Home ›

October 14, 2010 (Cell Phone 'Bill Shock')

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2010

A very busy day in wonkland http://bit.ly/a9oLXM


WIRELESS
   Genachowski Touts 'Bill Shock' Proposal
   FCC Releases White Paper on Bill Shock
   Apple Censorship: Coming Soon to Your Text Messages?
   As the iPhone Goes ...
   RIM's Bargaining Chip for Dodging Future International BlackBerry Bans: Privacy

NETWORK NEUTRALITY
   Wireless Networks Need Protections for End-User Freedoms
   Coalitions Representing Communities of Color Call on FCC to Apply Network Neutrality Rules to Wireless Networks
   MMTC: Shame, Not Regulations, Can Protect Net Consumers

MORE ON INTERNET/BROADBAND
   Three Ring Binder: High-speed Internet upgrade begins

MEDIA AND ELECTIONS
   Cell Phones and Election Polls: An Update
   In this election, follow the money
   F&C opposes US political donations by News Corp

CONTENT
   Agencies Progress in Implementing Recent Legislation, but Enhancements Could Improve Future Plans
   Court To Hear Arguments In Amazon Sales Tax Case
   Video calling and video chat
   Condé Nast Study Concludes iPad Is Not A Mobile Device
   Public Knowledge Announces Creators Freedom Project

CYBERSECURITY
   NSA, DHS Deepen Cyber Relationships
   FTC Files Comments on FCC's Proposed Cyber Security Certification Program
   UK Seeks Private Industry Help in Averting Cyber Attacks

BROADCASTING/TELEVISION
   FCC Takes Wraps Off Revised Broadcast Renewal Form
   Will KCET keep its pledge?
   Why The Networks Aren't Worried About DVRs, Time-Shifting, And Harder-To-See Commercials
   As Internet TV, DVRs Expand, Satcasters Hard Hit

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
   Recovery Act reporting reaches highest level of disclosure
   Working to Broaden and Deepen Our Online Engagement

ED TECH
   Home Computers and Student Achievement

HEALTH
   Revisions to Set of Standards, Implementation Specifications, and Certification Criteria for Electronic Health Record Technology
   Veterans Affairs expands program to bring EHRs to the home

JOURNALISM
   How journalism can promote civic engagement - or undercut it
   Public Media's $100 Million Plan: 100 Journalists Per City

TELECOM
   FCC: Privacy must not prevent telecom firms from reporting child porn
   FCC Seeks Input on USF Support Schedules

back to top

WIRELESS

BILL SHOCK PROPOSAL
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Juliana Gruenwald]
At a Center for American Progress event, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said, "Companies should compete on value, price, and service, not consumer confusion. "Cell phone bills have proven to be a fertile ground for 'mystery fees.'" Anticipating potential pushback from some companies, Genachowski argued that his proposal is both pro-consumer and pro-business because more transparency will help highlight those companies offering the best products at the best prices. Center for American Progress Executive Vice President Sarah Rosen Wartell echoed this claim, saying it's a "good way to keep consumers happy, not an expensive regulatory mandate." The wireless phone industry's main trade group CTIA, however, took issue with such claims. "We are concerned that prescriptive and costly rules that limit the creative offerings and competitive nature of the industry may threaten to offset" positive trends in customer satisfaction, Chris Guttman-McCabe, CTIA's vice president of regulatory affairs, said. "We agree with the FCC that the goal is to keep all customers happy." Chairman Genachowski also mentioned consumer concern over early termination fees, which wireless firms impose on customers who break their wireless contracts early. The FCC has been examining the issue, but Genachowski did not say whether the commission would take any action to address concerns about ETFs.
benton.org/node/43527 | CongressDaily | Chairman Genachowski
Recommend this Headline
back to top


BILL SHOCK PAPER
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
The Federal Communications Commission released a white paper on complaints the Commission has received on wireless "bill shock" -- a sudden, unexpected increase in the monthly mobile phone bill, even when the customer had not changed service plans.
Key statistics from the white paper show that:
764 people complained to the FCC about wireless bill shock in the first half of 2010.
67 percent of those complained about amounts of $100 or more.
20 percent had complaints of $1000 or more.
The largest complaint received during this time was for $68,505.
Wireless bill shock can result from:
International roaming charges that consumers run up without realizing they are doing so, and that can add up to thousands of dollars.
Charges that accrue when consumers exceed the limits on their voice, text, or data plans, and begin accumulating high charges at a per-minute rate.
Unexpected charges when a phone is used with Wi-Fi in "airplane mode."
Charges for mandatory data plans that are included with new phones and plans without the consumer being aware.
Taxes and other fees of which a consumer was not aware.
Confusion about promotional rates, plans, and billing - including unclear or inconsistent guidance from salespeople and customer service representatives.
benton.org/node/43526 | Federal Communications Commission | read the white paper | Chairman Genachowski
Recommend this Headline
back to top


APPLE TEXT CENSORSHIP?
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Darrell Etherington]
A new patent the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office just approved was filed in 2008 by Apple and prevents users from sending and receiving "objectionable" text messages. The patent, officially called "Text-based communication control for personal communication device," essentially prevents what's known as "sexting." If this tech ever makes it way to your smartphone, it could theoretically alert a user, administer, or other designated individual whenever objectionable content appears in a text message. In practice, that could mean a parent gets a text when their teenage son writes something racy, or that your boss gets a notice whenever you swear in an outbound communication. According to the patent, the iPhone could also offer suggestions with which to replace the offending text, or just delete it outright as soon as you're done typing so that it never gets sent in the first place. In effect, that means it could actually change what you're going to say.
benton.org/node/43503 | GigaOm
Recommend this Headline
back to top


AS THE IPHONE GOES
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] Apple isn't commenting on reports that it will release a new iPhone for use on Verizon Wireless's network next year. We find the prospect of a non-AT&T iPhone tantalizing. Could it mean that wireless service providers will finally have to accept real competition? We hope that the next announcement will be that Apple will offer iPhones not only for use on Verizon but also on T-Mobile, Sprint and, indeed, any wireless provider. That could be the real start of liberation.
benton.org/node/43535 | New York Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top


RIM PRIVACY
[SOURCE: Fast Company, AUTHOR: Neal Ungerleider]
Research In Motion (RIM) has had a tough time of things in the United Arab Emirates. Citing encryption concerns, the BlackBerry was almost banned. But RIM and the UAE struck a last-minute deal. And when Saudi Arabia threatened a similar ban, RIM agreed to place a server inside Saudi Arabia and grant access to an undisclosed amount of user information. In the end, the deals that saved RIM from a ban that could set a dangerous precedent for anyone, particularly in the Mid East, who prefers the government keep its nose out of private citizens' BBMs, SMS's, emails, and more.
benton.org/node/43489 | Fast Company
Recommend this Headline
back to top

NETWORK NEUTRALITY

WIRELESS NETWORK NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: New America Foundation, AUTHOR: ): Dan Meredith, Josh King, Sascha Meinrath, James Losey]
New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative, Media Access Project, Benton Foundation, Center for Media Justice, Consumers Union, and Public Knowledge (Public Interest Commenters) responded to FCC's request for comment on "Specialized Services" and wireless open Internet rules. Continuing technical and policy justifications from the FCC's consultation on preserving the Open Internet, the Public Interest Commenters demonstrate that wireless networks are not "under-developed" and carrier practices create the need for the protection of end-user freedoms. "We must change the current status quo to overcome barriers for Internet and application innovation erected by both mobile device restrictions and by the provider's restrictive practices," states Dan Meredith, Technologist for OTI. "Our submitted comments provide the FCC with a glide path to ensure the consumer protections and competition stimulants that exist in the wireline device market thanks to Carterfone ruling are also available to the wireless device market." Additionally, OTI has published a follow-up to the T-Mobile HTC G2 phone with Google controversy that began with a blog post on Tuesday, October 5 documenting a "feature" of the device that creates a new barrier to legal software modifications. Details on the G2 have emerged, including a statement from T-Mobile, indicating a clear need for consumer protections in the wireless Internet space.
benton.org/node/43519 | New America Foundation | NAF
Recommend this Headline
back to top


NETWORK NEUTRALITY COMMENTS
[SOURCE: Latinos for Internet Freedom, AUTHOR: Jessica Gonzalez]
In comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission, almost thirty organizations, including members of Latinos for Internet Freedom and the Media Action Grassroots Network, called on the agency to apply Network Neutrality rules to all Internet access platforms, including on wireless networks. People of color are among the fastest growing constituencies in the United States and the most active users of the mobile Internet and many rely exclusively on their cell phones and other mobile devices to get online. Communities of color use their mobile devices as a primary tool for activism, community engagement and democratic participation, from defending the rights of immigrants to registering to vote. Communities of color would be adversely affected if the Commission fails to extend open Internet protections to mobile wireless Internet access. The groups also expressed concern that "specialized" services could threaten the future of an open Internet, and called on the FCC to open up a separate proceeding to examine the issue.
benton.org/node/43500 | Latinos for Internet Freedom
Recommend this Headline
back to top


SHAME, NOT REGULATIONS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Saying the Internet has its own inherent "shaming culture," the Minority Media & Telecommunications Council (MMTC) has asked the Federal Communications Commission not to impose "draconian enforcement mechanisms" in its effort to protect consumers. MMTC, which said it was speaking on behalf of two dozen minority and civil rights groups, said it supported five out the six proposed network neutrality guidelines the FCC is proposing to codify, but has issues with the nondiscrimination principle. As it has in the past, MMTC expressed reservations about applying the net neutrality rules to wireless and said it doesn't want the commission prohibiting "pro-consumer voluntary agreements for the provision of specialized services." MMTC also took the opportunity to tell the FCC it has a moral duty to ensure that its network neutrality rules, which MMTC has "deep concerns" about, do not "lock into place and perpetuate the vast and current racial disparities in broadband access, adoption, and informed use." MMTC says the FCC should focus on transparency and disclosure. Which means requiring ISPs to tell subs how they are managing their service. That is when the shaming culture takes over, says MMTC, which is another way of saying marketing forces. "In the few cases of net neutrality violations over the past five years, each and every one was quickly corrected because of the transparent and interactive Internet culture, which forces broadband providers to serve the demands and wants of users or else suffer the penalties of lost subscribers," the group said in its comments.
benton.org/node/43518 | Broadcasting&Cable
Recommend this Headline
back to top

MORE ON INTERNET/BROADBAND

THREE RING BINDER UPDATE
[SOURCE: WLBZ2, AUTHOR: Don Carrigan]
After two years of planning, construction is starting on a big upgrade to Maine's high-speed Internet system. It's called the Three Ring Binder, and supporters say it will help grow Maine's economy and improve everything from education to health care. Leaders of the Maine Fiber Company, which is building the system, held a ribbon-cutting in Brunswick to celebrate construction of the first five miles of the binder system, and announce that work is about to start on several hundred more miles this fall. The Three Ring Binder is planned to build 1,100 miles of fiber optic cable in three "rings" or loops covering much of the state. The project was first conceived by researchers at the University of Maine, who then worked with the state and private business people to develop the plan. The project was awarded $25 million in federal stimulus funding, and Maine Fiber also raised $7.5 million in private investment. The Binder is designed to bring high speed, high capacity broadband service to areas of the state where it is unavailable, unreliable or prohibitively expensive.
benton.org/node/43514 | WLBZ2
Recommend this Headline
back to top

MEDIA AND ELECTIONS

CELL PHONES AND POLLS
[SOURCE: Pew Research Center, AUTHOR: ]
The latest estimates of telephone coverage by the National Center for Health Statistics found that a quarter of U.S. households have only a cell phone and cannot be reached by a landline telephone. Cell-only adults are demographically and politically different from those who live in landline households; as a result, election polls that rely only on landline samples may be biased. Although some survey organizations now include cell phones in their samples, many -- including virtually all of the automated polls -- do not include interviews with people on their cell phones. It is possible to estimate the size of this potential bias. The Pew Research Center for the People & the Press conducts surveys with samples of landline and cell phones, which allow for comparisons of findings from combined landline and cell interviews with those only from landline interviews. Data from Pew Research Center polling this year suggest that the bias is as large, and potentially even larger, than it was in 2008. In three of four election polls conducted since the spring of this year, estimates from the landline samples alone produced slightly more support for Republican candidates and less support for Democratic candidates, resulting in differences of four to six points in the margin.
benton.org/node/43522 | Pew Research Center
Recommend this Headline
back to top


FOLLOW THE MONEY
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Tim Rutten]
[Commentary] The emergence of the neo-populist "tea party" has been the big story of this election cycle. After the votes are cast in November, we may realize that the political resurgence of big business and great wealth was far more significant in determining election outcomes. To an extent not seen in generations, companies and wealthy investors with a naked economic interest in influencing election results are pouring money into races. Big money's reassertion of its interests is the result of two recent game-changing events. One was the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision in Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission, which overturned provisions of the bipartisan McCain-Feingold campaign finance act that prohibited corporations and unions from making supposedly independent, third-party expenditures to influence the outcome of electoral contests. The other was emendation of the tax code to allow creation of so-called 501(c)(4) political action committees to which donors can contribute anonymously. Such organizations are supposed to make less than half of their expenditures for political purposes. But the definition of "educational" activity is extremely squishy, and organizations are able to lump a lot of things that look like blatant politicking under that umbrella.
benton.org/node/43534 | Los Angeles Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top


UK INVESTOR CRITICAL OF NEWS CORP
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson]
F&C, the UK asset manager, will vote against the re-election of News Corp's audit committee chairman at its upcoming annual meeting over the media group's million-dollar political donations to the Republican Governors Association and the US Chamber of Commerce. "We are concerned to see the company deploy shareholder funds for activities that are best left to the individuals whose views they reflect and are not obviously a business matter for the company," said Karina Litvack, head of governance and sustainable investment at F&C. Rupert Murdoch, News Corp's chairman, said last week that it had made a $1m donation to the Republican Governors Association because of his friendship with John Kasich, an Ohio gubernatorial candidate who was once a host on his Fox News channel.
benton.org/node/43533 | Financial Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top

CONTENT

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ENFORCEMENT
[SOURCE: Government Accountability Office, AUTHOR: Loren Yager]
Under the Prioritizing Resources and Organization for Intellectual Property Act of 2008 (PRO-IP Act), Congress required the U.S. Attorney General, through the Department of Justice (DOJ), to devote additional resources and undertake other specific IP efforts. The PRO-IP Act also created the position of the Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator (IPEC) to enhance interagency coordination. The act mandates that GAO provide Congress with a report on the efforts of DOJ and the IPEC.
This status report addresses DOJ and Office of the IPEC's efforts to implement the act. The report also compares the 2010 Joint Strategic Plan on Intellectual Property Enforcement to the content called for in the PRO-IP Act. GAO examined relevant documents, interviewed agency staff and officials, and compared agency actions and the 2010 strategic plan with the PRO-IP Act. GAO recommends that the IPEC, in consultation with the Interagency Intellectual Property Enforcement Advisory Committee, take steps to ensure that future joint strategic plans identify implementing departments and agencies for all priorities and related action items and establish resource estimates to carry out the plan's priorities. (GAO-11-39)
benton.org/node/43521 | Government Accountability Office
Recommend this Headline
back to top


AMAZON TAX CASE
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Juliana Gruenwald]
A federal district court is expected to hear arguments in a lawsuit filed by Amazon against the North Carolina Department of Revenue, which has sought records of the state's residents who have bought items from the Internet retailer. A federal district court in Seattle will hear arguments in a motion by North Carolina to dismiss Amazon's lawsuit, which was filed in April. Under current law, companies are not required to collect sales taxes from customers who live in states where the companies do not have a physical presence. Consumers who live in states with sales taxes, however, are generally obligated to pay them on items they bought from an out-of-state retailer. Given the growing budget problems facing numerous states, many states have sought to close this loophole or to try to collect the taxes they are owed from remote sales. According to Amazon, North Carolina sought the names and addresses of Amazon customers who live in North Carolina along with every item they bought and the price paid since 2003.
benton.org/node/43523 | CongressDaily
Recommend this Headline
back to top


VIDEO CALLING AND VIDEO CHAT
[SOURCE: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, AUTHOR: Lee Rainie, Kathryn Zickuhr]
Almost a fifth of American adults ­ 19% ­ have tried video calling either online or via their cell phones. These figures translate into 23% of Internet users and 7% of cell phone owners who have participated in video calls, chats, or teleconferences.
Video calling online is especially appealing to upscale users. A third of Internet users (34%) living in households earning $75,000 or above have participated in such calls or chats, compared with 18% of those earning less than $75,000.
Younger Internet users are considerably more likely to conduct video calls. Some 29% of the Internet users ages 18-29 have participated in video calls or chats or teleconferences, compared with 15% of Internet users age 65 or older.
Online men are more likely than online women to participate in online video calls (26% vs. 20%).
Urban Internet users (27%) and suburban users (23%) are significantly more likely than rural users (12%) to have participated in video calls, chats, or teleconferences.
On a typical day, 4% of Internet users participate in video calls, chats, or teleconferences. That is a uptick from the Project's April 2009 survey, when 2% of Internet users reported participating in online video exchanges.
Cellphone-owning blacks are more likely than whites to participate in video calls, chats, or teleconferences (10% vs. 5%).
Those in upper-income households are more likely than others to participate in video calls (10% of cell owners in households earning over $75,000 participate in such calls, compared to 6% who live in households earning less than $75,000.
Cellphone owners under age 50 are more likely than those over age 50 to have participated in such video calls (8% vs. 4%).
benton.org/node/43517 | Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project
Recommend this Headline
back to top


IPAD AT HOME, NOT THE ROAD
[SOURCE: paidContent.org, AUTHOR: David Kaplan]
There have been over 3.8 million downloads of Condé Nast apps on the iPad and iPhone since the publisher began rolling them out. Over the past few months, Condé Nast has been surveying readers of its GQ, Vanity Fair, Wired and Glamour apps and has found that these users are generally not the early-adopters or Apple fanboys the publisher expected. The company gleaned a number of things from 100 hours of one-on-one interviews and more than 5,000 in-app surveys it conducted over the past few weeks. Among the findings, participants weren't familiar with the kind of navigation that was used in iPhone magazine apps and that interactive ads often need to come with directions, as well. But the big news is iPad and iPhone readers seem to spend more time with the digital replicas in comparison to the print versions. In general, print readers spend about 45 minutes with an issue each month. In contrast, readers using their iPhone and iPad mag apps spent an average of 160 minutes across all the available brands. In an interview, Scott McDonald, SVP market research, Condé Nast, said that the amount of time spent proved at least one thing: reading apps is a "lean back activity." And since most people in the survey said they tended to leave the iPad at home, the publisher concluded that the device probably shouldn't be considered as an mobile device when devising an advertising campaign or content with that specific product in mind.
benton.org/node/43488 | paidContent.org
Recommend this Headline
back to top


CREATORS FREEDOM PROJECT
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Press release]
Public Knowledge launched the Creators' Freedom Project. which will focus on helping artists promote themselves using innovative techniques. The project will:
Work directly with artists and tell their stories
Partner with experts, and providers of online tools and services
Host local workshops, tutorials & discussions
Stream webinars for artists
Alex Curtis, Public Knowledge's Director of Policy and New Media, will direct the project which will be based in Nashville (TN).
benton.org/node/43487 | Public Knowledge
Recommend this Headline
back to top

CYBERSECURITY

NSA, DHS, DOD CYBERSECURITY
[SOURCE: The Atlantic, AUTHOR: Marc Ambinder]
The Defense Department and the Department of Homeland Security have breathed the same air on cybersecurity for seven years, but it's taken until now for the two executive branch departments to make their union official. According to a recently-released memo, DHS will assign a senior officer to the National Security Agency, and a "Joint Coordination Element" will be set up to coordinate Defense Department and Homeland Security responses to domestic cyber emergencies. The NSA will in turn provided support elements to DHS, and will move a dozen personnel to DHS's main cybersecurity response campus in Fairfax County, Virginia. DHS cyber cops and managers will be permanently stationed at the headquarters of Cyber Command, at Fort Meade in Maryland. Several DHS analysts will be detailed to the NSA's National Threat Operations Center, which is the intelligence community's cybersecurity warning center. The goal is to "better protect against threat to civilian and military systems," a senior Defense Department official told reporters on a conference call. "The threats we face cross jurisdictional boundaries, and it's important that we bring together capabilities to respond as one nation." The new cooperation will make it easier for the NSA to lend its expertise to emergency domestic cyber threats under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security, rather than through direct contact with the private sector entity under threat, officials said.
benton.org/node/43520 | Atlantic, The | DHS and DoD
Recommend this Headline
back to top


CYBER SECURITY CERTIFICATION PROGRAM
[SOURCE: Federal Trade Commission, AUTHOR: Donald Clark]
The Federal Trade Commission has filed comments with the Federal Communications Commission in response to the FCC's proposal to establish a voluntary program under which communications service providers would be certified if they adhere to a set of cyber security objectives or practices. The comments are based on the FTC's policy activities relating to data security, law enforcement actions for failure to protect consumers' data, and consumer and business education. The FTC uses a flexible approach to data security to analyze whether companies' practices are reasonable and appropriate in light of the risks and vulnerabilities they face. The comment recommends that the FCC use a similar flexible approach if it decides to move forward with a certification program, because communications service providers hold and handle similar sensitive consumer information and face similar security risks as those entities the FTC has investigated for their data security practices. "Such an approach would allow a program's objectives and practices to address a broad range of security threats that might arise in a variety of different contexts." In addition, a program should be able to adjust to evolving security threats. "Technologies and business realities change over time," the FTC comment states. "New technologies likely will have new vulnerabilities waiting to be discovered. . . . Therefore, a certification program should not allow itself to become outdated. Rather, a program should regularly assess its effectiveness and make necessary adjustments in response to evolving security threats." Finally, a certification program requires a strong enforcement mechanism. "A program must have the resources necessary to conduct regular reviews of participating companies, evaluate complaints of non-compliance, and take remedial action where necessary," the comment states.
benton.org/node/43504 | Federal Trade Commission
Recommend this Headline
back to top


UK SEEKS CYBER SECURITY HELP
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Stephen Fidler]
Iain Lobban, the head of Britain's communications intelligence agency, said that it may need to receive direct feeds of information from private companies in key economic sectors in order to better protect the UK economy from the threat from cyber attacks. In a rare speech, Lobban, director of GCHQ since 2008, said the risks from cyber attacks were expanding along with the rise in the Internet, which was growing by 60% a year. He said UK government computer networks received more than 20,000 malicious e-mails a month, 1,000 of which deliberately targeted the networks. He said -- without citing examples -- that governments had used cyber techniques to put pressure on other countries. There had also been "theft of intellectual property on a massive scale, some of it not just sensitive to the commercial enterprises in question but of national security concern too." With the costs of e-crime probably running into the billions of pounds, he said thousands of stolen UK credit-card details are available for sale online in hacking forums for about $2 per set, he said. He cited public reports suggesting one botnet—automated software that combs websites -- stole credit-card and online banking details from up to 12.7 million victims worldwide.
benton.org/node/43510 | Wall Street Journal | Reuters
Recommend this Headline
back to top

BROADCASTING/TELEVISION

BROADCAST RENEWAL FORM
[SOURCE: CommLawBlog, AUTHOR: Harry Cole]
With the first batch of the next round of broadcast renewals due by June 1, 2011 ­ less than eight months from now ­ the Federal Communications Commission has announced plans to tweak the renewal application form (FCC Form 303-S) in five discrete ways:
The revised form's instructions will include a new definition of "eligible entity" designed to reflect the FCC's "Equity Debt Plus" standard for determining the attributability of certain interests. The version of that standard currently in effect was announced in the FCC's Diversity Order adopted back in 2007.
Section II of Form 303-S will contain a required certification that the licensee's "advertising sales agreements do not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnicity and that all such agreements held by the licensee contain nondiscrimination clauses."
Section III of the form will include a new question (Item 4, with accompanying instructions) requiring the licensee to certify that, during the preceding license term, its station was neither silent, nor operating on less than the required minimum schedule, for any period of more than 30 days. If the licensee can't so certify, it will have to provide an exhibit specifying "the exact dates ... on which the station was silent or operating for less than its prescribed minimum hours."
The proposed revision of the form would eliminate the longstanding requirement that full power AM and FM licensees submit an exhibit to demonstrate compliance with RF limits.
Finally, Section V (Item 4) of the form would be changed to clarify that LPTV stations still need to file Form 396 with their renewal application, even though they might not have to file an EEO-related public file report and post that report to their website.
benton.org/node/43516 | CommLawBlog | see the 39-page form
Recommend this Headline
back to top


THE NEW KCET
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Robert Lloyd]
[Commentary] After Jan. 1, 2011, KCET will present itself anew, as an independent community-supported station whose programming particulars exist so far mostly as empty phrases: "high quality professionally produced programming representing the genres our audience expects from us drawn from national and international sources," "content acquired and produced specifically with our audience in mind," an "exciting and challenging journey." It is a "work in progress," KCET Chief Executive Al Jerome posted on the station's website, to be realized in concert "with the local creative community, which is world renown[ed] as the source of great entertainment." KCET has always struck Lloyd as something of an underperformer in terms of its productions, especially as compared with busier, nationally recognized cousins such as Boston's WGBH and New York's WNET. And its on-air pledge drives, which more and more often seem to be built around music from the far end of the Boomer generation, can make the station seem sclerotic and out of touch. It also strikes him as strange that at no time before the announcement of this impending divorce did management address the station's supporters (and those hitchhiking viewers who might have become supporters), and say, "We're in a crisis, and if you believe in what we're doing here, we need your help to continue" — that would seem to be Nonprofit 101 — rather than announcing the split as an accomplished and irrevocable fact. But perhaps that would have been to chance a failure more telling — to be rejected by your audience — than that of being unable to convince a remote and powerful corporation to cut you some slack. That rejection is, of course, still a possibility. If, as the station has claimed, the economic downturn had made it difficult for KCET to raise the money PBS demanded from it, will it be any easier, without the lure of an "Antiques Roadshow" or "American Masters," to raise the money to realize this unrevealed new vision? One can easily imagine, if you'll pardon the mixed metaphor, a vicious circle of diminishing returns, in which cheaper programming leads to fewer pledges, which in turn leads to even cheaper programming, which leads to fewer pledges. Rather than being asked to pay for more of what they know they want, viewers are, for the moment, being asked to buy a pig in a poke, to put faith in a plan proposed by people in whom they have no convincing reason to put their faith.
benton.org/node/43515 | Los Angeles Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top


WHO'S WORRIED ABOUT DVRs?
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Wayne Friedman]
CBS isn't worried about the future of broadcast television because it believes in the promise of video-on-demand. That's the always lurking-in-the-background technology that won't allow viewers to fast-forward through possibly anything -- even commercials. This approach isn't new. A couple of years ago, ABC had considered the possibility of working with cable operators to disable the fast-forwarding function on DVRs. That disabling function has always been available. The issue was whether to install it -- for fear of backlash from viewers. Digital video consumers are already fully aware of what they get when they go to the likes of Hulu and other sites. You get commercials -- albeit, shorter messaging, fewer overall commercials -- prepping viewers for the possible moment in TV time, when TV viewing might revert to watching (or old-school avoiding) TV commercials. No doubt some entertainment technologists are already looking beyond VOD, as a way to get around not being able to fast-forward.
benton.org/node/43532 | MediaPost
Recommend this Headline
back to top


OVER-THE-TOP TO HURT SATELLITE MOST
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Wayne Friedman]
Nontraditional television distribution -- Internet-connected TV content with no cable or satellite -- will rise to over 7% penetration of U.S homes in six years, and over 20% by 2020. New analysis from Interpublic Group's MagnaGlobal, in what it calls "Over-the-Top" video distribution, will impact 8.5 million homes by 2016 and 27.3 million by 2020. The report suggests satellite distributors could be the most hurt from this activity. "Satellite-based video services are more likely to face erosion of their subscriber bases than are telcos and cable operators, given that their platforms do not offer high-speed data services," writes Brian Wieser, global director of forecasting for MagnaGlobal. MagnaGlobal believes "this will contribute to a continuous expansion of the market for multichannel video services, as new video packages (the combination of programming, features and pricing) could vary meaningfully from today's offerings, and thus may attract new segments of subscribers."
benton.org/node/43502 | MediaPost
Recommend this Headline
back to top

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

RECOVERY ACT REPORTING
[SOURCE: nextgov, AUTHOR: Robert Brodsky]
Nearly 100 percent of all prime recipients of Recovery Act funds filed mandatory spending reports with the government last quarter -- the highest compliance rate since the stimulus was signed into law in February 2009. In the most recent filing quarter, ending June 30, more than 74,000 prime recipients of Recovery Act contracts, grants and loans were required to report their spending to the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board. Only 352 recipients failed to report their spending, a participation rate of 99.5 percent, according to the Office of Management and Budget. "This is a pioneering transparency effort and, while there may have been some initial skepticism that it could be pulled off, last quarter nearly 100 percent of recipients required to report did so," OMB Interim Director and Chief Performance Officer Jeffrey Zients wrote in a recent blog post. "This unprecedented level of disclosure has been lauded by government watchdogs and transparency groups as a significant achievement for open government." Nearly 90 percent of the noncompliers last quarter -- a total of 312 -- were first-time offenders, OMB found. In the past, one-time nonfilers have attributed the omissions to technical problems. In the majority of these cases, Zients wrote, the recipient quickly resolved the issues and filed correctly the next quarter.
benton.org/node/43501 | nextgov
Recommend this Headline
back to top


ONLINE ENGAGEMENT
[SOURCE: The White House, AUTHOR: Sarah Bernard]
On October 11, the White House hosted its first African American Online Summit, which brought together a group of programming leaders from the African American online media world for an in-depth briefing and discussion about how the Administration is approaching important issues such as jobs, the economy, health care, education, community investment, civil rights and civil liberties, and the First Lady's Let's Move! initiative.
benton.org/node/43492 | White House, The
Recommend this Headline
back to top

ED TECH

HOME COMPUTERS AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
[SOURCE: Education Week, AUTHOR: Elisabeth Stock, Ray Fisman]
[Commentary] Can a home computer be introduced in such a way that it will support a more effective home-learning environment and, in turn, improve academic achievement? Evaluations of programs run by the Texas Education Agency, through its Technology Immersion Pilot, and the nonprofit group Computers for Youth suggest that home computers can in fact produce better students and improve test scores. Half the student cohorts examined showed statistically significant gains in reading and math, with effect sizes of 8 percent of a standard deviation for reading, and 16 percent to 20 percent for math. The math effect sizes were particularly noteworthy, being similar in size to those cited in studies examining Head Start, Teach For America, and improvement programs in teacher quality. The other cohorts also showed gains, albeit not statistically significant ones. The study also found that the strongest predictor of student' reading and math scores was the amount of time they used their computers outside of school for homework or for learning games. While the importance of the home-learning environment remains unquestioned, past innovations in this area haven't managed to budge the needle on student performance. Yet the recent experiences of these and other programs, combined with continuing advances in technology, should inspire educators and policymakers to explore anew the promise of leveraging home learning to improve student achievement. We owe it to ourselves to go beyond simple talking points and long-held assumptions to tackle this area of learning that holds so much promise for helping students reach their full potential, in school and beyond. [Stock is CEO of Computers for Youth. Fisman is an economist at Columbia Business School]
benton.org/node/43499 | Education Week | Computers for Youth
Recommend this Headline
back to top

HEALTH

VA BRINGING EHR HOME
[SOURCE: GovernemntHealthIT, AUTHOR: Mary Mosquera]
The Veterans Affairs Department plans to expand its use of information technology and telecommunications ­ including mobile and landline phones and video conferencing ­ to deliver health care to aging veterans and others who suffer from chronic conditions, according to senior telehealth official. In fiscal year 2010, VA recorded 300,000 health care encounters in 36 specialty areas with the assistance of telehealth technologies, according to Dr. Adam Darkins, VA's chief consultant for telehealth services, who spoke at an Oct. 12 conference on telehealth sponsored by West Wireless Health Institute, a medical mobile technology researcher. The VA has now begun to analyze data from these programs as part of a long-term goal to change the location of care from the hospital to where the patient is, he said. The plan is ultimately to, "extend the electronic health record into the home."
benton.org/node/43493 | GovernemntHealthIT
Recommend this Headline
back to top

JOURNALISM

JOURNALISM AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
[SOURCE: Online Journalism Review, AUTHOR: Robert Niles]
[Commentary] A generation ago, when mass-market publishing demanded expensive presses or broadcast licenses, gatekeeper-controlled media provided the only way to reach a large community. Today, with the Internet reducing the barrier to entry for publishing to near zero, forcing the public back into gatekeeper media would rob our communities of their potential for greater growth. The combination of professional reporters and engaged citizens, working together, can cover more stories on more topics, in more communities and with more first-person expertise than even the largest and best-funded newsrooms of our industry's past could have done on their own. Many of our readers know this. They have begun producing their own news, and eagerly looking for news from others. They're never going back to gatekeeper-only media again. The question for journalists, then, is this: Will we step forward into this new model with our readers? Or will we choose instead to try to hold them back, as we devote our energy and remaining income to more desperate attempts to revive our past?
benton.org/node/43491 | Online Journalism Review
Recommend this Headline
back to top


100 JOURNALISTS PER CITY
[SOURCE: Newsonomics, AUTHOR: Ken Doctor]
Four leading public radio stations have meeting frequently, forming an ad hoc "alliance for public media," and they've got big plans. The largest notion: Expand regional "public media" news operations to 100 reporters and editors per market in four to six markets -- and soon. That's "public radio" grown into "public media", meaning that these news operations would be digital-first, text-heavy and video-ready, while porting over the audio from radio. In other words, not re-purposed "radio" news, but the kind of standalone, multi-platform news operations we're starting to see, as with TBD in Washington (DC). The initial four stations involved in the alliance planning are WNYC in New York, WBEZ in Chicago, KPCC in Los Angeles and Minnesota Public Radio, in the Twin Cities, says Bill Kling, president and CEO of the American Public Media Group (APMG), the parent of the LA and Twin Cities stations, as well as a major syndicator of public radio programming. One hundred "public media" reporters and editors in a market is a huge increase. Among those four stations, the news staff now ranges from 12 to 30 each. It's tough to count precisely because these are legacy radio operations, and radio requires different job descriptions than digital news. Still, at those numbers, the alliance members are aiming at adding more than 300 reporters and editors in four markets, if the plans succeed. Kling says the positions created "would be a very good job for people who love journalism," in the six figures with full benefits.
benton.org/node/43490 | Newsonomics
Recommend this Headline
back to top

TELECOM

PRIVACY VS CHILD PORN
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Sara Jerome]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released an order clarifying the role of telecom companies in child porn situations. The ruling made it clearer that telecom companies must comply with mandates to report child porn in spite of their obligations to keep user data private. Child porn is a rare exception to the privacy rules in the Communications Act. Providers of electronic communication service or remote computing services are required to report child porn instances to a tipline.
benton.org/node/43525 | Hill, The
Recommend this Headline
back to top