On December 13, a new piece of legislation intended to prevent obnoxiously loud TV advertising from ruining your nap will take effect. But the cable industry is making a last-minute move to get an exemption for “promotional” ads (aren’t all ads supposed to be promotional?). Their reasoning? They just want the same leeway given to that ad-bloated TV powerhouse C-SPAN. [More]
fcc
Cable Industry Says It Shouldn't Have To Adjust Volume On Ads Because C-SPAN Doesn't Have To
By 9.11.12
FCC To Test Mobile Broadband Speeds… In Due Time
By 9.5.12
For two years now, the Federal Communications Commission has been looking at terrestrial broadband services to see which DSL/cable/fiber/string-and-cans providers are actually delivering the speeds they promise. So it only makes sense for the FCC to start looking at just how quickly U.S. consumers are able to download data over mobile networks. Unfortunately, the federal government still moves at the speed of a crappy dial-up line. [More]
The FCC Thinks It Might Want To Start Collecting Taxes On Broadband Internet Service
By 8.27.12
Here’s something you might have missed — there could soon be a new tax on your broadband Internet service, if the Federal Communications Commission has its way. The proposed tax would go toward ensuring more people have access to the Internet, along the lines of the taxes already consumers pay for landlines and cellular phone service. [More]
See All The Pink On This Map? Those Are The 19 Million Americans Without Broadband Access
By 8.21.12
The Federal Communications Commission (or as we insiders like to call it, the FCC) has released its annual report on the state of broadband deployment in these here United States and while there is improvement in getting to the point where all Americans at least have the ability to access broadband Internet, you can see there is still quite a bit of pink on that map. [More]
DOJ Tweaks Verizon Deal To Buy Spectrum From Cable Companies So Consumers Still Have A Few Choices
By 8.16.12
As we wrote earlier this month, Verizon Wireless’ proposed purchase of billions of dollars worth of wireless spectrum from Comcast, Time Warner Cable and other cable companies that aren’t using it anyway, could result in fewer cable and Internet provider options for American consumers. Well, it looks like the Dept. of Justice was listening to at least some of the concerned voices, as it has given its approval to the deal — but not without some significant changes. [More]
Verizon Must Pay FCC $1.25 Million Fine, Let Android Users Tether For Free
By 8.1.12
Good news for people who enjoy tethering their smartphones, but dislike having to pay their phone company extra for the privilege. Well, as long as those people are customers of Verizon. Who have Android devices. And aren’t grandfathered onto an unlimited data plan. Yesterday, the Federal Communication Commission announced that Verizon Wireless has to allow customers access to third-party tethering applications. Verizon insists that they totally never told Google to withhold tethering apps from their customers in the Android Market/Google Play. But they’re “voluntarily” paying a $1.25 million fine as a result of the investigation, and have agreed to train all employees on why they can’t block users from downloading any (legal) apps. [More]
FTC: Wireless Customers Should Be Able To Block All Third-Party Charges To Phone Bill
By 7.23.12
While the FCC has recently enacted rule changes that make it more difficult for predatory third-party businesses to cram unwanted and unauthorized charges on consumers’ landline phone bills, it is still in the process of considering what to do about bill-cramming for wireless customers. For what it’s worth, the folks at the Federal Trade Commission have chimed in with their suggestion: Wireless providers should be required to give customers the option to block all third-party charges from their bills. [More]
FCC Tells Comcast It Had Better Get To Marketing That Standalone Broadband Service
By 6.28.12
The Federal Communications Commission has slapped Comcast with a $800,000 fine for not doing its part to market its standalone broadband Internet service. It was supposed to do just that as part of the conditions of its merger with NBC Universal last year. [More]
Judge Allows Closed-Captioning Lawsuit Against Netflix To Proceed
By 6.22.12
Netflix recently asked a court to dismiss the lawsuit brought by the National Association for the Deaf that alleges the company violates the Americans with Disabilities Act by not including closed-captioning on many of its streaming videos. But earlier this week, the judge in the case ruled against Netflix, allowing the suit to move forward. [More]
Supreme Court Says FCC’s Indecency Policy Could Use A *#@ing Revision
By 6.21.12
While the Supreme Court has previously sided with the Federal Communications Commission over its decision to ramp up its enforcement of indecency rules, today it ruled that the FCC screwed up when it decided to start slapping mammoth fines on broadcasters without warning. [More]
FCC Taking Another Look At Mobile Phone Radiation
By 6.15.12
For the first time in 15 years, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission says it’s planning on asking if its standards protect people from mobile-phone radiation, partly because of how often we use smartphones now and since we yak away on them for longer periods of time than we used to. [More]
New Legislation Asks FCC To Create Anti-Cramming Rules For Wireless Bills
By 6.14.12
While recent action by the FCC created rules intended to curb the practice of “cramming” unauthorized third-party charges on consumers’ landline phone bills, it did nothing to stop the same from happening for wireless customers. Today, Senator Jay Rockefeller IV introduced legislation that would end the practice and direct the FCC to create rules covering wireless customers. [More]
Boston Mayor To FCC: Please Don't Listen To Comcast
By 5.25.12
In April, cable subscribers in Boston were offered a glimmer of hope after the FCC ruled that the city would once again, after a decade of price increases from Comcast (the only cable company in town), be allowed to regulate cable pricing. But the war isn’t over, as Comcast has asked the FCC to rethink its ruling while Boston’s mayor has asked the FCC to just please not listen to Comcast. [More]
Broadcasters Would Rather Not Have To Post Political Ad Rates Online
By 5.22.12
Last month, the FCC approved a new rule that requires broadcasters who air political ads to post on their websites the rates they charge — and other related information — for these commercials. This isn’t sitting well with the broadcasters, who filed suit to stop the rule change. [More]
FCC Approves Anti-Cramming Rules For Landlines, But Nothing Yet On Wireless
By 4.27.12
It’s been almost a year since the FCC finally got around to considering rule changes to keep landline phone service providers from padding customers’ bills with charges for third-party services that range from long-distance service to yoga classes. Today, the commission announced some new regulations — but they only goes so far in protecting consumers. [More]
FCC Fines Google, Says It Was Deliberately Impeding Street View Investigation
By 4.16.12
The Federal Communications Commission is going after Google, even though they’ve officially cleared the company of charges that it had collected WiFi data illegally with its Street View Cars. While they didn’t do that on purpose, the FCC says Google was deliberately obstructing the investigation into those charges. [More]
Court Says Banning Political Ads From Public TV Is Unconstitutional
By 4.12.12
Let’s hope we don’t see Mitt Romney or President Barack Obama angling for votes in between Sesame Street segments — but that could be the reality in the future. An appeals court in California ruled that banning political and public-issue ads from public TV and radio stations is unconstitutional. Oh, First Amendment! Look what you’ve done! [More]
FCC Gives Boston Go-Ahead To Regulate Cable Prices Again
By 4.9.12
It’s been 11 months since the mayor of Boston asked the Federal Communications Commission if he could pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top be allowed to regulate what cable companies charge in his fair city. Well, it appears the FCC Entmoot has finally wrapped up and Boston can once again rein in soaring cable rates. [More]
