FCC Chairman Powell Announces Resignation |
1/21. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman
Michael Powell
announced that he sent a letter to President Bush stating that he will "step
down ... some time in March".
Powell (at right) issued a
statement
[PDF] in which he wrote that "Today, I sent a letter to the President thanking
him for the incredible privilege of chairing the Federal Communications Commission during
his first term. With a mixture of pride and regret I informed him of my intention to step
down as a commissioner and chairman some time in March."
Powell continued that "Having completed a bold and aggressive agenda,
it is time for me to pursue other opportunities and let someone else take the
reins of the agency. During my tenure, we worked to get the law right in order
to stimulate innovative technology that puts more power in the hands of the
American people, giving them greater choices that enrich their lives. Evidence
of our success can be seen increasingly in the offices, the automobiles and the
living rooms of the American consumer."
"The seeds of our policies are taking firm root
in the marketplace and are starting to blossom. The use of cell phones, digital
televisions, personal video recorders, and digital music players, is exploding.
These devices are increasingly connected anytime, anywhere by a wide variety of
broadband networks enabling a host of competitive services and new
applications", said Powell.
The FCC also released a
document [5 pages in PDF] titled "Policy Highlights of Michael K. Powell's
FCC Tenure".
Powell did not indicate what he plans to do in the future. President Bush has
made no announcement regarding replacements. President Bush will nominate,
subject to Senate confirmation, a Republican Commissioner to replace Powell. In
addition, Commission Michael Copps' term will expire shortly. Bush could elevate
either of the two remaining Republican Commissioners to Chairman, or name
someone new to the position.
Republican FCC Commissioner Kevin
Martin praised Powell in a
statement
[PDF] as "an advocate of new technologies". Republican Commissioner
Kathleen Abernathy was more
specific. "His myriad accomplishments are highlighted by his vigorous promotion of the
digital migration across all industry segments. Thanks to his vision we now benefit from the
deployment of new broadband networks that use fiber optics, powerlines, and various licensed
and unlicensed wireless technologies. He has also led the charge to advance the digital
television transition and recognized the importance of developing pro-innovation and
pro-investment policies for Voice over IP."
Abernathy continued in her
statement [PDF] that "When it comes to managing this country's valuable spectrum
resource, Michael Powell was the first Chairman to engage in a comprehensive reform of
outdated spectrum allocation rules. He implemented rule changes that are already yielding
more efficient and productive uses of this critical resource. He has also undertaken several
tremendously successful consumer initiatives, including the national do-not-call registry
and wireless local number portability. Finally, he has worked tirelessly to improve public
safety communications and strengthen homeland security."
Democratic Commissioner Michael
Copps issued a
statement [PDF] in which he praised Powell's knowledge, enthusiasm and honor, without
commenting upon his policies, except to say that "he and I have had some differences
on issues". Democratic Commissioner
Jonathan Adelstein issued a
statement [PDF] praising Powell that "I appreciate his commitment to
facilitating the ``digital migration.´´"
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK), the
Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee,
stated in a release that "I am saddened that Mike Powell will not
be FCC Chair as we start the review of the '96 Act." He said that "Powell's
vision of blending progress in technology with reduced Federal influence over
the marketplace was a good approach."
Sen. Stevens added that "He always had an open mind to views expressed by
oversight committees. And, he often invited me to attend sessions held at the
FCC for the expression of views by persons involved in various aspects of
communications -- sessions which I not only enjoyed but from which I learned more
about the industries involved in regulated communications. It was those
sessions, which led me to decide to hold similar ``listening sessions´´ as we
start to review the '96 Act."
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), the
previous Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, wrote that "Powell has spent the
last eight years revolutionizing the telecommunications industry by championing new
technologies and advocating competition."
Sen. McCain added that "Under his stewardship, the Commission's deregulatory
decisions have increased investment in the telecommunications sector, allowing
this segment of the economy to grow exponentially."
Praise from Free Market Groups. Adam Theier of the
Cato Institute wrote that Powell "is the rarest
of species -- a rational regulator who genuinely believes in the superiority of markets
over mandates and capitalism over central planning".
"Powell worked hard to translate his market principles into action,
occasionally meeting with some success, but more often being greeted by overt
hostility from special interests and other status quo-oriented policymakers. One
area where Powell’s vision yielded tangible results was spectrum policy where
his leadership helped give rise to a veritable public policy revolution at the
FCC. Powell formed a Spectrum Policy Task Force that issued an amazing report
containing a sweeping indictment of the agency's past record. As a result,
remarkable changes are underway at the agency that will unleash the wireless
sector from the shackles of the command-and-control central planning techniques
that have hindered it for over seven decades."
The Progress and Freedom Foundation (PFF)
wrote that Powell "championed the principles of the free market in the digital
age".
The PFF's Kyle Dixon,
who was previously a legal advisor to Powell, stated that "Michael's greatest
contribution since he took office in 1997 is that he made us understand the importance of
the migration to digital communications ... Michael led the charge in promoting investment
and innovation in Wi-Fi and wireless, Internet voice, broadband and other technologies that
became critical to consumers and the economy."
Comments from Powell's Critics. Russell Frisby, CEO of the
CompTel/ASCENT,
a group that has differed with Powell on the Section 251 unbundling obligations
of incumbent local exchange carriers, stated in a
release
that his organization "looks forward to working with the Chairman's successor".
Frisby will soon leave the CompTel/ASCENT.
Gigi Sohn, President of Public Knowledge,
a frequent critic of copyright protection, stated in a
release that her group "has very mixed feelings about the resignation of
Michael Powell ..."
Her group opposed, and has joined in a petition for review of, the FCC's
broadcast flag order. She wrote that "However, as in the case of the hyper-regulatory
``broadcast flag,´´ he some times allowed politics to get in the way of his
pro-tech and deregulatory philosophy. To the extent that we expect the next
chair to share Mr. Powell’s philosophy, we hope that he or she will apply that
philosophy consistently, even at the risk of angering large, powerful media
companies." See, petitioners'
brief [63 pages in PDF].
See also,
Report and Order Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking [72 pages in PDF] and
story
titled "FCC Releases Broadcast Flag Rule" in
TLJ Daily E-Mail
Alert No. 772, November 5, 2003. This item is FCC 03-273 in MB Docket
02-230. The U.S. Court of Appeals (DCCir)
is scheduled to hear oral argument in this case, American Library Association
v. FCC, No. 04-1037, on February 22.
Howard Stern said that Powell's departure is "a great thing".
Stern's web site published excerpts
from Stern's broadcast radio program of January 21. The FCC has imposed fines
for violation of the provisions of the Communications Act and FCC rules
regarding broadcast of indecent material.
Stern stated that "Michael Powell resigning is a great thing because he did
not deserve the job in the first place. He was appointed because of his father."
He asserted that "Michael Powell then said let's put all the power into the
hands of a couple of companies with radio and television." He condemned Powell for
"fining me unbelievable amounts of money". Stern added that "that made him
the hero of the religious right and the liberal left, who were all looking to win favor with
the public by making it look like they were cleaning up the airwaves …"
He accused Powell of "ruining the first amendment, going back on his own
words about how the market place should determine. Putting the radio stations in
the hands of the few…and he forced radio stations, blackmailed radio stations
into bowing to his will by telling them secretly, you are not going to any
court! You are going to have your licenses held up! Shame on him! Shame on the
FCC! Thank God he's gone, but God help us with what's next."
Comments from Trade Groups and Companies. Gary Shapiro, P/CEO of the
Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), stated in a
release
Powell "has been a true friend of technology". Shapiro added that "Chairman
Powell knows that competition governed by fewer government rules benefits consumers and
encourages progress. Governed by this philosophy, his legacy will include his commitment
to and success in accelerating the nation's transition to digital television and broadband
deployment. We also praise his efforts to free up wireless spectrum to allow for the
development and deployment of exciting new products and technologies."
Steve Largent, P/CEO of the CTIA, stated in a
release
that "Consumers were always Michael’s top priority and he knew instinctively
that they were best served when free and competitive markets were permitted to
function. Michael did not allow the flawed policies of the past to burden our
future ..."
Robert Sachs, P/CEO of the National Cable &
Telecommunications Association (NCTA), stated in a
release
that Powell has been a "true champion of competitive market forces. ... Whether
jump starting the digital TV transition or creating a regulatory environment that has
allowed broadband Internet services to flourish, Michael Powell has been a major force
in bringing the benefits of new technology to the American people."
See also,
statement of Walter McCormick, P/CEO of the USTA,
statement by Richard Notebaert, Ch/CEO of Qwest,
and statement of
Sprint.
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FRB's Bernanke Addresses Productivity Growth
and Information Technology |
1/19. Federal Reserve Board
(FRB) Governor Ben Bernanke
gave a speech titled "Productivity" at a Council on
Foreign Relations event. He addressed the relation between productivity growth and
the advancement and use of information and communications technologies (ICT).
Others at the FRB and elsewhere have examined this subject, and generally
concluded that the rapid growth in productivity in the U.S. in the last decade is related to
ICT. See, for example, October 24, 2002
speech by FRB Vice Chairman
Roger Ferguson
titled "Productivity Growth: A Realistic Assessment", and
story
titled "FRB Vice Chairman Addresses Impact of Computer and Software Technology
on Productivity Gains" in
TLJ Daily E-Mail
Alert No. 535, October 25, 2002. See also, October 23, 2002
speech by FRB Chairman Alan Greenspan and story titled "Greenspan Addresses
Productivity Gains and Technological Innovation" in
TLJ Daily E-Mail
Alert No. 534, October 24, 2002.
Bernanke's speech examined this relationship in light of more recent
information and analysis, and attempts to explain some puzzles that challenge the
convention understanding, such as why productivity growth did not pick up until
1995, even though new computer equipment and applications had been around for
over a decade, and why other countries that have been adopting ICT have not
obtained the same productivity growth as the U.S.
Bernanke (at right) then
attempted to forecast future growth in productivity, and discussed what all this means for
monetary and economic policy makers.
He first noted that "From the early 1970s until 1995, productivity growth in
the U.S. nonfarm business sector averaged about 1-1/2 percent per year", but
that from 1995 to 2001 it rose to 2-1/2 percent per year, and then to an average
of 4 percent since 2001.
He said that ICT advances productivity growth as firms in a wide range of
industries expand their investments in high-tech equipment and software and use
the new technologies to reduce costs and increase quality. "For example", said
Bernanke, "some large retailers, most notably Walmart, developed ICT-based tools
to improve the management of their supply chains and to increase their
responsiveness to changes in the level and mix of customer demand. Securities
brokers and dealers achieved substantial productivity gains by automating their
trading processes and their back-office operations."
He conclude, "Undoubtedly, the ICT revolution and the productivity resurgence
in the United States after 1995 were closely connected, but several puzzles have
arisen that challenge the view that ICT investment leads mechanically to higher
productivity."
First, he said, there is the puzzle of why productivity grew in the U.S., but
grew less in other countries where there was significant investment in ICT,
particularly in the European Union.
He related that one hypothesis is that "European economies have been less
successful in applying new technologies because of a relatively heavy regulatory
burden that inhibits flexibility. For example, taking full advantage of new
information and communication technologies may require extensive reorganization
of work practices and the reallocation of workers among firms and industries.
Regulations that raise the cost of hiring and firing workers and reduce
employers' ability to change work assignments, as exist in a number of European
countries, may make such changes difficult to achieve. Likewise, the presence of
government-owned firms with a degree of monopoly power, together with
restrictions on the entry of new firms, may diminish competitive pressures that
often foster innovation and greater efficiency".
However, he said this hypothesis does not explain why the United Kingdom,
which has a regulatory burden similar to the U.S., does not match the U.S. in
productivity growth. So, Bernanke stated several other hypotheses. "A shortage
of workers with appropriate skills may be part of the problem in the United
Kingdom, as average educational attainment in that country is lower than in many
other industrial countries. Skill shortages may have also been a factor in
continental Europe, possibly because high youth unemployment has reduced
opportunities for workers to acquire new skills on the job. Other suggested
explanations for the relatively better productivity performance of the United
States in recent years include the depth and flexibility of U.S. capital
markets, its relatively open immigration policies (at least before 9/11), and
the role of U.S. research universities in fostering innovation."
(Parentheses in original.)
Next, he examined why productivity grew at an increased rate only
after the mid 1990s, even though the information technology revolution started
much sooner. He suggested that "much more than the purchase of new high-tech
equipment is needed to achieve significant gains in productivity. First,
managers must have a carefully thought-out plan for using new technologies
before they acquire them."
He also argued that "investments in high-tech capital typically require
complementary investments in intangible capital for productivity gains to be
realized, the benefits of high-tech investment may become visible only after a
period of time." That is, "managers must supplement their purchases of new
equipment with investments in research and development, worker training, and
organizational redesign -- all examples of what economists call intangible
capital." He added that this may also mean developing new relationships with
suppliers, and modification of management systems, and all of this takes time.
Bernanke predicted, with great uncertainty, that "continued growth in
productivity in the range of, say, 2 percent to 2-1/2 percent per year probably
represents a good baseline assumption".
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People and Appointments |
1/21. President Bush announced his intent to nominate John Thomas
Schieffer to be Ambassador to Japan. He is currently the U.S. Ambassador to
Australia. Schieffer is a Texan who once worked for the Texas Rangers Baseball
Club as Partner-in-Charge of Ballpark Development, President and General
Partner. See, White House
release.
1/21. Tracy Henke was named acting Assistant Attorney General in
charge of the Department of Justice's (DOJ)
Office of Justice Programs (OJP).
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More News |
1/21. The Federal Communications Commission's (FCC)
Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (WTB) announced
that it "has initiated the development of an automated feature in its Universal
Licensing System (ULS) to identify licenses that have terminated automatically for failure
to meet construction or coverage requirements." See,
Public Notice [PDF], DA 05-137.
1/21. The Copyright Office published a
notice in the Federal Register stating that beginning on February 14, 2005,
it will begin issuing newly formatted copyright registration certificates,
but only for registration of motion pictures and other audiovisual works
registered in class PA. See, Federal Register, January 21, 2005, Vol. 70, No.
13, at Pages 3231 - 3232.
1/10. Scott Hammond, the acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for
Criminal Enforcement in the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division, gave a
speech in
Hawaii titled "An Overview Of Recent Developments In The
Antitrust Division's Criminal Enforcement Program". He discussed, among
other topics, the DOJ's criminal action against Infineon Technologies, a
manufacturer of dynamic random access memory (DRAM). See also,
story
titled "DOJ Charges Infineon With Felony Price Fixing; Infineon Pleads Guilty"
in TLJ Daily E-Mail
Alert No. 978, September 16, 2004.
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Washington Tech Calendar
New items are highlighted in red. |
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Monday, January 24 |
The House will not meet. See,
Republican Whip Notice.
The Senate will meet at 2:00 PM for morning
business. At 3:00 PM it will take up the nomination of Carlos Gutierrez
to be Secretary of Commerce.
The Supreme Court will begin a recess. It will
return from recess on February 22, 2005.
Extended deadline to submit reply comments to the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response
to its notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) regarding service rules for advanced
wireless services (AWS) in the 1915-1920 MHz, 1995-2000 MHz, 2175-2180 MHz and 1.7
GHz and 2.1 GHz bands. The FCC adopted this NPRM at its September 9, 2004 meeting,
and released the text on September 24, 2004. It is FCC 04-218 in WT Docket No. 04-356 and
WT Docket No. 02-353. See, original
notice in the Federal Register, November 2, 2004, Vol. 69, No. 211, at
Pages 63489-63498, and extension
notice in the Federal Register, November 30, 2004, Vol. 69, No. 229, at
Pages 69572 - 69573. See also, story titled "FCC Makes Additional 20 MHz of
Spectrum Available for Advanced Wireless Services" in
TLJ Daily E-Mail
Alert No. 975, September 13, 2004.
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Tuesday, January 25 |
The House will meet at 2:00 PM for legislative
business. It will consider several non technology related items under
suspension of the rules. Votes will be postponed until 6:30 PM. See,
Republican Whip Notice.
7:30 AM. The
Information Technology Association of America (ITAA) will host a breakfast
seminar titled "Expediting the Security Clearance Process: New Law, New
Opportunities for Federal Contractors". See, ITAA
notice. For
more information, contact Shannon Zelsnack at
szelsnack@itaa.org. Prices range from
$50 to $95. Location: Sheraton Premiere Tysons Corner Hotel.
10:00 AM - 12:00 NOON. The Department of State's
International
Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC) will meet to prepare for the
Organization of American States' (OAS)
Inter-American Telecommunication
Commission's (CITEL) Permanent Consultative Committee II meeting in Guatemala to be
held in April 2005. See,
notice in the Federal Register, December
30, 2004, Vol. 69, No. 250, at Pages 78515-78516. For more information, including the
location, contact Cecily Holiday at
holidaycc@state.gov or Anne Jillson at
jillsonad@state.gov. Location: undisclosed.
12:15 PM. The Federal
Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) Young Lawyers Committee will host a brown
bag lunch. The topic will be "The Basics of IP-Television: Technology and
Regulation". The speakers will be engineers from the
Federal Communications Commission's (FCC)
Media Bureau (MB), and representatives of
SBC Communications and the National Cable &
Telecommunications Association (NCTA). For more information, contact Jason Friedrich at
jason.friedrich@dbr.com or 202 354-1340 or
Ryan Wallach at rwallach@willkie.com or 202
303-1159. Location: Willkie Farr & Gallagher,
1875 K Street, NW, Second Floor.
2:00 - 4:00 PM. The
American Enterprise Institute (AEI) will host
a panel discussion title "Class Action Reform: How Far and How Fast?". The
speakers will be Robert Gasaway (Kirkland & Ellis), George Priest (Yale Law
School), David McIntosh (Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw), and Michael Greve (AEI). See,
notice.
Location: AEI, 12th floor, 1150 17th St., NW.
TIME? The Judicial Conference of the
United States (JC) will hold a public hearing on its proposed amendment to
Appellate Rule 25 regarding electronic filings. The JC has proposed amendments to
Civil Rule 5,
Appellate Rule 25, and
Bankruptcy Rule 5005. Each of these proposed amendments would permit the applicable
court, by local rules, to "permit or require papers to be filed, signed, or verified
by electronic means" (or similar language). Current rules provide that the
applicable court may "permit" filing by electronic means. See, JC
notice [PDF] and
notice in the Federal Register, Federal Register, December 2, 2004, Vol. 69,
No. 231, at Page 70156. Location: undisclosed.
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Wednesday, January 26 |
The House will meet at 10:00 AM for legislative
business. No technology related items are on the agenda. See,
Republican Whip Notice.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
will hold a Broadband PCS Spectrum Auction. This is Auction No. 58. This
auction had previously been scheduled for January 12, 2005. See,
notice [3 pages in PDF].
8:00 AM. The Federal Communications Bar
Association (FCBA) will host a breakfast with
Rep. Chip Pickering (R-MS), Vice Chairman
of the House Commerce Committee. For more information, contact at
heidi@fcba.org. Location: J.W. Marriott Hotel,
1331 Pennsylvania Ave., NW.
9:30 AM. The Senate Judiciary Committee
will hold an executive business meeting. It is scheduled to consider the nomination
of Alberto Gonzales to be Attorney General. See, Committee
notice.
Location: Room 226, Dirksen Building.
10:00 AM. The
House Commerce Committee will
hold a hearing titled "Combating Spyware: HR 29, the SPY Act". This
hearing will be webcast by the Committee. See,
notice. Location: Room 2123, Rayburn Building.
10:00 AM. The Senate
Committee on Aging will hold a hearings to examine the risks and benefits
associated with internet pharmacy and importation. Location: Room 628,
Dirksen Building.
10:00 AM. The
Senate Banking Committee will hold an
organizational meeting. The Committee will consider its rules, subcommittee
structure, and funding. Sen. Richard
Shelby (R-AL) will preside. See,
notice. Location: Room 538, Dirksen Building.
10:00 AM. The Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee will hold a hearing titled "The
Department of Homeland Security: The Road
Ahead". See,
notice. Location: Room 342, Dirksen Building.
12:00 NOON - 1:30 PM. The DC Bar
Association will host a brown bag lunch titled "International Aspects of
Criminal Antitrust Enforcement". The speakers will be Lisa Phelan (Chief
of the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division's
National Criminal Enforcement Section) and
Anthony Nanni (Fried Frank
Harris Shriver & Jacobson). See,
notice.
Prices vary from $5 to $10. For more information, call 202 626-3463. Location:
Fried Frank, 1001 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. 12:00 NOON - 1:30 PM. The DC Bar
Association will host a brown bag lunch titled "I’m an IP attorney, how can
I do pro bono work?". The speakers will be Mary Kennedy
(Finnegan Henderson) and Maureen Syracuse
(Director of the DC Bar Association's Pro Bono Program). See,
notice.
Prices vary from $5 to $10. For more information, contact Rebecca McNeill 202 408-4086
or rebecca.mcneill@finnegan.com.
Location: Finnegan Henderson, 901 New York Ave., NW.
4:00 - 5:45 PM. The American Enterprise
Institute (AEI) will host a panel discussion title "Trade Policy: The Next
Four Years". The speakers will be
Lael
Brainard (Brookings Institution), Edward Gresser
(Progressive Policy Institute),
Gary Hufbauer
(Institute for International Economics),
Brink Lindsey (Cato Institute),
and Claude Barfield (AEI). See,
notice. Location: AEI, 12th floor, 1150 17th St., NW.
6:00 - 8:15 PM. The Federal Communications
Bar Association (FCBA) will host continuing legal education (CLE) seminar titled
"An Overview of Contract Drafting". Location:
Dow Lohnes & Albertson, 1200 New Hampshire
Ave. NW.
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Thursday, January 27 |
No votes are scheduled in the House. See,
Republican Whip Notice.
12:00 NOON. The Federal
Communications Bar Association's (FCBA) State and Local Practice Committee will
host a brown bag seminar titled "Current State Regulatory Issues: An
Update". The speakers will be Tom Pugh (Commissioner of the Minnesota Public
Utilities Commission), Beth Keating (attorney, Florida Public Service Commission),
Robert Mayer (New York Public Service Commission), and Tammy Cooper (Administrative
Law Judge, Texas Public Utility Commission). For more information, contact Erick Soriano
at 202 939-7921 or esoriano@fw-law.com.
Location: Fleischman & Walsh, 1919 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Suite 600.
12:00 NOON - 1:30 PM. The DC Bar
Association will host a brown bag lunch titled "Current Topics in
Entertainment Law: Anti-Piracy and Film Financing Incentives". The speakers
will be David Green (Motion Picture Association of
America) and Michele LeBlanc (LeBlanc & Associates), and Aoi Nawashiro (Browdy
& Neimark). See,
notice.
Prices vary from $20 to $30. For more information, call 202 626-3463. Location: D.C.
Bar Conference Center, B-1 Level, 1250 H St., NW.
10:00 AM. The Department of State's
International Telecommunication
Advisory Committee (ITAC) will meet to prepare for the
International Telecommunications Union's ITU-T Study
Group 17 (security, languages and telecommunication software) meeting, and the ITU-T Study
Group 4 (telecommunication management). See, the ITU's
calendar of
meetings. See,
notice in the Federal Register, December 20, 2004, Vol. 69, No. 243, at Page
76027. Location: Communication Technologies, Inc. (COMTek), 14151 Newbrook Dr., Suite
400, Chantilly, VA.
2:00 - 4:00 PM. The Department of State's International
Telecommunication Advisory Committee will meet to discuss the meeting of the ITU Council's
Ad Hoc Group on Cost Recovery for Satellite Network Filings that will take place March
21-22, 2005 in Geneva, Switzerland. See,
notice in the Federal Register, January 13, 2005, Vol. 70, No. 9, at Page 2450.
Location: Room 6 South (6B516), Federal Communications
Commission (FCC), 445 12th St., SW.
2:00 PM. The Information Technology Association
of America (ITAA) will host an event titled "Michelin Worldwide: Rolling with
an RFID Strategy". See, notice. For more information, contact Eerik Kreek,
ekreek@itaa.org. This event will be webcast only.
4:00 PM.
Scott Kieff
(Washington University's St. Louis School of Law) will present a draft paper
titled "Introducing a Case Against Copyright: A Comparative Institutional
Analysis of Intellectual Property Regimes". See,
abstract of paper, and
notice of
event. This event is part of the Spring 2005 Intellectual Property Workshop Series
sponsored by the Dean Dinwoodey Center for Intellectual Property Studies at the
George Washington University Law School (GWULS).
For more information, contact Robert Brauneis at 202 994-6138 or
rbraun@law.gwu.edu. The event is free and open
to the public. Location: GWULS, Faculty Conference Center, Burns Building, 5th Floor,
716 20th St., NW.
4:00 PM. The
Cato Institute will host a book forum on Seth Mnookin's book titled
Hard News: The Scandals at The New York Times and Their Meaning for American
Media [Amazon]. The speakers will be Mnookin and Jack Shafer (Slate). A
reception will follow the event. See,
notice. Location: Cato,
1000 Massachusetts Ave., NW.
TIME? There will be a meeting of the
Executive Office of the President's (EOP)
Office of Science and Technology Policy's (OSTP)
National Science and
Technology Council's (NSTC) Committee on Science's Subcommittee on Research
Business Methods. The meeting is closed to the public. For more information, contact
Megan Columbus at 301 435-0937. Location: undisclosed.
Extended deadline to file with the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) first round
DTV channel election forms. This proceeding is titled "In the matter of Second
Periodic Review of the Commission’s Rules and Policies Affecting the Conversion To
Digital Television". This is MB Docket No. 03-15. See, FCC
order extending deadline [PDF].
Effective date of the Copyright
Office's final rule regarding reconsideration procedure. See,
notice in the Federal Register, December 28, 2004, Vol. 69, No. 248, at
Pages 77636 - 77637.
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Friday, January 28 |
No votes are scheduled in the House. See,
Republican Whip Notice.
Deadline to submit to the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC) replies to oppositions to petitions to deny the applications of
NextWave Telecom and Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless for FCC approval of their
proposed transfer of control of broadband Personal Communications Services (PCS) licenses
from NextWave to Cellco. See, FCC
notice
[4 pages in PDF]. This notice is DA 04-3873 in WT Docket No. 04-434.
Extended deadline to submit reply comments to the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response
to the FCC's public notice regarding BellSouth's
petition for forbearance from certain Title II and Computer Inquiry requirements.
This proceeding is WC Docket No. 04-405. See,
notice of extension [PDF].
EXTENDED TO MARCH 14. Deadline
to submit reply comments to the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in response
to its Public
Notice [4 pages in PDF] (DA 04-3891) of December 14, 2004 seeking comments on the
report of Avatar Environmental, LLC regarding migratory bird collisions with
communications towers. See,
Public
Notice [2 pages in PDF] (DA 04-4021) of December 22, 2004 extending deadlines.
This proceeding is WT Docket No. 03-187.
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Monday, January 31 |
12:30 PM. Eliot Spitzer, Attorney General of
New York, will give a luncheon address. Location:
National Press Club, 529 14th St. NW, 13th
Floor.
Extended deadline to submit reply comments to
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in
response to its
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) [38 pages in PDF] regarding use by
unlicensed devices of broadcast television spectrum where the spectrum is not
in use by broadcasters. See,
story
titled "FCC Adopts NPRM Regarding Unlicensed Use of Broadcast TV Spectrum" in
TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No.
898, May 14, 2004, and story titled "FCC Releases NPRM Regarding Unlicensed Use
of TV Spectrum" in
TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert No.
905, May 26, 2004. This NPRM is FCC 04-113 in ET Docket Nos. 04-186 and
No. 02-380. See,
notice (setting original deadlines) in the Federal Register, June 18,
2004, Vol. 69, No. 117, at pages 34103-34112; first
notice [PDF] of extended deadlines;
erratum [PDF]; and December 22, 2004
Public Notice [PDF] (DA 04-4013) further extending the deadline for reply
comments to January 31.
Deadline to submit comments to the
Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) in response to its
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding disseminate information to
investors during the securities offering process. The NPRM states that
"Significant technological advances over the last three decades have increased
both the market's demand for more timely corporate disclosure and the ability
of issuers to capture, process, and disseminate this information. Computers,
sophisticated financial software, electronic mail, teleconferencing,
videoconferencing, webcasting, and other technologies available today have
replaced, to a large extent, paper, pencils, typewriters, adding machines,
carbon paper, paper mail, travel, and face-to-face meetings relied on
previously. Our evaluation of the securities offering process and procedural
enhancements seeks to recognize the integral role that technology plays in
timely informing the markets and investors about important corporate information
and developments."
Deadline to submit applications and nominations to the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for
membership on the FCC's Consumer Advisory
Committee (CAC). See,
Public Notice [PDF] (DA 04-3892) and
notice in the Federal Register, December 29, 2004, Vol. 69, No. 249, at
Pages 78024 - 78025.
Deadline to submit comments to the Office
of the U.S. Trade Representative's (USTR) Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC)
regarding "general U.S. negotiating objectives as well as country-, product-,
and service-specific priorities for the multilateral negotiations and work
program in the Doha Development
Agenda (DDA) negotiations conducted under the auspices of the World Trade
Organization". See,
notice in the Federal Register, December 9, 2004, Vol. 69, No. 236, at
Pages 71466 - 71468.
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