Radio ad revenue grew 3% in Nov., and overall revenue for first 11 months of year was up 11%, Radio Ad Bureau said. For Nov., local ad revenue was up 4% and national ads were flat, it said.

Europolitan and Hi3G, which won 3rd-generation wireless licenses in Sweden last month, signed agreement to jointly build part of their next-generation infrastructure, terms not disclosed. Europolitan and Hi3G will form separate company that will build infrastructure mostly outside of metro areas of Gothenburg, Malmoe, Stockholm. Under cooperative agreement, companies said they jointly would build and maintain up to 70% of infrastructure required by their licenses. Each will have equal access to network and retain operating independence.

Nortel completed installation for Spain’s Airtel Movil of what companies called first commercial radio equipment based on 3rd Generation Partnership Project Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) standard. Nortel said it was first to deliver commercial 3G equipment for public, nationwide UMTS network. Airtel plans to start commercial 3G services in Aug. in 23 cities, reaching at least 25% of Spain’s population.

House Ways & Means Committee ranking Democrat Rangel (D-N.Y.) will soon introduce bill to provide tax credits for minority ownership of telecom and broadcast companies, but not until he has “bipartisan agreements” in place, spokesman told us. Spokesman said Rangel has “some disagreements” with Senate Commerce Committee Chmn. McCain (R-Ariz.), who plans similar bill on Senate side, particularly about “scope” of program and “who would qualify.” However, he said “we're fairly optimistic” in what’s “good political environment,” adding that bill could be “good test of bipartisanship.” McCain spokeswoman said he’s “working on a bill” but “we don’t have details yet.” She added that McCain “is pleased that the House is also working on this issue.” Tax certificate program for minority ownership was repealed in 1995, but with recent Commerce Dept. report finding just 4% of TV stations owned by minorities there’s pressure for new program. Rangel spokesman said it’s important that program be done right this time, and that there be no repeat of earlier problems of large companies using minorities as front men to get discounts. “We want to make sure we close those loopholes,” he said. Former Ways & Means Committee Chmn. Archer (R-Tex.) was public opponent of tax certificates. Views of new Chmn. Thomas (R-Cal.) are unknown, although he voted for repeal in 1995.

New bill in Ore. House would make audio recordings of 911 emergency calls confidential information that couldn’t be disclosed without consent of person making call. Sponsor of HB- 2436, state Rep. Steve March (D-Portland), said treating 911 recordings as public records forces people to relive their tragedies when recordings of their emergency calls are replayed in TV and radio news broadcasts. Bill also would bar publishing verbatim written transcripts of 911 calls without consent.

Delivering major blow to broadcasters, FCC tentatively concluded that cable operators didn’t have to carry both analog and digital signals of TV stations during digital transition. In order adopted by 4-1 vote with at least one partial dissent Thurs. but not released until late Mon., Commission said that, “based on the existing record, such a requirement appears to burden cable operators’ First Amendment interests more than is necessary to further a substantial governmental interest.” But agency didn’t rule out dual carriage requirement completely, seeking further comment on need for it to hasten digital transition, updated channel capacity from cable operators, digital compression advances and status and scope of digital retransmission consent agreements between broadcasters and MSOs.

N.J. Senate Education Committee passed onto Senate floor bill (A-592) that would bar K-12 schools from posting personal information about students on their Web sites. Bill, passed by Assembly last year and held over for 2001 session, is intended to address concerns that pedophiles and other criminals might use personal information on schools’ Web sites to harm children. Bill was inspired last year by S. Jersey school district that posted names and pictures of students going on class field trips.

Radarsat International and Canadian Space Agency said they agreed with Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research (INPE) to provide Radarsat-1 data to INPE for scientific research related to environmental monitoring, including estimating deforestation of Amazon River Basin.

Boeing said it combined its Delta II, III and IV rocket programs into single operation, led by Dan Collins, vp of Delta IV program.

AT&T Wireless and Japan’s NTT DoCoMo began operating previously-announced alliance to develop next-generation wireless services. NTT DoCoMo bought 16% stake in AT&T Wireless Mon. through acquisition of 406 million shares of preferred tracking stock for $9.8 billion. DoCoMo also bought 5-year warrants to purchase equivalent of additional 41.7 million shares of tracker at $35 per share. Parent company AT&T said it decreased its interest in AT&T Wireless Group by 178 million shares, receiving $20.50 per share from DoCoMo. Remaining 406 million shares that DoCoMo bought came from 228 million newly issued tracker shares at $27 per share. Except for warrants and before AT&T Wireless completes planned spinoff later this year, AT&T said it still had about 70% economic stake in wireless unit. About 14% of economic interest in AT&T Wireless’s operating results will be represented by tracking stock that’s traded publicly, company said. AT&T Wireless reiterated it planned to use $6.2 billion in proceeds from share sale to continue to expand capacity, enlarge footprint, develop wireless Internet projects, invest in other “growth” areas. Parent AT&T plans to use its $3.6 billion part of deal to reduce debt.