April 22, 2009 (Earth Day)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for APRIL 22, 2009 (Happy Earth Day)
JOURNALISM
In Congress, No Love Lost for Newspapers
New antitrust relief for newspapers opposed
Free Press Calls for National Journalism Strategy at House Hearing
Lack of Diversity a Cause of Newspaper Industry's Crisis
Senate Subcommittee To Hold May 6 Hearing On Issues Threatening News Media
America's Newest Profession: Bloggers for Hire
Knight Commission Invites Public Input on Community Information Needs
Researchers working on blog credibility ranking systems
CYBERSECURITY
New Military Command to Focus on Cybersecurity
US Soldier's New Weapon: an iPod
POLICYMAKERS
But They Did Not Seat the Deputy
Lobbyist door still revolving at Capitol
White House Adviser Leaves to Work for Commerce Chief
Commerce Sec Locke Addresses Content Piracy
Varney confirmed by Senate
Senate panel backs Sebelius' HHS nod
The new US CTO's broadband views
INTERNET/BROADBAND
Rural America goes ultra-digital
The Cost of Bandwidth
Why Metered Broadband Wouldn't Work
EU states, lawmakers on Internet collision course
KIDS & MEDIA
ANA To FCC: Reject Ad Ratings
Does Bleeping Profanity on TV Make Any Sense?
Kids to learn tech security from pros
BROADCASTING/CABLE
NTIA's Gomez, FCC's Adelstein 'Cautiously Optimistic' About DTV Transition
FCC Updates Consumer Guide to Digital TV Transition
NAB Hits Airwaves With Case Against Radio Royalties
EchoStar and DirecTV Dispute Affiliates' Concerns Regarding SHVERA
QUICKLY -- To Nonprofits Seeking Cash, Facebook App Isn't So Green; Waiver Sought On Cancellation Fees; Movie studios tout job creation; Studios keep aiming young as adults avoid movies; Improving on Google; Google makes it easier to find Smiths and Joneses; Watch PBS online? You can if you visit its new video portal; The True Cost of Amazon's New Kindle; Facebook Users -- and Research -- Need Further Study
JOURNALISM
IN CONGRESS, NO LOVE LOST FOR NEWSPAPERS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Dana Milbank]
[Commentary] The House Judiciary Committee called a hearing yesterday to study the decline of the newspaper business, but it quickly deteriorated into a press-bashing session. Ideologues of the left and right made no effort to conceal their yearning for a day without journalists, when public officials would no longer be scrutinized. Full Committee Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) said, "Newspapers remind me of automobile corporations. All of a sudden they need help, they need a lot of help and they need it fast." The dominant sentiment of lawmakers was indifference; most of the 14 subcommittee members didn't show up. But law professor C. Edwin Baker told the committee that "the biggest correlator with less government corruption is newspaper readership: When people are reading newspapers, corruption goes down."
http://benton.org/node/24613
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NEW ANTITRUST RELIEF FOR NEWSPAPERS OPPOSED
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: ]
Carl Shapiro, Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice, rejected new immunity from antitrust laws for teetering newspapers struggling to compete with Internet providers of news, entertainment and advertising. Newspapers, however rare and financially weak, can adapt and ultimately conquer the threat posed by the Internet, he told the House Subcommittee on the Courts and Competition Policy and the Internet. Newspaper industry representatives told the House Judiciary Committee's competition policy subcommittee they need more legal flexibility than current antitrust law allows. Current laws limiting mergers are enforced as if newspapers still compete for advertising and readers only with each other, they said. In reality, they said, newspapers now compete with countless bloggers and online news sources. Industry representatives call that a losing business model, pointing to the rising numbers of newspapers slashing staff and filing for bankruptcy amid a reader exodus for online sources of news and commentary. At issue is whether to loosen laws governing joint operating agreements designed to save dying publications in two-newspaper cities. The agreements, permitted by the Newspaper Preservation Act of 1970, assumed that the costs of putting out a newspaper were so high that two newspapers wouldn't be able to survive in the same town. Under a JOA, two newspapers share business operations and costs with their in-town rivals while keeping separate, competing newsrooms. There have been more than two dozen JOAs, but as of Jan. 1, only nine remained. They included newspapers in Denver, Detroit, Seattle and Tucson, Ariz., all of which were limping under the crippling weight of what newspaper representatives described as an unwinnable fight against Internet sites. Some witnesses expressed fears that further relaxing controls on mergers could create monopolies and dilute the quality of journalism.
http://benton.org/node/24577
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FREE PRESS CALLS FOR NATIONAL JOURNALISM STRATEGY AT HOUSE HEARING
[SOURCE: Free Press, AUTHOR: Press release]
The House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Courts and Competition Policy and the Internet held a hearing on "A New Age for Newspapers: Diversity of Voices, Competition and the Internet." At that hearing, Free Press, a public interest advocate organization, called for a national journalism strategy to address the problems in the newspaper industry and promote a vibrant news marketplace. Free Press' three-point National Journalism Strategy entails: 1) documenting how and why permitting institutional journalism to fade away and journalists to change professions is the wrong path for democracy, 2) showing why the Internet is a powerful force for positive change but not a substitute for everything of value that has come before, and 3) recognizing that the future of journalism is a policy issue. Free Press Policy Director Ben Scott testified, "Combining the best elements of traditional and new media forms, we need to create and sustain models of news production in which it is possible to earn a living writing the news. These new institutions of journalism need to have the resources to cover expensive beats like international affairs and investigative reporting as well as the essential news about the workings of local government. We also have to recognize that the Internet can't solve all of journalism's problems because more than a third of the country is not connected to high-speed Internet today. Solutions that rely on technology will also have to deal with the digital divide."
http://benton.org/node/24576
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LACK OF DIVERSITY A CAUSE OF NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY'S CRISIS
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Mark Fitzgerald]
Minority journalists warned for years that diversifying newsrooms was critical to newspapers' survival. The industry's failure to make more than the barest progress towards diversity partly explains its current crisis, Unity: Journalists of Color said Tuesday. The leaders of the four associations representing minority journalists spoke on a conference call Monday reacting to last week's daily newspaper newsroom census that showed most minority groups are losing their jobs at a higher rate than newsroom employees in general. The leaders of associations representing black, Hispanic, Asian American and Native American journalists said they well understand that newspaper employment is shrinking. But they said they are alarmed about numbers showing minority newsroom employment falling faster -- and that the idea of employing newsrooms that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity has been a principal victim of industry cutbacks.
http://benton.org/node/24575
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SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE TO HOLD MAY 6 HEARING ON ISSUES THREATENING NEWS MEDIA
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Circle May 6 as the afternoon Sen John Kerry (D-MA) will chair a subcommittee hearing on the future of journalism and the "issues that threaten today's news media." "The history of our Republic is inextricably linked to the narrative of our free and independent press," he said in announcing the hearing. "Yet today, America's newspapers are struggling just to stay afloat. I called this hearing to directly address a problem that for too long has had us turning the other way. Whatever the model for the future, we must do all we can to ensure a diverse and independent news media endures." But the announcement said it will address "the economic recession's impact on media," so broadcasters may well be included given that the newspaper-broadcast crossownership rule was at one time the subject of much congressional action.
http://benton.org/node/24574
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AMERICA'S NEWEST PROFESSION: BLOGGERS FOR HIRE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Mark Penn]
[Commentary] In America today, there are almost as many people making their living as bloggers as there are lawyers. Already more Americans are making their primary income from posting their opinions than Americans working as computer programmers or firefighters. Paid bloggers fit just about every definition of a microtrend: Their ranks have grown dramatically over the years, blogging is an important social and cultural movement that people care passionately about, and the number of people doing it for at least some income is approaching 1% of American adults. The best studies we can find say we are a nation of over 20 million bloggers, with 1.7 million profiting from the work, and 452,000 of those using blogging as their primary source of income. That's almost 2 million Americans getting paid by the word, the post, or the click -- whether on their site or someone else's. With millions of human-hours now going into writing and recording opinion, we have to wonder whether being the blogging capital of the world will help America compete in the global economy. Maybe all this self-criticism will propel us forward by putting us on the right track and helping us choose the right products. Maybe it will create a resurgence in the art of writing and writing courses. Or serve as a safety net for out of work professionals in the crisis. But for how long can nearly 500,000 people who are gradually replacing whole swaths of journalists survive with no worker protections, no enforced ethics codes, limited standards, and, for most , no formal training? Even the "Wild West" eventually became just the "West."
http://benton.org/node/24573
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KNIGHT COMMISSION INVITES PUBLIC INPUT ON COMMUNITY INFORMATION NEEDS
[SOURCE: Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy, AUTHOR: ]
What information do Americans need to accomplish the personal goals and to be effective citizens in our democracy? How are they getting their news and information? And what would they do to improve the quality of news and information available to them? The Knight Commission on the Information Needs of Communities in a Democracy has been conducting the first major study in the digital age to identify the information needs of communities in a democracy, assess how and whether those needs are being met, and recommend steps to improve the fulfillment of those needs. Now the Commission, in partnership with PBS Engage, is seeking public input from citizens across the nation from Tuesday April 21- Friday May 8, 2009. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/24572
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RESEARCHERS WORKING ON BLOG CREDIBILITY RANKING SYSTEMS
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Jacqui Cheng]
The proliferation of widespread Internet access has enabled everyone and their dog to start a website, but not every one is filled with what some of us would describe as "credible" information. That's why some researchers are attempting to create software that can analyze Web content and automatically rank it to help out those who can't quite decide for themselves. Researchers at the Austria-based Know-Center are working on a program that analyzes the language used on blogs in order to rank them as highly credible, having average credibility, or "little credible." The code looks at the distribution of words over time, and compares blog topics against articles from mainstream news, which are apparently weighted as being more credible.
http://benton.org/node/24603
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CYBERSECURITY
NEW MILITARY COMMAND TO FOCUS ON CYBERSECURITY
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Siobhan Gorman, Yochi Dreazen]
The Obama administration plans to create a new military command to coordinate the defense of Pentagon computer networks and improve U.S. offensive capabilities in cyberwarfare. The initiative will reshape the military's efforts to protect its networks from attacks by hackers, especially those from countries such as China and Russia. The new command will be unveiled within the next few weeks. President Barack Obama, when he was a candidate for the White House, pledged to elevate cybersecurity as a national-security issue, equating it in significance with nuclear and biological weapons. A White House team reviewing cybersecurity policy has completed its recommendations, including the creation of a top White House cyberpolicy official. Details of that and other proposals are still under debate. A final decision from the president is expected soon.
http://benton.org/node/24611
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US SOLDIER'S NEW WEAPON: AN IPOD
[SOURCE: Newsweek, AUTHOR: Benjamin Sutherland]
The US military in the past would give a soldier an electronic handheld device, made at great expense specially for the battlefield, with the latest software. But translation is only one of many software applications soldiers now need. The future of "networked warfare" requires each soldier to be linked electronically to other troops as well as to weapons systems and intelligence sources. Making sense of the reams of data from satellites, drones and ground sensors cries out for a handheld device that is both versatile and easy to use. With their intuitive interfaces, Apple devices—the iPod Touch and, to a lesser extent, the iPhone—are becoming the handhelds of choice. Using a commercial product for such a crucial military role is a break from the past. Compared with devices built to military specifications, iPods are cheap. Apple, after all, has already done the research and manufacturing without taxpayer money. The iPod Touch retails for under $230, whereas a device made specifically for the military can cost far more. (The iPhone offers more functionality than the iPod Touch, but at $600 or $700 each, is much more expensive.) Typically sheathed in protective casing, iPods have proved rugged enough for military life. And according to an Army official in Baghdad, the devices have yet to be successfully hacked.
http://benton.org/node/24556
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POLICYMAKERS
BUT THEY DID NOT SEAT THE DEPUTY
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Al Kamen]
President Obama likes to make sure everyone knows that his domestic priorities are health-care reform, education and, of course, getting the economy out of its death spiral. But you can hardly tell that by looking at the number of folks confirmed for top jobs in the Cabinet departments that are key to those initiatives. When Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, approved yesterday by a Senate committee, takes over as secretary of health and human services, there will finally be one confirmed Obama appointee at each agency. But she may well be joining the ranks of the "home alone" crowd. In that distinguished grouping we find Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner each have but one other confirmed nominee to talk to. The Cabinet agencies filling up fastest so far, counting holdovers, are the Justice Department, with 29 percent of its openings filled; Agriculture, at 25 percent; the Pentagon, with 21 percent; and the State Department, coming in at just under 19 percent. But the White House, with a recent flurry of nominations, is moving the ball up to the Senate, where, as of Monday, 74 nominations were pending for these departments. The number of confirmed nominees should surge in the next month or so.
http://benton.org/node/24612
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LOBBYIST DOOR STILL REVOLVING AT CAPITOL
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Fredreka Schouten]
Despite congressional pledges to stop the revolving door between Capitol Hill and the lobbying industry, 16 of the 62 lawmakers who left Congress last year have landed jobs with groups that seek to influence policymakers. Former House members are barred from lobbying their former colleagues for a year after leaving office and former senators must wait two years. But nothing prohibits former lawmakers from immediately starting to advise clients on how to navigate the congressional process, having contacts with administration officials, or working as a state lobbyist. Those who found work include former Oregon senator Gordon Smith, a Republican who is a senior adviser at the law and lobbying firm Covington & Burling; former Maryland representative Albert Wynn, a Democrat and senior adviser at Dickstein Shapiro; and former GOP representative Tom Feeney, who is lobbying in his home state of Florida. Craig Holman of the non-partisan watchdog group Public Citizen said the moves reflect "an utterly failed revolving-door restriction."
http://benton.org/node/24610
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WHITE HOUSE ADVISER LEAVES TO WORK FOR COMMERCE CHIEF
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jackie Calmes]
Ellen Moran, the White House communications director, is leaving her job after three months to be the chief of staff to Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. Moran was something of a surprise choice last November for the communications director job, which focuses on developing the president's message and communications strategy. While she has been a widely respected Democratic operative for years — most recently as executive director of Emily's List, the influential fund-raising network for candidates who support abortion rights, and before that in the A.F.L.-C.I.O.'s political department — Ms. Moran was not part of President Obama's tight circle of campaign advisers. Democrats praised her political skills but said she had not been a good fit inside the White House.
http://benton.org/node/24609
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COMMERCE SEC LOCKE ADDRESSES CONTENT PIRACY
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: ]
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke provided one of the Obama administration's strongest statements on content piracy at the Business of Show Business symposium in Washington. "Efforts to effectively address the problem of IP theft will require collaboration among government and industries across borders," Sec Locke said. "By working cooperatively, we can ensure that the United States remains the leading producer of entertainment. And, importantly, we also can ensure that we remain a leader in developing cutting-edge solutions to the growing problem of Internet piracy. I will pledge to you today that the Commerce Department will be a partner for you in devising ways to improve the security of your products." That was music to the ears of content providers looking for administration help in fighting online piracy in an age where digital copies are just a click away.
http://benton.org/node/24602
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VARNEY CONFIRMED BY SENATE
[SOURCE: TheDeal.com, AUTHOR: Cecile Kohrs Lindell ]
On monday night, the Senate confirmed Christine Varney as the assistant attorney general for antitrust. She's got a lot on her plate at the Justice Department already: The Live Nation-Ticketmaster Entertainment merger is under review, and Monday's announcement that Oracle, which successfully fought the antitrust division's litigation staff over a merger, announced plans to acquire Sun Microsystems. Varney, who was most recently a partner at Hogan & Hartson LLP in Washington, also served the Clinton administration in a number of roles, culminating in a stint as a member of the Federal Trade Commission. Gene Kimmelman, a vice president at Consumers Union, will become Varney's chief counsel for competition policy and intergovernmental relations.
http://benton.org/node/24571
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SENATE PANEL BACKS SEBELIUS' HHS NOD
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Jeffrey Young]
In a nearly party-line vote, the Senate Finance Committee voted Tuesday to recommend the confirmation of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary-designate Kathleen Sebelius. Two committee Republicans voted with the Democrats: Sens. Olympia Snowe of Maine and Pat Roberts of Kansas, where Sebelius is the Democratic governor. The final tally was 11-5 (15-8 including proxy votes). If the Senate follows suit and swiftly votes to confirm Sebelius, President Obama would finally have a complete Cabinet nearly five months into his presidency. The absence of an HHS secretary has been particularly striking because health reform has emerged as one of the Obama administration's top priorities in the early months of 2009.
http://benton.org/node/24570
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THE NEWS US CTO'S BROADBAND VIEWS
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Ed Gubbins]
The United States' first chief technology officer has been a champion of rural broadband, and will likely continue to be, but it's unclear exactly how his experiences driving broadband availability at the state level will manifest on the national stage. As Virginia's technology secretary, Aneesh Chopra has been a staunch advocate of rural broadband, a cheerleader for telemedicine (with a background in health care) and a promoter of telecommuting. It's hard to describe broadband's importance more seriously than Chopra does. Pushing for rural telemedicine in his state, he once remarked, "People are literally dying because they can't get the broadband they need to run the software."
http://benton.org/node/24569
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INTERNET/BROADBAND
RURAL AMERICA GOES ULTRA-DIGITAL
[SOURCE: Fortune, AUTHOR: Anu Partanen]
Rural America is about to get gold-plated broadband service, if the results of a recent survey of telecommunications companies are to be believed. Of the 100 rural operators polled by telecom-equipment maker Calix, nearly two-thirds say they plan to apply for federal stimulus money aimed at getting rural communities hooked up to speedy Internet connections. And most providers say they are looking at deploying super-fast fiber-to-the-home technology instead of the coaxial cable or copper technologies that now serve most urban and suburban US communities. Put another way, rural America has an opportunity to leapfrog more populous towns that got broadband first.
http://benton.org/node/24614
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THE COST OF BANDWIDTH
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Saul Hansell]
There's no evidence that the pace of spending to expand broadband network capacity has increased at all. Indeed there are a lot of areas where new technology is radically cutting the cost of Internet bandwidth. There seem to be two major buckets of expense to consider: the cost of local networks that connect to people's homes and the cost of the bandwidth that link those networks to the Internet. The local costs are larger, but falling faster with new technology.
http://benton.org/node/24568
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WHY METERED BROADBAND WOULDN'T WORK
[SOURCE: PC World, AUTHOR: David Coursey]
[Commentary] Maybe nobody else is sad that Time Warner Cable has (for now) abandoned its foray into consumption-based Internet service pricing, but Coursey is. He was all set for the company to become the poster child for Network Neutrality and why it really matters. The idea behind net neutrality is that the owner of the plumbing should not care what the plumbing is used for or who uses it. This means that just because you are the local cable company, you cannot discriminate in how your Internet service is priced to benefit your other businesses. This is exactly what it looked like Time Warner was planning to do. Internet companies should provide either access or content, but not both. AT&T should not discriminate against Google because it has a deal with Yahoo. The Internet carrier should handle traffic for both companies equally.
http://benton.org/node/24567
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EU STATES, LAWMAKERS ON INTERNET COLLISION COURSE
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Huw Jones]
European Union states are headed for a collision course with the bloc's parliament as a spat over how to tackle illegal downloads threatened a wider telecom reform. There is broad agreement over the reform package, authored by EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding, but a last-minute standoff between member countries and parliament has put back final adoption to May at the earliest. The battle over copyright abuse has emerged as a final sticking point between EU states and the European Parliament, which have joint say. The issue was not part of Reding's reform, which covers infrastructure rather than content. To help crack down on illegal downloading or sharing of copyright material, the two sides agree that an Internet service provider should be able to cut a subscriber's access if there is approval from "a competent legal authority."
http://benton.org/node/24563
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KIDS & MEDIA
ANA TO FCC: REJECT AD RATINGS
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Karl Greenberg]
The Association of National Advertisers is urging the Federal Communications Commission to disavow a push for content ratings for TV commercials --arguing that regulations exist that allow for content control of programming, making new regulations redundant. Moreover, the move could have a severe, negative economic impact. The FCC wants viewers to be able to block advertising they deem inappropriate. In 2000, it required all new television sets 13 inches or larger to contain a V-chip, a device that allows viewers to block television programming. The new motion, part of the Child Safe Viewing Act of 2007, would focus on advertising exclusively. The ANA -- representing some 350 companies and 9,000 brands, or over $100 billion in marketing yearly in the U.S. -- has filed a strong opinion on this development as part of the FCC's Notice of Inquiry, which will be part of a report submitted to Congress under the Child Safe Viewing Act of 2007 on the issue of content blocking. In its filing, the ANA says such ratings are unnecessary and redundant because blocking programs effectively blocks all advertising on those programs and would also undermine the economic basis for commercial TV, including cable and satellite programming.
http://benton.org/node/24564
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DOES BLEEPING PROFANITY ON TV MAKE ANY SENSE?
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Brian Steinberg]
Viewers watching the debut of NBC's "Southland" heard bleeped out profanity, but it was still clear what was being said. The very fact that the network felt the need to put a semigloss on harsh language -- even though it appeared in a gritty drama that initially aired at 10 p.m. on a Thursday -- epitomizes the confused TV world in which we live. Depending on whether you are watching cable or broadcast, prime time or late night, reality or drama, such words are sometimes considered OK, other times strictly off-limits, and still other times acceptable if hidden with a bleep (which arguably attracts even more attention). To some it's archaic, given the growing use of video on demand and web viewing, which abide by no such rules, and indeed there is a sense that standards are changing. More TV outlets are putting together more-sophisticated dramas, which gives them license to use grittier language. The average cable subscriber can hear a dirty word while watching subscription-only HBO or even ad-supported FX. Reality programming that features real people speaking their minds has become so prevalent that harsh language -- or bleeped-out swearing -- is relatively common. Yet by indulging efforts to be realistic and cosmopolitan, networks risk condemnation from groups that police the airwaves.
http://benton.org/node/24559
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KIDS LEARN TECH SECURITY FROM PROS
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Byron Acohido]
The Department of Homeland Security and several tech giants teamed to launch a nationwide volunteer program that will put tech pros in K-12 classrooms to make the younger generation aware of dangers on the Internet. The pioneering program will teach youngsters not just to be wary of online predators and bullies but alert to the tricks of data thieves and scam artists.
http://benton.org/node/24605
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BROADCASTING/CABLE
NTIA'S GOMEZ, FCC'S ADELSTEIN 'CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC' ABOUT DTV TRANSITION
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Melissa Grego]
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Anna Gomez is "cautiously optimistic" there will be enough coupons and converter boxes for the digital television transition in June and that interruptions to service will be minimized. Speaking to the National Association of Broadcasters she said, "The gradual approach has enabled us to focus our efforts and resources on the last few million households (that are not prepared)," adding that "as long as there is not a huge spike between now and the conversion" she expects a smooth transition. Federal Communications Commission member Jonathan Adelstein, officially nominated to run the Rural Utilities Service at the Department of Agriculture, told the NAB he couldn't make predictions but "it will not have a KGB atmosphere anymore."
http://benton.org/node/24561
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FCC UPDATES CONSUMER GUIDE TO DIGITAL TV TRANSITION
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission has teamed up with Consumers Union to distribute a consumer guide that will help viewers prepare for the digital television transition. In addition, the FCC has upgraded its web site, www.dtv.gov, to give consumers powerful tools capable of providing help and information specific to their communities. The brochure and web update are part of a broader strategy of outreach meant to prepare consumers for the digital transition, which will be complete on June 12 for full-power TV stations. In the coming weeks, the FCC will be finalizing contracts to provide consumers call center assistance, walk-in help centers and mobile clinics, and in-home installation assistance. The 15-page booklet, produced by CU's Consumer Reports magazine, provides clear instructions, smart tips, and colorful diagrams to help consumers get ready to make the transition. Both organizations have been at the forefront of DTV education, CU through its converter box ratings, how-to videos, and other projects, and the FCC through its extensive consumer outreach efforts.
http://benton.org/node/24560
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NAB HITS AIRWAVES WITH CASE AGAINST RADIO ROYALTIES
[SOURCE: MediaWeek, AUTHOR: Jeffrey Yorke]
The National Association of Broadcasters ratcheted up the war Tuesday on a potential radio performance royalties bill. As Congress reconvenes following a two-week break, the NAB welcomed members back by buying radio airtime on a pair of influential stations in the nation's capital to drum up support for its anti-Performance Rights Act campaign. Billed as "Don't Feed the Fat Cat," the 60-second spot goes was placed on Bonneville International's WTOP and Citadel's WMAL. WTOP is a ratings leader and was, according to BIAfn measurements, the sixth-largest revenue generating radio station in America in 2008. Meanwhile, NAB said it has picked up the support of another 15 lawmakers who have signed on to The Local Radio Freedom Act, a nonbinding shout-out by Congress in opposition to efforts to pass the musician-performer-backed legislation. The NAB reports that the effort now has 173 signors.
http://benton.org/node/24562
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ECHOSTAR AND DIRECTV DISPUTE AFFILIATES' CONCERNS REGARDING SHVERA
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
EchoStar and DirecTV are circulating to members of the House Commerce and Judiciary Committees a three-page point-by-point response to broadcast affiliates' concerns about importing local stations into markets that straddle state lines. The satellite companies ask the legislators to "Support TV Choice" and not to let broadcasters "continue to hold TV viewers hostage." DirecTV and Echostar identify what they say are broadcaster myths, including that consumers have a choice of local channels, that blacking out network programming is a solution, that broadcasters will be driven out of business, that they would lose retransmission consent bargaining leverage, that the current Nielsen DMA system makes sense, and that local markets make geographic sense. Instead, they argue, consumers must "take what they are given," blacked-out channels are not consumer friendly, local broadcasters would get more retrans compensation, broadcasters would retain their "advantageous" bargaining position, and many consumers live nearer to a neighboring market.
http://benton.org/node/24558
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QUICKLY
TO NONPROFITS SEEKING CASH, FACEBOOK APP ISN'T SO GREEN
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Kim Hart, Megan Greenwell]
It seems foolproof: nonprofits using the power of the Internet to raise money through a clever Facebook application. After all, the Web earned gobs of cash for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. And besides, going online means sending fewer fundraising letters, which makes it appealing to penny-pinchers and environmentalists alike. But it turns out that approach doesn't always work. The Facebook application Causes, hugely popular among nonprofit organizations seeking to raise money online, has been largely ineffective in its first two years, trailing direct mail, fundraising events and other more traditional methods of soliciting contributions. Only a tiny fraction of the 179,000 nonprofits that have turned to Causes as an inexpensive and green way to seek donations have brought in even $1,000, according to data available on the Causes developers' site. The application allows Facebook users to list themselves as supporters of a cause on their profile pages. But fewer than 1 percent of those who have joined a cause have actually donated money through that application.
http://benton.org/node/24608
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WAIVER SOUGHT ON CANCELLATION FEES
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
Consumer interest groups called on major cellphone carriers to waive cancellation penalties for subscribers who have lost their jobs. In letters to Verizon Wireless, AT&T and Sprint Nextel, public interest groups including the National Consumers League and Maryland Consumer Rights Coalition, said laid-off workers were searching for ways to cut expenses. They should not face the added burden of a penalty for canceling cellphone contracts, the groups said. The wireless industry said instead of a blanket policy to forgive the fines for unemployed subscribers, consumers should reach out to their carriers if they are having problems with their subscription. The carrier may find a way for the subscriber to alter their payment plan, for example.
http://benton.org/node/24607
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MOVIE STUDIOS TOUT JOB CREATION
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Alex Dobuzinskis]
Hollywood's major film and television studios on Tuesday began a new push to educate lawmakers about the entertainment industry by touting job creation in the recession and media's global trade surplus. The lobbying effort by the Motion Picture Association of America, which represents the key film and TV studios in governmental affairs, comes after the Senate in February stripped $246 million in tax breaks for entertainment companies from President Barack Obama's $787 billion stimulus package. In a study released on Tuesday, the MPAA said the entertainment industry employs 2.5 million U.S. workers and production is increasingly moving to states outside California and New York. The movement away from the epicenters of film and TV is due in many cases to tax incentives that lure producers. The MPAA said the industry contributes $41.1 billion in wages to US workers, with an average salary of $74,700 for employees with projects in production, which is higher than the national average.
http://benton.org/node/24566
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STUDIOS KEEP AIMING YOUNG AS ADULTS AVOID MOVIES
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Carl DiOrio]
Pricey, star-driven thrillers and dramas will struggle for profitability as the recession intensifies a trend toward youth-dominated movies that can open big. That's the consensus after the weekend's soft opening for Russell Crowe-starring thriller "State of Play." The Universal film, about an investigative journalist, is the latest in a series of misfires by adult-oriented releases. The movie rung up just $14.1 million over its first frame, meaning the Americanized adaptation of a British miniseries must perform significantly overseas for the $60 million production to break even. The picture's travails reflect this rude awakening in Hollywood: Older demographics may be resisting the recent enthusiasm for moviegoing. Certainly it's been months since anything has caught fire at the art houses. But it's the ill-fated outings of studios' highest-profile adult fare that has stirred the most concern.
http://benton.org/node/24565
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IMPROVING ON GOOGLE
[SOURCE: Fortune, AUTHOR: Jia Lynn Yang]
The online world has gone totally multimedia: Web video and images have proliferated in recent years. Yet the go-to method for finding stuff on the Internet remains text-based. Looking for a site? Type words into a search bar, and the text results offer a hint of the relevant pages. Even if you're looking for images or video, the results are notated with words. But a few companies are looking for ways to spruce up search by making it more visually driven. Not only do the results look better than what we're accustomed to, they might just save you time as you're searching.
http://benton.org/node/24557
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GOOGLE MAKES IT EASIER TO FIND SMITHS AND JONESES
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Jefferson Graham]
Google introduced new tools to its search index that give folks named Jones and Smith — common names that often get lost in results — a chance to be found. A "Profiles" section on Google search results lists the top four people at the top and others underneath. Users who take the time to get a Google ID and beef up their profile can show up there.
http://benton.org/node/24606
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WATCH PBS ONLINE? YOU CAN IF YOU VISIT ITS NEW VIDEO PORTAL
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: David Sarno]
In allowing viewers to stream an array of its best-known shows, PBS is joining on-demand video sites like Hulu.com and YouTube -- places for younger consumers who aren't wedded to watching TV on a TV.
http://benton.org/node/24604
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THE TRUE COST OF AMAZON'S NEW KINDLE
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Arik Hesseldahl]
The research firm iSuppli tears apart the Kindle 2 to determine how much its components really cost. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/24601
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FACEBOOK USERS -- AND RESEARCH -- NEED FURTHER STUDY
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Carl Bialik]
College students who have defriended Facebook after news broke of a link between the social-network site and lower grades, or younger users whose parents have made them, can rest easy. The grade numbers arise from a study that is preliminary -- so much so that it cries out for further study even more than many other pilot experiments. Facebook may well distract and delay but there is far from enough numerical evidence to support that claim.
http://benton.org/node/24600
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