For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm
WHAT THE ELECTION MEANS
What Election Results Mean for Communications Policy
Paying for Campaigns: McCain Eyes Next Target
COVERING ELECTION NIGHT
How Insiders Were Fooled
Election Coverage Draws Large Prime-Time Audience
TELECOM
USAC to Resume Issuing Funding Commitment Decision Letters
FCC Aims at Retaining Phone Competition
NEW PUBLICATIONS
Open Architecture as Communications Policy
Illinois Online
WHAT THE ELECTION MEANS
WHAT THE ELECTION MEANS FOR COMMUNICATIONS POLICY
The election means a lot of things to a lot of people, but under this=20
umbrella, we'll cover the impact on communications policy. CommDaily=20
reports that Republicans in Congress will have even greater control and=20
are likely to continue to push for free trade and a more deregulatory=20
approach to telecom. Proponents of stronger media ownership rules will=20
likely have a harder time getting Congress to roll back more lenient FCC=20
rules as President Bush has shown support for the FCC=92s ownership changes.
Republicans and are expected to begin a rewrite -- or, at least,=20
reexamination -- of US telecommunication law. Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX) is=20
expected to retain his chairmanship of the Energy and Commerce Committee.=20
Rep Barton has called for ending the digital-TV transition Dec. 31, 2006,=20
which clashes with a FCC plan that would end it Dec. 31, 2008. He also says=
=20
a revamp of the Telecommunications Act is needed to take into account the=20
convergence of voice, video and data over the Internet and to accommodate=20
strains on the subsidy program to keep local phone service affordable in=20
rural America. In the Senate, Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is expected to take=20
command of the Commerce Committee from Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), who won=20
re-election Tuesday night, but must yield the gavel due to GOP Senate rules=
=20
that impose term limits on committee chairmen. Months ago, Sen Stevens said=
=20
writing a new telecommunications law was a priority. Affordable rural phone=
=20
rates have been a Stevens cause for decades. He is troubled that if voice=20
traffic migrates to the Internet and private Internet-protocol networks and=
=20
providers do not have to contribute to the phone-subsidy program, local=20
phone rates will rise in his state.
The win for President Bush (and loss for Sen Thomas Daschle (D-SD)) means=20
FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein will lose his seat when Congress=20
adjourns. There's no telling how long it will take the President to=20
nominate a replacement leaving FCC Republicans with a 3-1 majority. The=20
term of Kathleen Abernathy, a Republican, has also expired, but she can=20
remain at the FCC until Congress adjourns next year unless Bush nominates=20
someone to replace her before then. It is unclear whether FCC Chairman will=
=20
remain on the Commission for President Bush's second term.
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA477638.html?display=3DBreaking+News
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA477776.html?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
Little New Expected in Congressional Agenda After Republican Victory
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Terry Lane]
(Not available online)
Bigger, Faster, and Less Regulated
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Stephen Labaton]
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/04/business/04bizreact.html?pagewanted=3D4
(requires registration)
Media ownership rules may loosen even more
[SOURCE: USAToday]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20041104/3b_regulatory04.art.htm
TVWeek
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=3D6654
PAYING FOR CAMPAIGNS: MCCAIN EYES NEXT TARGET
[Commentary] The elections of 2004 proved the success of the=20
McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act while highlighting a new=20
problem within the system that still needs to be addressed. A new problem=20
has emerged in the form of tax-exempt 527 groups, named for a section of=20
the tax code for a category of non-profit political organizations.Political=
=20
operatives in both parties created new 527 groups to circumvent campaign=20
finance laws and continue to inject soft money into federal elections. The=
=20
527 groups illegally raised and spent tens of millions of dollars in soft=20
money on ads and partisan voter-mobilization efforts to influence the=20
presidential election. At the core of the financing for these groups was a=
=20
relatively small number of very wealthy individuals making large soft-money=
=20
contributions. Four individuals alone gave a combined total of $78 million=
=20
to these groups. It is clear that the Federal Elections Commission is a=20
failed agency with overtly partisan commissioners who oppose both new and=20
longstanding campaign finance statutes. The FEC has proved its=20
ineffectiveness and its willingness to run roughshod over the will of the=20
Congress, the Supreme Court, the American people and the Constitution. In=20
January, the new Congress will convene, and we will initiate a new round of=
=20
necessary reforms =97 beginning with a new enforcement agency to replace the=
FEC.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Sen John McCain (R-AZ)]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20041104/opcom04.art.htm
COVERING ELECTION NIGHT
HOW INSIDERS WERE FOOLED
If you just watched TV Tuesday night, you had a good impression of who=20
would eventually win the election. for about seven hours in the afternoon=20
and early evening, several million "insiders" with access to exit-poll data=
=20
-- blog readers, print journalists, TV executives, politicos and their=20
e-mail buddies -- had a different impression. Bloggers leaked early exit=20
polls that were wrong in some cases. And some insiders disregarded warnings=
=20
from the exit pollsters that theirs is an inexact science. By comparison,=20
most pre-election polls were quite accurate: They gave President Bush a=20
narrow lead nationally, and correctly identified the battleground states.=20
Warren Mitofsky, a longtime CBS election analyst who co-heads the=20
media-owned consortium called the National Election Pool, said the=20
consortium spotted problems with its early data in Florida, South Carolina,=
=20
Virginia and six other states. "We had called the networks earlier in the=20
day and told them about a handful of states where we didn't think the=20
results were accurate. But we didn't think we were supposed to share that=20
with the leaker and the leakee." Indeed, Mr. Mitofsky said: "All the people=
=20
getting leaked stuff were getting [it] from people who weren't always=20
accurate . . . and were premature, and now they are complaining about it.=20
We didn't mislead the people we were working with. We made any number of=20
projections. All of them were correct."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Jesse Drucker jesse.drucker( at )wsj.com &=
=20
Glenn R. Simpson glenn.simpson( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109951770243863984,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_marketplace
(requires subscription)
Survey Experts Cite Problems With Data and Interpretation
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jim Rutenberg]
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/04/politics/campaign/04exit.html?pagewanted=
=3Dall
(requires registration)
ELECTION COVERAGE DRAWS LARGE PRIME-TIME AUDIENCE
Who says Americans aren't interested in politics? Tuesday's election=20
produced the biggest voter turnout since 1968 with approximately 120=20
million ballots cast. And 63 million viewers tuned in to find out who won.=
=20
NBC was the choice of the largest number of broadcast viewers, Fox News=20
Channel had its biggest night ever, and Univision was the overwhelming=20
choice for Spanish-language coverage.
[SOURCE: TVWeek, AUTHOR: ]
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=3D6658
See also --
Cable Networks Score Big in Election Ratings
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Joe Flint joe.flint( at )wsj.com ]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109951877797464020,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_page_one
(requires subscription)
They Don't Declare: The Vote-Callers Who Lost Their Voice
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Howard Kurtz]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23756-2004Nov3.html
(requires registration)
Once Bitten, Twice Tempted, But No Call in Wee Hours
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jacques Steinberg & David Carr]
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/04/politics/campaign/04networks.html?page...
ed=3Dall
(requires registration)
Also:
TV networks were in no rush to call presidential election
[SOURCE: USAToday]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20041104/a_networks04.art.htm
Bloggers Gain Attention In 2004 Election
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Leslie Walker walkerl( at )washpost.com]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23628-2004Nov3.html
(requires registration)
TELECOM
USAC TO RESUME ISSUING FUNDING COMMITMENT DECISION LETTERS
In early August, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC)=20
suspended issuance of Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) for both=
=20
schools and libraries and rural health care providers for all funding=20
years. USAC has worked closely with the FCC since then and has now=20
determined the amount of unobligated cash it has available to cover new=20
commitments and will resume issuing new FCDLs within the next two weeks. In=
=20
issuing FCDLs, USAC will follow the prioritization principles posted on=20
this web site on October 27 (see=20
http://www.universalservice.org/new/2004.asp#102704). Note that available=20
funds are calculated separately for each support mechanism. Generally,=20
commitments will be issued for applications and meritorious appeals for=20
funding years prior to Funding Year 2004 first and then, for Funding Year=20
2004, requests for telecommunications services and Internet access=20
(Priority 1) first and, for schools and libraries, internal connections=20
second. If funds are not sufficient for all pending requests within one=20
priority, requests will be funded based on the date the application review=
=20
was completed. USAC expects to have sufficient funds to make commitments on=
=20
all pending Rural Health Care requests that have completed review and=20
generally to be able to issue FCDLs on other pending applications as review=
=20
is completed. With respect to the Schools and Libraries mechanism, USAC=20
expects to issue FCDLs for all applications for funding years prior to 2004=
=20
that have completed review and to have sufficient funds to make commitments=
=20
for Priority 1 services on some portion of the applications that have=20
completed review based on the date of completion. As additional funds=20
become available through contributions to the Universal Service Fund and=20
through "deobligation" of previously committed funds (for example, funds=20
committed for recurring services for Funding Year 2003 and not invoiced by=
=20
October 28, 2004), USAC will make additional commitments -- first for=20
prior-year applications and appeals and then for Priority 1 requests on=20
applications for 2004. Commitments for prior years will be made as they=20
become ready. For Funding Year 2004, USAC expects to issue periodic "waves"=
=20
of commitments. USAC cannot predict the exact timing at this time, but=20
expects at least one such wave a month.
[SOURCE: Universal Service Administrative Company]
http://www.universalservice.org/new/2004.asp#110304
FCC AIMS AT RETAINING PHONE COMPETITION
The FCC is drafting a plan that could allow residential customers to keep=20
their discounted local phone service from providers such as AT&T and MCI=20
for up to two years. The development could be good news for rivals to the=20
regional Bells. FCC Chairman Michael Powell has pushed a deregulatory=20
agenda that would free the Bells from having to lease their wires to=20
competitors at government-set low rates. The FCC staff plans to propose=20
later this month that rivals be able to lease high-speed data lines and=20
other facilities from the Bells at current low rates in areas that lack=20
competition. For example, if no Bell rivals serve small businesses in a=20
certain block with their own lines, that would show that competitors need=20
to lease the Bells' lines there. In those cases, the discount leasing could=
=20
continue.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR:Paul Davidson]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20041104/fcc04.art.htm
NEW PUBLICATIONS
OPEN ARCHITECTURE AS COMMUNICATIONS POLICY
A collection of papers from speakers at a forum held on Capitol Hill=20
entitled Broadband Technology Forum: The Future Of The Internet In The=20
Broadband Age. They seek to provide a comprehensive basis for understanding=
=20
the interaction of technology and public policy in the development of the=20
Internet. The papers address three aspects of the environment in which the=
=20
Internet was created and flourished -- technology, economy and law.
[SOURCE: , EDITOR: Mark Cooper, Consumer Federation of America]
http://cyberlaw.stanford.edu/blogs/cooper/archives/openarchitecture.pdf
ILLINOIS ONLINE
Broadband -- a transmission channel of sufficient capacity to effectively=20
deliver advanced information applications and services via the Internet --=
=20
is an infrastructure that is critical to the economic development prospects=
=20
of Illinois cities and rural communities. Although the full extent of the=20
problem is unknown, it is clear that many smaller Illinois towns and rural=
=20
areas, as well as selected areas within the state=92s metropolitan centers,=
=20
currently lack access to broadband service despite ongoing rollout of=20
digital subscriber line (DSL) and cable modem services by=20
telecommunications companies and cable providers. In some cases, service is=
=20
available but not affordable. Areas that
remain without affordable service cannot be economically competitive. They=
=20
will have little to no success growing and attracting business activity to=
=20
replace declines in industries established prior to the Internet era.=20
Isolated rural communities are at particular risk because they lack the=20
option of capturing residential and commercial spillover growth from urban=
=20
centers. Without an active effort to encourage widespread broadband=20
deployment, Illinois will guarantee the decline of some of its rural=20
communities and increase the shift in the relative distribution of=20
population and business activity to urbanized areas. This report, the=20
result of a project commissioned by the Rural Affairs Council in the Office=
=20
of Lieutenant Governor Pat Quinn, discusses how to accelerate the=20
deployment of broadband in underserved communities in Illinois.
[SOURCE: Office of Rural Affairs, State of Illinois, AUTHOR: Edward Feser=20
and Timothy Green, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign]
http://www.state.il.us/ltgov/pdf/IllinoisOnline.pdf
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary service=20
provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday through=20
Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments,=20
policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are=20
factually accurate, their often informal tone does not always represent the=
=20
tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang=20
(headlines( at )benton.org) -- we welcome your comments.
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