Sirius Satellite Radio said “final bugs in its system” are nothing that can’t be worked out in time for service to start in June. Spokeswoman said problems with receivers were “probably not even perceptible to listener” but company wanted to make sure receivers were “operating flawlessly in real-world conditions” before service was offered to public. Company has been testing system with satellites in N.Y. since Jan. “As part of our ongoing testing,, we evaluate our system and we have very high standards,” spokeswoman said: “We are going through a comprehensive quality assurance program.” She refused to divulge nature of problems or how long it would be before they would be corrected. “We hope these minor problems resolved very shortly,” she said. Rival XM declined comment on Sirius problems, spokeswoman said.
Conexant Systems introduced new digital cable set-top box chip that it said featured both cable modem functionality and interactive TV service capability. Conexant said new single-chip transceiver also could support multiple broadcast demodulation for personal video recorder (PVR) functionality. Company said it would start shipping set-top box chips, priced at $45 each in quantities of 100,000 units, in 2nd quarter.
Fueled by postings on the Slashdot Web site, 67 opponents of Internet filtering had filed mostly one-page comments on FCC’s proposed implementation of Child Internet Protection (CHIP) Act by end of last week. Comment deadline isn’t until 15 days after proposal’s publication in the Federal Register. Virtually all of comments opposed mandatory filtering, but offered few counterproposals for how FCC should implement law. Several said Commission had authority to delay implementation in light of expected constitutional challenges. “I had no idea there would be that much interest,” said Liza Kessler of Leslie Harris & Assoc., who started ball rolling with Slashdot posting (which, she hastened to add, was “solely in my personal interest” and not on behalf of firm). “I don’t know of any other grass-roots efforts,” she said. Kessler said idea that FCC could forestall implementation is “interesting argument” but she wasn’t sure whether it held legal water. She will be filing on behalf of educational groups, and she said she expected most heated questions to revolve around whether any existing software met CHIP’s standards.
LAS VEGAS -- Programming for children under FCC’s 3-hour mandate is “a terrible financial business for broadcasters… and we don’t think the government should tell us to run 3 hours of kids programming,” Madelyn Bonnot of Emmis Communications told NATPE panel here on “Kid-Friendly TV.” With exception of Tom Lynch of program company bearing his name, other panelists seemed to agree with Bonnot. “We have to be in there [kid programming],” Lynch said. “It’s a public service. They're public airwaves.” All that’s needed, he said, is a hit children’s show.
Delivering major blow to broadcasters, FCC tentatively concluded that cable operators didn’t have to carry both analog and digital signals of TV stations during digital transition. In order adopted by 4-1 vote with at least one partial dissent Thurs. but not released until late Mon., Commission said that, “based on the existing record, such a requirement appears to burden cable operators’ First Amendment interests more than is necessary to further a substantial governmental interest.” But agency didn’t rule out dual carriage requirement completely, seeking further comment on need for it to hasten digital transition, updated channel capacity from cable operators, digital compression advances and status and scope of digital retransmission consent agreements between broadcasters and MSOs.
FCC called Tues. for public input on how to implement new law that requires schools and libraries receiving federal technology dollars to block access to online child porn and other inappropriate materials. Children’s Internet Protection Act (CHIP), signed into law Dec. 21, prohibits libraries and schools from receiving discounted Internet access, Internet services and internal connection services under Sec. 254 of Communications Act unless they put Internet safety policies in place and certify that they have done so. In its Jan. 23 rulemaking (NPRM), FCC said it sought comments on several issues, including: (1) Whether agency’s conclusion that most efficient way of obtaining required certification would be to modify existing FCC form to include statement that recipient was in compliance with CHIP or that it didn’t apply. (2) Whether FCC Form 486 should be used for CHIP certification. (3) Who should make certifications. (4) When schools and libraries must certify they're in compliance. (5) Whether rules are needed to implement provisions of law that set out procedures for remedying noncompliance. CHIP has been fiercely opposed by industry and civil liberty groups as well as Clinton Administration. Comments are due 15 days after publication in Federal Register -- www.fcc..gov/e-file/ecfs.html. American Library Assn. (ALA) criticized short comment period. “It’s a very complicated issue” and the FCC has allowed only 15 days to comment, ALA Washington Office Exec. Dir. Emily Sheketoff said. Moreover, she said, schools and libraries were required to submit their applications for e-rate discount by Jan. 18. However, their spending plans had to be submitted before law was passed. Those whose plans are approved for funding in June now will have to go back and certify something that wasn’t called for in plan, Sheketoff said: “It’s a basic unfairness you don’t expect from the federal govt.”
Research group Allied Business Intelligence (ABI) projected in report released Fri. that wireless location-based services revenue would grow to $40 billion in 2006 from $1 billion in 2000. ABI analyst Frank Viquez attributed expected growth, in part, to FCC’s Enhanced 911 requirements that mandate automatic location identification-capable wireless gear. ABI report said Sprint’s plan to deploy GPS chips for location-based technology in its handsets starting in mid-2001 would be boost to industry if handsets were delivered on time.
Most recent round of DTV standard tests was flawed, COFDM backer Sinclair Bcst. said in memo we obtained Wed., day before start of closed-door DTV summit in Washington. Sinclair said COFDM tests inadvertently were conducted with receiver that lacked front-end filter, causing set to be overloaded in many situations. At very least, mistake and test results indicated that NAB and MSTV should go ahead with 2nd round of testing on DTV systems, Sinclair Vp-New Technology Nat Ostroff said in memo. Other broadcast officials didn’t immediately comment on memo.
LAS VEGAS -- FCC Comr. Powell endorsed free market vs. govt. regulation, pleasing consumer electronics officials at the CES here Sat. But reaction was more muted when he also indicated reluctance for govt. to move aggressively to spur DTV transition. Powell, who is widely rumored to become next chmn. of FCC, was interviewed one-on-one by CEA Pres. Gary Shapiro, also rumored to be candidate for position in new Bush Administration, despite recently signing new 10-year contract with CEA.