Benton's Communications-related Headlines For Tuesday September 6, 2005

For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
Katrina Spotlights Spectrum Issue
Katrina may Unleash a Media Storm
From Conservative Talk Format to All Katrina
As Telecom Reels From Storm Damage, Ham Radios Hum
FCC Frees Noncoms To Carry Commercial Feeds
A Massive Rebuild for Television
TV Tallies Costs of Katrina
Weathering the Storm
N.Y.C. Broadcasters Back at Full Power 4 Years After 9/11
Telecom Damage Tops $400 Million
Phone Networks Fail Once Again In a Disaster
After Chaos, Changes in Calling?
Wireless Carriers Back in New Orleans

TELEVISION/RADIO/CABLE
DTV Bills Face Tight Schedule
NAB's Number One Legislative Priority: Multicast DTV Mandate
New York TV Station Rejects Anti-Bush Ad of Borough President Candidate
Stations May Incur FCC Wrath Despite Heavy Editing of Cable's Sex, Shield
WBZX Pulls Stern Over Indecency Complaint
Local TV's Brave News World

QUICKLY -- Education Dept.'s PR Funds Need Oversight; Tech Decisions Marked=
=20
Rehnquist Tenure; Court rules against Kazaa; Cellphone marketers calling=20
all preteens; Big bucks back next mobile frontier: Broadcast TV; OH=92s=20
utility consumer advocate calls for customer benefits in SBC-AT&T merger;=
=20
Secrecy Report Card; The DVD market is not as wonderful as it used to be

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

KATRINA SPOTLIGHTS SPECTRUM ISSUE
The issue of spectrum for fireman, police and other emergency workers could=
=20
well come up in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. One of the themes of the=20
coverage starting Wednesday was a lack of communications among emergency=20
workers, including the frustration of a Col. Henry Whitehorn speaking for=
=20
the L.A. state police, who said they continued to have trouble=20
communicating with first-responders. "This is a further demonstration of=20
our inadequate response to the 9/11 Commission's recommendations and other=
=20
warnings about the failures in our first responders' communications=20
systems," said Sen John Kerry (D-MA).
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton ]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6253687?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

KATRINA MAY UNLEASH A MEDIA STORM
Experts and journalists predict that mounting questions about U.S.=20
government preparation, policies and response to Hurricane Katrina will=20
result in intense news coverage for months. Katrina =93doesn't just have=20
legs, it has tentacles,=94 says Bob Lichter of the Center for Media and=20
Public Affairs. =93Its implications reach into hot-button controversies=20
involving race, poverty, economics and partisan politics. The reach of this=
=20
story will make the O.J. Simpson case look like a news brief.=94 Network ne=
ws=20
analyst Andrew Tyndall predicts that TV news will focus on personal stories=
=20
and massive aid efforts in the coming weeks, and then turn to looking at=20
how relief efforts may have resulted in people dying. Stories on inner=20
cities don't get much network attention =93unless carnage is involved, and=
=20
this is what you have=94 in New Orleans.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Peter Johnson]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20050906/d_topstrip06.art.htm
* Katrina rekindles adversarial media
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20050906/d_mediamix06.art.htm
* New Orleans Paper Worries that Media Attention Might Drift
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
t_id=3D1001054816

FROM CONSERVATIVE TALK FORMAT TO ALL KATRINA
Last week, as Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans and cut off=20
electricity, battery-operated radios served as the only source of=20
information for thousands of stranded people. Yet as most of the city's=20
broadcast outlets were temporarily silenced by technical problems or the=20
decision to send staffers to safety, WWL-AM, a conservative talk-show=20
format, was the only local radio station able to report on the havoc in New=
=20
Orleans, thanks to its strong signal, an emergency studio in another=20
location, and its own journalists on the scene. WWL, owned by=20
Pennsylvania-based Entercom Communications Corp., quickly abandoned its=20
usual fare as residents, often unable to get through to 911, called the=20
station instead. Program hosts became emergency advisers, helping panicked=
=20
people plot escape routes and alerting authorities to their locations. By=
=20
midweek, WWL found itself getting national attention from an interview New=
=20
Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin gave to WWL host Garland Robinette. In a=20
freewheeling 13-minute conversation, Mayor Nagin criticized the national=20
response to the crisis and said President Bush and Louisiana Gov. Kathleen=
=20
Blanco should "get their asses moving to New Orleans." He then broke down=
=20
in tears and hung up. Television and radio stations across the country=20
rebroadcast the interview, and the President flew to New Orleans the next d=
ay.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sarah McBride sarah.mcbride( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112593946786731856,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
us_marketplace
(requires subscription)

AS TELECOM REELS FROM STORM DAMAGE, HAM RADIOS HUM
With Hurricane Katrina having knocked out nearly all the high-end emergency=
=20
communications gear, 911 centers, cellphone towers and normal fixed phone=
=20
lines in its path, ham-radio operators have begun to fill the information=
=20
vacuum. "Right now, 99.9% of normal communications in the affected region=
=20
is nonexistent," says David Gore, the man operating the ham radio in the=20
Monroe shelter. "That's where we come in." In an age of high-tech,=20
real-time gadgetry, it's the decidedly unsexy ham radio -- whose technology=
=20
has changed little since World War II -- that is in high demand in ravaged=
=20
New Orleans and environs. The Red Cross issued a request for about 500=20
amateur radio operators -- known as "hams" -- for the 260 shelters it is=20
erecting in the area. The American Radio Relay League, a national=20
association of ham-radio operators, has been deluged with requests to find=
=20
people in the region. The U.S. Coast Guard is looking for hams to help with=
=20
its relief efforts. Ham radios, battery operated, work well when others=20
don't in part because they are simple. Each operator acts as his own base=
=20
station, requiring only his radio and about 50 feet of fence wire to=20
transmit messages thousands of miles. Ham radios can send messages on=20
multiple channels and in myriad ways, including Morse code, microwave=20
frequencies and even email. Then there are the ham-radio operators=20
themselves, a band of radio enthusiasts who spend hours jabbering with each=
=20
other even during normal times. They are often the first to get messages in=
=20
and out of disaster areas, in part because they are everywhere. (The ARRL=
=20
estimates there are 250,000 licensed hams in the U.S.) Sometimes they are=
=20
the only source of information in the first hours following a disaster. The=
=20
hams also get little respect from telecommunications-equipment companies,=
=20
such as Motorola Inc. "Something is better than nothing, that's right,"=20
says Jim Screeden, who runs all of Motorola's repair teams in the field for=
=20
its emergency-response business. "But ham radios are pretty close to=20
nothing." Mr. Screeden says ham radios can take a long time to relay=20
messages and work essentially as "party lines," with multiple parties=20
talking at once. Says Mr. Leggett at the Monroe operations center: "We are=
=20
the unwanted stepchild. But when the s- hits the fan, who are you going to=
=20
call?"
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Christopher Rhoads=20
christopher.rhoads( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112597561578132422,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
us_marketplace
(requires subscription)

FCC FREES NONCOMS TO CARRY COMMERCIAL FEEDS
The FCC Friday said it would allow noncommercial stations in New Orleans to=
=20
carry commercial material. The move was to allow them to rebroadcast=20
life-saving information from commercial news operations in the area.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton ]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6253691?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

A MASSIVE REBUILD FOR TELEVISION
Local TV broadcasters and cable operators in the Gulf Coast area say=20
rebuilding their stations and plant could take several months. Belo's WWL=
=20
was the only station operational in New Orleans after Katrina struck.=20
Others shifted operations to sister stations or are dark. For most TV=20
stations, the key goal will be replacing and repairing transmission=20
facilities. Some of the gear, such as studio-to-transmitter links, may=20
simply need drying out, while other components will require replacement.=20
One crucial factor that will delay the return of over-the-air TV signals to=
=20
New Orleans is the amount of time it takes to get a new transmitter. It=20
typically takes 60-90 days for a TV transmitter to be manufactured. The=20
damage to Cox's New Orleans system is severe. Half the 270,000 subscribers=
=20
are in areas swept by 4 to 7 feet of water. Much of the system is composed=
=20
of aerial plant strung on poles 14 or more feet in the air. Still, there's=
=20
plenty of underground fiber, copper feeder and equipment-filled vaults that=
=20
spent days submerged. While the DBS providers haven't suffered=20
infrastructure problems, they do have the challenge of having to replace=20
dishes and set-top boxes destroyed in the hurricane. According to DirecTV=
=20
spokesman Bob Marsucci, that company is still figuring out its strategy but=
=20
will make it as easy as possible for previous customers to get service=20
again. DirecTV will also strike deals with other network affiliates in the=
=20
region to ensure that New Orleans residents receive regional network=20
signals until the local stations get up and running.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Ken Kerschbaumer and John M. Higgins]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6253844.html?display=3DCover+...
ry&referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

TV TALLIES COSTS OF KATRINA
[Commentary] Broadcasting&Cable estimates that rebuild costs and lost=20
revenue for Gulf Coast media companies could easily run as high as $250=20
million. While TV and radio stations in the Gulf States were crunched by=20
Hurricane Katrina, cable operators with chewed-up systems are incurring the=
=20
greatest financial damage. And because cable systems tend not to insure=20
much of their operations, their owners may be on the hook for much of the=
=20
reconstruction. The major financial issues for stations is lost ad revenue=
=20
and physical damage to studios and transmission towers. For cable=20
operators, lost advertising is smaller, damage to wires much more=20
expensive. A big question for both is how the companies fare as their=20
markets recover.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John M. Higgins]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6253846.html?display=3DCover+...
ry&referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

WEATHERING THE STORM
Amid one of the largest natural disasters in U.S. history, with several=20
hundred estimated dead in four states and more than 2 million people=20
without electricity, food or water, getting the news out to viewers last=20
week was critical. It was also harder than ever. Three of the four New=20
Orleans news stations were unable to broadcast, while one Mobile, Ala.,=20
outlet was temporarily knocked off the air. Cox Cable and Charter=20
Communications, the region=92s major cable systems, lost service to hundred=
s=20
of thousands of subscribers. Network news crews were frustrated trying to=
=20
navigate an unfamiliar region with spotty communications. And already the=
=20
storm has altered Nielsen ratings in at least four markets for the=20
foreseeable future. As the disaster continues to unfold, the Internet (and=
=20
radio) are proving to be crucial sources of information. Bloggers are=20
trading images and updates to info-starved surfers. But what has become=20
quickly apparent is that only the graphic images of television can convey=
=20
the scope and devastation of such a catastrophe. Even if viewers in=20
affected areas can eventually watch TV to get news, no one is monitoring=20
the audience levels. Nielsen Media Research is not reporting ratings from=
=20
set-top meters in New Orleans and Birmingham, Ala., because of power=20
outages. New Orleans may not be restored for months, the ratings firm says.=
=20
New Orleans ranks as the 43rd-largest U.S. market and accounts for 675,760=
=20
TV homes. Combine that with three other affected markets in the region, and=
=20
more than 1.1 million TV households have been impacted, which represents=20
about a full rating point nationally. After last year=92s hurricanes in=20
Florida, Nielsen had to recruit new participants and will likely face the=
=20
same problem in these Gulf Coast markets. Without a traditional TV=20
audience, news organizations resorted to new and old technology to get the=
=20
news out. Radio stations in each market have simulcast the TV coverage,=20
enabling residents with battery-powered radios to listen to local TV news.=
=20
Several stations have been streaming their broadcasts live online and=20
blogging.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Allison Romano]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6253842.html?display=3DCover+...
ry&referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* 'Time Of Crisis'
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6253856.html
(requires subscription)

NYC BROADCASTERS BACK AT FULL POWER 4 YEARS AFTER 9/11
When the World Trade Center fell on September 11, 2001, many New York City=
=20
broadcast stations went dark. Four years later, stations are just getting=
=20
back to full (or near full) power, relocating to the Empire State Building.=
=20
The ESB is not as tall as the WTC nor was the mast designed to handle so=20
many stations. Ten TV stations are now transmitting analog signals and 9=20
are transmitting digitally from the ESB.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Tania Panczyk-Collins]
(Not available online)

TELECOM DAMAGE TOPS $400 MILLION
BellSouth estimates that it will cost $400 million to $600 million to=20
repair the damage from Hurricane Katrina and says it could take four to six=
=20
months to restore service in the hardest-hit areas of New Orleans and the=
=20
Gulf Coast of Mississippi. BellSouth said an estimated 1.1 million of its=
=20
lines were out in the region, with 90 percent of these in what it calls the=
=20
"red zone" -- New Orleans, areas north of the city and the Gulf Coast of=20
Mississippi. BellSouth's main hub in New Orleans, on Poydras Street, is=20
operating and is a key switching point for long distance carriers such as=
=20
MCI, AT&T and Sprint Nextel. BellSouth's recovery is also vital to mobile=
=20
phone providers, which typically depend heavily on land lines run by local=
=20
phone companies to connect their wireless calls. The major wireless=20
providers said some of their calls are going through in New Orleans but=20
service is still out in much of the city. In contrast, most of these=20
companies -- Verizon Wireless, Cingular Wireless and Sprint Nextel -- said=
=20
they had made significant progress restoring service elsewhere in the=20
region, including to Baton Rouge and Mobile as well as along parts of the=
=20
Mississippi coast. Public safety experts said Hurricane Katrina exposed two=
=20
major weaknesses in emergency communications: a failure to deploy enough=20
satellite phones and the lack of a national system for police, firefighters=
=20
and medical personnel to talk with one another seamlessly. In addition to=
=20
disabling much of the regular telephone network in New Orleans and along=20
the Mississippi coast, the storm damaged local police radio systems and=20
made it much harder for emergency personnel to help those in need. While=20
there is little that can protect telephone lines, wireless towers and=20
antennas from hurricane winds, experts said more satellite telephones --=20
which do not depend on ground infrastructure -- should have been in place=
=20
before the storm, and mobile communications systems should have been=20
quickly brought in after.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Arshad Mohammed]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/05/AR200509...
1231.html
(requires registration)
* Storm Puts BellSouth's Adaptability to the Test
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/06/business/06telecom.html
(requires registration)
* BellSouth costs could exceed $1B
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Leslie Cauley]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20050906/3b_bellsouth06.art.htm

PHONE NETWORKS FAIL ONCE AGAIN IN A DISASTER
Nearly 1.8 million phone lines and countless cellphones were interrupted or=
=20
went dead along the Gulf Coast. Thousands of New Orleans residents trapped=
=20
in their homes by rising water couldn't call out to seek help. And friends=
=20
and relatives couldn't contact them to find out whether they had escaped.=
=20
For the third time in four years, vital telephone systems failed after a=20
major disaster hit the U.S. After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks,=20
the blackout of 2003 and now Hurricane Katrina, residents and even=20
emergency personnel found themselves cut off. Even as of yesterday, large=
=20
parts of the telecom system in the area hit by Katrina still had spotty or=
=20
no service, with BellSouth saying about one million of its lines were down=
=20
or working only sporadically. What went wrong this time? The systems=20
responsible for transmitting Internet data, landline and cellphone traffic=
=20
broke down after backup generators, designed to keep phone lines powered,=
=20
either ran out of fuel or were flooded because they were located on lower=
=20
floors of phone-equipment centers rather than out of reach from flood=20
water. Phone lines broke as poles went down from high winds or the=20
flooding. And an onslaught of calls overwhelmed the few lines that still=20
were operating. In addition, many BellSouth employees trained to repair and=
=20
maintain its networks became victims themselves; some of the company's=20
equipment in New Orleans is old and vulnerable to water damage (splices in=
=20
its copper phone lines, for example, are covered with paper instead of=20
protective plastic); and at its key New Orleans operations center, the=20
building was threatened by reports of looters and employees had to be=20
evacuated. How can phone systems be made to withstand future disasters?=20
Engineers and telecom executives say that part of the answer could be for=
=20
the networks to create additional capacity and to install more emergency=20
power systems at secure locations. They add that additional wireless=20
infrastructure -- possibly incorporating satellite or microwave technology=
=20
-- could provide backup systems in emergencies.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Dionne Searcey dionne.searcey( at )wsj.com=
=20
and Jesse Drucker jesse.drucker( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112597603254832427,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
us_marketplace
(requires subscription)

AFTER CHAOS, CHANGES IN CALLING?
After Katrina's storms left hundreds of thousands of residents without=20
phone service and other communications, survivors and emergency responders=
=20
were forced to stay in touch by any means possible. And there wasn't much.=
=20
Vast areas of the Gulf Coast, from Louisiana to Florida, had no regular=20
telephone or wireless service. Thousands of the switches and cell towers=20
that form the region's telecommunications network were inaccessible or left=
=20
without power -- if not demolished. According to a memo from the Homeland=
=20
Security Dept., the telecommunications "infrastructure in New Orleans,=20
Biloxi, and Gulfport is considered to be total write-off." It may take as=
=20
long as a month to restore 80% of phone services, once the flooding=20
subsides and affected areas become accessible. Little surprise, then, that=
=20
survivors, police, and other emergency-service providers are relying on=20
satellite phones. The devices communicate via signals beamed to and from=20
satellites in the sky, rather than earthbound lines or wireless=20
infrastructure -- and so remain operable in cases where a natural disaster=
=20
has devastated networks on the ground. In the wake of Katrina, parts of the=
=20
Southeast may also turn into a proving ground for other wireless=20
communications, such as WiMax, the technology that provides high-speed=20
Internet access to large areas from a single transmission point. For=20
starters, New Orleans might become more reliant on wireless vs. traditional=
=20
phone connections
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Olga Kharif ]
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/sep2005/nf2005092_8957_db094...
m?chan=3Dtc
* Satellite phones provide critical link to outside world
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20050906/satellite.art.htm

WIRELESS CARRIERS BACK IN NEW ORLEANS
The collapse of the communications network in the New Orleans area has been=
=20
widely blamed for contributing to the disaster there, as local officials=20
were unable to talk to each other and to federal authorities to arrange=20
relief in the days after Katrina laid waste to the city. But a number of=20
wireless carriers said this weekend they are starting to restore service in=
=20
the New Orleans area in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, in some cases=
=20
with generators on the roofs of hotels.
[SOURCE: Reuters]
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DtechnologyNews&sto...
D=3D2005-09-04T202655Z_01_FLE466561_RTRIDST_0_TECH-TELECOMS-DC.XML

TELEVISION/RADIO/CABLE

DTV BILLS FACE TIGHT SCHEDULE
Hurricane relief, Supreme Court nominations and the digital television=20
transition? Some priorities may have changed since Congress was last in DC,=
=20
but, apparently, the DTV transition bills that must move through both=20
chambers are still a high priority. The bills have not been introduced yet=
=20
so many are wondering how they will deal with: 1) Setting a hard transition=
=20
date (expected in 2009 with a mid-2009 date strongly anticipated); 2)=20
Support for converter boxes for analog TV sets left inoperable by the=20
digital transition; 3) Requiring cable operators to carry broadcasters=92=
=20
multiple (local) programming streams (called "multicast must-carry"); and=
=20
4) Letting cable operators downconvert DTV signals at the headend so=20
analog-only customers can receive digital programming. Some predict an=20
approach that strips the bill to its bones: A hard transition date, auction=
=20
authority renewal for the FCC and a subsidy program arranged between=20
Democrats who seek full replacement for all sets and Republicans opposing=
=20
any subsidy. A later bill would deal with more complex issues. After=20
handling DTV, Congress will consider broader telecom reform with bills=20
expected from House Commerce Committee Chairman Barton and Senate Commerce=
=20
Chairman Stevens later this month. Regulatory treatment of VoIP and=20
IP-enabled services will figure prominently in telecom update legislation.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Anne Veigle]
(Not available online)

NAB'S NUMBER ONE LEGISLATIVE PRIORITY: MULTICAST DTV MANDATE
NAB held a well-attended news briefing at its headquarters in Washington,=
=20
DC last week, where it was reiterated to reporters that multicast DTV cable=
=20
carriage is the top priority when Congress returns next week. Nearly 100=20
broadcasters are expected in Washington September 8 to canvass Capitol Hill=
=20
and meet with House and Senate Commerce Committee members about crafting=20
pro-consumer DTV legislation that ensures viewer access to more local news,=
=20
local weather, sports, additional public affairs programming and foreign=20
language programming. NAB also unveiled a financial study=20
(http://www.multicasting.com/documents/BIAEconBenefitsRpt.pdf)=20
demonstrating the benefits to local businesses from multicasting, along=20
with an industry survey=20
(http://www.multicasting.com/documents/Multicasting_Plans705.ppt) showing=
=20
that the vast majority of stations plan on increasing local program choices=
=20
under a cable carriage mandate. Finally, NAB unveiled a new, two-page ad=20
(http://www.nab.org/Newsroom/Issues/digitaltv/multicasting_ad_083105.pdf)=
=20
that will be running in Capitol Hill publications this week making the case=
=20
for multicasting.
[SOURCE: National Association of Broadcasters]

NEW YORK TV STATION REJECTS ANTI-BUSH AD OF BOROUGH PRESIDENT CANDIDATE
A New York City television station, WNYW/Channel 5, is refusing to run a=20
provocative advertisement promoting a Democratic candidate for Manhattan=20
borough president. And the campaign of the candidate, Brian Ellner, is=20
charging that the station is doing so because the spot takes a swipe at=20
President Bush. The 30-second ad features Mr. Bush's face superimposed upon=
=20
a middle-aged man's naked torso as Mr. Ellner says of the president that=20
"the emperor has no clothes." Mr. Ellner also introduces his partner, Simon=
=20
Holloway, in the spot - which the campaign says is the first time in city=
=20
history that a gay candidate has introduced his or her partner in a=20
campaign commercial. Mr. Ellner said in an interview yesterday that=20
representatives of Channel 5, a Fox affiliate, had told his campaign that=
=20
they would not show the advertisement because it was "in poor taste." "It's=
=20
pretty clear it's an anti-free speech decision because of our criticism of=
=20
the president," Mr. Ellner said. "It's untenable and in my view it's=20
anti-American." He added that the rejection of the ad was "disrespectful to=
=20
voters." Brandii Toby, a spokeswoman for Channel 5, said the station was=20
indeed refusing to run Mr. Ellner's advertisement, but she said the station=
=20
would provide no explanation. If the station rejected the ad because of its=
=20
content, it would appear to be skirting the line of broadcast regulations=
=20
and communication law covering the showing of political commercials by=20
local stations. Broadcast channels, which are regulated by the Federal=20
Communications Commission, are allowed to reject so-called issue=20
advertisements from interest groups based on their content. But they are=20
prohibited from doing so with ads from candidates.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jim Rutenberg]
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/06/nyregion/metrocampaigns/06fox.html
(requires registration)

STATIONS MAY INCUR FCC WRATH DESPITE HEAVY EDITING OF CABLE'S SEX, SHIELD
Over the past few seasons, broadcasters have failed to create enough=20
programming with backend potential. So it=92s no surprise that syndication=
=20
executives are beginning to look toward cable for content. What may be a=20
surprise is the adult nature of some of that cable content. "Sex and the=20
City" launches into broadcast syndication later this month. "The Shield" is=
=20
being sold for a fall =9206 launch. Although these shows once were consider=
ed=20
too risqu=E9 for broadcast television, most executives believe that with th=
e=20
proper edits, both series will be broadcast appropriate -- despite an=20
increasingly restrictive standards climate as mandated by the Federal=20
Communications Commission.
[SOURCE: MediaWeek, AUTHOR: A.J. Frutkin]
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=3D100...
4358

WBZX PULLS STERN OVER INDECENCY COMPLAINT
Howard Stern was pulled from WBZX(FM) Columbus, Ohio, Friday in the wake of=
=20
an FCC inquiry into an indecency complaint filed against the shock jock.=20
The complaint was filed earlier this month by Stern nemesis and frequent=20
FCC filer Jack Thompson. Earlier Thompson complaints against Stern helped=
=20
prompt Clear Channel to drop his show and the FCC to fine the company=20
almost half a million dollars.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6253750?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

LOCAL TV's BRAVE NEWS WORLD
According to research, viewers find the TV news format tedious and=20
irrelevant, says Michael Sechrist, the president of Nashville ABC affiliate=
=20
WKRN. So the station is retraining its entire staff -- not just reporters=
=20
-- to shoot stories and become "video journalists." WKRN is also recruiting=
=20
local bloggers. The station could be a model for other stations retooling=
=20
themselves to regain audience in a fragmenting media landscape.
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Jon Fine]
http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_37/b3950023.htm

QUICKLY

REPORT: EDUCATION DEPARTMENT'S PR FUNDS NEED OVERSIGHT
Federal investigators probing the Education Department's public relations=
=20
contracts have found a pattern of deals in which advocacy organizations=20
received grants totaling nearly $4.7 million to promote Bush administration=
=20
education priorities in newspaper columns and brochures, but didn't=20
disclose that they received taxpayer funds, as required by law. The=20
department's inspector general says he detected no =93covert propaganda,=94=
but=20
he told administration officials to consider asking for some of their money=
=20
back. The report, released on the Education Department's website Thursday=
=20
night, said the department needs to do a better job monitoring how millions=
=20
of dollars in grants are spent. More than $1.7 million, for example, went=
=20
to outside public relations contracts that officials said resulted in no=20
visible media products. The report comes nearly five months after the=20
inspector general criticized the department for its $240,000 contract with=
=20
commentator Armstrong Williams. That contract called for him to promote=20
President Bush's 2002 No Child Left Behind education reform law in=20
newspaper columns and on his syndicated TV show, and to encourage others to=
=20
do the same.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Greg Toppo]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20050906/d_gao06.art.htm
* Following the money for public relations efforts
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20050906/d_gao06_box.art.htm

KEY TECH DECISIONS MARKED REHNQUIST TENURE
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died Saturday after serving for 19 years=
=20
on the Supreme Court. Rehnquist's time as chief justice marked a modest=20
revival of states' rights and a gradual elevation of the concept that=20
individual rights often must give way to police power when the two come=20
into conflict. That philosophy revealed itself in disputes involving the=20
Internet, privacy and free speech. Chief Rehnquist joined Justice Sandra=20
Day O'Connor in 1997 in saying that the Communications Decency Act amounted=
=20
to "little more than an attempt by Congress to create 'adult zones' on the=
=20
Internet." In a dissent, the duo said the law's restrictions on "indecency=
=20
transmission" were appropriate and should be upheld. In a 2003 case=20
involving library filtering, Rehnquist wrote the majority opinion himself.=
=20
Encouraging libraries to block pornography "does not violate their patrons'=
=20
First Amendment rights," he said.
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
http://news.com.com/Key+tech+decisions+marked+Rehnquist+tenure/2100-1028...
5849013.html?tag=3Dhtml.alert

COURT RULES AGAINST KAZAA
An Australian court ruled on Monday that users of the popular Internet=20
file-sharing network Kazaa were breaching copyright, and ordered its owners=
=20
to modify the software to prevent online music piracy. The decision follows=
=20
a similar judgment in June in which the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that=20
file-sharing networks such as Grokster can be held liable if their intent=
=20
is to promote copyright infringement of music or movies.
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Michael Perry]
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DinternetNews&storyID=
=3D2005-09-05T152751Z_01_FOR523610_RTRIDST_0_NET-MUSIC-KAZAA-DC.XML
* Kazaa's File-Swapping Service Dealt a Blow by Australian Court
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112591318043731710,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
us_personal_journal
(requires subscription)
* Australian Court Rules Kazaa Has Violated Copyrights
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/06/technology/06kazaa.html
(requires registration)

CELLPHONE MARKETERS CALLING ALL PRETEENS
About 16 million teens and younger kids have cellphones, with the bulk of=
=20
them older teens, according to the researcher GFK's NOP World Technology.=
=20
But as the teen market gets saturated, cell providers and other companies=
=20
are eyeing the younger set. In February 2002, 13% of 12-to-14-year-olds had=
=20
cellphones. That number jumped to 40% in December 2004, according to NOP.=
=20
Some 14% of 10-to-11-year-olds now own cellphones. While NOP doesn't have=
=20
comparison data for that group yet, Vice President Ben Rogers says its=20
ownership is rising. Even kids under 10 are using personal cells to call=20
for rides home.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Laura Petrecca]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20050906/cellphones.1.art.htm

BIG BUCKS BACK NEXT MOBILE FRONTIER: BROADCAST TV
The wireless industry is betting billions that you want to watch TV on your=
=20
cell phone.
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Antony Bruno]
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DtechnologyNews&sto...
D=3D2005-09-05T155837Z_01_KRA356426_RTRIDST_0_TECH-MOBILE-DC.XML

OHIO'S UTILITY CONSUMER ADVOCATE CALLS FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER BENEFIT IN=
=20
SBC-AT&T MERGER
Two of the nation=92s largest telephone companies -- SBC and AT&T -- propos=
e=20
to merge without demonstrating any customer benefits as required under Ohio=
=20
law, the Office of the Ohio Consumers=92 Counsel (OCC), the residential=20
utility consumer advocate, said. Specifically, Ohio law requires the merger=
=20
to promote the public interest. The OCC believes that to comply with the=20
law, the PUCO should deny the merger or establish several conditions that=
=20
include pricing, consumer protections and access to services. More at the=
=20
URL below.
[SOURCE: Ohio Consumers=92 Counsel Press Release]
http://www.pickocc.org/news/2005/09022005.shtml

SECRECY REPORT CARD
OpenTheGovernment.Org - a coalition of 42 good-government, consumer,=20
environmental and other groups - released its second annual Secrecy in=20
Government Report Card. The material is from the National Security=20
Archives, the Justice Department, the Information Security and Oversight=20
Office of the National Archives, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the=
=20
Press, the Electronic Privacy and Information Center, the Federation of=20
American Scientists, and other private experts. The report covers the=20
Courts, secret patents, classified documents, federal advisory committees,=
=20
Freedom of Information Requests, and the "states secrets" privilege.
[SOURCE: Washington Post]
http://www.openthegovernment.org/otg/SRC2005_embargoed.pdf

THE DVD MARKET IS NOT AS WONDERFUL AS IT USED TO BE
According to the Digital Entertainment Group (DEG), a trade group made up=
=20
of movie studios and consumer-electronics firms, Hollywood shipped 403m=20
DVDs to America's stores in the first quarter of this year=97one-fifth more=
=20
than in the first quarter of 2004. That is a healthy growth-rate, but far=
=20
slower than in the whole of 2004, when nearly 50% more DVDs were sent to=20
shops than in 2003=97and much lower than previous years' dizzier increases =
of=20
100% or more. Moreover, the DEG's numbers ignore the fact that stores=20
return unsold DVDs. Nor do its numbers reflect the fact that studios have=
=20
lowered DVD prices for some categories, such as classic films. Sanford=20
Bernstein, an investment research firm, predicts that the rate of growth of=
=20
DVD sales in dollars (as opposed to units) will slow to 9% in 2005 and 4%=
=20
in 2006. That the DVD market should slow is not really surprising. Nearly=
=20
70% of American homes with TVs now have DVD players. Those who bought them=
=20
early have already built a library of DVDs. Poorer people who have waited=
=20
until now to buy a player for around $50 buy fewer titles. And nationwide=
=20
retail chains such as Best Buy and Wal-Mart have stopped shifting=20
shelf-space to DVDs as they did in the format's earlier days
[SOURCE: The Economist]
http://www.economist.com/business/displayStory.cfm?story_id=3D4323261
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------