Search results matching tag 'FCC'

DTV Soft Test Results in Record Number of Helpline Calls

Anonymous — Fri, 22 May 2009 19:28:13 GMT

A record number of consumers called the Federal Communications Commission’s national helpline Thursday in response to a nationwide DTV soft test. The FCC helpline received more than 55,000 calls from consumers, a single-day record. The helpline has averaged 15,000 calls per day since May 1 and prior to the soft test. For TVWeek’s comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. The most common issues raised and information sought by callers included information about government coupons for DTV converter boxes, concerns about reception and instructions for installing DTV converter boxes. Consumers seeking information about coupons represented 51% of calls, while reception issues and installation accounted for 15% and 10% of calls, respectively. More than 125 broadcast markets participated in the soft test. The Chicago market generated the most calls at 1,310, followed by New York with 1,277 calls and Dallas-Fort Worth with 764 calls. The Dallas-Fort Worth market is the No. 2 most DTV-unready market, according to a report released by Nielsen last week. “This soft test did exactly what it was supposed to do,” Michael Copps, acting FCC chairman, said in a statement. “It was a wake-up call for consumers who are unprepared, alerting them to the fact that they need to take the necessary steps before the June 12 DTV transition.”

Editorial: Stations Are at Risk if Renewal Term Changes

Anonymous — Mon, 18 May 2009 04:36:00 GMT

Federal Communications Commission Acting Chairman Michael Copps last week said the process for renewing station licenses should be radically altered. We couldn’t disagree more. There are stations on the ropes around the country, and tinkering with the renewal process right now could drive many of them over the edge. It’s an instance where regulatory arcana can translate into real harm in the marketplace—harm that pushes stations into the red and reduces broadcast television choices for viewers. Specifically, Mr. Copps said the current system, in which station licenses are renewed every eight years, should be replaced by a three-year cycle that tacks new public-interest obligations on stations. We agree that stations could do a heck of a lot more to promote the public good over the airwaves they use at the public’s pleasure. After all, do you remember the last time you saw meaningful coverage of a House of Representatives race on local TV? Unfortunately, Mr. Copps’ route to that goal is completely wrongheaded and poorly timed. If the period between renewal processes is shortened, and contingencies attached that could result in a station owner being more likely to lose a license, business troubles could pile up quickly. Let’s look at the current business climate. Who would have foreseen a day when a media company as big (and vital to the broadcast business) as Tribune would go into bankruptcy? While Sam Zell’s foolhardy risk-taking was the proximate cause of the company’s downfall, the tough business environment for stations set the stage for the failure. Anyone with a clear eye sees that more and more companies that own stations will be failing to meet loan covenants and renegotiating loans in the coming months. By introducing another variable into the license-renewal process, Mr. Copps would give lenders another reason to deny credit to stations on the brink. Conceivably that could lead to stations going dark or changing ownership. Why would Mr. Copps want to spook the few investors who currently have the stomach to sink money into the station business? Pushing stations closer to the edge would frustrate Mr. Copps’ (laudable) default policy preferences of increasing diversity and localism in the broadcast business. Indeed, in the end such a move would likely send more viewers into the arms of pay TV services. If local stations are too cash-poor to produce programming that viewers want, what is consumers’ impetus not to sign on with cable or satellite? It’s likely that Mr. Copps’ proposal will die a natural death when Julius Genachowski, the presumptive FCC chairman-to-be, takes office. After all, Mr. Genachowski is both a policy wonk and a businessman, having learned the TV ropes with the likes of Barry Diller. Let’s hope Mr. Copps’ well-intentioned but potentially destructive license renewal proposal doesn’t find a receptive audience with Mr. Genachowski.

Supreme Court Upholds FCC Policy on ‘Fleeting Expletives,’ Returns 1st Amendment Issue to Lower Court

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 18:41:03 GMT

Swearing on television remains potentially punishable by FCC fines following a Supreme Court ruling that upheld the power of federal regulation over “fleeting expletives” in live broadcasts. In a 5-4 vote written by Justice Antonin Scalia, the court upheld a Bush administration Federal Communications Commission policy against fleeting expletives on broadcast television. The ruling essentially bans isolated outbursts of what Mr. Scalia referred to as the “f-word” and the “s-word” in live telecasts, and upholds the FCC’s ability to fine broadcasters for such fleeting expletives. However, the Supreme Court did not rule on whether the FCC policy is a violation of the First Amendment guarantee of free speech. The decision today reversed a ruling from the 2nd Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals that had called the fleeting expletives ban “arbitrary and capricious.” The dissenting Supreme Court justices— Justices John Paul Stevens, David Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer—expressed concern about First Amendment issues raised by the ruling. The First Amendment issue likely will be decided by a federal appeals court. That’s good news for Fox, the broadcaster cited in the case, which stemmed from the network’s airing of the Billboard Music Awards shows in 2002 and 2003, when Cher and Nicole Richie uttered the f-word on live TV. “While we would have preferred a victory on Administrative Procedure Act grounds, more important to Fox is the fundamental constitutional issues at the heart of this case,” Fox said in a statement. “Fox is looking forward to the 2nd Circuit’s consideration of the very important issues at stake in this case, and are optimistic that we will ultimately prevail when the First Amendment issues are fully aired before the courts.” For now, the ruling is a setback to broadcasters because the policy could limit their coverage of live award show and sporting events and potentially allows for fines to be imposed on broadcasters that air fleeting expletives in live telecasts. The FCC described the court ruling as a victory for families. “The court recognized that when broadcasters are granted free and exclusive use of a valuable public resource, they incur enforceable public-interest obligations,” said FCC acting Chairman Michael Copps in a statement. “Although avoiding the broadcast of indecent language when children are likely to be watching is one of those core responsibilities, few can deny the blatant coarsening of programming in recent years. The court’s decision should reassure parents that their children can still be protected from indecent material on the nation’s airwaves.” In his opinion, Justice Scalia wrote, “The commission could reasonably conclude that the pervasiveness of foul language, and the coarsening of public entertainment in other media such as cable, justify more stringent regulation of broadcast programs so as to give conscientious parents a relatively safe haven for their children.”

FCC’s Adelstein to Unveil DTV Web Site at NAB Show

Anonymous — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:04:08 GMT

FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein will unveil the FCC’s new, enhanced digital transition Web site at the NAB Show on Tuesday. The new site, www.dtv.gov, will help guide consumers, providing them with local TV support and answers to questions about DTV equipment and installation. The site will also offer statistics. For TVWeek's comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. Mr. Adelstein will have copies of the new DTV transition consumer guide on hand when he unveils the Web site on Tuesday at 11 a.m. The NAB Show is being held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Pointing the Way to Progress

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 03:37:00 GMT

A strong visionary with remarkable finesse—that consensus pretty well sums up TelevisionWeek’s 2009 Cable Executive of the Year, National Cable & Telecommunications Association President-CEO Kyle McSlarrow. While the adjectives “smart” and “decent” frequently are applied to Mr. McSlarrow by friends, industry executives and former colleagues, they particularly credit the NCTA leader with being adept at two key skills: astutely recognizing coming challenges and exercising admirable diplomacy in wending his way through political minefields. “The whole DTV transition would have been different if Kyle hadn’t been there,” says Tom Wheeler, the head of the Obama transition team’s task force on science, technology, space and arts agencies. “Kyle led the whole media industry in what became a crucial response.” Mr. Wheeler, himself a past president of the NCTA, recalled his surprise that it was cable’s Mr. McSlarrow who stepped up to the challenge when the U.S. broadcasters’ changeover to digital TV signals became mired in controversy over a lack of consumer preparedness. Last November, when Mr. Wheeler hosted a meeting of the transition team with cable, broadcast and consumer electronics industry officials, he laid out the worries the incoming administration had that preparation for the digital changeover wasn’t going well. The biggest problem was the lack of a call center to handle calls from confused consumers, he said, and he asked for help. “Our position was, ‘What are you going to do to help us there?’” Mr. Wheeler said he told the execs. “‘There is a potential for a train wreck. What can you bring?’” There wasn’t much feedback at the meeting, but afterward Mr. Wheeler received a call from Mr. McSlarrow. “He said he heard what we were saying and was going to talk to his board,” Mr. Wheeler said. Eventually, at considerable expense, cable led the TV industry’s response to the Obama transition team’s concerns by footing much of the cost of setting up a live-operator-manned call center. “NCTA, because of Kyle’s leadership, became a focal point,” Mr. Wheeler said. “It was what was best for the country. He clearly helped send that message and that the cable industry wanted to be players with the new administration,” said Mr. Wheeler. The message that the cable industry is a player is one that Mr. McSlarrow has been trying to send since his surprise arrival at NCTA four years ago. It’s also, say cable execs, a message that Mr. McSlarrow sent even as the cable industry faced challenges ranging from an unfriendly chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, in Kevin Martin, to new or heightened competition from telephone companies and satellite broadcasters, and the issues of multicasting and retransmission. Associates describe Mr. McSlarrow, 48, as exceptionally bright and a hands-on administrator unafraid to assist in the smallest as well as the largest of tasks. Political Acumen Some cable execs say that Mr. McSlarrow’s biggest asset may be his ability to face up to the unusual internal dynamics built into his job while keeping the cable industry a player. They suggest Mr. McSlarrow has repeatedly demonstrated political acumen, pointing most obviously to his fending off most of the impact of former FCC Chairman Martin’s determined push for cable a la carte. “I think everyone understood that without Kyle, things would have been a lot worse,” said Comcast President-CEO Brian Roberts. “Whatever happened was only better because Kyle was there.” Decker Anstrom, the now-retired president and CEO of Landmark Communications, said the ultimate demonstration of Mr. McSlarrow’s success could be as much about what didn’t happen as what did. “If you step back and look at his tenure, it’s been remarkably successful,” Mr. Anstrom said. “It’s very clear that the last sitting chairman of the FCC had a vendetta against the cable industry, yet very little of Kevin Martin’s agenda got into regulation.” Four years ago, when he was picked, Mr. McSlarrow seemed an unlikely choice for the cable post. He had no background in cable or the television industry. A former congressional aide and Bush administration official, Mr. McSlarrow was tapped at a time when House Republicans, under then Majority Leader Tom DeLay, were pushing the K Street Project, an effort to expand Republican influence from the Capitol into interest groups, though several cable executives said his party affiliation wasn’t a factor. Mr. McSlarrow had been chief of staff for the late U.S. Sen. Paul Coverdell, R-Ga., and then a top aide for Senate Majority Leaders Bob Dole and Trent Lott. He’d also run for Congress twice in Virginia, had been national chairman of Dan Quayle’s presidential campaign in 2000 and had been government affairs director for grassroots.com, an Internet firm that he and former Clinton White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry formed. When President Bush chose Sen. Spencer Abraham as his Secretary of Energy, the latter tapped Mr. McSlarrow as first his chief of staff and eventually as deputy secretary of the department. To this day, Mr. McSlarrow retains some Republican ties—he was a fundraiser for the recent presidential campaign of Sen. John McCain. Quick to Catch on People who know Mr. McSlarrow from that pre-cable period describe him as unassuming, as willing to do minor jobs as major ones and smart, with an ability to quickly get up to speed on issues he knew little about. “I remember when he was working as a top aide to Paul Coverdell and I walked into the office of the Republican Conference and there was this man in blue jeans and a cowboy hat with a round tub of chewing tobacco in his pocket making copies,” said Fred Davis, a Republican ad executive who has known Mr. McSlarrow for years. “I assumed he was the mailboy.” In fact, it was Mr. McSlarrow. “He just had this innate decency. People inherently trust him,” Mr. Davis said. Ken Rapuano, who worked with Mr. McSlarrow at the Department of Energy before becoming Deputy Homeland Security Adviser to President George W. Bush, said Mr. McSlarrow had a quick learning curve on technical subjects. “He was pretty hands-on proficient,” Mr. Rapuano said. “He was very good at cutting through the B.S.” After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the department wanted to combine various resources and end up with a better system to track nuclear material coming into the country or being moved around. “He was really effective in cutting through some of the legacy bureaucratic issues and getting different labs to talk to each other,” Mr. Rapuano said. “Kyle was important. He helped to get us over the goal line in the inter-agency process. He was a pretty consummate diplomat and negotiator.” Mr. McSlarrow was the last candidate seen by cable executives during a day of interviews for the NCTA post in 2005. Several in the room said he stood out despite his lack of cable experience. “He blew us all away,” said Michael Willner, vice chairman and CEO of Insight Communications. “He was the last interview of the day and he got 100% of the opinions.” Mr. Anstrom, who was co-chairman of the search committee, said the idea wasn’t to find someone who understood cable; that could be learned. “You wanted someone extraordinarily bright, who understands Washington, both the Hill and the executive branch, who has a good feel for politicians and how politicians think, and gets along with people,” he said. “In our industry there are some divisions. You have big and small companies.” He said Mr. McSlarrow stood out as someone with all the required strengths. Mr. Roberts said he, like other cable execs, was surprised by Mr. McSlarrow: “I don’t think anyone I knew had heard of him. After the interview there was “no question,” Mr. Roberts said. “It was just blow away, head and shoulders … a unanimous decision. He had the mixture of the ability to understand the detail of the nuclear regulatory issues, but then pull back to see the whole picture. At the same time he had little or no ego. All those qualities seemed to come through.” Mr. McSlarrow’s arrival at NCTA could have created staff tension. But it never happened. David Krone, then executive VP and a potential contender for the post, can’t speak highly enough about Mr. McSlarrow handled the situation. When Mr. McSlarrow came in amidst the push for Republicans after Sen. John Kerry lost the race for president, Mr. Krone, now a senior adviser to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, said he feared upheaval. Instead, “He could not have been a better partner,” Mr. Krone said. “Day in, day out, he displays a decency. He’s ethical, honest and trustworthy. I can’t say enough kind things. What is so impressive is his intelligence and intellect. Some day he’ll be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company. He was a leader and manager who just happened to be a Republican. He could write the book on how to do it right.” At NCTA, Mr. McSlarrow immediately ran into Mr. Martin, who as chairman turned his desire for a la carte cable into a long-term campaign that kept cable in the doghouse and the courthouse fighting off the FCC. In FCC ruling after ruling, no matter what the subject, cable seemed to lose. That led Mr. McSlarrow to criticize Mr. Martin in an unusually vocal and public way. In a November 2007 press conference, Mr. McSlarrow called the FCC “broken.” “The agenda that has been pursued under Chairman Martin … when you look at the kind of proposals, from a la carte to the imposition of additional must-carry obligations to technology mandates, to decisions that literally cost consumers more and raise their rates, to decisions that favor one industry over another … what this is all about is pursuing one particular agenda item—a la carte—and using the rest of these proposals to pressure our industry to do voluntarily what the FCC does not have authority to mandate,” Mr. McSlarrow said at the time. Mr. Martin declined to comment on Mr. McSlarrow for this article. Although cable repeatedly lost, cable executives praise Mr. McSlarrow. They say dealing with a nearly impossible situation, the NCTA president lessened its impact. “I love Kyle,” said BET Chairman and CEO Debra Lee. “He has been a terrific leader of the NCTA, a straight shooter who is very clear on objectives and strategy for accomplishing what we need. People on both sides of the aisle respect him and he is a quick study. He understands the programmers’ issues.” She said Mr. Martin tried to pit system operators versus programmers. “Kyle made sure he didn’t draw us into a fight among ourselves,” she said. Insight’s Mr. Willner said Mr. McSlarrow has been a strong and effective champion. “We hit a grand-slam home run,” he said. “He is a terrific representative for the industry, a great communicator and a great strategist. What’s uniquely special is his breadth of success. There are no weak areas.” Kathy Zachem, who heads Comcast’s regulatory affairs and state government relations, gives Mr. McSlarrow the ultimate compliment. “If we are heading down the road to something as a company, we always do a sanity check with Kyle,” she said. “He always has value to add. He regularly finds out-of-the-box stuff we didn’t think of. He has this incredible capability. “Usually these executives have a great public persona or something else. There is some mix. He has it all and the ability to roll up his sleeves. I think there is nobody comparable running a trade association in Washington,” she said.

FCC Enlists AmeriCorps for DTV Outreach

Anonymous — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 18:16:55 GMT

The Federal Communications Commission has partnered with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps to for a digital transition outreach effort. Forty-nine at-risk cities believe to be less prepared for the DTV switch have been targeted for the outreach effort. AmeriCorps NCAA members will help individuals in those cities who may be having trouble switching to digital television by the June 12 deadline. For TVWeek's comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. The group will focus on groups that the FCC has determined need special attention, which include low-income individuals, minorities, non-Englishe speakers, senior citizens, individuals with disabilities and people living in rural or tribal areas. The interagency agreements will allow AmeriCorps to visit homes to help install digital converter boxes, help consumers apply for $40 converter box coupons, make presentations at community events and serve at walk-in DTV help centers. Groups of 8 to 12 AmeriCorps NCCC members will work under FCC area coordinators after undergoing training. The first team will begin training next week in the test market of Denver, where several TV stations plan to switch to digital TV signals by mid-April. “The FCC is grateful for the assistance from AmeriCorps NCCC, an organization committed to public service, as we focus our DTV education efforts on individuals who may find the transition to digital television particularly difficult,” Michael Copps, acting FCC chairman, said in a statement. “This fine organization is composed of dedicated young people with enthusiasm and experience in working with elderly individuals, low income residents and others who may need a hand in hooking up their converter boxes or checking their antennas.” (Editor: Baumann)

DTV Switch Getting Less Scary, Month by Month

Anonymous — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 04:05:00 GMT

If Americans continue to prepare themselves at the current rate for the June 12 switch to all-digital television signals, the number of homes that aren’t ready by the deadline could be quite small, vindicating the Obama administration’s decision to push back the transition. Last week, the Nielsen Co. said around 4.1 million homes, or 3.6% of U.S. households, were completely unready for the digital transition as of March 15. But that number was 916,000 lower than it was on Feb. 15. For TVWeek's comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. With nearly three months to go until the transition, and nearly a million homes a month joining the rolls of the DTV-ready, fewer than 1 million could be unprepared when analog broadcasts end. A last-minute rush for analog-to-digital converter boxes and a rush to cable or satellite services could leave even fewer viewers than that watching static. Stations’ gradual market-by-market shift to digital may enhance efforts to get the country ready. The Federal Communications Commission announced last week that 158 additional stations are looking to go digital before June 12. They join 637 outlets that already have made the jump to digital-only broadcasting. In total, 44% of the country’s stations will be digital-only before the deadline. A majority of the latest group of stations announced were public television and independent stations, with some standouts owned by larger station groups, including Fox-owned Philadelphia station WTXF. WTXF stands out because Fox, along with CBS, NBC, Telemundo and ABC, agreed in February to air dual analog and digital signals on their owned-and-operated stations until June 12. A WTXF spokesman said the station appears on the FCC’s newest transition list because it will lower its analog coverage area to 87% of its current area as of May 22. The spokesman said the FCC required stations that are lowering their analog coverage to less than 90% to submit a notice to the government. WTXF will be airing both analog and digital signals until June 12, he said. Philadelphia stands as the second most-prepared market of the top 56 in the nation as of February, with only 1.8% of households being “completely unready.” African Americans in Philadelphia are the largest segment of the city’s population unready for DTV, with 4.8% of those households listed as “completely unready.” Despite gains in overall readiness, minorities nationwide still lag in preparedness for the digital transition. Nielsen said 6.6% of African American households across the country were DTV-unready as of March 15, down just 0.1% from March 1. And 6.1% of Hispanic households are unready, while 4.4% of Asian households are unready nationally. Among white households, 2.9% are unready as of March 15, compared with 3.2% on March 1.

Almost Half of Stations to Beat DTV Deadline

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 05:01:46 GMT

About 44% of the country’s TV stations aren’t going to wait for the national switch to digital television on June 12, instead dropping their analog broadcasting signals before the deadline. Stations that wanted to switch before June 12 had to notify the Federal Communications Commission by today and the agency reported tonight that 158 additional stations have asked to switch early. Those 158 stations will join the 417 that switched on the original date of transition Feb. 17 and the 220 that switched earlier. The number represents a big chunk of stations—795 of the nation’s 1,722. But because TV stations owned and operated by the broadcast networks in major markets aren’t among those switching early, it’s still expected that the bulk of the nation’s viewers will see the switch take place June 12. Most of the latest stations to announce plans to switch are educational or religious stations, according to the FCC’s list. The national switch was delayed by Congress because of concerns voiced by the Obama administration that necessary elements weren’t in place both to provide discount converter box coupons to consumers and to deal with any problems that might develop. After the delay, the administration and the FCC under acting chairman Michael Copps expanded distribution of coupons and provided more information about the changeover, as well as additional call centers and aid for consumers dealing with the changeover. The FCC also altered its requirements for the messages that TV stations have to run before switching to require them to offer additional information about the possibility new antennas may be needed. The agency also required additional warnings that converter boxes may need to be rescanned for local channels as new channels switch over. (Editor: Baumann)

FCC Allows Some Stations to Make Digital Switch April 16

Anonymous — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:50:19 GMT

The Federal Communications Commission is giving a reluctant go-ahead to a new round of early DTV switchovers, telling stations they can terminate their analog signals starting April 16, but imposing more conditions on network affiliates. The FCC said the network affiliates could switch only if at least one local network station in the market continues to air an analog signal until the national switchover June 12. For TVWeek's comprehensive coverage of the digital television transition, visit the DTV Switch Navigator page. The changes were announced today in a formal FCC report that also expands the outreach efforts and messages TV stations are required to provide. Where before stations only had to tell viewers that the switch was coming, the FCC now will require TV stations switching from VHF to UHF signal bands to tell viewers about the potential impact of that band change and explain it may mean that current antennas need replacing. The FCC also is requiring stations switching early to air significant numbers of messages, including one each night in primetime for 30 days. It is requiring that major stations switching early provide walk-in help centers, open seven days a week and staffed with station personnel. Finally the agency is adding a new requirement that all stations, even those switching later, warn viewers that they may need to repeatedly rescan their converter boxes or TV sets in order to get all local stations, as stations make the switch. The order requires stations that want to switch early to notify the FCC by 5:30 p.m. on March 17. The report makes abundantly clear that the FCC still prefers stations wait until June 12 to switch. An early switch “would squander the time given to us and the country by the delay enacted by Congress,” the FCC said, citing Congress’ decision to delay the DTV transition from Feb. 17. The new report does offer stations one piece of increased flexibility. Instead of the national switchover being at midnight June 12, the FCC said stations can pick a convenient time that day.

TV Awaits New FCC Approach

Anonymous — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 04:38:38 GMT

While technology issues may sit at the top of the to-do list for Julius Genachowski, President Obama’s nominee to lead the Federal Communications Commission, he may be compelled to delve into the world of television before the ink on his business cards dries. Several people who know Mr. Genachowski say that once the new chairman is confirmed, it will be Internet issues—both the broadband rollout anticipated in the president’s stimulus plan and the debate over whether all Web users should have an equally speedy Internet (so-called net neutrality) that will likely get the chairman’s attention first. “I would imagine his top priority will be broadband deployment,” said Andy Schwartzman, executive director of the Media Access Project, a public-interest law firm. Mr. Genachowski didn’t return calls seeking comment. Broadcast lobbyists and their lawyers may not be sanguine at the prospect of having their issues deferred for now, but they point out that new developments could push their agenda to the front burner. “There are things out there that could happen,” said *** Wiley, a former FCC chairman who is a lead partner in Wiley Rein, a Washington communications firm. He pointed to pending legal decisions on indecency and media ownership in the Supreme Court and an appellate court. Mr. Wiley said some of the FCC proceedings started under former FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, including one on how much local content is aired by TV stations, also could offer the new chairman some opportunities to act. Chris Murray, a counsel to Consumers Union, said the need for the FCC to move forward to clean up a backload of license renewals also could force some quick moves in the broadcast arena. Mr. Genachowski, who still needs Senate confirmation, will arrive with an unusually explicit list of issues and with some friends in high places. That will potentially give him the political clout to carry out an ambitious agenda. Confirmation hearings had yet to be set last week. Mr. Genachowski, 46, is a close friend of the president; the two have known each other since their Harvard Law School days. The Obama campaign’s Technology and Innovation Plan now is incorporated in President Obama’s agenda as listed on the White House Web site and it includes a number of FCC-related initiatives. It calls for deploying a “next-generation” broadband, protecting the egalitarianism of the Internet through net neutrality and giving parents more tools to protect their kids from indecent content on TV. It also calls for stepped-up privacy protections, which could become an issue if media companies try too hard to target viewers with personal ads. The plan also suggests government agencies should be more transparent and accountable in their technology. The oft-criticized FCC Web site, which some say is difficult to navigate and search, is expected to be quickly revamped by Mr. Genachowski. One section of the plan may provide the biggest tipoff of where Mr. Genachowski will head on media issues. The plan calls for encouraging diversity in the ownership of broadcast media, promoting the development of new media outlets for expression of diverse viewpoints, and clarifying the public-interest obligations of broadcasters who occupy the nation’s spectrum. Frederick Joyce, who heads up the communications practice at the Venable law firm, predicts that policy goal will more likely play out in the bully pulpit than in actual regulation, and predicted Mr. Genachowski is likely to use license renewals and perhaps speeches to push broadcasters to provide more local content. “He has a businessman’s sense that now is not the time to impose new financial burdens,” Mr. Joyce said. President Obama’s selection of Mr. Genachowski will give the FCC one of its more experienced chairmen. Mr. Genachowski, who was a chief counselor for former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt, became an executive for Barry Diller’s IAC/InterActiveCorp before being an investor and technology strategist as co-founder and managing director of LaunchBox Digital and Rock Creek Ventures.