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OVERNIGHT TECH: Industry backs FCC overhaul
THE LEDE: The broadcasters, cable industry and telecom association all announced their support on Thursday for legislation that would overhaul how the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) operates.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee is expected to mark up the legislation next Tuesday.
The bills, sponsored by Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), would consolidate some reporting requirements, codify the unofficial shot clock for merger reviews and limit the types of conditions the agency can place on transactions. Other provisions would likely make it more difficult for the FCC to pass new regulations.
The legislation would require the FCC to identify a market failure or regulatory barrier to investment before adopting new regulations. The commission would then have to perform a cost-benefit analysis to demonstrate the new rules benefit the public interest.
Republicans say the legislation would make the FCC more transparent and increase certainty for business. But Democrats say the measures are just an attempt to hamstring the agency.
"Given the breakneck speed under which broadcasters and other media companies are reshaping the telecommunications landscape, it is entirely appropriate for Congress to update the rulemaking process and find ways to make it work faster and better," said former Oregon Sen. Gordon Smith, now the head of the National Association of Broadcasters. "NAB respects the leadership of Chairman [Julius] Genachowski, and we stand ready to help him and FCC staff implement changes resulting from legislation that brings greater clarity and transparency for licensees dealing with the FCC."
They said the legislation "will help ensure that the regulatory framework better reflects this dynamic marketplace by focusing regulatory activity in areas of market failure and providing greater transparency, predictability, and procedural certainty."
The U.S. Telecom Association also endorsed the legislation, saying it would "ensure that best practices become a part of statute."
ICYMI:
House lawmakers grilled Google officials for two hours on Thursday about the company's recent privacy changes, but Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.) said she wasn't satisfied with their answers.
A coalition of companies and trade associations on Wednesday urged the Senate Finance Committee to hold a hearing on a bill that would allow states to tax online purchases.
The Federal Communications Commission announced Thursday that Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau chief Joel Gurin will step down Feb. 17.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement seized 16 websites and arrested a Michigan man on Wednesday as part of an operation to crack down on pirated streams of sports games and counterfeit sportswear ahead of the Super Bowl.
The company that stored data for file-sharing site Megaupload.com said it has no plans to delete users' files.
Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), who represents the district just north of Facebook's headquarters, congratulated the social media giant after it filed papers to begin publicly selling its stock on Wednesday.
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