> The FCC is not confirming (and for that matter it's not denying) growing reports that it won't finish its review of Comcast's (Nasdaq: CMCSA) NBC Universal takeover until February. Comcast executives have steadfastly stated belief that the deal would close at the end of this year. Story.
> FOX, on its rolls-off-the-fingers website GetWhatIPaidFor.com is warning Dish Network (Nasdaq: DISH) subscribers that the clock is ticking and time's running out for an agreement that would keep Fox channels on the satellite service. Some Fox stations have also started warning Dish subs via viewer alerts. Story.
> Speaking of deadlines, top White House official and Federal CIO Vivek Kundra (and who even knew such a position existed?) has issued a directive that requires all U.S. government agencies to upgrade public Web sites and services to IPv6 by Sept. 30, 2012. Story.
> Rainbow Networks hasn't put any deadline (at least that we know of) on a trial it's conducting with BlackArrow. The pair will, instead, take their time in "looking at new ways that (Rainbow's) ... premium content such as AMC's Mad Men can be leveraged in a VoD environment to enable engaging television advertising experiences." Anyone who watches Mad Men, incidentally, already knows that the show has gone out of its way to provide some engaging advertising that mimics 1960s-style ads while providing snippets of fun facts that keep viewers tuned in. News release.
> Cox Communications has won one in Louisiana, where the FCC issued an order declaring "effective competition" in cable franchise markets that include Lafayette, where LUS Fiber is a competitive provider. The ruling basically says that Cox and other providers in the area are no longer required to follow the Commission's uniform pricing rule that mandates cable providers to offer the same rates for the same services to everyone. Story.
And finally... Charter subscribers in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin learned an inadvertent lesson about cord cutting when a Charter Communications (Nasdaq: CHTR) fiber optic line went down for about eight hours, including the span of time when the beloved Green Bay Packers were battling the hated Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. Of course that's probably not the kind of cord cutting everyone's touting these days. Story.