectrum once belonging to NextWave. In July, 5 of largest re-auction winners, Alaska Native Wireless, Dobson Communications, Salmon PCS, Verizon Wireless and VoiceStream asked govt. to approve “immediate” settlement of NextWave licenses, with starting point for talks set at $4-$5 billion. That plan would have taken part of money due from winning re-auction bidders and paid it directly to NextWave in return for its dismissing its claims to licenses. Rest of money would go to federal govt. Wall St. Journal said NextWave could receive up to $11 billion from draft settlement, although actual number in play appeared to be lower than that. “Consistent with its corporate responsibilities, it has always been NextWave’s policy to explore ideas that might lead to a consensual resolution of existing issues and allow the company to complete pending bankruptcy proceedings, and we will continue to fulfill that responsibility,” NextWave Senior Vp Michael Wack said Fri. One source said Fri. that reports of settlement talks had surfaced within days of FCC’s asking for additional time beyond Sept. 19 deadline to seek review of U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., decision that had overturned Commission’s license cancellation decision in NextWave case. Chief Justice William Rehnquist has given govt. until Oct. 19 to file petition for certiorari (CD Sept 19 p2).
AT&T Wireless (AWS) asked FCC for further notice of proposed rulemaking in satellite digital audio radio service (DARS) proceeding to allow for comment period on data and analyses on terrestrial repeaters. Sept. 18 filing came one day after XM Satellite Radio received Special Temporary Authority (STA) from Commission to use terrestrial repeaters to supplement nationwide service (CD Sept 18 p8). STAs received by XM and Sirius Satellite Radio carried conditions that local programming be barred and RF facilities be protected from new interference. AT&T Wireless told FCC that “the proceeding has now progressed far beyond the contours originally envisioned, and the Commission can and should at this point summarize the developments to date and the proposals under consideration” by issuing further notice. Carrier also wants FCC to impose moratorium on construction of additional high- power satellite DARS repeaters until it adopts final rules. FCC’s 1997 proposal to authorize satellite DARS terrestrial repeaters was “minimalist” and more information has emerged on terrestrial repeater operations, AT&T Wireless said. “AWS submits that, at this point, the 1997 rulemaking document is woefully inadequate and out of date,” carrier said. Citing blanketing interference concerns for Wireless Communications Services operators, AWS asked for moratorium on construction of repeaters operating at more than 2 kW until proceeding was finalized. AT&T Wireless submitted draft rules that it asked agency to include in further notice and seek comment on under “expedited” schedule. Draft would stipulate that each terrestrial repeater could operate at equivalent peak power limit of no more than 400 W/MHz at 4 kHz intervals. Draft also would call on satellite DARS licensees to “bear full financial obligation” to remedy interference to MMDS and ITFS downconverters under certain conditions.
FCC turned down CTIA’s request for open-ended extension of Sept. 30 deadline for all telecom carriers to comply with packet- mode communications electronic surveillance under Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). While rejecting blanket request for more time, which Justice Dept. had opposed, Commission gave carriers until Nov. 19 either to upgrade packet networks to comply with wiretap requirements or to seek individual relief. Order, voted Sept. 18 and released Wed., also temporarily suspended Sept. 30 date for carriers to implement punch-list electronic surveillance capabilities for FBI. Agency said it planned to set date for all punch-list capabilities that would let carriers be “fully CALEA-compliant” by June 30. Action came as interest in broadening wiretap capabilities of federal govt. were receiving increased attention in wake of last week’s terrorist attacks (CD Sept 19 p3).
Lower court injunction blocking Echostar from distributing network TV signals (CD Oct 4/00 p4) was “an abuse of discretion,” 11th U.S. Appeals Court, Miami, said in decision Mon. Ruling vacates preliminary injunction, although networks will have another opportunity to prove case for preliminary injunction and main case is to go ahead.