360AM: FCC Scorecard—Zell and Murdoch Win, Roberts Loses
New rules governing cable ownership and single-market cross-ownership formally passed, Paul Allen to bid on 700 MHz spectrum and more news items.
By Steve Goldstein
Cable360AM — News briefing for Wednesday, Dec. 19 »
Newsrooms across the land rejoiced when it received word that FCC chairman Kevin Martin had saved newspapers from extinction, and then Rupert Murdoch told us to get back to work. Good morning.
As expected, the Federal Communications Commission voted yesterday in favor of a rule that would prevent a cable operator (Comcast, or, more specifically, Brian Roberts) from providing video service to more than 30% of the nation’s cable subscribers, and another rule that would make it easier for media companies (Tribune Co. and News Corp., or, more specifically, Sam Zell and Rupert Murdoch) to own newspapers and TV and radio stations in the same market.
All you fans of the FCC, don't miss today's Cable360.net Webinar: “Regulation Redux: How to Navigate the FCC in 2008.” Click here to register. [New York Times]
It looks like FCC chairman Kevin Martin will kick around for a while longer. “I have no plans on going anywhere,” Martin told Bloomberg TV’s Money and Politics show last evening when he was asked if he’d serve his full term. Elsewhere in the interview Martin downplayed House scrutiny of himself and the FCC. “Whenever you take on contentious issues,” Martin said, “I think it’s the commission [that] comes under fire...But I actually am pleased that the commission was able to move forward today and I think [it] will move forward, you know, on other issues next month.” Martin was referring to yesterday’s FCC votes.
That’s two move forwards in one sentence, for those keeping score at home. [Seth Arenstein]
NBC Universal will fill some prime-time slots on NBC with episodes of Monk and Psych from cable network USA, the Wall Street Journal reports. An NBC executive claims this move was being considered before the current writers’ strike. [Wall Street Journal]
U.K.-based PC Pro magazine reports that Paul Allen’s Vulcan Spectrum will participate in the auction of the wireless 700 MHz spectrum, beginning in January. Separately, there is no decisive proof that EchoStar will be bidding on the spectrum, so let the rumors of a possible takeover by AT&T fly freely. [PC Pro]
Cable operator Suddenlink launched VoIP phone service in Gladewater, White Oak, Clarksville City, Union Grove and Warren City, Texas, the Tyler Morning Telegraph reports. [Tyler Morning Telegraph]
Disney’s over-the-air video-on-demand service MovieBeam has been shuttered, according to an Associated Press report picked up by Variety. [Variety]
Reuters reports that Britney Spears’ 16-year-old sister, Jamie Lynn Spears, is pregnant. The younger Spears is a star of Nickelodeon’s Zoey 101. Congratulations, Jamie Lynn. [Reuters]
Help CableFAX: The Magazine decide by nominating the executives you think should be included in our annual list of the Most Powerful Women in Cable. We will rank the top 50 most powerful women, and run a list of the second 50, in the November issue of CableFAX: The Magazine. Nominations are open to all cable operators, programmers, vendors and trade associations. Click here for nomination form. Deadline for nominations: Sept. 8.
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Cable's stars turned out for the first annual CableFAX 100 luncheon at New York's Grand Hyatt last December. Catch Mad Men's Jon Hamm, Cash Cab's Ben Bailey as well as Sundance Channel's Larry Aidem and Cable Pioneer Bill Bresnan and others in our video from the wintertime event.
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