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Apparently, the Federal Communications Commission is clearing the way for Tribune's new owners to take control of its television station licenses. The Media Bureau has given the FCC commissioners a heads up that it will be issuing a decision by week's end extending Tribune's permanent waiver of the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rules in Chicago, and temporary waivers in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Hartford, which will allow the license transfers to go through. In addition, the chairman's office has circulated for vote an order rejecting a petition to deny the permanent Chicago waiver, filed by the United Church of Christ, the Teamsters and others.

In addition, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski circulated an order to change media ownership rules. The FCC is not expected to officially reveal details of the order, which are based on a proposed rule-making opened a year ago. But if the order follows the rule-making document, the FCC will essentially keep in place what the agency proposed in 2007—and has been defending in court ever since. In other words, the results would be close to the status quo. The new rules would loosen the 70s-era ban on newspaper-broadcast cross ownership, codify newspaper-TV-radio in the top 20 markets and maintain local market caps on radio and TV ownership.

Expanding the Office of Management and Budget’s PortfolioStat process for reviewing agencies’ informational technology spending will be one focus of the second Obama term, Deputy Federal Chief Information Officer Lisa Schlosser said.

Federal CIO Steven VanRoekel launched PortfolioStat in March focused mainly on reducing what agencies were paying for commodity IT such as wireless services and new desktop and laptop computer orders. The program was patterned after TechStat, a series of adapt-or-perish reviews created by VanRoekel’s predecessor Vivek Kundra for IT projects that are over budget and past deadline. Officials plan to expand PortfolioStat during the second term to help cut costs for projects that are unique to agencies’ missions, Schlosser said.

This requested report examines (1) what factors prevent users from sharing spectrum more frequently and (2) what actions the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the National Communications Information Administration (NTIA), and others can take to encourage more sharing and efficient spectrum use. GAO reviewed plans and documents from FCC and NTIA regarding their management of nonfederal and federal spectrum-sharing activities, respectively. GAO also interviewed federal and commercial spectrum users, industry and academic experts, and other stakeholders.

FCC and NTIA should jointly (1) report to Congress on the potential merits and effects of a spectrum fee, (2) determine how to best promote spectrum research and development, and (3) evaluate what regulatory changes might improve the spectrum sharing process. The agencies generally agreed with GAO’s findings but identified ongoing efforts that address the recommendations. GAO has modified the recommendations as described further in the report.

(GAO-13-7)

US Ambassador Terry Kramer argued that the United States will have to address the concerns of other countries during negotiations over an international telecommunications treaty. He warned that refusing to participate in discussions or demonizing the United Nations will only prevent the United States from having a seat at the negotiating table.

"Our messages need to be issues-orientated and fact-orientated — not taking shots at the U.N., not taking shots at leadership," he said during a speech at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington. Kramer said the United States will have to remain open to proposals that would improve security or expand Internet access to areas that have little or no access. But he emphasized that certain proposals are non-negotiable, including a plan pushed by European telecommunications companies that would allow them to charge more to carry international traffic.