Fri, 01 Nov 2024 13:00:13 -0400
The Federal Communications Commission, through the FCC Enforcement Bureau, convened government partners from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom to discuss emerging security and enforcement trends in the communications sector related to national security, data protection, cybersecurity, and transnational fraud, as well as a greater shared commitment to cooperation and collaboration.
The convening, which took place yesterday at the FCC Headquarters in Washington, DC, built on existing information sharing and other international cooperation efforts led by Chairwoman Rosenworcel to enhance our common mission to help ensure the safety of our communications networks, and doing so through her fundamental strategy to “deter, defend, and develop: deter bad actors, defend against untrusted vendors, and develop a market for trustworthy innovation.”
Among the topics discussed were growing security trends with respect to supply chain vulnerabilities, data breaches, and national security risk mitigation. The shared commitment for greater coordination and cooperation will significantly enhance the effectiveness of each country’s enforcement programs, minimize gaps in enforcement, and foster coordinated enforcement actions.
The FCC has formal consumer protection partnerships with the United Kingdom Office of Communications and the Information Commissioner’s Office of the United Kingdom; the Privacy Commissioner of Canada; and the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
Tue, 29 Oct 2024 09:13:00 -0400
ESPN, Disney, and the National Football League will partner to stream The Simpsons Funday Football on Disney+ and ESPN+ alongside the Monday Night Football game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Dallas Cowboys on December 9.
The animated recreation of the game will be put together through a combination of tracking technology from NFL’s Next Gen Stats and Sony’s Beyond Sports, as well as optical tracking from Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations. It’s a follow-up to last year’s similar alternate broadcast that featured Toy Story intellectual property. That show won three Sports Emmys earlier this year – Outstanding Production Design, the George Wensel Technical Achievement and Outstanding Graphic Design.
The fictitious “Atoms Stadium” will serve as the setting as each player on both the Bengals and Cowboys will be fully animated avatars. From there, Bart Simpson will play on the field as a member of the Bengals while Home Simpson joins the Cowboys. The rest of the Simpsons family – as well as other characters – will be involved, too. Marge and Lisa will interview players during the game and Maggie will fly the SkyCam.
The production will be available internationally in more than 145 markets live and/or via replay. All Latin America, Mexico, Brazil, the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sub-Saharan Africa and Canada (TSN) are all among those to receive it.
The Simpsons Funday Football alternate viewing presentation will stream on Disney+ and ESPN+, and, on mobile, with NFL+. The traditional Monday Night Football telecast will be available on ESPN, ABC and ESPN Deportes with Monday Night Football with Peyton and Eli on ESPN2. Both the traditional telecast and Peyton and Eli will also be on ESPN+, making each distinct presentation available in the ESPN App. All telecasts will begin at 8 p.m. ET.
Tue, 22 Oct 2024 16:08:41 -0400
The Federal Communications Commission has announced a proposed fine of $146,976 against ESPN, Inc. in a Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture for six apparent violations of the Emergency Alert System (EAS) rules based on ESPN transmitting, or causing the transmission of, EAS codes during a promotional segment for the start of the 2023-2024 NBA season. In the promo spot, ESPN apparently willfully and repeatedly violated section 11.45(a) of the Commission’s rules, which prohibits transmitting or causing the transmission of the EAS codes or EAS Attention Signal, or simulations thereof (together EAS Tones), in the absence of an actual emergency, authorized test of the EAS, or a qualified public service announcement.
Unauthorized use of the EAS Tones undermines the integrity and effectiveness of the EAS and is a substantial threat to public safety. The use of simulated or actual EAS Tones for non- authorized purposes—such as commercial or entertainment purposes—can lead to “alert fatigue,” causing the public to become desensitized to the alerts, questioning or simply disregarding whether a particular alert is intended to warn about a real, imminent threat or some other cause. Since the EAS codes include operative data elements, the misuse of simulated or actual EAS codes may result in false activations of the EAS that can spread false information or lock out legitimate activations of the EAS.
“Transmitting EAS Tones in the absence of an actual emergency is not a game,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Loyaan A. Egal. “These types of violations can raise substantial public safety concerns by causing confusion and in some cases interfering with legitimate emergency uses. Today’s proposed fine reflects the FCC’s commitment to keep the lines clear when it comes to the proper use of tools broadcasters are entrusted with to assist the public during an emergency.”
On October 20, 2023, the Commission received complaints alleging that ESPN transmitted the EAS Tones, or a simulation thereof, multiple times during a sports-related promotion. In response to the FCC Enforcement Bureau’s Letter of Inquiry, ESPN confirmed that it developed, produced, and transmitted the promo spot, and admits that for each use, ESPN transmitted a portion of the EAS attention signals as part of the promo spot in the absence of a permitted use, such as an actual emergency or authorized test of the EAS. ESPN acknowledged that it transmitted the promo spot a total of six times during October 20-24, 2023, on two ESPN-owned networks. The Commission found that ESPN improperly transmitted EAS codes in apparent violation of the FCC’s EAS rules a total of six times. The FCC proposes a statutory maximum forfeiture of $146,976 for these six apparent violations.
ESPN has a history of noncompliance with the Commission’s EAS rules and was fined in 2015 and 2021 for EAS violations. This prior history was a significant factor in determining the proposed forfeiture in this case.
The proposed action, formally called Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture, or NAL, contains only allegations that advise a party on how they have apparently violated the law and may set forth a proposed monetary penalty. The Commission may not impose a greater monetary penalty than the amount proposed in the NAL. Neither the allegations nor the proposed sanctions in the NAL are final Commission actions. ESPN will be given an opportunity to respond and the Commission will consider submissions of evidence and legal arguments before acting further to resolve these matters.
Fri, 04 Oct 2024 09:09:00 -0400
Magewell's USB Capture family has long been the gold standard for professional video capture devices, earning a reputation for being the easiest and most reliable way to bring video and audio signals into software for live streaming, video conferencing, medical imaging and more. Magewell has expanded the renowned product line with the unveiling of a new model that captures video sources up to 4K resolution at 60 frames per second – the USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro.
Magewell's compact USB Capture devices enable computers including laptops to capture high-quality AV signals through a USB interface, with no additional power source required. The new USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro offers everything that users love about the existing USB Capture HDMI 4K Plus model, while leveraging 20Gbps USB transfer performance on compatible host systems to enable the capture of 4K video at higher frame rates and color precision.
When used with a host computer that has a 20Gbps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface, the USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro can capture HDMI inputs up to 4096x2160 (including 3840x2160 Ultra HD) at 60fps with 4:4:4 chroma fidelity. The device is also compatible with lesser-performance USB 3.2, USB 3.1 and USB 3.0 interfaces for capturing lower video signals (such as 1080p60 or 4K at 30fps 4:2:0 over 5Gbps USB, or 4K at 60fps 4:2:0 with 10Gbps USB), with the capture capabilities dependent on the host USB connectivity and operating system.
The USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro features driver-free setup and automatic input signal format detection for true plug-and-play operation, with support for Windows®, Mac®, Linux® and Chrome® operating systems. In addition to extensive software compatibility through the UVC specification, an SDK is available for third-party developers to leverage the device's unique features – such as the new ability to capture 10-bit High Dynamic Range (HDR) signals – in their software.
“We're proud of the role that our USB Capture devices have played in customers' transition to software-centric AV solutions, and we're thrilled to expand our portfolio with the USB Capture HDMI 4K Pro,” said James Liu, VP of Engineering at Magewell. “Combining the portability and plug-and-play convenience of the USB Capture family with support for capturing 4K video at 60 frames per second opens up new use cases in live production, immersive presentations and more.”
Wed, 02 Oct 2024 09:49:00 -0400
They say that if you’ve heard music, you are most likely to have heard the MD 421, a Sennheiser microphone featured in countless award-winning performances and productions over the past six decades. Now Sennheiser launches the MD 421 Kompakt, a versatile microphone that delivers the same performance, but in a truly multipurpose package — including a completely redesigned mounting clip. The MD 421 Kompakt features a cardioid pick-up pattern and dynamic range, delivering clear sound reproduction in live sound and recording applications.
“The MD 421 is an incredibly versatile microphone. Since its inception in 1960, it excelled as a studio and a vocal microphone, but was also used a lot in broadcasting, where it appeared with many celebrities of the time. Today, its successor, the MD 421-II, which launched in 1998, is an all-rounder for multipurpose miking and well known to be used on drums, guitar cabs and horns,” says Bertram Zimmermann, Manager Live Sound & Studio. “It works on anything, capturing the sound source with precision, detail, and rich sound.”
To give the MD 421 microphone its compact dimensions all while retaining the large-diaphragm capsule and the pristine sound of the much bigger MD 421-II, the bass roll-off switch was eliminated. “While this feature made total sense when the MD 421 was designed, and was carried over to the MD 421-II, this functionality has long since been taken over by mixing desks and DAWs,” says Zimmermann. “Omitting the switch allowed us to create a relatively small microphone body, making the Kompakt an ideal tom mic, but also a versatile tool for any recording or live application.”
Sound-wise, the MD 421 Kompakt delivers the same detailed and authentic reproduction of the sound source that the MD 421 and MD 421-II have become famous for. The microphone’s frequency response of 30 Hz to 17 kHz faithfully reproduces both high and low frequencies, with a bass tube ensuring an accurate and extended low-end response. The sound is rich and full-bodied, and incredibly clear and detailed at the same time.
The MD 421 Kompakt is available now at Markertek. The MD 421-II will remain in the portfolio alongside the MD 421 Kompakt.