February 2003

INTERNET
'Virtual March' Floods Senate With Calls Against an Iraq War
FCC
Unreality TV and Yellow Journalism
FCC Member Defends Stance on State Powers

INTERNET

'VIRTUAL MARCH' FLOODS SENATE WITH CALLS AGAINST AN IRAQ WAR
In another display of how technology plays a role in activism, anti-war
protestors participated in a "Virtual March" on Washington yesterday,
inundating Senate phone lines with calls and emails. Sen. Edward Kennedy's
(D-Mass.) office fielded an estimated 1,800 calls and 4,000 e-mails, and the
Washington Post estimates that some 100,000 people were able to register
their opinions with Senate staffers. Tom Andrews, whose Win Without War
organization coordinated the effort, said that march "exceeded our
expectations." Some lawmakers, however, reported that the calls failed to
change their views on the situation.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Juliet Eilperin]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8107-2003Feb26.html)

FCC

FCC MEMBER DEFENDS STANCE ON STATE POWERS
FCC Chairman Michael Powell and Commissioner Kevin Martin faced harsh
criticism as they testified before the House Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet yesterday. House
Republicans are disappointed with last week's local telephone ruling that
gives state officials broad powers to regulate local telephone competition.
Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) called it "a devastating blow to an already sick
telecom sector." Martin defended his position, explaining that "The barriers
competitors face in deploying equipment and trying to compete for
residential customers in Manhattan, Kansas, are different from the barriers
faced to compete for business customers in Manhattan, New York." He said the
rules would pass muster in federal court.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Christopher Stern]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8020-2003Feb26.html)

UNREALITY TV AND YELLOW JOURNALISM
[Commentary] Today's FCC hearing in Richmond, VA will not give the public a
clear view of the issues regarding media ownership deregulation. Instead,
media conglomerates will provide the same scripted arguments aimed at
misleading the public, according to the Center for Digital Democracy. Media
company claims that current regulations stifle competition and are
unnecessary due to existing anti-trust rules and the rise of the Internet
are bogus, says the Center. Furthermore, the FCC's timid contention that
federal courts and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 require the removal of
the rules is nothing more than Michael Powell's attempt to "distort the
legal record to suit his own ideological beliefs."
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
(http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/washingtonwatch/Richmond.html)

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FCC
Bell Firms Pledge to Fight New FCC Rules
Easing Ownership Limits is Key Topic

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Low-Income Housing Goes Wireless

GOVERNMENT & MEDIA
Firing Leaflets and Electrons, U.S. Wages Information War

FCC

BELL FIRMS PLEDGE TO FIGHT NEW FCC RULES
SBC Communications, Inc. and BellSouth pledged yesterday to fight last
week's FCC ruling in US federal court, adding that they would not invest in
high-speed Internet lines until the rules governing local telephony are
removed. The FCC preserved the system requiring the Bells to lease their
voice lines to competitors at discount rates but eliminated similar rules
for broadband Internet infrastructure, a position the Bells had formerly
lobbied for. "Considering the Bells got almost precisely the broadband
relief they requested, relief they argued would lead to increased
investment, their change of heart makes you wonder whether they really want
to increase spending at this time," an anonymous Bush administration
official said.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62234-2003Feb24.html)

EASING OWNERSHIP LIMITS IS KEY TOPIC
The FCC will hold its only official public hearing on media ownership rules
this Thursday in Richmond, Virginia. The meeting will feature three panel
discussion, each of which to be following by 30 minutes of public comment.
Participants need not register in advance. The commission is expected to
rule on media ownership rules by late spring.
[SOURCE: Richmond Times-Dispatch, AUTHOR: Bob Raymer]
(http://www.timesdispatch.com/frontpage/MGB0LMK7LCD.html)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

LOW-INCOME HOUSING GOES WIRELESS
Thanks to the Creating Community Connections Project, residents of a
low-income housing facility in Boston, MA have high-speed Internet at their
fingertips, no matter where they roam. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
grad students Richard O'Bryant and Randall Pinkett approached the residents
of Camfield Estates motivated by a desire to extend equal access to
technology in poor communities. "[The federal government] set[s] up
empowerment zones, they set up family self-sufficiency programs, but there
really isn't a component there that relates to technology," said O'Bryant.
The program has been a boon for residents of all ages, who use the
connection to read the news, keep in touch with family and perform school
tasks; some residents have decided to pursue a career in information
technology.
[SOURCE: CNN, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/02/24/housing.hotspot.ap/index.html)

GOVERNMENT & MEDIA

FIRING LEAFLETS AND ELECTRONS, U.S. WAGES INFORMATION WAR
US military officials are hoping that any war in Iraq is primarily a war of
information, as the Pentagon has implemented a coordinated information salvo
with the goal of convincing Iraqi soldiers to surrender. "The goal of
information warfare is to win without ever firing a shot," said James R.
Wilkinson, a spokesman for US Central Command in Tampa, Florida. "If action
does begin, information warfare is used to make the conflict as short as
possible." Communication technology has been part of the assault.
Cyber-warfare experts used email and direct cell phone contact to persuade
Iraqi leaders to abandon the Hussein regime. Meanwhile, radio transmissions
from Air Force Special Ops planes are aimed at impressionable young
soldiers, spreading the message, "Any war is not against the Iraqi people,
but is to disarm Mr. Hussein and end his government."
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Thom Shanker And Eric Schmitt]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/24/international/middleeast/24MILI.html)

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OWNERSHIP/DIVERSITY
Former Gannett CEO Neuharth Crusades for Media Diversity
FCC Turmoil Leaves Some Guessing on Media Rules

INTERNET
DSL Customers Brace for Higher Prices
Tech for Elders Must Have Purpose

OWNERSHIP/DIVERSITY

FORMER GANNETT CEO NEUHARTH CRUSADES FOR MEDIA DIVERSITY
Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today and former CEO of Gannett Co., Inc.,
called for newspapers to make a renewed commitment to a diverse staff and to
find ways to attract young readers. In a speech at Rochester Institute of
Technology, Neuharth noted that newspapers are failing to attract "our
increasingly diverse potential audience," adding that "[t]oo many
middle-aged white men still make the decisions. And too many of them still
don't get it."
[SOURCE: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, AUTHOR: Matthew Daneman]
(http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/0221story19_news.shtml)

FCC TURMOIL LEAVES SOME GUESSING ON MEDIA RULES
FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin's departure from his Republican colleagues on
last week's vote on broadband regulations has raised questions about his
stance on other issues, including changes in the rules governing media
ownership. Martin maintains that no future behavior should be inferred by
last week's decision, and he has publicly agreed with Chairman Michael
Powell that the rule preventing a company from owning a television station
and newspaper in the same market may be unnecessary. However, Martin's
public silence on other issues, such more flexible market share caps on
cable and television operators, has left the door open to speculation from
lobbyists and observers.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Jeremy Pelofsky, Reuters/Variety]
(http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20030224/media_nm/fcc)

INTERNET

DSL CUSTOMERS BRACE FOR HIGHER PRICES
Small broadband Internet service providers around the US already fear the
potential fallout from the Federal Communication Commission's decision on
Thursday to deregulate part of the broadband industry. Groups such as the
18-member Ruby Ranch Internet Co-op in Colorado may see their monthly lease
rates for lines provided by Qwest Communications increase six fold over the
next three years. The measure enacted by the FCC was intended to increase
competition and lower prices while stimulating investment in broadband
infrastructure development in underserved areas, a proposition that the
Bells see as unlikely. "This decision will result in less choice and
increased prices for consumers and small businesses," Covad Chief Executive
Charles Hoffman said in a statement Thursday.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Ben Charny]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1033-985601.html?tag=fd_top)

TECH FOR ELDERS MUST HAVE PURPOSE
Assistive technology could be a boon to senior citizens, as long as it is
both easy to use and comes in familiar packages, researchers say. Developers
are experimenting with technologies that will help seniors' motor skills and
cognitive abilities. Some applications include a personal GPS system to
ensure that the user takes the proper path on public transportation, and a
robot that can interact with patients while walking them through a nursing
home, reminding them of appointments and responding to questions.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Mark Baard]
(http://www.wired.com/news/gizmos/0,1452,57429,00.html)

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BROADBAND
F.C.C. Chief Faces Setback on Deregulation

INTERNET
Liberties Group Opposes Internet Blocking
Original Journalism Lacking on the Internet

COPYRIGHT
Compromise Copyright Bill in Works

BROADBAND

F.C.C. CHIEF FACES SETBACK ON DEREGULATION
Facing a Thursday morning deadline, FCC Chairman Michael Powell is expected
to issue a rare dissent on the approval of a compromise plan regarding local
telephone access, making him the first F.C.C. chairman to do so in over a
decade. The plan, forged as part of an internal coup led by Commissioner
Kevin J. Martin, would allow state regulators to set the rates at which
local incumbents must lease their infrastructure to competitors, including
long distance providers. Powell believes that parts of the plan will not
pass muster in the courts, and indeed his dissent would open the door to
additional judicial scrutiny.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Stephen Labaton]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/20/business/20PHON.html)

INTERNET

LIBERTIES GROUP OPPOSES INTERNET BLOCKING
Pennsylvania's Attorney General and a Washington-based civil liberties group
are wrestling over a controversial state anti-pornography law. The act
requires ISPs to block access to Web sites containing child pornography, a
measure which the Center for Democracy and Technology says unfairly blocks
innocent surfers from accessing legal sites hosted on the same server. "It's
sort of this weird world where we're not prosecuting the people producing
child pornography," said Alan Davidson, CDT's associate director.
Pennsylvania AG Mike Fisher claims that the law has worked "in every case,"
and the two sides will meet Thursday to discuss potential legal
ramifications.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ted Bridis]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A33761-2003Feb20.html)

ORIGINAL JOURNALISM LACKING ON THE INTERNET
[COMMENTARY] Despite the appearance of independent online chroniclers, or
"bloggers," the Internet has not panned out as the "last great frontier of
original journalism" it was cracked up to be, says Antonia Zerbisias.
Bloggers love to comment but rarely do their own investigative reporting or
go out to cover a story, and even more serious online journalism is being to
wilting under financial woes. Even Salon.com, one of the better-known
alternative news sites that even had a creative fee structure, is facing a
money crisis. In its securities filing last week, Salon.com warns that one
of the many factors that threaten its future is that its content "is
politically and culturally controversial ..."
[SOURCE: Toronto Star, AUTHOR: Antonia Zerbisias]
(http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Arti
cle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1035777882501&call_page=TS_Entertainment&call_pageid
=968867495754&call_pagepath=A&E/News)

COPYRIGHT

COMPROMISE COPYRIGHT BILL IN WORKS
A bill to be introduced by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) may be the happy
medium sought by the recording industry and tech manufacturers. The measure
would require manufacturers to clearly label consumer electronics devices or
media that contain anticopying protections. "I want people to walk into
every store in America and see that the product they're about to buy has
restrictions," Wyden said. A compromise bill is more likely to see debate
than a more extreme measure, observers say, in a Congress distracted by war
and economic concerns.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: John Borland]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-985207.html?tag=fd_top)

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