Aug 3, 2009 (Media Ownership and Journalism)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for MONDAY, AUGUST 3, 2009
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MEDIA OWNERSHIP
The Prez, The Press, The Pressure
Voices From Above Silence a Cable TV Feud
FCC Looking Into Rejection of Google App for iPhone
Why The FCC Wants To Smash Open The iPhone
FCC Extends Deadline For Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Fillings
CYBERWAR
Halted '03 Iraq Plan Illustrates US Fear of Cyberwar Risk
Defense Official Says U.S. Needs Separate Cyberczar For Online Identity
INTERNET/BROADBAND
Markey, Eshoo Introduce Network Neutrality Bill
Incumbents smart to watch stimulus funding carefully
Connected Nation to Begin Mapping Projects in Nevada, Texas
Mehlman Sees US on Right Path to Broadband Growth
ZeroDivide Looks for Broadband Grant Partnerships
Illinois Unveils Plan to Supplement Applicants for Federal Broadband Grants
Rural Businesses and the Internet: The Integration Continues
Head of English Catholics warns about emails/texting
TELEVISION/RADIO
FCC: No Change to Hardship Waiver Process for Regulatory Fees
Artists hope bill will make radio stations pay
TV Contestants: Tired, Tipsy and Pushed to Brink
POLICYMAKERS
The Antitrust Cop and the Tech Industry
FCC's Genachowski sets a different course
Baker and Clyburn To Be Commissioners By Monday
ADVERTISING
Two Sides Take Health Care Debate Outside Washington
The FTC Takes On Targeted Web Ads
For State, Local Office Seekers, Web Ads Present Potential Pitfalls
MORE ONLINE
Global mobile market bottoms, grows anew
Setting A Course For Smithsonian 2.0
New Webcasting Deals Reached
Print Newspapers Still Dominate Readers' Attention
Agencies fail to make information sharing a priority
States, Cities Spend for Stimulus Cash
Amazon sued over Kindle deletion of Orwell books
Now on YouTube, Local News
Many adults are not sold on social networks
Report on Ayers Sped Up McCain Attack on Obama
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
THE PREZ, THE PRESS, THE PRESSURE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Howard Kurtz]
In the days before President Obama's last news conference, as the networks weighed whether to give up a chunk of their precious prime time, Rahm Emanuel went straight to the top. Rather than calling ABC, the White House chief of staff phoned Bob Iger, chief executive of parent company Disney. Instead of contacting NBC, Emanuel went to Jeffrey Immelt, the chief executive of General Electric. He also spoke with Les Moonves, the chief executive of CBS, the company spun off from Viacom. Whether this amounted to undue pressure or plain old Chicago arm-twisting, Emanuel got results: the fourth hour of lucrative network time for his boss in six months. But network executives have been privately complaining to White House officials that they cannot afford to keep airing these sessions in the current economic downturn. The networks "absolutely" feel pressured, says Paul Friedman, CBS's senior vice president: "It's an enormous financial cost when the president replaces one of those prime-time hours. The news divisions also have mixed feelings about whether they are being used."
http://benton.org/node/26831
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VOICES FROM ABOVE SILENCE A CABLE TV FEUD
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Brian Stelter]
Owners never tell journalists what to do, right? A look at the running cable news feud between MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Fox News Channel's Bill O'Reilly. No, not the ratings war which is the only thing that counts in cable news, right? For years Olbermann had savaged his prime-time nemesis O'Reilly and accused Fox of journalistic malpractice almost nightly. O'Reilly in turn criticized Olbermann's bosses and led an exceptional campaign against General Electric, the parent company of MSNBC. It was perhaps the fiercest media feud of the decade and by this year, their bosses had had enough. But it took a fellow television personality with a neutral perspective to help bring it to at least a temporary end. At an off-the-record summit meeting for chief executives sponsored by Microsoft in mid-May, the PBS interviewer Charlie Rose asked Jeffrey Immelt, chairman of G.E., and his counterpart at the News Corporation, Rupert Murdoch, about the feud. Both moguls expressed regret over the venomous culture between the networks and the increasingly personal nature of the barbs. Days later, even though the feud had increased the audience of both programs, their lieutenants arranged a cease-fire, according to four people who work at the companies and have direct knowledge of the deal. In early June, the combat stopped, and MSNBC and Fox, for the most part, found other targets for their verbal missiles (Hello, CNN).
http://benton.org/node/26823
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FCC LOOKING INTO REJECTION OF GOOGLE APP FOR IPHONE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Reed Abelson]
The Federal Communications Commission is examining a recent decision by Apple to reject an iPhone application developed by Google. On Friday, the Commission sent letters to executives at Apple, Google and AT&T, which is the exclusive carrier for the iPhone in the United States, saying it was "interested in a more complete understanding of this situation." In opening the investigation, the FCC cited an article in The New York Times this week describing Google's frustration in winning approval from Apple to distribute its iPhone applications through Apple's App Store. Apple recently rejected Google's effort to bring a service called Google Voice to the iPhone, and the company also rescinded its earlier approval of several applications created by third-party developers that worked with Google Voice. In its letter to Apple, the FCC asked the company to explain why it rejected the application and removed the related applications from its App Store. A spokesman for Apple declined to comment, saying the company does not typically discuss regulatory issues. As part of its investigation, the FCC focused on whether the decision to reject the Google Voice app was made by Apple alone or in consultation with AT&T. In a statement, AT&T said the company "does not manage or approve applications for the App Store."
http://benton.org/node/26822
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WHY THE FCC WANTS TO SMASH OPEN THE IPHONE
[SOURCE: TechCrunch.com, AUTHOR: Erick Schonfeld]
[Commentary] The Federal Communications Commission's investigation of Apple's rejection of the Google Voice application for the iPhone is not just about the arbitrary rejection of a single app. It is the FCC's way of putting a stake in the ground for making the wireless networks controlled by cell phone carriers as open as the Internet. While Apple and AT&T cannot be too happy about the FCC investigation, Google must secretly be pleased as punch. It was only two years ago, prior to the 700MHz wireless spectrum auctions, that it was pleading with the FCC to adopt principles guaranteeing open access for applications, devices, services, and other networks. Now two years later, in a different context and under a different administration, the FCC is pushing for the same principles.
http://benton.org/node/26821
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FCC EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR NEWSPAPER/BROADCAST CROSS-OWNERSHIP FILLINGS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission has extended the deadline for Cox, Bonneville and a handful of others to file waiver requests of amendments to requests related to the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule. The extension is from August 10 to Oct. 9. The FCC has various challenges to the rule pending both before the commission and the court.
http://benton.org/node/26811
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CYBERWAR
HALTED '03 IRAQ PLAN ILLUSTRATES US FEAR OF CYBERWAR RISK
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Markoff, Thom Shanker]
It would have been the most far-reaching case of computer sabotage in history. In 2003, the Pentagon and American intelligence agencies made plans for a cyberattack to freeze billions of dollars in the bank accounts of Saddam Hussein and cripple his government's financial system before the United States invaded Iraq. He would have no money for war supplies. No money to pay troops. But the attack never got the green light. Bush administration officials worried that the effects would not be limited to Iraq but would instead create worldwide financial havoc, spreading across the Middle East to Europe and perhaps to the United States. Fears of such collateral damage are at the heart of the debate as the Obama administration and its Pentagon leadership struggle to develop rules and tactics for carrying out attacks in cyberspace.
http://benton.org/node/26820
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DEFENSE OFFICIAL SAYS US NEEDS SEPARATE CYBERCZAR FOR ONLINE IDENTITY
[SOURCE: DarkReading, AUTHOR: Kelly Jackson Higgins]
Robert Lentz -- the deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber, identity, and information assurance in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense -- called for a second national cybersecurity czar dedicated to handling problems and risks associated with anonymity on the Internet. Identity is at the heart of securing the Internet, he said. "In my opinion, there needs to be a cyberczar just for identity. Without that, we're going to be done," said Lentz, who said reducing anonymity is key to ensuring security and resiliency on the Net. He noted that reducing anonymity also will generate debate over "legitimate privacy concerns," too. "We need a national leader focused on this important topic, which is without a doubt a foundation for this fragile ecosystem," he said.
http://benton.org/node/26801
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INTERNET/BROADBAND
INTERNET FREEDOM PRESERVATION ACT (HR 3458)
[SOURCE: Rep Edward Markey, AUTHOR: Press release]
Reps Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) introduced a bill Friday that will establish overarching national broadband policy and ensures an open and consumer oriented Internet. H.R. 3458, the Internet Freedom Preservation Act, is designed to assess and promote Internet freedom for consumers and content providers. The bill will also require the FCC to examine whether carriers are blocking access to lawful content, applications, or services. The legislation calls for the FCC to conduct eight public broadband summits around the country no less than a year after the bill is enacted. These summits will be used to gather input from consumers, small business owners, entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders on Internet freedom and U.S. broadband policies affecting consumer protection, competition, and consumer choice. Rep. Markey introduced similar Internet freedom legislation in the 110th Congress, H.R. 5353, which Rep. Eshoo also co-sponsored. In the 109th Congress, Rep. Markey offered a net neutrality amendment to the COPE Act in May 2006.
http://benton.org/node/26819
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INCUMBENTS SMART TO WATCH STIMULUS FUNDING CAREFULLY
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Carol Wilson]
Incumbents choosing not to participate in the scramble for Broadband Stimulus money still need to pay attention to the process and how money is being awarded, since there is the possibility other entities could apply for, and receive, money to build broadband networks in their footprint. Thomas Cohen, partner in the Washington (DC) office of Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, Bob Tupper, consulting engineer with RVW Inc., and John Hoover, senior product manager with Tellabs, which sponsored the event, all encouraged incumbents, including telco, cable and wireless service providers, to pay attention to how stimulus money is being allocated. Because the money is being given out based on aggregated census blocks, there is the possibility that a non-incumbent can aggregate part of an incumbent's footprint into an application to meet the requirements for serving rural, remote, unserved or underserved areas, Tupper said. Under those circumstances, an incumbent has an opportunity to refute the claim, he said. Hoover advised incumbents to adopt the "best defense is a good offense" strategy and consider cost-effective ways of upgrading their broadband service through retrofits, overlays and upgrades that don't require massive deployment of fiber, but can incrementally boost bandwidth.
http://benton.org/node/26802
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CONNECTED NATION TO BEGIN MAPPING PROJECTS IN NEVADA, TEXAS
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Douglas Streeks]
The states of Nevada and Texas have selected Connected Nation for their broadband mapping needs. Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons recently created the Nevada Broadband Task Force, which is charged with identifying and removing barriers to broadband access, along with identifying broadband opportunities in unserved and underserved regions of the state. In conjunction with the partnership, Connected Nation has released a statewide map depicting rural and remote areas in Nevada that will be eligible for infrastructure grant funding from the federal government. Separately, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced Monday an agreement between the Texas Department of Agriculture and Connected Nation to create the broadband initiative Connected Texas. The map "will illustrate broadband service availability at the street level, based on information from all types of providers across Texas" and "illustrate the service gaps that remain in rural and other remote locations," according to Connected Nation. The map will be developed under the leadership of Texas's Agriculture Department and will be designed to determine where broadband service is available and unavailable to Texas households statewide.
http://benton.org/node/26818
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MEHLMAN SEES US ON RIGHT PATH TO BROADBAND GROWTH
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Ryan Womack]
Bush Administration Department of Commerce official Bruce Mehlman, now co-chairman of the Internet Innovation Alliance, says the federal government and broadband grant seekers should be careful as they seek policy to ensure it doesn't hinder the spreading of high-speed communications system across the nation. He said that although many parties with an interest in the debate are displeased with the National Telecommunication and Information Administration's broadband initiative, the state of the nation's broadband is not dire. "Speeds have gone up, prices have gone down, percentages of populations served have expanded," he said. But he noted that "the tenor of many of the comments [to the broadband plan] is that the sky is falling and America is the broadband Banana Republic."
http://benton.org/node/26817
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ZERODIVIDE LOOKS FOR BROADBAND GRANT PARTNERSHIPS
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Ryan Womack]
ZeroDivide, an investor in community enterprises leveraging technology to help underserved communities, is looking for non-profit partners to apply for broadband monies that are part of the national economic stimulus plan. It's specifically looking for collaborations to secure funds from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's Broadband Technology Opportunities Program grants. It hopes to expand its work in a handful of western states including Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada and New Mexico along with Illinois, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
http://benton.org/node/26816
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IL UNVEILS PLAN TO SUPPLEMENT APPLICATIONS FOR FEDERAL BROADBAND GRANTS
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Tina Nguyen]
Illinois has unveiled a plan to provide supplemental grants for state projects applying for the first round of federal broadband initiative money. Anyone wishing to grab stimulus funding, however, must hurry. Applications are due August 5. Awardees will be notified of their status on August 11—just in time to submit their applications to the federal government by August 14. The state's Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, which announced the program earlier this year, will have $50 million in state funding for successfully approved broadband projects created under the federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. This program shares the same goals as the federal broadband stimulus grants: building out infrastructure, promoting its use, and strengthening existing networks for telemedicine, public health and safety and education.
http://benton.org/node/26815
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RURAL BUSINESS AND THE INTERNET: THE INTEGRATION CONTINUES
[SOURCE: University of Minnesota, AUTHOR: Jack Geller]
A study was to assess both the adoption and utilization of Internet technologies among businesses throughout rural Minnesota. Highlights of the study include: 1) Businesses throughout rural Minnesota continue to be characterized as small businesses; 2) 89.7 percent of rural businesses are now operating online; 3) Just 4.3% of rural businesses connect to the Internet through a dial-up connection; 4) Rural businesses are active users of the Internet and continue to integrate it into their business operations. More than half of all businesses in the study report utilizing their broadband connection for everything from selling goods and services online (56.3%) to interacting with government agencies (69.8%). Further, business owners report that securing adequate bandwidth is having a significant impact on everything from their overall cost of doing business (49.9%) to impacting increased business sales (49.3%). 5) The majority of rural businesses report satisfaction with their current connection speeds as well as the price they are currently paying; with more than 70 percent reporting satisfaction in both areas. 6) While 85 percent of rural businesses currently report that their connection speeds are currently meeting their needs, only 37 percent have confidence that their current connection speeds will adequately meet their needs 24 months from now.
http://benton.org/node/26798
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HEAD OF ENGLISH CATHOLICS WARNS ABOUT EMAILS/TEXTING
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Michael Holden]
The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales is concerned that excessive use of emails and mobile phone text messaging is creating shallow friendships and undermining community life, according to an interview published on Sunday. Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, also said that popular social networking sites led young people to form "transient relationships" which put them at risk of suicide when they collapsed. "Friendship is not a commodity, friendship is something that is hard work and enduring when it's right," he wrote. The Archbishop, 63, said too much use of electronic information was "dehumanizing," leading to a loss in social skills and the ability to read a person's mood through their body language.
http://benton.org/node/26807
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TELEVISION/RADIO
FCC: NO CHANGE TO HARDSHIP WAIVER PROCESS FOR REGULATORY FEES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission has decided not to change its hardship waiver process for annual regulatory fees assessed on TV and radio stations, saying it was unnecessary to add layoffs and furloughs to the list and opting for "predictability" over what it said could potentially be a "limitless variety of showings." That was part of the FCC's notice Friday of the new regulatory fee schedule, which includes a 9.6% hike in order to collect the necessary $341,875,000 "required by Congress." Radio fees range from a few hundred dollars in the smallest markets to more than $8,000. TV fees range from $5,950 in markets above 100 to $77,575 in a top-10 market and $60,550 in markets 11-25. Midsized markets (51-100) have to pay $22,950. State broadcast associations had asked the FCC to loosen its waiver standard for financial hardship. They argued that the current economic crisis was "crippling" stations nationwide.
http://benton.org/node/26810
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ARTISTS HOPE BILL WILL MAKE RADIO STATIONS PAY
[SOURCE: Variety, AUTHOR: Ted Johnson]
On August 4, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on a bill that would require radio stations to pay artists when songs are played over the airwaves. Hundreds of millions of dollars each year could be at play, so the debate over details of the bill has been fierce. But those battles pale in comparison to the PR methods used to fight for or against it. Adding a sense of urgency to the war is the fact that the two combatants -- diskeries and radio stations -- are megabucks operations suffering from plummeting returns. The bill has long been a dream of singers, musicians and record labels, but long opposed by broadcasters.
http://benton.org/node/26809
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TV CONTESTANTS: TIRED, TIPSY AND PUSHED TO BRINK
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Edward Wyatt]
Long workdays and communication blackouts are largely the rule for contestants on reality shows, a highly lucrative genre that has evolved arguably into Hollywood's sweatshop. Unscripted series now account for more than one-quarter of all primetime broadcast programming — and essentially the entire day on cable channels like Discovery, Bravo and A&E. The most popular reality series, "American Idol," has commanded advertising rates as high as $1 million for a 30-second spot. But with no union representation, participants on reality series are not covered by Hollywood workplace rules governing meal breaks, minimum time off between shoots or even minimum wages. Most of them, in fact, receive little to no pay for their work. It can make for a miserable experience but compelling entertainment, creating a sort of televised psychological experiment that keeps contestants off-balance and vulnerable.
http://benton.org/node/26808
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POLICYMAKERS
THE ANTITRUST COP AND THE TECH INDUSTRY
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Spencer Ante]
Christine A. Varney, the nation's top antitrust cop, is trying to pull off a delicate balancing act. She wants to reinvigorate antitrust policy after the laissez-faire years of the Bush Administration. Yet she also wants to avoid interfering with companies that compete vigorously but fairly. "This job is making sure the competitive marketplace is free from obstacles and barriers," says Varney, whose official title is Assistant Attorney General at the Justice Dept. "We are thinking a lot about where bottlenecks might be in certain industries. If we can break through them it would be good for consumers." Varney says the Justice Dept. will be taking a look at a range of industries including technology. She wants to update antitrust law for the Digital Age. Varney says tech businesses are unusually vulnerable to concentration of power because of what are known as network effects. The idea is that the more people join a network, the more powerful that network becomes. She thinks Justice should watch for abuse within such networks, and be ready to act quickly. "In a network setting, you can tip into a dominant player pretty fast," she says. "You want to keep the competitive playing field open and vigorous."
http://benton.org/node/26803
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NEW HEAD OF FCC SETS A DIFFERENT COURSE
[SOURCE: Philadelphia Inquirer, AUTHOR: Bob Fernandez]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said, "I am making it clear to everyone I talk to that the country expects the FCC to be an expert agency that's focused on facts, focused on data, and that takes a hard and honest approach." Genachowski's approach is to make the agency more accessible. The FCC in August is holding two dozen open-to-the-public workshops on broadband - high-speed Internet - policy. Genachowski called them "unparalleled in the FCC history" for openness. "We're experimenting with mechanisms to make the FCC as participatory as possible," said Chairman Genachowski.
http://benton.org/node/26799
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BAKER AND CLYBURN TO BE COMMISSIONER BY MONDAY
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission should be at full strength come Monday. Approved by the Senate, Meredith Attwell Baker will be sworn in as commissioner on Friday. Mignon Clyburn will be sworn as Commissioner on Monday in Columbia (SC). Clyburn will be the first African American woman to serve as an FCC commissioner.
http://benton.org/node/26804
See also: Meredith Attwell Baker Sworn In as FCC Commissioner
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ADVERTISING
TWO SIDES TAKE HEALTH CARE DEBATE OUTSIDE WASHINGTON
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Sheryl Gay Stoberg, David Herszenhorn]
With Republicans mobilizing against the proposed health care overhaul, President Obama, Congressional Democrats and leading advocacy groups are laying the groundwork for an August offensive against the insurance industry as part of a coordinated campaign to sell the public on the need for reform. The effort will feature town-hall-style meetings by lawmakers and the president, including a swing through Western states by Mr. Obama, grass-roots lobbying efforts and a blitz of expensive television advertising. It is intended to drive home the message that revamping the health care system will protect consumers by ending unpopular insurance industry practices, like refusing patients with pre-existing conditions.
http://benton.org/node/26833
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THE FTC TAKES ON TARGETED WEB ADS
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Douglas MacMillan]
Federal Trade Commission Chairman Jon Leibowitz wants to reign in the delivery of ads to individuals based on the Web pages they visit and searches they carry out. He's made so-called behavioral targeting a top priority. How far he goes in regulating the practice could have big implications for a host of companies that depend on Web advertising and engage in some form of targeting. It would also affect the way legions of companies and advertisers craft marketing campaigns. Behavioral targeting has become more prevalent as it gets easier and cheaper to use software to track online behavior and then use the data to pitch Web users related goods and services. These ads are more likely to induce a customer to make a purchase or otherwise respond to a pitch, researchers say.
http://benton.org/node/26829
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FOR STATE, LOCAL OFFICE SEEKERS, WEB ADS PRESENT PITFALLS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Emily Steel]
The Florida Elections Commission has decided a mayoral candidate's ads on Google and Facebook appear to violate the state's election law because they don't include a disclaimer that indicates who bought them. Many other states, including Texas, Alaska, Connecticut and Ohio, also require similar disclaimers. The candidate's campaign, however, argues that the messages in question aren't technically ads, but rather links to ads, and that it doesn't pay for them unless a Web user clicks on them. When that happens, it says, the person is taken to a Web site that provides the appropriate disclosures. The online ads are modeled on those the presidential candidates ran last year. But, while both national and local politicians are stepping up their digital-ad spending, the overall sums remain minuscule: Of some $4.8 billion spent on political advertising in 2008, online media accounted for just $20 million, most of it going to search ads, according to research firm Borrell Associates. But analysts say online ads could become a more crucial part of political campaigns, and the Florida dispute is likely to set a precedent for how state and local politicians advertise on the Web.
http://benton.org/node/26828
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More ads coming to TV -- even to one-time havens
MORE ADS COMING TO TV -- EVEN TO ONE-TIME HAVENS
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Deborah Yao]
Coming soon to your TV: More advertising, in places you might not expect. The ads are showing up where people used to enjoy a break from advertising, such as video on demand and on-screen channel guides. Even TiVo, which became popular for its technology that lets people skip TV commercials, is developing new ways to show ads. As a result, you won't necessarily see more traditional, 30-second commercials. Instead, many of the new TV ads will resemble online ads — interactive and often shaped for individual members of the audience. They'll also be harder to ignore. Typically, you can't opt out of seeing them. The companies behind the latest kind of ads hope they'll especially appeal to advertisers that are increasingly careful with their marketing budgets. In turn the advertisers are betting viewers won't be turned off — as long as the ads pitch products and services tailored to consumers' particular interests.
http://benton.org/node/26830
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