Bills are expected shortly in both chambers of N.Y. legislature that would impose statewide ban on use of handheld mobile phones by drivers of moving vehicles. State Rep. Felix Ortiz (D-Brooklyn) and state Sen. Michael Balboni (R-Nassau County), said they were drafting legislation for their respective chambers and planned to introduce parallel bills soon. They said their measures would supersede all local ordinances, such as one adopted late last year in Suffolk County and under consideration in New York City and 5 other counties. Draft statewide measure would impose $150 fine per violation. Drivers would be allowed to use hands-free phones. Two lawmakers said they expected majority- party support for mobile phone restriction in both chambers. Gov. George Pataki said Mon. he would be willing to consider car-phone curbs. In related matter, Rockland County Executive Scott Vanderhoef vetoed county ordinance that would have included 10-day jail sentence among penalties for drivers caught using handheld mobile phones. He said Mon. that jail term was excessive punishment and called on state legislature to take lead on issue.

PASADENA -- CBS TV Pres. Leslie Moonves said network had ordered new Survivor series 3 and 4 -- to follow Survivor 2, which begins its run immediately following Jan. 28 Super Bowl. Third in series will air in fall as hedge against possible strike by writers and actors. “That’s all part of the game plan,” along with extended new or expanded editions of news programming, he said at TV critics session here. Reality shows are “not union dependent,” Moonves said. “We hope the strike can be avoided, but we are ready… Obviously, everybody is going to be doing the same thing” in stockpiling reality programming in case of strike (CD Jan 9 p7). He joked that if Super Bowl were “a blowout, we may eliminate the 4th quarter and go right to Survivor… and hopefully in the near future we'll be announcing Survivor 19 and 20.” He refused to discuss prices being paid by advertisers for Survivor 2, but “obviously it’s a great deal more than they paid” for original series last summer.

Ariz. Attorney Gen. Janet Napolitano ruled expansion of Ariz. Corporation Commission to 5 members from 3, which voters approved in Nov., won’t be effective until 2 additional commission members are selected by voters in 2002 general election. She said plain language of ballot question and fact that legislature didn’t budget for additional members in 2001-02 fiscal cycle clearly showed it didn’t intend that ballot proposition create vacancies that required interim gubernatorial appointments. On related question, Napolitano said current commissioners could be elected to one additional 4-year term when their present terms expired. She said past commissioners, who previously were barred by law from seeking commission seat ever again, could run for 2nd term on agency starting with 2002 elections. With legal questions settled, agency Comrs. Marc Spitzer and Jim Irvin agreed Tues. that Comr. William Mundell was commission’s new chmn. Chmn. serves indefinite term and always casts final vote.

Salt Lake Organizing Committee will be broadcast frequency coordinator for 2002 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Salt Lake City, FCC said in notice Wed. Group will coordinate frequency use in 150 km radius from city during games, FCC said.

BellSouth told FCC it was opposed to request by Dept. of Justice and FBI for additional security requirements under Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). DoJ/FBI asked agency in Nov. to require carriers to: (1) Submit name, phone number, e-mail address and other contact information for person designated as point of contact for CALEA issue. (2) Notify FCC in writing or by e-mail of any change in such contact information. BellSouth said requirements were “unnecessary, burdensome and inconsistent with the Commission’s minimal set of guidelines for compliance with CALEA’s systems security and integrity provisions.”

U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., remanded low-power FM (LPFM) rules to FCC to give Commission time to implement latest legislation, responding to NAB petition (CD Dec 28 p4). Court said parties should report to court within 21 days after FCC action, to allow court to decide whether more action was needed. Court also said FCC must implement character qualification provisions of Radio Bcstg. Preservation Act.

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center gave Swales Aerospace 5- year contract worth potential $350 million to provide engineering service for Goddard’s Applied Engineering, Technology, Suborbital and Special Orbital Projects Directorates, including studying, designing, developing, testing, verifying and operating spacecraft and ground system hardware and software. Swales also will coordinate work of Orbital Sciences, Jackson & Tull, Hammers and Curtis Management in deal that consolidates services of 2 prior engineering service contracts.

Promotions at Time Warner: John Fogarty to vp, Gary Matz to vp, Trish McCausland to senior counsel… Sallie Fraenkel advanced to senior vp-mktg. & operations, program enterprises and distribution, Showtime… Jonathan Shair, ex-Bravo/Independent Film Channel, appointed vp-program scheduling and planning, Starz Encore Group… Richard Sulpizio, Qualcomm pres.-COO, elected to board… Ralph Haiek promoted to COO, Claxson Interactive Group… Michael Kennedy advanced to corporate vp and dir.-global govt. relations, Motorola… Berry Smith, senior vp, Schurz Communications, retires Jan. 31… Clifford Rees promoted to pres.- N. America, World Access… Changes at Broadbeam: Sri Sridharan, ex-ServiceNet, named pres.-COO; William Lenahan, CEO, KMC Telecom, joins board… Hewlett Packard Chmn. Carly Fiorina appointed to Cisco Systems board… Geoffrey Crowley promoted to regional vp-sales for the north, Net2000 Communications… Michael Kuehn, ex-Desert Island Resource Group, named vp-quality assurance & process development, Pathnet… Gordon McKenna, chmn., American Teleservices Assn., resigns.

Bidding in FCC’s C- and F-block PCS auction rose to $14.57 billion Wed., vs. $14.2 billion Tues. Salmon PCS, designated entity with Cingular Wireless investment bid $3.06 billion, followed by AT&T Wireless-backed Alaska Native Wireless with $2.42 billion. Competition remains strong for 3 N.Y.C. licenses, all of which now have surpassed $1 billion mark. In 43rd round, Verizon Wireless bid $1.42 billion for one license there, Salmon PCS $1.13 billion for another and Alaska Native Wireless $1.04 billion for 3rd. Other high bidders in auction of 422 licenses that began Dec. 12 include DCC PCS with $966.4 million, Cook Inlet with $486.8 million, VoiceStream with $385.9 million, Leap Wireless with $336.8 million. Of top 15 bidders, 13 are designated entities, with Verizon Wireless and VoiceStream representing exceptions. Next highest bid for single license after N.Y.C. is $519.7 million for L.A. license by DCC PCS, subsidiary of Dobson Communications.

German govt. awarded 8 major regional spectrum licenses to provide fixed wireless and broadband services to ArcTel, joint venture of Teligent and Mannesmann Arcor. Licenses in 26 MHz band cover Berlin and Hamburg, increasing total population coverage of ArcTel in Germany to 31 million, companies said. Mannesmann Arcor is fixed-line telecom arm of Vodafone Group. Companies said ArcTel now holds more than 200 licenses in Germany.