I find the next item in the RW article to be just as interesting:
“When will the rules kick in?” If I had a nickel for each time I’ve been asked when the IBOC Second Report & Order text will be published in the Federal Register, I could buy a few more VW Beetles and drive my choice of color each day. People want to know because the new FCC rules won’t take effect until 30 days after publication, and that still hasn’t happened. The vote on the rules occurred in March and the text came out in May. Usually items are published in the register within a month or so. Granted, this is a complicated item with lots of details, but it seems to be taking longer than usual. It’s not clear why; sources have pointed out that Martin runs his ship differently than his predecessor, and items seem to be taking longer than they used to be finalized. From my observations, the commissioners have said they consider the broadband rollout their priority; that, plus congressionally-mandated deadlines related to the DTV rollout, have center stage, not an un-mandated digital radio rollout. I asked Ibiquity whether the Mexico border discussion mentioned above has anything to do with why the IBOC rules haven’t yet appeared; the company had no comment on that. I was talking to Scott Fybush on Friday night, and he pointed out that the Mexican objections *may* have something to do with why we have not seen these rules hit the Federal Register yet. As the RW article points out, "The FCC handles coordination with the State Department, so perhaps the timing isn’t all up to the FCC." If these indeed become international treaty issues, they come under the sphere of the State Department, and the State Department has a different agenda and different sense of urgency from that of the FCC. 73 Bill Dvorak Madison WI ************************************** Get a sneak peek of the all-new AOL at http://discover.aol.com/memed/aolcom30tour _______________________________________________ IRCA mailing list [email protected] http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org To Post a message: [email protected]
