Today kicks off a heavy telecom agenda over the=20
next week or so: 1) the House Telecom=20
Subcommittee hears about Spectrum Opportunities=20
and the Future of Wireless, 2) on Friday, the FCC=20
hosts a First Responders Summit, 3) on Monday,=20
the Alliance for Public Technology will introduce=20
ConnectKentucky to Congress and 4) on Tuesday,=20
both the House and Senate Commerce Committees are=20
holding hearings on broadband. For upcoming media=20
policy events, see=20
http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Devent/2007/04/19/month/all/all
FCC OPEN MEETING 4/25
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission will hold=20
an Open Meeting on Wednesday, April 25, 2007,=20
which is scheduled to commence at 9:30 a.m. in=20
Room TW-C305, at 445 12th Street, S.W.,=20
Washington, D.C. Items on the agenda include: 1)=20
labeling of television equipment in connection=20
with the transition from analog to digital=20
television; 2) procedures and rule changes=20
necessary to complete the transition to digital=20
television; 3) mandatory cable carriage of=20
digital broadcast television signals after the=20
conclusion of the digital television (SEE STORY=20
BELOW); 4) use of wireless devises in TV=20
spectrum; 5) satellite service rules; and more.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-272440A1.doc
BROADCASTING
FCC Tees Up Dual-Carriage Plan
FCC's Copps needs convincing on Tribune deal
Feb. 17, 2009, on Boucher=92s Mind
Clear Channel Accepts Higher $19.35 Billion Bid
JOURNALISM
The Media in the Mud
MySpace visitors to vote on what's news
9/11's free speech casualties
CHILDREN & MEDIA
Teens, Privacy and Online Social Networks
China official blames Internet for youth crime
Microsoft aims to add 1 bln more users by 2015
QUICKLY -- Now That You Mention It, We Do Charge=20
Early Termination Penalties; Shut out at radio, emerging artists turn to TV
BROADCASTING
FCC TEES UP DUAL-CARRIAGE PLAN
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
The Federal Communications Commission is=20
scheduled to vote next Wednesday on a proposal=20
that would allow TV stations to demand digital=20
and analog carriage on cable systems until the=20
systems had transitioned subscribers to a=20
digital-only platform. FCC chairman Kevin Martin=20
is seeking majority support for yet another plan=20
controversial with cable=92s largest trade group,=20
the National Cable & Telecommunications=20
Association. Last summer, Martin failed in his=20
quest to force multicast must-carry on cable -- a=20
mandate that would have required carriage of=20
every free digital-programming service that TV=20
stations can pack into their 6-megahertz=20
allotments, or 4-6 channels based on current=20
technology. If adopted, the new Martin plan would=20
kick in immediately after Feb. 17, 2009, the date=20
mandated by Congress for all full-power TV=20
stations to rely exclusively on digital=20
transmission. The agency is slated to adopt a=20
notice of proposed rulemaking that contains=20
Martin=92s digital-TV-policy preferences regarding=20
cable carriage. Final rules -- which cable can=20
seek to overturn in court -- probably wouldn't be announced for another yea=
r.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6434962.html
* Martin Proposes Dual Station Carriage
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6434967.html
FCC'S COPPS NEEDS CONVINCING ON TRIBUNE DEAL
[SOURCE: Reuters 4/17, AUTHOR: Rachelle Younglai]
Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps=20
said of Sam Zell's purchase of Tribune Co, "It=20
will take some persuasive argumentation to=20
convince me that this serves the public's=20
interest, but I am open to them making those=20
presentations." Under current FCC rules, a=20
company cannot own a newspaper and a television=20
or radio station in the same market, however,=20
Tribune has waivers from the FCC permitting it to=20
own the Chicago Tribune as well as the WGN=20
television and radio network, and has similar=20
arrangements in New York; Los Angeles; Fort=20
Lauderdale, Florida; and Hartford, Connecticut.=20
FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, has said=20
that any new owner must comply with the rule on=20
the books that prohibits cross-ownership of newspapers and broadcast outlet=
s.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technology-media-telco-SP/idUSN1742964120...
417
* Copps: FCC to look at duopolies
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i2...
1916578451e5d0aa0f9cadaca19d
FEB 17, 2009, ON BOUCHER'S MIND
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Tom Steinert-Threlkeld]
Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) became the latest voice=20
to raise concerns about the upcoming transition=20
to digital TV Feb. 17, 2009, in a speech at the=20
14th Annual American Cable Association Summit=20
here Wednesday. =93Be assured, that date is not=20
going to change,=94 he said. =93Congress will not=20
adjust it. Having said that, I would also tell=20
you that we have some broad concerns about how=20
effective this transition is going to be.=94 Rep=20
Boucher continued, =93Congress appropriated last=20
year $1.5 billion for subsidies for the=20
digital-to-analog converter boxes that would=20
enable people to continue to keep their analog=20
sets in operation. We are deeply concerned that=20
that amount of money is not sufficient; and that=20
there will be millions of very angry people=20
across the country who will not get a subsidy or,=20
if they do, it will be a small subsidy in=20
comparison to the cost of the digital-to-analog=20
converter box.=94 He added, =93I was arguing for=20
about $4 billion which, I think, perhaps would=20
have been adequate to do the job well and provide=20
a converter box at no cost to anybody who needed=20
one in order to keep their analog set in operation.=94
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6434745.html
CLEAR CHANNEL ACCEPTS HIGHER $19.35 BILLION BID
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Michelle Roberts]
ClearChannel Communications Inc. agreed Wednesday=20
to a private equity group's $19.35 billion=20
offer=97an almost 4 percent increase from the=20
group's previous bid that had met with strong=20
shareholder opposition. The equity group, led by=20
Bain Capital Partners LLC and Thomas H. Lee=20
Partners LP, has insisted for months that the=20
initial offer was the best they would make, but=20
as the number of shareholders signaling they=20
would oppose the deal grew, the equity partners=20
made a higher offer. The new offer now faces a=20
shareholder vote on May 8. ClearChannel is=20
selling nearly 450 radio stations in smaller=20
markets and its television group, but even after=20
those transactions are complete, ClearChannel=20
will own 675 radio stations, most in the largest U.S. markets.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/04/18/daily.8/
* Clear Channel Accepts Raised Bid
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117690619512874062.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
e_one
* Fate of Clear Channel still unresolved
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-clear19apr19,1,309547...
tory?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
JOURNALISM
THE MEDIA IN THE MUD
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: David S. Broder davidbroder( at )washpost.com]
[Commentary] It pales in comparison to the=20
carnage and loss of life this week at Virginia=20
Tech. But last week the tattered reputation of=20
journalism in this country saw severe damage. The=20
role of the media in the phony Duke lacrosse rape=20
story and the Don Imus firing left large parts of=20
the so-called establishment press embarrassed and=20
besmirched. The simple lesson, which some=20
stubbornly are not acknowledging, is that when=20
professional journalists lend their credibility=20
to entertainers or others whose standards are far=20
lower than those of the news organizations for=20
which those journalists work, they not only=20
damage their credibility but also diminish the=20
standards they are supposed to embody. When will=20
we start to think about the people who are hurt=20
by our coverage? And when will we take our responsibilities seriously?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/18/AR200704...
2275.html
(requires registration)
MYSPACE VISITORS TO VOTE ON WHAT'S NEWS
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Joseph Menn]
Leave it to the folks behind "American Idol" to=20
ask tens of millions of MySpace visitors to vote=20
for their favorite news story. News Corp., which=20
owns the world's top social-networking website as=20
well as the Fox television network, is=20
introducing MySpace pages today that will present=20
a massive number of articles and blog entries=20
ranked by their popularity among its users.=20
MySpace News will automatically collect stories=20
from thousands of sources and group them in=20
hundreds of categories, then place them in order=20
based on the votes. The project is the latest=20
effort to apply the collective thinking of the=20
masses to journalism, bringing to bear the power=20
of one of the most-visited websites.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-myspace19apr19,1,3200...
.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)
* MySpace cedes editorial control to users
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/79a07c38-edfc-11db-8584-000b5df10621.html
* MySpace to test news service to boost ad revenue
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1834899820070419
9/11'S FREE SPEECH CASUALTIES
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Pat Morrison]
[Commentary] A look at the cases of journalists=20
Dan Guthrie and Tom Gutting. In the days after=20
9/11, then-White House Press Secretary Ari=20
Fleischer took his own blue pencil to the 1st=20
Amendment when he warned that Americans "need to=20
watch what they say." Guthrie and Gutting wrote=20
commentaries questioning President Bush's=20
behavior in the hours after the 9/11 plane=20
crashes -- and then were fired from their=20
small-town papers. And the reaction didn't stop=20
with the men's firings. An Alaskan fisherman=20
professed a wish to use Guthrie for crab bait. In=20
Texas, Gutting became, as the more colorful=20
threats went, "a man who needed killin'."
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-morrison19apr19,1...
74816.column?coll=3Dla-news-comment
(requires registration)
CHILDREN & MEDIA
TEENS, PRIVACY AND ONLINE SOCIAL NETWORKS
[SOURCE: Pew Internet & American Life Project,=20
AUTHOR: Amanda Lenhart, Mary Madden]
The majority of teens actively manage their=20
online profiles to keep the information they=20
believe is most sensitive away from the unwanted=20
gaze of strangers, parents and other adults.=20
While many teens post their first name and photos=20
on their profiles, they rarely post information=20
on public profiles they believe would help=20
strangers actually locate them such as their full=20
name, home phone number or cell phone number. At=20
the same time, nearly two-thirds of teens with=20
profiles (63%) believe that a motivated person=20
could eventually identify them from the=20
information they publicly provide on their profiles.
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/211/report_display.asp
CHINA OFFICIAL BLAMES INTERNET FOR YOUTH CRIME
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Most youth crime in China can be blamed on=20
negative influences from violent or pornographic=20
Web sites, a police spokesman said on Thursday,=20
justifying the country's latest crackdown on the Internet.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSPEK919620070419
MICROSOFT AIMS TO ADD 1 BLN MORE USERS BY 2015
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Microsoft Corp., trying to meet its goal of=20
doubling the number of computer users to 2=20
billion by 2015, promised to cut its software=20
prices to governments in developing countries=20
that provide free computers to school children.=20
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates announced the=20
program at a news conference in Beijing on=20
Thursday. Microsoft said it plans to offer a=20
software package called Microsoft Student=20
Innovation Suite for $3 to governments purchasing=20
and giving Windows-based computer to primary and=20
secondary students. The software bundle, which=20
will be available in the second half of 2007,=20
includes Windows XP Starter Edition, Microsoft=20
Office Home and Student 2007, Windows Live Mail desktop and other programs.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN1634018120070419
* Bill Gates sees tech revolution without limits
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSPEK4502820070419
QUICKLY
NOW THAT YOU MENTION IT, WE DO CHARGE EARLY TERMINATION PENALTIES
[SOURCE: HearUsNow, AUTHOR: Bob Williams]
[Commentary] Although Comcast spokesperson Jenni=20
Moyer told Consumers Union last week that the=20
company does not impose early termination fees on=20
broadband subscribers, this week the consumer=20
advocate finds that the cable giant does.
http://www.consumersunion.org/blogs/hun/2007/04/now_that_you_mention_it_...
do.html
SHUT OUT AT RADIO, EMERGING ARTISTS TURN TO TV
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR:Chuck Crisafulli]
Increasingly, new work by up-and-coming recording=20
artists can be heard throughout all kinds of TV=20
programming: as part of the soundtrack to network=20
dramas and cable comedies; as an ear-grabbing=20
element of promos for upcoming shows; and as a=20
sly underscore to all manner of advertising. As=20
mainstream radio has become more strictly=20
formatted and risk-averse, placement on=20
television has become a key and coveted way for a=20
largely undiscovered band or songwriter to break out.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=3DmusicNews&storyID=...
007-04-18T054742Z_01_N18330690_RTRIDST_0_MUSIC-SOUNDTRACKS-DC.XML
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online=20
news summary service provided by the Benton=20
Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday=20
through Friday, this service provides updates on=20
important industry developments, policy issues,=20
and other related news events. While the=20
summaries are factually accurate, their often=20
informal tone does not always represent the tone=20
of the original articles. Headlines are compiled=20
by Kevin Taglang headlines( at )benton.org -- we welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------