Now Hear This
An open and frank discussion of media and telecommunications issues - from the consumer point of view.

Now Hear This Newsletter -- July 2, 2009 Posted by Bob at 07/02/09 12:31 PM

In a refreshing move, the Federal Communications Commission has begun looking into cell phone handset exclusivity deals – those ubiquitous agreements between cell phone makers and wireless service providers that chain up consumers.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, June 18, 2009 Posted by Bob at 06/18/09 12:01 PM

The big national switch to digital broadcasting took place last Friday as the final wave of the nation’s full-power broadcasters flipped off their traditional analog signals. By most accounts the transition took place with the vast majority of consumers experiencing no problems. An FCC help line did get nearly a million calls in the days following the switch, although most of the problems were relatively minor and easily resolved.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, June 4, 2009 Posted by Bob at 06/04/09 02:09 PM

It’s just over a week until the nation’s full-power broadcasters are required to turn off their traditional analog signals and go all digital. There will be problems, probably a lot of them. But the Obama Administration and Congress deserve credit for helping head off an almost certain train wreck.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, April 30, 2009 Posted by Bob at 04/30/09 01:13 PM

Time Warner Cable's financial results contradict its argument it has to go to metered broadband -- and no amount of "consumer education will change that fact.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, April 16, 2009 Posted by Bob at 04/16/09 03:07 PM

Rumors are flying hot and heavy that AT&T is seeking to extend its deal with Apple as the exclusive U.S. carrier for the iPhone. The original deal between the two companies runs out next year. From a purely consumer standpoint, we hope Apple dumps its pact with AT&T and unlocks the uber popular iPhone so it can work on any wireless carrier network.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, March 26, 2009 Posted by Bob at 03/25/09 04:42 PM

An Oklahoma woman files a class action lawsuit after receiving a $5,077 bill for her $60 a month wireless data plan and the government's digital-to-analog converter box coupon program is back in business.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, March 12, 2009 Posted by Bob at 03/12/09 12:24 PM

There’s been some heartening news about the transition to all-digital broadcasting in recent days and the New York Times explains the "Broadband Gap" in an excellent series of blogs.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, February 26, 2009 Posted by Bob at 02/26/09 10:57 AM

Read about a Chicago man who got a $28,000 wireless bill after watching a football game on his computer and how the FCC has issued fines against more than 600 telecom firms for not complying with rules aimed at protecting their customers private information.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, February 12, 2009 Posted by Bob at 02/11/09 02:15 PM

Despite legislation passed by Congress moving the date of the national transition to all digital television over-the-air broadcasting to June 12th, as many as 681 of the nation’s nearly 1,800 broadcasters have either already made the switch or have filed applications to go digital on the original date of next Tuesday, February 17th. The Federal Communications Commission says it has recently received notice from 491 full-power broadcasters that want to terminate their traditional, over-the-air signals on February 17th. The FCC says another 190 stations had already made the switch or had previously told the agency they planned to make the switch on February 17th.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, January 29, 2009 Posted by Bob at 01/29/09 11:25 AM

As we write this blog legislation that would delay the transition to digital television broadcasting from February 17 the June 12 is in a state of limbo in Congress. Without a delay millions of people who watch free, over-the-air broadcasting will see their screens go blank on February 17th. The biggest impact will be on some of the country’s most vulnerable people, including the elderly and low income populations.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, January 15, 2009 Posted by Bob at 01/15/09 01:28 PM

There is a real possibility the federal government will delay implementing the looming switch to all digital broadcasting scheduled for February 17th, which is a long way from where we were when we last wrote about this only a couple of weeks ago.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, January 1, 2009 Posted by Bob at 12/31/08 01:03 PM

In the latest in an ongoing series of eye-rolling developments, the government agency in charge of the digital television converter box coupon program – the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration – said it will likely stop processing coupon requests as early as next week because it expects to run out of money. Congress has to step in and act fast.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, December 18, 2008 Posted by Bob at 12/18/08 12:18 PM

There was a little bit of good news for some consumers about the looming nationwide transition to digital television broadcasting, which is now less than two months away. But there is a lot more that needs to be done -- fast.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, December 4, 2008 Posted by Bob at 12/04/08 12:05 PM

The Federal Communications Commission has one of those ominous countdown clocks on its web site, showing the exact number of days, hours, minutes and seconds left until the looming switchover to all digital, over-the-air television broadcasting on February 17th. For the record, we are now 75 days and some change away from the big switch. And with each passing day it appears more and more likely that government efforts to make the huge switchover easy and painless are going to be woefully inadequate, leaving millions of Americans with blank television screens.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, November 20, 2008 Posted by Bob at 11/20/08 01:28 PM

U.S. broadband prices need to be pushed down by at least 25 percent and typical speeds need to be increased dramatically to catch up to countries such as France and Japan, according to a new report from Consumers Union and the Consumer Federation of America. Titled “Broadband in America: A Policy of Neglect is Not Benign,” the study calls on the incoming Obama administration and Congress to pursue policies to help prevent overcharging, blocking and discrimination against consumers and small businesses on the Internet. Consumers Union is the sponsor of this blog.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, November 6, 2008 Posted by Bob at 11/06/08 12:03 PM

There were some huge votes and non-votes at the Federal Communications Commission on Election Day this past Tuesday, all of which could have major implications for consumers. And the FCC has launched an investigation of cable companies and Verizon amid increasing complaints the firms are moving programming to a digital-only tier and charging consumers an extra fee each month for additional digital cable boxes in order to receive this programming.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, October 9, 2008 Posted by Bob at 10/08/08 08:20 PM

For months now the Commerce Department office in charge of the government’s digital television conversion box coupon program has been insisting it has enough money to make sure everyone who wants to get two of the $40 coupons will be able to do so. But now Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is telling lawmakers NTIA's numbers are not only wrong, but are likely way wrong. That could mean millions of consumers who depend on free, over-the-air television won't be able to get the government coupons.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, September 25, 2008 Posted by Bob at 09/25/08 12:56 PM

Back in May we told you about Tom Allibone, a longtime telecommunications consultant who had appointed himself an “FCC Deputy,” looking out for his fellow consumers in the runup to the national transition to digital broadcasting next February. Luckily for consumers, Deputy Tom has stayed on the job since then and he is out with a new report this week that should send chills down the spine of anyone who depends on over-the-air free television – and hopefully the government officials in charge of the transition.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, September 11, 2008 Posted by Bob at 09/12/08 11:10 AM

The U.S. Senate’s top antitrust watchdog is asking the nation’s leading wireless companies why they have recently doubled their charges for text messages. Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI), chairman of the Senate Antitrust Subcommittee, has sent a letter to the presidents and chief executive officers of the four largest U.S. wireless telephone companies asking them to justify sharply rising rates for customers to send and receive text messages. Kohl’s letter requested an explanation from Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile, which collectively serve more than 90 percent of the nation's cellular phone users.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, August 28, 2008 Posted by Bob at 08/28/08 04:44 PM

The United States has not made significant improvement in the speeds at which residents connect to the Internet in the last year, according to a new report from the Communications Workers of America. Further, the U.S. is continuing to fall farther and farther behind other countries such as Japan, South Korea, Finland and France in terms of Internet speed. Plus, AT&T's latest attempt to hide its no-frills Internet service from consumers.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, August 14, 2008 Posted by Bob at 08/14/08 06:36 AM

While better than nothing, the early digital television transtion in Wilmiington, NC, next month will likely yield little more than false positive results.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, July 31, 2008 Posted by Bob at 07/31/08 11:03 AM

Parroting the talking points that Comcast and its lobbyists have been spreading around official Washington since the company was busted by the Associated Press for its Internet throttling activities last year, FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell is arguing the FCC needs to defer to big Internet service providers when it comes to the vital information pipeline. We think allowing the fox to guard the hen house has almost always been a bad idea. But it is inexcusable when a government official such as McDowell – an official who is charged with looking out for the public – rushes to the defense of a fox who has just been caught with a mouth full of feathers.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, July 17, 2008 Posted by Bob at 07/17/08 01:24 PM

There are increasing rumors the Federal Communications Commission is about to quietly ram through new rules written by wireless phone industry covering those ubiquitous early termination penalties they charge. The FCC will be acting against the consumers it is charged with protecting if it continues with any further such back room, below the radar shenanigans. The commissioners need to quickly and forcefully reject this legal bailout written by the wireless industry, for the wireless industry.

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Transition in Trouble: Action Needed to Ensure a Successful Digital Television Transition Posted by Bob at 07/07/08 03:50 PM

The good folks at the the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights are out with a report that should be required reading for any government official involved -- or who should be involved -- in the looming transition to digital television next February. Titled "Transition in Trouble: Action Needed to Ensure a Successful Digital Television Transition," the report lays out the problems and challenges of the upcoming transition and what can still be done to make it go smoother.

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Now Hear This Newsletter, July 3, 2008 Posted by Bob at 07/02/08 01:25 PM

Two issues that could have major repercussions for consumers are now floating around the executive offices of the Federal Communications Commission headquarters. One is the proposed merger of the country's only two satellite radio companies, XM and Sirius, to form a nationwide monopoly. The other is a dubious deal being offered by wireless companies on those maddening early termination fees they charge.

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