No factual evidence supports Public Knowledge's accusation that the Copyright Office is more dedicated to helping copyright holders than accurately interpreting the law, said the Copyright Alliance in an FCC filing in commission docket 16-42 on PK's response (see 1608040062) to CO (see 1608050053) on commission-proposed set-top box rules. “The mere fact that the Copyright Office’s analysis conflicts with the policy positions of Public Knowledge and its supporters does not mean that that the Copyright Office is biased; and Public Knowledge’s unsupported claims only underscore their inability to address the substance of the analysis,” the alliance said in a release. It's “incumbent” on the FCC to “take into account the Register’s views on the Proposal,” the alliance said. The plan outlined in the set-top NPRM would “harm” content creators, it said. Members include 21st Century Fox, CBS, Disney, the NBA, Newspaper Association of America, RIAA and Sony Pictures, said the group's website.

NAB and public interest groups disagree on whether the FCC should eliminate the requirement that broadcasters keep a hard-copy file of correspondence from the public available for viewing at TV stations, according to replies in docket 16-161 in time for Monday's deadline. “Members of the public rarely -- if ever -- access stations’ paper correspondence, instead relying on digital forms of communication to comment about a station’s performance,” said NAB. But “moving to an online-only format would frustrate poor people and people of color -- who still tend to rely on over-the-air television -- from effectively communicating with their local broadcasters,” said the National Hispanic Media Coalition with the AFL-CIO, Public Knowledge, Free Press, Common Cause, Communication Workers of America and Center for Media Justice. Eliminating the correspondence file doesn't have to stop the public from communicating with broadcasters, NAB said. “If members of the public still want to communicate with broadcasters through written mail or e-mail,” they can still do so, NAB said. Broadcaster arguments that the files are an unnecessary burden fly in the face of their claim that no one ever looks in the correspondence file, the public interest groups said. “One cannot claim credibly that staff are burdened by constant visits from the public and then also argue that such visits never actually happen because communications occur largely through social media.” The public groups downplayed broadcasters' concerns that allowing the public into stations to view such files is a security threat. The groups “support safe workspaces for broadcasters, but there are simply no documented incidents of violence resulting from an individual inspecting the public file," they said. The public interest groups haven't shown why such files are needed, NAB said. “If NHMC believes it imperative that broadcasters maintain their correspondence files, then it should produce at least some shred of evidence demonstrating the continuing value of those paper files.” The American Cable Association was the sole reply commenter to file on a commission proposal to eliminate a similar requirement for cable headend information. ACA wants the FCC to allow companies to continue to hold that information in their office and to be able to make it available to authorized representatives if they wish. “There is no policy justification for imposing new burdens on cable operators” ACA said.

Hitch Radio CEO Ayinde Alakoye criticized GOP nominee Donald Trump for having an undefined tech and telecom agenda. “While Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton released a comprehensive technology policy platform in June that should excite software developers, Mr. Trump doesn’t pay much attention to our industry’s concerns and is, frankly, on the wrong side of many of the most important issues facing tech today,” Alakoye said in a blog post for TechCrunch dated Sunday. Hitch Radio created an instant messaging app for radio. “Over the course of his candidacy, Mr. Trump has questioned basic data security and privacy principles, called for the boycott of a trusted American innovator and wondered about the virtues of the internet," wrote Alakoye. "If elected president, Mr. Trump’s views on technology could wall off the industry, stifle job and economic growth and cede the United States’ long-held position as the world’s innovation hub.” He questioned the encryption stance of Trump and argued that any “serious candidate running for president must develop an articulate and inclusive policy agenda to ensure the technology industry broadly, and its developers specifically, can continue to innovate, grow and make our world a better place.” Telecom policy observers have been unclear about Trump’s view on telecom issues, relying on limited statements and a handful of tweets on this policy area.

A nationwide emergency alert system test is set for Sept. 28 (see 1607180062), at 2:20 p.m. EDT, the FCC Public Safety Bureau reminded EAS participants in a public notice Friday. Participants must register with the EAS Test Reporting System by Aug. 26, and file EAS Test Reporting System Form Two by Sept. 28, and Form Three by Nov. 14. “The nationwide test will assess the reliability and effectiveness of the EAS, with a particular emphasis on testing the [Federal Emergency Management Agency]’s Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS),” the PN said. “One of the main purposes of the test is to measure delays and latencies in the delivery of alerts through [IPAWS].” The bureau also released a new revised EAS operating handbook, the PN said. “A copy of the Handbook must be located at normal duty positions or EAS equipment locations when an operator is required to be on duty and be immediately available to staff responsible for administering EAS tests,” the PN said. “The Handbook will supersede all other EAS Handbooks, and must be in place in time for the 2016 nationwide EAS test.”

Dolby with Vudu and Universal Pictures said titles are available for purchase and rental with Dolby Vision high dynamic range and Dolby Atmos. Dolby Vision titles include The Huntsman: Winter's War, Lucy, Oblivion and Lone Survivor, according to the company's announcement. Lucy and Oblivion also include Dolby Atmos. Dolby Vision combines high dynamic range and wide color gamut, and Dolby Atmos allows sound to move around the room in a three-dimensional way.

FCC rules requiring accessible user interfaces and menus in navigation devices and requirements for companies to inform consumers about the accessibility features (see 1608030058) took effect for three years Thursday, the agency in a notice in the Federal Register.

Univision Communications Inc. will buy the digital media assets of Gawker Media Group for $135 million as part of Gawker's bankruptcy proceedings, UCI said in a release Thursday. The deal includes the Gawker blogs Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Deadspin, Lifehacker and Kotaku, it said. “UCI will not be operating the Gawker.com site.” The Gawker blog announced in blog post Thursday that it will shut down next week. The digital assets will be integrated into Fusion Media Group (FMG), a UCI division that “serves the young, diverse audiences that make up the rising American mainstream.” The deal increases FMG's digital reach to nearly 75 million unique visitors, the release said. The deal builds on the company's previous investments in The Onion (see 1601190067) and The Root, it said.

Retransmission consent negotiations between Dish Network and Tribune are continuing, but a blackout remains in place, Dish said in a news release in which it also endorsed programs by Sinclair and NAB to give consumers free over-the-air (OTA) antennas. “The country’s 90 million pay-TV customers, all of whom pay retransmission fees for local broadcast stations, are frustrated by rising costs and channel blackouts,” said Warren Schlichting, Dish executive vice president-marketing. “Sinclair is on the right track for consumers and we’d encourage Tribune to follow its example.” Dish endorsed its traditional opponents on retrans -- Sinclair, NAB, Antennas Direct and TVfreedom.org -- for handing out $1 million worth of free OTA antennas in 60 cities. Dish gave out $7 million worth of antennas since the Tribune blackout began in June, the release said. “Complementing the pay-TV experience, which includes the increasing adoption of streaming services like Sling TV, Sony Vue, Hulu and Netflix, is good business and may drive a solution to the otherwise compounding problem of ever-rising retransmission consent fees for local TV,” said Schlichting. Tribune didn't comment.

Though there may be “an evolution” in the FCC's set-top plan, NCTA and its attorney, Helgi Walker of Gibson Dunn, met with new FCC General Counsel Howard Symons Monday to brief him on NCTA objections to the original set-top NPRM, said an ex parte filing posted online in docket 16-42 Tuesday. The briefing was a response to “statements made by proponents of the NPRM that they hoped to 'bolt on' aspects of the NPRM to the apps-based approach,” NCTA said. Incompas has suggested a combination of the FCC and pay-TV plans it called the “bolt-on” approach. “Any proposal -- even if termed 'apps-based' -- that includes unbundling and disaggregation of content and/or interactive services” would lead to legal challenges, NCTA said.

The Copyright Office’s views on the FCC's set-top proposal lead “down a dangerous road,” said Mozilla Head of Public Policy Chris Riley in a letter to Chairman Tom Wheeler posted in docket 16-42 Tuesday. If the CO letter on the FCC's plan (see 1608050053) is “taken at face value,” any terms to which a pay-TV company and set-top box vendor agree “would effectively supersede the Commission’s regulatory authority under Section 629 of the Telecommunications Act to promote competition in the video navigation device market,” Riley said. Copyright law isn't meant to convey “total control,” the Mozilla letter said. Mozilla is “disappointed” in the policies outlined in the CO letter and “strongly encourages” the Commission to “take the law on its face, and continue to fulfill its own, long-established statutory obligations to promote competition,” Riley said.