February 2003

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Members of Congress Send Letter to Chairman Powell Regarding Media
Ownership
Fed Feud Derails Media Debate

INTERNET
Commerce Dept Expands .edu Internet Domain

COPYRIGHT
Web Radio Royalty Debate Resumes

EDTECH
India to Spend $2.5 Billion on E-Learning, E-Govt

TELEVISION
CBS Chief Meets with Rural Group

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

MEMBERS OF CONGRESS SEND LETTER TO CHAIRMAN POWELL REGARDING MEDIA OWNERSHIP
In a letter dated February 3rd, 30 members of Congress urged FCC Chairman
Michael Powell to reconsider the deregulation of media ownership. The
members argue that the rules have as much merit and importance today as they
did in the 1940s, particularly in the wake of recent corporate scandals. The
letter also suggests that the Powell is guiding the process "quickly and
quietly," adding that it is "an outrage" that the FCC would consider such
important rulemaking based on only two public hearings and an
under-publicized comment period. Signatories included Reps. Barney Frank,
John Conyers and Louise Slaughter.
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
(http://www.democraticmedia.org/houseletterfcc_02-03-03.pdf)
(PDF File -- Requires Adobe Acrobat)

FED FEUD DERAILS MEDIA DEBATE
The standoff on local telephone deregulation between FCC Chairman Michael
Powell and fellow Commissioner Kevin Martin has spilled over into other key
issues, as next week's forum on media ownership in Los Angeles is in danger
of postponement. Powell's decision to delay a meeting on the telecom issue
caused Martin as well as Kathleen Abernathy to cancel plans to attend the
forum at the Center for Communications Law & Policy at the University of
Southern California. Democratic Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan
Adelstein may also be compelled to cancel. Powell had not planned to attend
the meeting, stating repeatedly that public forums on media ownership are
not necessary since the citizens may file comments with the FCC.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Dave McNary and Pamela McClintock]
(http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20030212/media_nm/indust
ry_fcc_dc)

INTERNET

COMMERCE DEPT EXPANDS .EDU INTERNET DOMAIN
The Department of Commerce announced yesterday that Educause, the nonprofit
group that administers the .edu domain, will extend the suffix to a wider
range of educational institutions. Once reserved strictly for four-year
colleges and universities, the domain was expanded to include community
colleges in 2001. This latest change would allow organizations such as bible
colleges, art schools and alternative medical schools to change their
domains to .edu.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20030211/wr_nm/tech_edu_
dc)

COPYRIGHT

WEB RADIO ROYALTY DEBATE RESUMES
The future of Web radio hangs in the balance over the next few weeks as
Webcasters and the recording industry wrangle anew over royalty payments.
Although a temporary agreement was reached last year, that agreement expired
January 1. Now, the two sides must react to a US Copyright Office mandate
that a settlement be reached by March 5 lest the matter go to arbitration.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act requires Webcasters to pay royalties to
record companies and musicians in addition to those paid to songwriters and
music publishers.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: David McGuire]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40911-2003Feb7.html)

EDTECH

INDIA TO SPEND $2.5 BILLION ON E-LEARNING, E-GOVT
At the 2003 NASSCOM conference in Mumbai, India, Indian IT Minister Rajeev
Ratan Shah announced a plan to spend 120 billion rupees (USD $2.5 billion)
to bring e-learning to 600,000 schools across the country. The project, to
be funded by the government as well as private industry, would set up
computer labs in schools over the next four years. Terming India's
population of one billion as both "a digital opportunity and digital
challenge," Shah called on the IT industry to explore new ways to tap into
the national market. She also announced plans to set up "citizens portals"
in each of India's states to help facilitate e-government activities.
[SOURCE: The Economic Times, AUTHOR: PTI]
(http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/cms.dll/html/uncomp/articleshow?artid=3
7189814)

TELEVISION
CBS CHIEF MEETS WITH RURAL GROUP
CBS President and Chief Executive Leslie Moonves met with a concerned
interest group in regards to a proposed reality-genre version of "The
Beverly Hillbillies." Dee Davis of the Center for Rural Strategies met with
Moonves in hopes of convincing the network to drop the show, citing furor in
the Appalachian community. The show's producers had been seeking a family
from that area to live in a Beverly Hills mansion, a premise critics label
an affront to those dealing with the realities of rural poverty.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Meg James]
(http://www.latimes.com/la-fi-rup12.1feb12,0,4166074.story)
(requires registration)

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EDTECH
Teacher Tech Training Takes a Hit
Texas Can't Afford to Stop Funding Kids' Technology

INTERNET
Bridging the Digital Divide During Black History Month
The Kids are Alright
Burundian Refugees Benefit from UNHCR Internet Project

EDTECH

TEACHER TECH TRAINING TAKES A HIT
The Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology grant program (PT3), a
popular federal program that assists colleges of education to develop
effective edtech teacher training, is facing the chopping block under the
White House's proposed 2004 budget. In four years, PT3 has given out $337.5
million in the form of 441 grants going to universities that partner with
local school districts. John Bailey, Director of Education Technology at the
US Department of Education, says that edtech professional development would
be better served if federal funds were distributed to states via block
grants. "The president is not saying that it's not important for our
teachers to learn how to use technology," Bailey said. "We do believe that's
important. In the end, we're still achieving the same goal, we're just doing
it from another program that's out there." But Don Knezek, director of the
National Center for PT3 and CEO of the International Society for Technology
and Education, could not disagree more. "Eliminating funding for the PT3
program, unless the legislature elects to maintain it despite the
president's recommendation, will bring an end to the most effective and
far-reaching federally supported new teacher improvement program in recent
decades," he said. "What we're losing is that overarching piece that looks
at the (teacher preparation) issue as a national issue," he said. "I believe
that it's a national crisis, and it requires a national effort."
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Katie Dean]
(http://www.wired.com/news/school/0,1383,57583,00.html)

TEXAS CAN'T AFFORD TO STOP FUNDING KIDS' TECHNOLOGY
(COMMENTARY) According to Texas State Representatives Nick Noriega, Jessica
Farrar and Joe E. Moreno, Governor Rick Perry's decision to freeze over $221
in state technology funding "will prevent our schools from providing
students the necessary tools to compete in a technological world." The
Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund, or TIF, is funded externally from
the state's general revenue fund; because of this, the representatives argue
that the governor has no right to freeze it. "Through distance learning,
online libraries and instructional resources, TIF has provided our children
with a greater opportunity to explore their world and expand their
horizons," they write. "When everyone agrees that education should be Texas'
top priority, it is hypocritical for the leadership and others to attempt to
cut these funds from our schools, libraries and health-care facilities. We
have all heard the frequently used cliche, 'Leave no child behind.' Maybe
someone should remind the leadership that inner-city children should be
included as well."
[SOURCE: Houston Chronicle, AUTHORS: Nick Noriega, Jessica Farrar and Joe E.
Moreno]
(http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/editorial/outlook/1769949)

INTERNET

BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
This Sunday marked the beginning of the third annual Black Family Technology
Awareness Week. While African Americans account for approximately 12 percent
of the US population, they make up only five percent of the information
technology workforce. In Austin, Texas, programs like the local Goodwill
Industries computing center are giving African Americans the opportunity to
develop new skills -- and open new career doors as well. "It's important for
us as a black culture to be able to compete with any culture," says IBM
manager Sandra Johnson. "The only way we can do it is to be able to come
here and get the training we need."
[SOURCE: News 8 Austin, AUTHOR: Heather Maze]
(http://www.news8austin.com/content/headlines/?ArID=60884&SecID=2)
For more information on Black Family Technology Awareness Week:
(http://blackfamilynet.net/family/)

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT
Five UK-based Web sites are among the handful selected as finalists for this
year's ChildNet Awards, a competition honoring the best Web sites developed
by youth. The contest, sponsored by ChildNet International and Cable &
Wireless, received submissions from over 50 nations this year. Among this
year's finalists are Priorywoods School, a British school for the learning
disabled; YouthNoise.org, a US-based online community where young people can
debate and take action concerning pressing issues like gun violence and AIDS
prevention; and IEARN Sierra Leone, an educational initiative seeking to
engage youth on peace and reconciliation. The winners will be announced
April 24 at the Science Museum in London.
(SOURCE: Guardian Unlimited, AUTHOR: Anna Soderblom]
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/online/news/0,12597,889382,00.html)
Full list of finalists:
(http://www.childnetawards.org/2003/shortlist.html)

BURUNDIAN REFUGEES BENEFIT FROM UNHCR INTERNET PROJECT
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported last week that
displaced Burundians in a northwest Tanzanian refugee camp are now being
given access to the Internet. The project, organized by the Global Catalyst
Foundation, utilizes the low-cost African satellite Internet service i-Way,
using a combination of solar power and a cow-manure-powered biogas system.
"Although only a small percentage of the 130,000 refugees in the Kasulu
District will be making full use of the Internet, UNHCR officials believe it
can make a huge difference to the lives of those who do," the agency said.
[SOURCE: UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs]
(http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=32147)

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EDTECH
Bush 2004 Budget Calls for 144.5 Million in Cuts for Edtech

BROADCASTING/OWNERSHIP
CDD, CU, CFA and MAP File Reply Comments
Bush Plan Cuts Pubcast Funding
Prime-Time Shows are Getting Sexier

BROADBAND
High-Speed Net Finds Way to Small-Town USA

EDTECH

BUSH 2004 BUDGET CALLS FOR $144.5 MILLION IN CUTS FOR ED TECH
President Bush's proposed 2004 budget calls for a $2.4 billion increase for
the US Department of Education, but the increase is paired with cuts in
technology-related programming totaling almost $145 million. Programs slated
for cuts include Community Technology Centers ($32.5 million), Preparing
Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology, or PT3($62.5 million), Ready to Teach
($12 million), Regional Technology in Education Consortia ($10 million), and
Star Schools ($27.5 million) - all programs that Bush proposed cutting in FY
2003. "In these times of tight budgets and accountability, we can no longer
continue to fund programs that simply are not helping students achieve,"
argued Education Secretary Rod Paige.
[SOURCE: eSchool News]
(http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStory.cfm?ArticleID=4242&ref=wo)

BROADCASTING/OWNERSHIP

CDD, CU, CFA AND MAP FILE REPLY COMMENTS IN MEDIA OWNERSHIP PROCEEDING
The Center for Digital Democracy, Consumers Union, the Consumer Federation
of America and the Media Access Project filed a reply today with the FCC in
response to comments submitted by major media companies regarding media
ownership deregulation. The coalition argued that the industry comments
"share a legal and analytical approach that we believe is fundamentally
flawed and cannot support the repeal or relaxation of the current rules on
media ownership." The filing examines empirical evidence presented by the
industry and discusses how media companies have attempted to obscure the
current level of market concentration.
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
Link to the Filing (requires Adobe Acrobat):
(http://www.democraticmedia.org/resources/filings/CFACUmediareplies020303.pd
f)

BUSH PLAN CUTS PUBCAST FUNDING
The president's budget proposal includes a $10 million cut for the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a move that could cripple its ability
to provide services. CPB President Robert Coonrod stated that CPB can ill
afford budget reductions if public stations are to convert to digital while
continuing to provide content as required by law. Bush's proposal would
require any broadcaster using the analog spectrum after Congress' 2006
deadline for digital conversion to pay the FCC $500 million for use of the
spectrum.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Craig Linder, States New Service]
(http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/bpihw/20030204/en_bpihw/bus
h_plan_cuts_pubcast_funding)
See Also:
CORPORATE FUNDING SQUEEZING PUBLIC TELEVISION
[SOURCE: The Ledger Online, AUTHOR: Elizabeth Jensen, Los Angeles Times]
(www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2003302050310&Profile=102

PRIME-TIME SHOWS ARE GETTING SEXIER
According to a Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation study, one in seven shows
features either latent or implied sexual intercourse, doubling the figures
from a similar study four years ago. Two-thirds of all shows from 7 a.m. to
11 p.m. have some sexual content, ranging from talk to actual depictions;
this figure is also nearly twice the mark observed four years ago. As
parents' groups and health professionals call for change, the FCC's media
ownership review takes on a new twist. "Is there a relationship between the
rising tide of indecency on the airwaves and the rising tide of industry
consolidation?" asks FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps, suggesting that
localism gives stations more control of the content they design and carry.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Alessandra Stanley]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/05/arts/television/05WATC.html)

BROADBAND

HIGH-SPEED NET FINDS WAY TO SMALL-TOWN USA
Despite being left out of the tech investment boom of the late 1990s, there
is some hope for rural US residents yearning for high-speed Internet. The
Department of Agriculture's plan to pump $1.5 billion into loans for
high-speed infrastructure start-ups, as well as Senator John McCain's
prioritization of rural broadband access, both signal the federal
government's interest in bridging the gap. Additionally, venture capitalists
have shown interest in supporting rural start-ups, who boast less expensive
technology and a focus on lower margins to sell the service where the larger
companies would not go.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Jim Hopkins]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-02-04-ruralnet_x.htm)

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