Headlines

Benton Foundation provides free, daily summaries of articles concerning the quickly-changing telecommunications policy landscape.

Consumers Union Takes FCC’s Side vs. Verizon

Submitted: July 8, 2008 - 8:18pm

While Verizon Communications has argued that the Federal Communications Commission's demand that it stop its retention-marketing practices would hurt consumers, the Consumers Union disagreed and weighed in on the side of the FCC and cable operators.

Inouye, Stevens: Shorten Number Portability

Submitted: July 8, 2008 - 8:17pm

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Vice Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) have written Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin expressing concern about phone number portability, the ability of phone customers to keep their number when they switch services.

Orlando to Advise FCC's Tate

Submitted: July 8, 2008 - 8:16pm

Recommendation:

Federal Communications Commission member Deborah Taylor Tate has tapped Greg Orlando to serve as one of her legal advisors, specializing in wireline issues, including broadband and universal service reform.

Revised Intelligence Law Would Broaden Government Surveillance Powers

Submitted: July 8, 2008 - 7:47am

Recommendation:

Congress is expected to approve Wednesday a White House-backed bill to update the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act -- the most sweeping change in the 30-year-old law and one that may further expand the use of evidence gathered by intelligence agencies in criminal cases.

Compromising the Constitution

Submitted: July 8, 2008 - 7:46am

Recommendation:

Congress has been far too compliant as President Bush undermined the Bill of Rights and the balance of powers. It now has a chance to undo some of that damage -- if it has the courage and good sense to stand up to the White House and for the Constitution.

Listening to Compromise

Submitted: July 8, 2008 - 7:45am

Recommendation:

Two years ago, Halperin stated his belief that the Bush administration’s warrantless wiretapping program and disregard for domestic and international law poses a direct challenge to our constitutional order, and "constitutes a far greater threat than the lawlessness of Richard Nixon."

LCCR: "Serious Problems" with DTV Switch

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 9:00pm
Last updated: July 7, 2008 - 9:08pm

Recommendation:

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Monday applauded digital-TV-education efforts by broadcasters and the government but said problems remain -- including a lack of federal leadership, viewer confusion, upselling and a host of others -- that could keep "many" viewers, including minorities and the elderly and disabled, in the dark.

Capitol Hill Set for Digital Television Day

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:59pm

Recommendation:

Today is Digital Television Day on Capitol Hill. The House Commerce Committee has organized the day-long event during which members of Congress and their staffs can bone up on the finer points of the transition and education programs, including some hands-on demonstrations on how to install a converter box.

FCC Commissioners to Star in DTV PSAs

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:58pm

Coming to a public service announcement impression near you -- the FCC's Fab Five. Amid criticism that the Federal Communications Commission is relying too much on private industry to get out the word of the digital transition, FCC Commissioners including Chairman Kevin Martin are set to be featured in a new public service effort being readied by the agency.

Cable Franchising Bills No Help To Consumers

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:55pm

Recommendation:

State cable franchising bills have not led to lower cable rates, and support for public access channels has eroded in those states with such schemes, according to a survey conducted by the Alliance for Community Media and the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors.

Hundt, Kennard Suffer From McCain Amnesia

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:50pm

Recommendation:

Former Federal Communications Commission Chairmen Reed Hundt and Bill Kennard are supporters of Sen Barack Obama. Are they forgetting or mis-remembering John McCain's telecom track record?

Nielsen: Barack Obama Owning Web

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:47pm

Recommendation:

When it comes to the Web, Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama is drawing a much larger crowd and generating considerably more chatter, says a new report issued by Nielsen Online.

ABC, Affiliates End Joint Ownership Talks

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:46pm

Recommendation:

Content ownership seems to be the main sticking point for failed talks between ABC and its affiliates about launching a national-local cable news channel built of content from ABC News and ABC affiliates.

Educators wrestle with digital-equity challenges

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:45pm

Recommendation:

Despite gains in the number of households that are online and the number of computing devices in the hands of students, making sure all learners have equitable access to technology resources continues to be a challenge in the United States and worldwide.

The Facebooker Who Friended Obama

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:09am

Recommendation:

A look at Chris Hughes, one of the four founders of Facebook. In early 2007, he left the company to work in Chicago on Senator Barack Obama’s new-media campaign. Leaving behind his company at such a critical time would appear to require some cognitive dissonance: political campaigns, after all, are built on handshakes and persuasion, not computer servers, and Hughes has watched, sometimes ruefully, as Facebook has marketed new products that he helped develop.

Some Press for More Notice of Transition in TV

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:08am

Recommendation:

Consumer advocates will gather on Capitol Hill this week to lobby for more money to publicize the big change in television next February, when people who have analog TVs will no longer get any picture unless they have cable service or a digital converter box.

When Fox News Is the Story

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:07am

Fox News. That's it; my In Box will be full later today. Once the public relations apparatus at Fox News is engaged, there will be the calls to editors, keening (and sometimes threatening) e-mail messages, and requests for interviews will quickly turn into depositions about intent.

Portable analog TVs may be lost in Digital Transition

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:06am

Recommendation:

Come February, hand-held TVs will face a permanent outage. Almost all the battery-powered televisions stashed in drawers, closets and garages in case of emergency will be rendered useless when broadcasters switch to digital-only signals.

Technology reshapes America's classrooms

Submitted: July 7, 2008 - 8:06am

Recommendation:

From online courses to kid-friendly laptops and virtual teachers, technology is spreading in America's classrooms, reducing the need for textbooks, notepads, paper and in some cases even the schools themselves.

Senate delays vote on surveillance bill until July

Submitted: July 6, 2008 - 9:35pm

Recommendation:

(6/27) To the relief of vacationing Headliners everywhere, the Senate delayed a vote on a controversial surveillance bill that would allow a US National Security Agency spying program to continue and would likely result in the dismissal of dozens of lawsuits against telecom carriers that participated in the program.