April 23, 2009 (Government & Communications)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for THURSDAY APRIL 23, 2009
A full agenda today: 1) State and Local Oversight of Stimulus Funding, 2) a Hearing to examine the funding of the Department of Commerce, 3) a hearing on online privacy, 4) State of the Mobile Net, 5) Broadband to Stimulate the Economy: How and When, and more! See http://www.benton.org/calendar/2009-04-23
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
The FCC, Ex Parte Communications, and Lobbying for Recovery Funds
IT officials push rewrite of outdated paperwork reduction policies
Congressman pushes to expand chief technology officer's influence
Pelosi Tells of a Briefing by Officials on Harman
JOURNALISM
Barstow: Pulitzer-Winning 'Generals' Story Has Made a Difference
Chicago Tribune cuts jobs, Tribune Co seeks approval for $13M in bonuses
A flawed first draft of history
Newspapers: Down but Not Out
No Such Thing As Free News
Wikipedia Founder: How To Save The Newspaper Industry
Fox News Stands Out as "Too Critical" of Obama
Paid to Pitch: Product Reviews By Bloggers Draw Scrutiny
How governments bully newspapers
Mirror Award Finalists Announced
INTERNET/BROADBAND
Rural Riddle: Do Jobs Follow Broadband Access?
Free Press Urges Congress to Investigate Internet Pricing Schemes
FTTH providers wave broadband flag at NAB
Satellite deal brings broadband to rural Ireland
BROADCASTING
Bankruptcy Cloud Looms Over TV Owners
FCC Gets $65 Million From NTIA
How Network TV Will Reinvent Itself
WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
Report: 1710-1755 MHz Spectrum Band Relocation
Apple profit beats expectations on iPhones, iPods
AT&T profit boosted by iPhone, video, Internet
OWNERSHIP
FCC Re-Charters Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age
PRIVACY
Employers Watching Workers Online Spurs Privacy Debate
AT&T Backs Privacy Rules
QUICKLY -- Hathaway Offers Peek At Cyber Study; Rep Larson To Unveil Tech Training Bill; Study: Ed tech leads to significant gains; Study: Teens Love Live TV; ISPs Continue Hoping No One Will Notice Their Attempts to Destroy the Internet; Nielsen: Facebook use outstrips e-mail; How Twitter might be more popular and less cool
Recent Comments on:
FCC Updates Consumer Guide to Digital TV Transition
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
THE FCC, EX PARTE COMMUNICATIONS, AND LOBBYING FOR RECOVERY FUNDS
[SOURCE: Sunlight Foundation, AUTHOR: Paul Blumenthal]
[Commentary] The Federal Communications Commission does a good job of reporting communications with lobbyists, as required of all by President Obama's memorandum on implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The FCC is required to disclose certain ex parte communications because of its status as an independent government body. All independent government commissions have restrictions and disclosure requirements on certain types of off the record communications. For the FCC, their ex parte communication rules involve off the record communications made surrounding certain types of proceedings. For our purposes, an important point is asking why the FCC, and independent government commissions, requires rules restricting and/or requiring the disclosure of off the record communications. The rules play an important role in protecting the fairness of the FCC's proceedings by assuring that FCC decisions are not influenced by impermissible off-the-record-communications between decision-makers and others. At the same time, the rules are designed to ensure that the FCC has sufficient flexibility to obtain the information that is necessary for it to make reasonable decisions.
http://benton.org/node/24652
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IT OFFICIALS PUSH REWRITE OF OUTDATED PAPERWORK REDUCTION POLICIES
[SOURCE: nextgov, AUTHOR: Aliya Sternstein]
Some federal information technology officials say it is time to overhaul policy on the pre-social media 1995 Paperwork Reduction Act that -- contrary to its original purpose -- is increasing the burden of information-sharing on citizens. Under federal rules that implemented the legislation, agencies lack adequate authority to increase transparency, said federal consultants versed in information management. To collect public feedback through online polls and surveys, for instance, agencies must endure a lengthy process of getting permission from the Office of Management and Budget. The lag time between submitting proposals to collect information and obtaining approval could stifle the president's goal of using the Internet to seek input from citizens, some consultants said.
http://benton.org/node/24651
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CONGRESSMAN PUSHES TO EXPAND CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER'S INFLUENCE
[SOURCE: nextgov, AUTHOR: Aliya Sternstein]
A lawmaker who backed the recent selection of Aneesh Chopra for White House chief technology officer continues to push his bill to make the position permanent, more powerful and more expansive, because the job's responsibilities are not what President Obama had first described. Rep Gerald Connolly (D-VA) is still backing a bill ( H.R. 1910) he introduced on April 2, because the job the president granted Chopra -- coordinating national strategies to spur innovation throughout the economy -- is not the role outlined during the transition. At that time, Obama said the responsibilities would be "to ensure the safety of our networks and lead an interagency effort, working with chief technology and chief information officers of each of the federal agencies, to ensure that they use best-in-class technologies and share best practices." The CTO -- the first-ever in government -- will focus more on leveraging technology to drive public and private innovation rather than using technology to transform government operations. Vivek Kundra, Obama's chief information officer, who resides in the Office of Management and Budget, will play that role by overseeing governmentwide information technology. Obama made the CTO an assistant to the president, with direct access to him, and an associate director of the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy, reporting to OSTP Director John Holdren. In contrast, the Connolly proposal would station an official in the Executive Office of the President to supervise both technology governmentwide and national technology strategies.
http://benton.org/node/24650
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PELOSI TELLS OF BRIEFING BY OFFICIALS ON HARMAN
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: David Herszenhorn]
Speaker Nancy Pelosi acknowledged for the first time on Wednesday that she had been briefed by the Bush administration "maybe three years ago" that Rep Jane Harman (D-CA) had been picked up on a wiretapped phone conversation as part of a government investigation. Speaker Pelosi said she had been barred from telling Rep Harman about the recorded call. She also said Rep Harman was apparently not a target of the surveillance, and insisted that the incident did not factor in her decision to deny her colleague the top post on the House Intelligence Committee after Democrats won the majority in 2006. That decision is still a source of friction between the two Californians, who are both powerful and wealthy women, and yet in other ways as different as the districts they represent. Ms. Pelosi's district covers most of San Francisco, while Ms. Harman represents parts of the West Side of Los Angeles and beach areas to the south.
http://benton.org/node/24663
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JOURNALISM
BARSTOW: PULITZER-WINNING 'GENERALS' STORY HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Joe Strupp]
One year after his blockbuster investigation into the links between retired military commentators and the Pentagon -- which won a Pulitzer Prize on Monday -- New York Times scribe David Barstow says the reporting has made a difference even if the television networks targeted in his coverage have not come clean. Barstow, the 10-year Times reporter who won his second Pulitzer one year to the day that his first report ran, notes the reporting sparked fierce debate on the Internet and in newspapers. He also sees signs of some network changes, at least behind the scenes. His Pulitzer win earned little notice on TV this week, compared to others.
http://benton.org/node/24649
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TRIBUNE CUTS JOBS, PARENT SEEKS APPROVAL FOR BONUSES
[SOURCE: Crain's Chicago Business, AUTHOR: Ann Saphir]
On the same day the Chicago Tribune cut 53 jobs from its newsroom, its parent Tribune Co. asked a Bankruptcy Court to approve of $13.3 million in bonuses and other incentive payments to 703 employees. Wednesday's layoffs leave the Trib with 430 workers in its newsroom. The payments are "vitally necessary" to reward employees for a difficult year and motivate them during the current year, according to Tribune's motion filed with the court Wednesday. The top ten executives in the company are not eligible for the payments.
http://benton.org/node/24648
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A FLAWED FIRST DRAFT OF HISTORY
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Lionel Barber]
[Commentary] The financial media are accused of missing the global financial crisis. Asleep at the wheel. Head in the clouds. No cliché has been left unturned as reporters, commentators yes, even editors have been castigated for failing to warn an unsuspecting public of impending disaster. Do these charges add up? To paraphrase the killer question from the Watergate hearings: what did the press know and when did it know it? Here are four weaknesses in the coverage. First, financial journalists failed to grasp the significance of the failure to regulate over-the-counter derivatives that formed the bulk of counterparty risk in the explosion of credit following the dotcom bubble. Second, journalists, with a few notable exceptions, failed to understand the risks posed by the implicit state guarantees enjoyed by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage finance giants. Third, journalists failed to grasp the significance of the growth in off-balance sheet financing by the banks, its relationship with the pro-cyclical Basle II rules on capital ratios, and the overall concept of leverage. Fourth, financial journalists were too slow to grasp that a crash in the banking system would have a profoundly damaging impact on the real economy. [Lionel Barber is editor of the Financial Times.]
http://benton.org/node/24647
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NEWSPAPERS: DOWN BUT NOT OUT
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Jason Klein]
[Commentary] The death knell for newspapers has been sounded too quickly. Newspapers are suffering from a confluence of factors, but many of their woes are self-imposed and have solutions, albeit painful ones. Newspapers have an enduring place in today's fragmented media world. The industry's survival depends on curing its structural ills and reshaping a new strategy for post-recession recovery. Newspaper publishers keep talking about the value of their content and the need to spread it across all distribution formats. Why not charge for it that way? One price, access across formats, print and digital. Readers pay for the content and can access it however they chose. Contrary to some impressions, newspapers' largest expense is people, not paper. A single price model would stem the decline of print subscriptions and increase the quality of the online audience.
http://benton.org/node/24646
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NO SUCH THING AS FREE NEWS
[SOURCE: National Public Radio, AUTHOR: Michael Moran]
With even the most storied American newspapers slipping into shock, journalists and publishers are finally engaged in a genuine debate about the wisdom of giving away for free the one service they provide better than anyone else—gathering, analyzing and disseminating news. This month, Wall Street Journal owner Rupert Murdoch and New York Times executive editor Bill Keller have said they are considering ways to charge for what their news organizations produce, inviting scorn from Internet thinkers like Clay Shirky and Jay Rosen, who have elevated the ethos of free information to unreasonable heights. But it's not the Internet that has drained the lifeblood from newspapers: newspapers have opened their own veins, allowing news—the only thing they have of real value—to flow unimpeded into cyberspace. In the end, what's good for the newspapers, from the Washington Post to your local fish wrap, is good for America. Local governments need to be watched. So do investment banks, automakers and presidents. We already know bloggers will watch the media. But which combination of Twittering teens, well-endowed heiresses, Facebookers and barefoot bloggers do you propose will watch the real power brokers? Wake up! Web 2.0 is a marketing tool, not a business plan. Newspapers are the only answer our society has ever produced to that question, and they remain the answer today.
http://benton.org/node/24645
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WIKIPEDIA FOUNDER: HOW TO SAVE THE NEWSPAPER INDUSTRY
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Laurie Sullivan]
Jimmy Wales, Wikipedia founder, had a few words to offer ailing newspaper and media companies looking to cut costs and compete better online. The online maverick pointed to the Wikipedia business model. During the opening keynote remarks Tuesday at the ad:tech 2009 San Francisco, Wales told attendees that newspapers and traditional media companies cannot compete alone in online media. "They should just give up," he said, but did suggest a few cost-cutting measures. This starts with examining the topic that reporters cover and deciding how to tap into other sources for information, similar to Wikipedia's model. For instance, the very best political bloggers are easily equals to the best New York Times columnists, Wales said. They do it for free because they love it. "Fabulous opinion editorialists" don't need the infrastructure of a publishing company or newspaper to succeed.
http://benton.org/node/24644
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FOX NEWS STANDS OUT AS "TOO CRITICAL" OF OBAMA
[SOURCE: Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, AUTHOR: Andrew Kohut et al]
When Americans are asked to assess television news coverage of Barack Obama, Fox News Channel stands out from other networks for being too critical of the president. Nearly three-in-ten (29%) select Fox when asked which of six broadcast and cable news networks have been too critical of the new Democratic president, a far greater share than any other network. In contrast, no one TV network is singled out for being too easy on Obama. Each of five networks (CNN, MSNBC, NBC, ABC and CBS) was named by about one in six respondents in this regard. Again, the Fox News Network stands apart just 5% named Fox as being too easy on the president.
http://benton.org/node/24643
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PAID TO PITCH: PRODUCT REVIEWS BY BLOGGERS DRAW SCRUTINY
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Miguel Bustillo, Ann Zimmerman]
Before heading to a store or retail Web site, many shoppers love to check out the growing flurry of product reviews posted online. But figuring out whom to trust in the blogosphere has gotten trickier as more and more bloggers get paid to promote products on their sites. Companies see the freebies and payments to bloggers as a cheap way to boost brand buzz during the recession. But site visitors often don't realize they're reading a promotional pitch. Not all bloggers make clear that they are being compensated to talk up products, if they disclose it at all. The Internet is becoming so rife with paid blogging that the Federal Trade Commission, which guards against false advertisements, is examining whether it should police bloggers. As it updates nearly 30-year-old advertising guidelines, the FTC is proposing that bloggers, and online marketers and companies that compensate them, be held liable for misleading claims. A decision from the commission is expected this summer. If it approves the guidelines, violations could spur investigations that in turn force bloggers to discontinue deceptive practices. If the deceptions don't stop, the FTC may require companies to repay customers. Meanwhile, many in the blogosphere are worrying about their reputations.
http://benton.org/node/24657
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HOW GOVERNMENTS BULLY NEWSPAPERS
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Barbara Frye]
[Commentary] By now, stories of dying newspapers have become familiar to readers in the United States. But whereas in the West the phenomenon is largely a result of declining circulation and competition from online publications, in Russia and elsewhere it has been helped along mightily by governments. As independent voices fall silent, the world faces yet more places, from Albania to Zimbabwe, where opposition politicians have limited access to media and where dissenting opinions can make themselves heard only through violence or extremism.
http://benton.org/node/24656
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MIRROR AWARD FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
[SOURCE: Newhouse School of Public Communications Syracuse University, AUTHOR: Press release]
Twenty-nine finalists in six categories have been named in the third annual Mirror Awards. The competition drew nearly 140 entries. Fellow journalists and members of the media may vote for their favorites among the finalists by visiting mirrorawards.syr.edu/vote.cfm. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/24630
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INTERNET/BROADBAND
RURAL RIDDLE: DO JOBS FOLLOW BROADBAND ACCESS?
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
In the southwest corner of Virginia, where tobacco farms meet the Appalachian Mountains, two towns desperately in need of an economic boost were given what many had hoped would be a kick-start: access to high-speed Internet. But there the paths of Lebanon and Rose Hill diverged. One attracted two large companies that created 700 good-paying jobs for residents. In the other, only a few home-based businesses got off the ground. Despite the support for publicly funded broadband networks -- and the push by private companies to jump into the fray -- some have questioned whether bringing high-speed Internet has a direct effect on jobs and the economy. Some economists have questioned predictions of broadband-inspired job growth, saying that bringing high-speed Internet to rural areas is much more complicated.
http://benton.org/node/24662
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FREE PRESS URGES CONGRESS TO INVESTIGATE INTERNET PRICING SCHEMES
[SOURCE: Free Press, AUTHOR: Press release]
Free Press called for an investigation into controversial pricing schemes from Internet service providers like Time Warner Cable, AT&T and wireless carriers in a letter to the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The letter urges Congress to investigate the impact of these new pricing practices on consumers, innovation and competition. Specifically, Free Press is concerned that nationwide implementation of anti-competitive pricing schemes will deter Internet adoption, stifle video services and other innovative applications, and chill economic growth.
http://benton.org/node/24660
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FTTH PROVIDERS WAVE BROADBAND FLAG AT NAB
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Carol Wilson]
Three service providers and the head of USTelecom took to a podium at the National Association of Broadcasters show to defend and promote the US broadband industry, which frequently has taken its lumps in comparison with the rest of the world. [more at the URL below]http://benton.org/node/24637
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SATELLITE DEAL BRINGS BROADBAND TO RURAL IRELAND
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Maija Palmer]
Homes in rural Ireland will be able to get high speed Internet services through satellite connections following a deal announced on Monday between Avanti Communications, the UK satellite company, and Hutchison 3G Ireland, the mobile phone operator. The deal underlines how satellite technologies could play an important role in providing broadband connections in European countries that are hoping to ensure all their citizens have access to high speed Internet services.
http://benton.org/node/24661
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BROADCASTING
BANKRUPTCY CLOUD LOOMS OVER TV OWNERS
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Harry Jessell]
Plummeting revenue and cash flow will force 80 to 90 percent of radio and TV companies to renegotiate loans with their bankers this year as they default on the terms of their original loan agreements, predicted Mike Andres of BIA Capital Strategies. The financial picture for some broadcasters is so gloomy that they may end up in bankruptcy this year or next. Five percent of commercial TV stations are in bankruptcy, said John Feore, a communications attorney at Dow Lohnes, citing Tribune, Pappas and Equity Media, among others. And, by one count, he said, 260 radio stations have gone dark over the past 15 months due to financial troubles.
http://benton.org/node/24642
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FCC GETS $65 MILLION FROM NTIA
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The National Telecommunications & Information Administration has passed on $65 million to the Federal Communications Commission to fund digital television transition education and support. Among other things, the commission will use that money to put boots on the ground and voices on the phone before and after the June 12 DTV transition hard date, when the majority of TV stations are pulling the plug on analog.
http://benton.org/node/24641
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HOW NETWORK TV WILL REINVENT ITSELF
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Ronald Grover, Tom Lowry]
For decades network TV has been about reach. Programmers traditionally chose shows with broad appeal, the better to get millions of viewers and, in turn, persuade national advertisers to buy those eyeballs. That era is essentially over and the networks are scrambling to adapt to a fragmented landscape where even popular shows are lucky to pull in 10 million viewers. Five years from now network television will look very different. The 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. prime-time period likely will be shorter, programs will be tailored to audiences, and increasingly advertisers will show up in the programs instead of just the commercials. Even more radical, say industry insiders: Networks may turn over programming to outsiders some nights or let local stations provide their own shows on, say, Saturday evenings.
http://benton.org/node/24655
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WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
REPORT: 1710-1755 MHZ SPECTRUM BAND RELOCATION
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has released the Second Annual Progress Report on the Relocation of Federal Systems from the 1710-1755 MHz Spectrum Band, which details progress from the commencement of relocation activity in March 2007 through December 2008. This is the first federal spectrum band selected for relocation pursuant to the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act.
http://benton.org/node/24635
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APPLE PROFIT BEATS EXPECTATIONS ON IPHONES, IPODS
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Gabriel Madway]
Apple posted stronger-than-expected quarterly earnings as sales of its iPhones and iPod topped forecasts, sending shares up 3 percent. Apple shipped 3.79 million iPhones in the March quarter, better than the roughly 3.3 million units analysts were expecting but down from 4.4 million in the December period. The company sold 11.01 million iPods during the quarter, versus the roughly 10 million units forecast by analysts. Mac computer shipments totaled 2.22 million units, in line with expectations. Apple's products tend to sell in droves when there is new buzz around a particular item and then die down, but with the iPhone, Apple has chosen to receive deferred revenues from its subscribers to maintain a more consistent revenue stream. Under a deferred revenue plan, carriers send Apple its share of contract sales over time rather than at the point of sale. Although two of its three sources of revenue are slowing and the company offered disappointing guidance, many analysts continue to defend Apple's strategy, especially in light of declining PC sales industrywide. The average selling price of personal computers fell 20% in the first quarter, which will likely cut into PC makers' revenues, according to Gartner Research.
http://benton.org/node/24629
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AT&T PROFIT BOOSTED BY IPHONE, VIDEO, INTERNET
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Sinead Carew]
AT&T posted a smaller-than-expected drop in quarterly profit on improved margins for its wireless service, helped by the iPhone, and strong growth for its video and high-speed Internet service. Subsidies for Apple's iPhone had cost AT&T dearly in recent quarters, but analysts said the partnership is now starting to help rather than hurt profits as users of the touch-screen phone spend heavily on data services. AT&T reported a wireless profit margin of 40.9 percent. AT&T said 1.6 million Apple iPhone customers had activated services on the AT&T network during the quarter, more than 40 percent of whom were new to the telephone operator. Some analysts worry that AT&T, the exclusive U.S. provider for the iPhone, depends too heavily on one device, with an estimated three-quarters of its net new monthly bill-paying customers being iPhone users. AT&T added 284,000 U-verse subscribers in the first quarter, giving it a total subscriber base of 1.3 million.
http://benton.org/node/24628
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OWNERSHIP
FCC RE-CHARTERS ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSITY FOR COMMUNICATIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission announced the re-chartering and appointment of members and Chairperson to its Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age through December 16, 2010. The Committee will be chaired by Benton Foundation General Counsel Henry Rivera. The Diversity Committee is scheduled to hold a meeting on May 7, 2009. The Diversity Committee's mission is to make recommendations to the FCC regarding policies and practices that will further enhance the ability of minorities and women to participate in telecommunications and related industries. Issues to be considered by the Committee will include, but are not limited to, financial issues such as access to capital, transactional transparency, career advancement, and the impact of new and emerging technologies on diversity issues. FCC Chairman Copps asked the committee immediately begin work on 1) recommendations regarding the state of past Commission Adarand studies and the nature, scope and methodology of any additional studies or updates that are necessary; and 2) recommendations on a "full file review" process that the FCC can implement on an interim basis and that builds on the work done by the prior Diversity Committee.
http://benton.org/node/24636
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PRIVACY
EMPLOYERS WATCHING WORKERS ONLINE SPURS POLICY DEBATE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Dionne Searcey]
By now, many employees are uncomfortably aware that their every keystroke at work, from email on office computers to text messages on company phones, can be monitored legally by their employers. What employees typically don't expect is for the company to spy on them while on password-protected sites using nonwork computers. But even that privacy could be in jeopardy. A case brewing in federal court in New Jersey pits bosses against two employees who were complaining about their workplace on an invite-only discussion group on MySpace.com. The case tests whether a supervisor who managed to log into the forum -- and then fired employees who badmouthed supervisors and customers there -- had the right to do so. The case has some legal and privacy experts concerned that companies are intruding into areas that their employees had considered off limits.
http://benton.org/node/24659
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AT&T BACKS PRIVACY RULES
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Emily Steel]
As the impact of digital advertising on consumer privacy comes under scrutiny, AT&T is taking a stance in support of stricter standards. In its testimony Thursday at a House subcommittee hearing on the issue, the telecommunications heavyweight is expected to advocate more transparency and consumer control in the fast-growing field of targeted ads. Rep Rick Boucher (D-VA), chairman of the subcommittee, said in an interview Wednesday that a statute is needed to regulate how companies collect, share and use data on consumers' behavior in targeting online advertising.
http://benton.org/node/24658
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QUICKLY
HATHAWAY OFFERS PEEK AT CYBER STUDY
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Andrew Noyes]
Melissa Hathaway, a top adviser to Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair, offered what she called a "movie trailer" of the recommendations she made in a report to President Obama after finishing a 60-day federal cybersecurity review. Details of the examination and her findings, which were delivered to Obama and key White House officials late last week, will be made public once the president and the administration have had a chance to review the material. Nevertheless, Hathaway told the RSA security summit Wednesday that it is "the fundamental responsibility of our government to address strategic vulnerabilities in cyberspace and to ensure that the United States and the world can realize the full potential of the information technology revolution."
http://benton.org/node/24640
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REP LARSON TO UNVEIL TECH TRAINING BILL
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Andrew Noyes]
House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Larson (D-CT) is slated to introduce the Community College Technology Access Act on Thursday, which will provide free computer training through the nation's community colleges so that workers can improve their IT skills and become more competitive during tough economic times. The Connecticut lawmaker's bill would give the Secretary of Education the authority to distribute grants to eligible community colleges that have computer labs and commit to opening their labs for 30 hours each week on weeknights and weekends. It would also require that an instructor is present to provide training during those hours and that lab instruction is free and open to the public. About $125 million would be authorized annually with grant amounts to be determined by the secretary.
http://benton.org/node/24639
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STUDY: ED TECH LEADS TO SIGNIFICANT GAINS
[SOURCE: eSchool News, AUTHOR: Laura Devaney]
Integrating Promethean's ActivClassroom -- a suite of educational technologies that includes an interactive whiteboard, teaching software, and student response systems -- into instruction can raise student achievement by an average of 17 percentile points, according to new research that also confirms the experience, comfort, and skill level of teachers in using the technology has a huge impact on how effective they'll be. The study determined that student achievement can really soar if a teacher has 10 or more years of teaching experience, has been using the technology for two or more years, has high confidence in his or her ability to use the ActivClassroom suite, and uses it 75 to 80 percent of the time in the classroom.
http://benton.org/node/24634
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STUDY: TEENS LOVE LIVE TV
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Wayne Friedman]
According to a new study by Pangea Media, an online quiz technology company, and Ypulse, a digital youth media company, 65% of tween and teen users prefer to watch TV shows live. This contrasts with 25% who say they will view it using a DVR, and 10% who watch online. Traditional TV genre programs also play better than new-style TV formats. Tweens/teens prefer scripted series 64% of the time versus reality TV, at 36%. They like programming on cable TV, at 77% of the time to network TV's 23%. But some prevailing trends seem to follow tweens/teens. Asked to forgo either TV or the Internet for a week, 77% of respondents said it would be television.
http://benton.org/node/24633
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ISPs CONTINUE HOPING NO ONE WILL NOTICE THEIR ATTEMPTS TO DESTROY THE INTERNET
[SOURCE: AlterNet, AUTHOR: Tana Ganeva]
[Commentary] Despite Time Warner's epic fail with metered billing, AT&T has refused to abandon its usage caps program -- and the AT&T version is even worse.
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/137801/cable_giants_continue_hoping_no_one_will_notice_their_attempts_to_destroy_the_internet/
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NIELSEN: FACEBOOK USE OUTSTRIPS E-MAIL
[SOURCE: TheDeal.com, AUTHOR: Chris Nolter]
Nielsen Co.'s The Global Online Media Landscape, released Wednesday, finds that people used social network sites more than they used Web-based e-mail for the first time ever in February.
http://benton.org/node/24631
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HOW TWITTER MIGHT BE MORE POPULAR AND LESS COOL
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Chris O'Brien]
[Commentary] Could Twitter's popularity be its death? According to studies of consumer behavior conducted by researchers at Stanford University and the Wharton School of Business, there's a good chance those early twitter adopters will move on in search of the next new thing. Over the past several years, Jonah Berger, an assistant professor of marketing at Wharton, and Chip Heath, a professor of organizational behavior at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, have been exploring how popularity can affect the perception of certain products. Essentially, they study the science of cool. They found that consumers might abandon certain products when too many people started using them, or, when the wrong kinds of people started using them.
http://benton.org/node/24654
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