Communications-Related Headlines for May 2, 2003

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Powell: Media Restrictions 'Threaten Free Television'
Pop Artists Make Noise About Media Regulations

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Computers-to-Africa Scheme Criticized

CAPACITY BUILDING
When Angels Have Technical Problems, CGNET is There

POWELL: MEDIA RESTRICTIONS 'THREATEN FREE TELEVISION'
In an interview with Financial Times, FCC Chairman Michael Powell said that
the current regulatory environment in the US threatens the future viability
of free broadcast television, noting that the rise of fee-based cable and
satellite services may hinder the free access model. "Twenty-five percent of
people are still getting [free broadcast TV] but the economics are becoming
dramatically more strained," said Powell. The chairman's comments go beyond
the justifications that media corporations have used to lobby the FCC to
deregulate; Viacom and News Corp., which own broadcast networks CBS and FOX
respectively, have not claimed financial distress. Though broadcast TV has
ceded market share to cable TV, local network affiliates continue to
flourish as advertisers regard network broadcasts as the preeminent way to
reach consumers. Powell reiterated his support for a "diversity index" as a
way to justify maintaining the rules on a case-by-case basis in a manner
that will pass judicial scrutiny.
[SOURCE: Financial Times; AUTHORS: Peter Thal Larsen and Demetri
Sevastopulo]
http://search.ft.com/search/article.html?id=030430000650

POP ARTISTS MAKE NOISE ABOUT MEDIA REGULATIONS
A group of 34 recording artists including Toby Keith, Michael Stipe, Tom
Waits and the members of Pearl Jam have submitted a letter to FCC
commissioners saying that media ownership deregulation needs to be better
vetted by the public before it is taken up for a vote. The musicians were
also critical of FCC Chairman Michael Powell's remarks regarding
deregulation critics. "In a recent speech, you [Powell] referred to your
critics as 'noisemakers' using the 'usual alarmist political attacks
designed just to prevent change,'" they wrote. "With all due respect, we may
be sounding an alarm, but we are not alarmist noisemakers. We are the
concerned citizens and small-business owners whose welfare you are charged
to protect. We ask for your respect and protection." They also went on to
criticize Powell and fellow commissioners Kevin Martin and Kathleen
Abernathy for not taking part in public hearings that have been held across
the country. "The de facto boycott of field hearings by you and
commissioners Abernathy and Martin makes us question how interested some
commissioners are in understanding the public's interest in these matters,"
they wrote.
[SOURCE: Reuters; AUTHOR: Brooks Boliek, Hollywood Reporter]
http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=musicNews&storyID=2664007

DIGITAL DIVIDE

COMPUTERS-TO-AFRICA-SCHEME CRITICIZED
The UK Centre of International Education is critical of western
organizations' attempts to bridge the digital divide in African schools,
saying that the complexities of updating software and keeping machines
functional are causing chaos in the classroom. "It has been a very, very
costly mistake," said Bildad Kagai of the Open Source Foundation for Africa.
"The issue is that we did not consider the consequent costs that come with
the donation of computers." One of the major problems cited was the
inconsistency of software and capacity available on individual computers.
Groups working to provide computers in African schools are now saying they
are trying to implement teacher training programs to alleviate the
situation, because they feel it's still imperative to provide schools with
Internet access. "The digital divide is too important not to get bogged down
in the debate over software," said Garry Hodgkinson, Microsoft's Regional
Director for Community Affairs for Africa and the Middle East. "One of the
deputy generals of teacher training in South Africa went into a classroom
and saw a teacher standing on a PC to reach the blackboard. That sort of
dumping is really useless to anybody."
[SOURCE: BBC Online]
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2989567.stm

CAPACITY BUILDING

WHEN ANGELS HAVE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS, CGNET IS THERE
SiliconValley.com profiles the company CGNET, which provides technical
services to nonprofits operating worldwide. Their specific expertise is in
building networks in some of the world's most remote locales, helping to
improve education and farming practices. Unlike their clients, however,
CGNET is a for-profit company, and the future seems primed for growth. With
technology becoming less expensive, more nonprofits are likely to seek
network infrastructure connecting heavily populated areas with remote
locations, and a few clients have inquired about wireless networks to
increase their reach.
[SOURCE: Silicon Valley.com; AUTHOR: Mike Cassidy, Mercury News]
http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/5742718.htm

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