April 2005

Three events of note this week: 1) FCC appropriations, 2) How Internet=20
Protocol-Enabled Services Are Changing the Face of Communications: A View=20
from Government Officials; and 3) new FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's first=20
open meeting. For these and other upcoming media policy events, see=20
http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm

DIGITAL TV
Quid Pro Quo
Broadcasters Ask FCC to Rethink Must-Carry Ruling
Complications Dampening Expectations for 2006 DTV Deadline

CABLE
'Definitive=92 Adelphia Sale Bolsters 2 Top Cable Ops
Bells, Cable Spar on Franchises
TV's Religious Revival
Cable TV Could Get Its Mouth Washed Out

PUBLIC BROADCASTING
Recasting PBS?
CPB Plans Civics Lessons

MEDIA
Who's Going to Win The Living-Room Wars?
Newspapers Struggle to Avoid their Own Obit

INTERNET
Internet, Polarized Politics Create an Opening for a Third Party
Peer-To-Peer Users Share More Than Stolen Songs
Watchdogs Seek Out The Web's Bad Side

NEWS FROM CONGRESS
Stevens Endorses Kurth for Open FCC Seat
USF Reform in Congress Not Likely Until 2007, Members Say
VNR Hearing Slated For April 28

QUICKLY -- MCI Tentatively Accepts Qwest Bid; Digital TV Ads; Cellphones=20
and Protests in China; New Media & Control of Nippon Broadcasting Systems;=
=20
Al-Jazeera and Terrorism

DIGITAL TV

QUID PRO QUO
A handful of station groups are pushing to include a small set of=20
public-interest obligations in digital television legislation being drafted=
=20
by House Commerce Committee leaders. The broadcasters hope they can trade a=
=20
narrow slate of obligations for winning TV broadcasters=92 top priority in=
=20
Washington: expanded cable-carriage rights for their digital programming.=20
Activist groups such as Media Access Project (MAP) and Common Cause are=20
pushing for public-interest obligations as well, but broadcasters involved=
=20
in the talks hope to exclude them from the deal-making. Industry lobbyists=
=20
fear that the activists will demand measures beyond what stations will=20
accept. For instance, activists have pushed for quotas for independently=20
produced programming, which broadcasters oppose, refusing to give outside=20
parties any programming say over their operations. MAP President Andrew=20
Schwartzman says the NAB has been foolish to oppose public-interest=20
obligations at a time when new wireless video services are coming online=20
and threatening their business. Unless stations provide programming that=20
the government has clearly defined as a public service, the government may=
=20
one day decide that there=92s no reason stations should continue to enjoy=20
preferential interference protections or their domain over the country=92s=
=20
most valuable slice of communications frequencies. =93I think the NAB has=20
made a serious tactical error,=94 Schwartzman says. =93It has hurt=20
broadcasters=92 position in Washington and their bottom line.=94
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA527236.html?display=3DNews&re...
al=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

BROADCASTERS ASK FCC TO RETHINK MUST-CARRY RULING
The FCC should require cable operators to carry free portions of DTV=20
signals from local commercial TV stations, NAB said in a petition filed=20
late Thursday seeking reconsideration of FCC=92s multicast must-carry order.=
=20
Joint petitioners for ABC, CBS, NBC and Telemundo also sought=20
reconsideration, saying the FCC =93rushed=94 into the must-carry decision,=
=20
making =93numerous=94 factual and legal errors and ignoring important=
evidence=20
about carriage of diverse programming under the new rule. the joint=20
ABC-CBS-NBC-Telemundo petition said the =93proper course=94 for the FCC is=
to=20
vacate the order and reconsider the petition after resolving public=20
interest issues -- a point they said Commissioners Adelstein and Copps have=
=20
consistently termed important in these discussions. Paxson said the FCC=20
should bring public interest issues =93front and center.=94
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Anne Veigle]
(Not available online)
For more on digital broadcasters public interest obligations see:=20
http://www.benton.org/pioguide/index.html
More coverage --
* Groups Make Must-Carry Cases
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA527159?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* NAB to Seek New Multicast Vote
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA527211.html?display=3DPolicy&refer...
=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

COMPLICATIONS DAMPENING EXPECTATIONS FOR 2006 DTV DEADLINE
Several issues are complicating staff negotiations on a digital television=
=20
transition bill that House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX)=20
hoped would end the transition by December 31, 2006. There are concerns=20
among some staff, including leading Democrats, that tower issues could make=
=20
the 2006 deadline impossible to meet. A House source said most Commerce=20
Committee members realize that Dec 2006, will be extremely difficult -- if=
=20
not impossible -- to pull off. Besides the obvious work to be done in the=20
House, one source said the Senate is unlikely to have a bill until the late=
=20
Fall, making it unlikely that a bill would go to the President=92s desk
until 2006. The House source said this was a =93conservative=94 estimate.=20
Another House source said the actual deadline will probably be somewhere=20
between the 2006 proposed by Rep Barton and a 2009 deadline being talked=20
about by Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Stevens (R-Alaska). The source=
=20
said 2008 sounded like a good date.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Terry Lane]
(Not available online)

CABLE

'DEFINITIVE' ADELPHIA SALE BOLSTERS 2 TOP CABLE OPS
More reading on the purchase of Adelphia by Time Warner and Comcast.=20
Comcast=92s participation in the purchase of bankrupt Adelphia=
Communications=20
puts the cable giant close to the national cable-ownership limit that a=20
federal court rejected in 2001. Monitoring the deal closely,=20
public-interest watchdogs want the Federal Communications Commission to=20
adopt a new ownership limit prior to approving any Adelphia transaction=20
involving Comcast. =93What=92s critical here is that the statute is=
mandatory.=20
It=92s not like the FCC has discretion not to issue a rule,=94 said Andrew=
Jay=20
Schwartzman, an attorney with Media Access Project, a public-interest law=20
firm here. FCC Democrat Jonathan Adelstein, a vocal opponent of media=20
consolidation, agreed that cable limits should be adopted. =93I think we=
need=20
to put rules in place =85 so the market knows what we are dealing with,=94=
he=20
said. Before leaving office March 17, FCC chairman Michael Powell proposed=
=20
issuing a notice of proposed rulemaking in an effort to refresh the=20
cable-ownership docket. But an FCC source indicated that new chairman Kevin=
=20
Martin is not rushing to adopt new cable-ownership rules. Instead, Chairman=
=20
Martin is working on personnel matters and reviewing the status of various=
=20
rulemakings across the agency=92s portfolio. Schwartzman said he believed=
the=20
FCC would adopt a new cable cap before signing off on an Adelphia=20
transaction. If the agency failed to do that, he said, he plans to go to=20
court.
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Mike Farrell]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA527311.html&referral=3DSUPP
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA527212.html?display=3DPolicy&refer...
=3DSUPP
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA527312.html?display=3DTop+Stories&...
rral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

BELLS, CABLE SPAR ON FRANCHISES
Verizon and SBC Communications Inc.=92s attempt to enter the video market=20
without local approval has outraged the cable industry, which fears being=20
placed at a regulatory disadvantage that would permit the Bells to target=20
affluent communities while ignoring low-income consumers. Federal law=20
requires community-wide cable buildouts, to prevent economic=20
discrimination, also called redlining. Cable companies need local=20
franchises. A big cable company like Comcast Corp. has 5,000 franchises and=
=20
about 10% come up for renewal each year, requiring the company to hire=20
hundreds of lawyers to satisfy the concerns of local politicians.
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA527313.html?display=3DTop+Stories&...
rral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

TV'S RELIGIOUS REVIVAL
Religious broadcasters are eager to capitalize on the emerging place of=20
religion in the national conversation. Plenty of them are still giving=20
audiences that old-time TV religion -- low-production-value preachers=20
paying for time on stations or Christian networks -- but a slew of new=20
companies are clamoring for cable carriage. At the National Cable &=20
Telecommunications Association convention in San Francisco earlier this=20
month, the exhibition hall was studded with booths for aspiring religious=20
channels. Unlike the teach-and-preach religious-TV tradition, they say,=20
many of the new programmers will offer modern content and packaging to=20
reach an underserved and media-savvy Christian youth market. Whether trying=
=20
to break into the business or expand an existing base, religious-TV=20
entrepreneurs sense a rare opportunity.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Anne Becker]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA527238.html?display=3DSpecial...
ort&referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

CABLE TV COULD GET ITS MOUTH WASHED OUT
Cable -- and even satellite TV and radio -- could become subject to the=20
government's indecency rules. "It absolutely will happen; it's only a=20
question of when," says Adam D. Thierer, a senior fellow at the Progress &=
=20
Freedom Foundation. Decency advocates say the Supreme Court may look at=20
cable protections differently now that 85% of households have cable or=20
satellite, vs. 15% nearly 25 years ago when the court said that the rules=20
did not apply to cable. Cable faces a formidable coalition that includes=20
the conservative Parents Television Council and liberal Consumers Union --=
=20
along with religious broadcasters and even Walt Disney. Senate Commerce=20
Committee Chairman Ted Stevens is expected to introduce a cable indecency=20
this Spring.
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Catherine Yang]
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_18/c3931059_mz013.htm

PUBLIC BROADCASTING

RECASTING PBS?
Solomon interviews the new chief executive at the Corporation for Public=20
Broadcasting, Ken Ferree. Asked if public TV should attract more=20
conservative viewers, he answers, "Yeah! I would hope that in the long run=
=20
we can attract new viewers, and we shouldn't limit ourselves to a=20
particular demographic. Does public television belong to the Democrats?"=20
Ferree pushed changes in FCC rules that would have loosened media ownership=
=20
restrictions. "What I was doing at the FCC, in my mind, was preserving=20
commercial broadcast services and helping them thrive. Now, in this job, I=
=20
am trying to preserve free noncommercial television." What PBS shows does=20
he like? "I'm not much of a TV consumer. I like Masterpiece Theater and=20
some of the Frontline shows. I like Antiques Roadshow and Nova. I don't=20
know." The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer? "Lehrer is good, but I don't watch a=20
lot of broadcast news. The problem for me is that I do the Internet news=20
stuff all day long, so by the time I get to the Lehrer thing . . . it's=20
slow. I don't always want to sit down and read Shakespeare, and Lehrer is=20
akin to Shakespeare. Sometimes I really just want a People magazine, and=20
often that is in the evening, after a hard day." Do you listen to NPR? "No.=
=20
I do not get a lot of public radio for one simple reason. I commute to work=
=20
on my motorcycle, and there is no radio access."
[SOURCE: New York Times 4/24, AUTHOR: Deborah Solomon]
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/24/magazine/24QUESTIONS.html?
(requires registration)

CPB PLANS CIVIC LESSONS
Continuing its heavy focus on curriculum-based programming, the Corporation=
=20
for Public Broadcasting is sponsoring a series of conferences to help=20
public-television producers and others apply for grants from its $20=20
million American History and Civics Initiative. The grants are intended to=
=20
fund media projects that "demonstrably improve" the teaching of American=20
history and civics to middle- and high school students.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA527167?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

MEDIA

WHO'S GOING TO WIN THE LIVING-ROOM WARS?
Telephone giants, cable titans, computer companies and consumer-electronics=
=20
makers are all vying to provide the next generation of high-tech=20
entertainment -- a single network of gadgets that lets you view photos,=20
listen to music, record DVDs and tune into whatever TV programs you want to=
=20
watch, whenever you feel like watching them. This convergence of computing,=
=20
communications and entertainment has been promised before, only to=20
evaporate because of consumer indifference and technology that wasn't ready=
=20
for prime time. But now the pieces are finally coming together. And=20
corporations are scrambling to make sure they aren't left behind. In some=20
sense, there are really two separate match-ups: cable vs. telephone to=20
deliver traditional and on-demand television programs, and PC vs. consumer=
=20
electronics to provide the hardware in the home-entertainment system. But=20
to an increasing extent, everybody wants a piece of everything.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Michael Totty michael.totty( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111392360478310765,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_the_journal_report
(requires subscription)

NEWSPAPERS STRUGGLE TO AVOID THEIR OWN OBIT
The percentage of adults who report reading daily newspapers has fallen=20
from 81 percent in 1964 to just 52 percent in 2004. The antics of=20
plagiarizing and lying newspaper reporters have scarred the media's=20
credibility. Recent industry scandals raise questions about whether=20
newspapers are fudging their circulation numbers, and federal do-not-call=20
legislation stopped the lucrative practice of selling subscriptions through=
=20
telemarketing. And now, free websites like craigslist.com are siphoning off=
=20
millions of dollars in vital classified ad revenue from newspapers. But=20
given all these challenges, more than 1,400 daily newspapers continue to=20
set the news agenda for television, radio, and the Internet, both=20
nationally and locally. Meanwhile, newspaper advertising revenue grew=20
during all but the first three years of the 1990s, and it went up during=20
the last quarter of 2004, too.
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR:Randy Dotinga]
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0425/p02s01-usgn.html

INTERNET

INTERNET, POLARIZED POLITICS CREATE AN OPENING FOR A THIRD PARTY
[Commentary] Elite newspapers and magazines dominate their markets partly=20
because it costs so much to build conventional hard-copy competitors. But=20
the Internet has allowed thousands of new voices to find audiences at=20
little cost for a panoramic assortment of news and opinions in Web logs and=
=20
online magazines. Some of the same effect is already evident in politics=20
and some pundits -- including Joe Trippi, a principal architect of Howard=20
Dean's breakthrough Internet strategy in the 2004 Democratic presidential=20
campaign -- believe the Internet could ignite a serious third-party=20
presidential bid in 2008.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Ronald Brownstein]
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-outlook25apr25,1...
7847.column?coll=3Dla-news-a_section
(requires registration)

PEER-TO-PEER USERS SHARE MORE THAN STOLEN SONGS
Peer-to-peer, or P2P, software allows users to connect directly to each=20
others' computers, bypassing the powerful servers that underpin much of the=
=20
Internet. Web pages, spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations and other=20
material usually stored on servers can thus be made public directly from a=
=20
user's hard drive. That makes online communication much simpler -- and its=
=20
not just for illegal downloads anymore, Peter.
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Andy Sullivan]
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=3D411TS2OV1ITLCCRBAE...
Y?type=3DinternetNews&storyID=3D8272652

WATCHDOGS SEEK OUT THE WEB'S BAD SIDE
Part vigilantes, part informants, part nosy neighbors, a new breed of=20
Internet activists search the Web for sites that they say deal in theft,=20
fraud and violence. Their causes can vary widely, be it stopping spam or=20
holding large corporations accountable for poor products or service. There=
=20
are groups that investigate murders and those that fight terrorism and=20
other crimes. The activists often operate at the boundaries of what is=20
legal and illegal.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ariana Eunjung Cha]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/24/AR200504...
473.html
(requires registration)

NEWS FROM CONGRESS

STEVENS ENDORSES KURTH FOR OPEN FCC SEAT
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) has endorsed=20
Christine Kurth, the Senate Commerce Committee deputy staff director, for=20
the open seat on the Federal Communications Commission. Kurth, 34, is No.2=
=20
in seniority on the committee staff and is from Anchorage. She began her=20
tenure with Sen Stevens as an intern, held several positions on the Senate=
=20
Appropriations Committee when Sen Stevens was chairman, including deputy=20
general counsel and a position on the Interior Subcommittee. She was also=20
an attorney for the National Labor Relations Board and worked as counsel=20
for the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee. Kurth earned two=20
degrees from Valparaiso U. in Ind.; graduating magna cum laude as an=20
undergraduate and cum laude as a J.D. She clerked for the chief judge of=20
the U.S. Dist. Court, Alaska. Kurth is married to Timothy Kurth, a lobbyist=
=20
with Lundquist, Nethercutt & Griles and a former aide to House Speaker=20
Hastert (R-II) on technology issues.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Terry Lane]
(Not available online)

USF REFORM IN CONGRESS NOT LIKELY UNTIL 2007, MEMBERS SAY
Sen. Craig (R-Ida.) and Rep. Cannon (R-Utah) said Friday that no=20
significant universal service fund reform in Congress is likely to be=20
enacted until at least 2007.Other legislative priorities, coupled with the=
=20
issue=92s complexity, make 2007 a likelier timeline for enactment. These=20
members=92 evaluation is noteworthy, since neither sits on his chamber=92s=
=20
Commerce Committee. They said their judgments are based on Members=92=20
knowledge and attitudes, not on the expert Committees.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Terry Lane]
(Not available online)

VNR HEARING SLATED FOR APRIL 28
Senators Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) and Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) have scheduled=
=20
an April 28 Commerce Committee hearing on a video news release (VNR) bill=20
to be introduced by Senator John Kerry and several others. The bill=20
requires that "VNR's produced, distributed or otherwise paid for by the=20
federal government clearly identify the federal government as the source of=
=20
such material." The legislation, which would require a disclaimer to run=20
continuously during the VNR, is expected to closely mirror an amendment the=
=20
legislators tried to add to a "Junk Fax Prevention" bill 10 days ago then=20
being considered by the Commerce Committee. It was withdrawn when Sen=20
Stevens agreed to take it up separately. VNRs are essentially prepackaged=20
news stories produced so that TV news programmers can air them without any=
=20
additional editing. Sometimes actors have been employed to portray=20
reporters. Producers of the releases often suggest scripts that news=20
anchors can use a lead-ins.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA527322?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
See info about the hearing at=20
http://commerce.senate.gov/hearings/witnesslist.cfm?id=3D1488

QUICKLY

MCI TENTATIVELY ACCEPTS QWEST BID
MCI finally, but tentatively, embraced a takeover bid from Qwest=20
Communications, declaring the Qwest offer of $9.74 billion, or $30 a share,=
=20
superior to the accepted merger with the far larger Verizon Communications.=
=20
However, Verizon isn't giving up and is likely to raise its current bid of=
=20
$7.5 billion, or $23.10 a share. A new bid will probably come closer to the=
=20
$25.72/share price Verizon agreed two weeks ago to pay for the MCI shares=20
held by MCI's biggest shareholder, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim Hel=FA.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Jesse Drucker jesse.drucker( at )wsj.com=20
and Almar Latour almar.latour( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111427444420715104,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_page_one
(requires subscription)
See also:
* Qwest Raises Its MCI Bid, and Anxiety Goes Up, Too
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/25/business/25place.html
* MCI terms latest Qwest bid =91superior'
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20050425/qwest25.art.htm

NOW A WORD FROM OUR LOW-DEFINITION SPONSOR...
Although the number of households with HDTVs is growing fast, it's still=20
small. And even people who own the special television sets often have to=20
jump through technical hoops to pick up some shows in high definition --=20
and it's hard to estimate how many people actually take that extra step. So=
=20
while a variety of shows are now designed for high-definition transmission,=
=20
just a handful of commercials are. Most channels that broadcast in high=20
definition simply reformat conventional ads to fit the different standard.=
=20
Some proponents of high-definition commercials argue that the ad industry=20
is missing out on a golden opportunity. Consumers are paying more and more=
=20
attention to picture quality, they argue, and the sharper ads will stand=20
out from the pack. Moreover, they say, people with HDTVs represent a=20
valuable group of early adopters -- and it's worth going to great lengths=20
to reach them.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sarah McBride sarah.mcbride( at )wsj.com ]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111400990191312019,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_the_journal_report
(requires subscription)

A HUNDRED CELLPHONE BLOOM, AND CHINESE TAKE TO THE STREETS
The thousands of people who poured onto the streets of China this month for=
=20
the anti-Japanese protests that shook Asia were bound by nationalist anger=
=20
but also by a more mundane fact: they are China's cellphone and computer=20
generation. For several weeks as the protests grew larger and more unruly,=
=20
China banned almost all coverage in the state media. It hardly mattered. An=
=20
underground conversation was raging via e-mail, text message and instant=20
online messaging that inflamed public opinion and served as an organizing=20
tool for protesters. The underground noise grew so loud that last Friday=20
the Chinese government moved to silence it by banning the use of text=20
messages or e-mail to organize protests. It was part of a broader curb on=20
the anti-Japanese movement but it also seemed the Communist Party had=20
self-interest in mind.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jim Yardley]
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/25/international/asia/25china.html?hp&ex=...
14488000&en=3D63e366184854b780&ei=3D5094&partner=3Dhomepage
(requires registration)

OLD, NEW MEDIA FIRMS SEAL DEAL
Fuji TV and Livedoor hammered out a deal that allows Fuji TV to take=20
control of Nippon Broadcasting Systems, its radio broadcasting affiliate,=20
as it had initially hoped to do by buying back Livedoor's majority stake of=
=20
just over 50%.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR:Michiyo Nakamoto]
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-ft-livedoor25apr25,1,745...
.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)

THE ENEMY ON OUR AIRWAVES
[Commentary] Figures show that 77% of Iraqis cite TV as their main source=20
of information; 15% cite newspapers. Current estimates are that close to=20
100% of Iraqis have access to satellite TV, 18% to cell phones, and 8% to=20
the Internet. The battle for Iraqi hearts and minds is being fought over=20
satellite TV. It is a battle today that we are losing badly. Smith writes=20
that there is a collaboration between terrorists and satellite news=20
channel, Al-Jazeera. "While the precise terms of that relationship are=20
virtually unknown, we do know this: Al-Jazeera and the terrorists have a=20
working arrangement that extends beyond a modus vivendi. When the=20
terrorists want to broadcast something that helps their cause, they have=20
immediate and reliable access to Al-Jazeera." A-Jazeera receives $100=20
million a year from the government of Qatar. Smith questions this=20
relationship as well as the between Al-Jazeera and US television networks.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Dorrance Smith, former senior media=20
adviser to Ambassador Paul Bremer]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111438848754715621,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_opinion
(requires subscription)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary service=20
provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday through=20
Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments,=20
policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are=20
factually accurate, their often informal tone does not always represent the=
=20
tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang=20
(headlines( at )benton.org) -- we welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Today, the Institute for Public Representation of Georgetown University Law=
=20
Center and the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ are=20
holding a book party for Kay Mills' new book, Changing Channels, The Civil=
=20
Rights Case that Transformed Television. This book tells the story of the=20
license renewal challenge brought by the United Church of Christ against=20
television station WLBT in Jackson, Mississippi in 1964.
For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm

TELEVISION
NAB to Ask FCC to Reconsider Multicast
Media Matters Accepts Murdoch Challenge
Next Up on Fox: Ads That Can Change Pitch
Legal Or Not, P2P TV Is Coming

INTERNET
House Aide: Telecom Reform to Focus on Internet Issues First
Members Flag Regulation Exemptions for Bells
Internet Feeding, not Beating, other Media
Britain Gets a New Broadband Divide
Saving the Internet
Top Down and Bottom Up

INDECENCY
Support for Tougher Indecency Measures, But Worries About
Government Intrusiveness
Broadcasters Narrow In on Indecency

MERGERS
House Judiciary Leaders Raise Concerns Over Telecom Mergers
Groups Urge Opposition of Adelphia Sale to Time Warner-Comcast

QUICKLY -- As Apple Suit Shows, 'Journalism' Is Broad; Bill Targeting=20
Content Pirates Passes

TELEVISION

NAB TO ASK FCC TO RECONSIDER MULTICAST
The National Association of Broadcasters is seeking a new ruling from the=20
Federal Communications Commission on a hot-button issue called multicast=20
must-carry. Although broadcasters are legally entitled to cable carriage of=
=20
a single programming service, the NAB insisted that the law actual mandates=
=20
carriage of all programming services that a station can pack into its=20
digital bandwidth. That is currently about five or six programming streams.=
=20
The NAB is expected to make a FCC filing later this week in a regulatory=20
step that postpones a court battle with the agency and the cable industry.=
=20
James Goodmon, CEO of Capitol Broadcasting Co. Inc. in Raleigh, N.C., said=
=20
cable's resistance to multicast must-carry was designed to block=20
competition from TV stations that wanted to use their digital capacity to=20
air 24-hour news and weather channels. =93I absolutely think that we need=20
[multicast] must-carry because cable has programming that they want to=20
protect against our local news channels," Goodmon said. =93It is not a=20
[cable] capacity issue. It is also not an issue of C-SPAN coming off all=20
over America.=94
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA526373.html?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

MEDIA MATTERS ACCEPTS MURDOCH CHALLENGE
In a letter to Rupert Murdoch, Media Matters for America has accepted a=20
challenge "show Fox News has any bias in it." The letter includes an=20
attachment with examples that Media Matters has compiled, which demonstrate=
=20
that conservative voices on Fox far outnumber progressive voices; that Fox=
=20
anchors, reporters, and ostensibly non-ideological guests routinely inject=
=20
pro-Republican opinion into "news" programs; and that even Fox's "hard=20
news" anchors and reporters regularly distort the news to further the GOP=20
agenda. And since one good challenge deserves another, MM4A ends the letter=
=20
with: Because we suspect your challenge was rhetorical, rather than a=20
reflection of a sincere desire to assess Fox News' "balance," I suggest=20
submitting these examples to a mutually-agreed-upon panel for review. Let's=
=20
let a neutral body, rather than the CEO of Fox News' parent company, decide=
=20
if Fox News "has any bias in it."
[SOURCE: Media Matters for America, AUTHOR: David Brock]
http://mediamatters.org/items/200504200004
See coverage in:
B&C:=20
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA526489?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

NEXT UP ON FOX: ADS THAT CAN CHANGE PITCH
In a move that could help redefine broadcast-TV advertising, News Corp.'s=20
Fox plans to offer marketers tweakable ads -- spots that can be digitally=20
altered to contain elements relevant to particular viewers at the time they=
=20
are seen. By changing voiceovers, scripts, graphic elements or other=20
images, for instance, advertisers could make an ad appeal to teens in one=20
instance and seniors in another. Tailoring commercials has emerged as a new=
=20
goal in the ad industry, thanks to a plethora of media outlets and the=20
increasing fragmentation of audiences. While digital technology already=20
gives cable carriers the ability to offer adjustable ads -- sometimes even=
=20
by ZIP Code -- advertisers who wanted to customize their pitches in the=20
not-too-distant past often had to create separate spots. The Fox effort=20
could let an advertiser modify a single ad in various ways, minutes before=
=20
it airs. Perhaps more significantly, it brings the practice to a major=20
broadcast network for the first time.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Brian Steinberg=20
brian.steinberg( at )wsj.com ]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111403096671212390,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_marketplace
(requires subscription)

LEGAL OR NOT, P2P TV IS COMING
Magna Global media analyst Brian Wieser reports that while his company does=
=20
not see peer-to-peer content sharing becoming a mass market for video=20
content in the same way it has for audio, it will become a young-targeted=20
niche market that studios, distributors and marketers have to deal with. He=
=20
argues that content providers should not just protect their old models of=20
distribution through lawsuits and other purely defensive tactics. Instead,=
=20
Wieser said, studios should start thinking creatively about product=20
distribution for "the day when producers and/or networks are forced to=20
provide their content in online, on-demand environments."
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA526436?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

INTERNET

HOUSE AIDE: TELECOM REFORM TO FOCUS ON INTERNET ISSUES FIRST
The House Commerce Committee plans to deal with telecom reform in separate=
=20
bills, starting with Internet issues, Brendon Weiss, aide to Rep Fossella=20
(R-NY) said Tuesday at an Federal Communication Bar Association seminar.=20
Weiss said the panel wants to start circulating a draft Internet bill by=20
mid-May. The committee leadership hopes to have a bill on the floor this=20
year or early next. Other issues -- like universal service reform -- will=20
come later. Weiss said the IP bill would be based on several =93principles:=
=94=20
1) IP and broadband services are =93inherently interstate=94 and thus =93to=
the=20
extent they are regulated at all they should be regulated at the federal=20
level.=94 (not at state or local level). 2) The =93net freedoms=94 concept=
=20
advanced by ex-FCC Chairman Michael Powell and others. Net freedoms=20
includes assurances consumers can use networks without interference and can=
=20
attach their own devices if there=92s no harm to networks. 3) VoIP providers=
=20
should have to give consumers access to 911 dispatchers. 4) They also=20
should =93accept each other=92s voice traffic and compensate each other for=
the=20
termination of voice traffic.=94
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Edie Herman]
(Not available online)

MEMBERS FLAG REGULATION EXEMPTIONS FOR BELLS
The House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet held a=20
hearing Wednesday called How Internet Protocol-Enabled Services Are=20
Changing the Face of Communications: A Look at Video and Data Services.=20
Representatives from SBC and Verizon used the opportunity to promote the=20
Internet protocol (IP) video services they soon will be offering -- and to=
=20
urge Members of Congress to exempt the services from some regulations that=
=20
apply to cable. Rep Ed Markey (MA), the ranking Democrat on the=20
subcommittee, aggressively questioned testifiers about rollout of these new=
=20
services, highlighting plans to focus on just the most affluent households.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Terry Lane]
(Not available online)
For more on the hearing, see=20
http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/04202005hearing1483/hearing...
More coverage in --
News.com:=20
http://news.com.com/Bells+fiber+plans+spark+political+flame+war/2100-103...
5678536.html?tag=3Dnefd.top
B&C:=20
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA526456?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
Multichannel News:=20
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA526486.html?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
Also see --
Don't Make Me Have To Punish You!
http://www.riedelcommunications.blogspot.com/www.riedelcommunications.blog=
spot.com=20

INTERNET FEEDING, NOT BEATING, OTHER MEDIA
A new study by Forrester Research and Headlight Vision found that broadband=
=20
Internet users are actually turning to the Web for deeper content and=20
entertainment info without forsaking other media. Broadband users are two=20
to three times more likely to download video than dial-up customers,=20
including movie clips, trailers, news video, sports events and cartoons.=20
And they are twice as likely to use the Internet to augment their decisions=
=20
about which movies to see. According to the study, 64% of broadband users=20
watch TV or read newspapers or mags at the same time that they are online.=
=20
That number jumps to 71% for wireless broadband users.
[SOURCE: Variety, AUTHOR: Pamela McClintock]
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117921271?categoryid=3D1009&cs=3D1&s=3...
=3D0

BRITAIN GETS NEW BROADBAND DIVIDE
Talk of a broadband divide used to be centered on the haves and the=20
have-nots of high-speed access as a result of BT's feet dragging over=20
rolling out ADSL to rural areas. But now that the majority of those who=20
want it -- around 96 percent of the country according to BT -- have access=
=20
to a broadband-enabled exchange, the protesters appeared to have been=20
appeased. However, the increasing perceived need for faster access through=
=20
fatter pipes is threatening to change the rules of the game once again and=
=20
create a new broadband divide -- now based around costs and speed rather=20
simple access.
[SOURCE: ZDNet UK, AUTHOR: Graeme Wearden]
http://insight.zdnet.co.uk/communications/broadband/0,39020424,39195176,...
tm

SAVING THE INTERNET
Because of broadband, the Internet as we have known it is going to change=20
-- the only question is how. There's a fight going on over that question,=20
and at stake is nothing less than the Internet's potential as a medium for=
=20
free expression, civic involvement, and economic innovation. Unfortunately,=
=20
unless the government changes course and begins to restrain the=20
increasingly concentrated power of the companies that sell Internet access,=
=20
the Internet's vaunted freedom and openness will dissolve as these private=
=20
interests gain leverage over our most precious communications medium.
[SOURCE: MediaChannel.org, AUTHOR: Barry Steinhardt and Jay Stanley]
http://www.mediachannel.org/views/dissector/affalert358.shtml

TOP DOWN AND BOTTOM UP
[Commentary] I really don't understand Verizon's hostile attitude toward=20
free wi-fi, and especially municipal wi-fi. the two services seem to me to=
=20
be complementary, not competitive. The more those companies criticize the=20
municipal wi-fi approach, the more it makes me wonder what, exactly,=20
they're afraid of.
[SOURCE: Tech Central Station, AUTHOR: Glenn Harlan Reynolds]
http://www.techcentralstation.com/042005D.html

INDECENCY

SUPPORT FOR TOUGHER INDECENCY MEASURES, BUT WORRIES ABOUT GOVERNMENT=20
INTRUSIVENESS
The latest Pew Research Center nationwide survey finds that 75% of=20
Americans favor tighter enforcement of government rules on TV content=20
during hours when children are most likely to be watching. Sizable=20
majorities also back other anti-indecency proposals currently before=20
Congress, including steeper fines (69%) and extending network standards for=
=20
indecency to cable television (60%). But Americans have ambivalent views=20
about the appropriate role for government in curbing sex, violence and=20
indecency in the entertainment media. They have doubts about the=20
effectiveness of government action, and believe that public pressure =AD in=
=20
the form of complaints and boycotts =AD is a better way of dealing with the=
=20
problem. They also blame audiences more than the media industry for=20
objectionable material. Significantly, Americans see greater danger in the=
=20
government's imposing undue restrictions on the entertainment industry,=20
than in the industry producing harmful content (by 48% vs. 41%).
[SOURCE: Pew Research Center]
http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=3D241
More coverage in --
AdAge: http://adage.com/news.cms?newsId=3D44815

BROADCASTERS NARROW IN ON INDECENCY
Broadcasters gathered in Las Vegas this week are obsessed with indecency.=20
Or, at least, the regulation of indecency by the FCC. The Commission's new=
=20
chairman, Kevin Martin, will likely be an even tougher indecency regulator=
=20
than former Chairman Powell under who's watch indecency fines rose to=20
record levels. As FCC chairman, Mr. Martin must walk a fine line between=20
his public views, which are popular with social conservatives, and the=20
political reality that broadcasters have a way of getting Congress to=20
listen when they are unhappy with regulators. Media companies want to see=20
fewer, not more, decency requirements. Some broadcasters say they are=20
frustrated that the line between what is acceptable and what isn't is so=20
vague -- and that cable and satellite TV and radio don't have to worry=20
about the issue.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Amy Schatz Amy.Schatz( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111403586473212557,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_page_one
(requires subscription)
See also --
Indecency-Complaint Form Omits Indecency
The Office of Management and Budget has approved two new FCC complaint=20
forms, including one for indecency complaints. The FCC says the new=20
complaint forms make the process easier and less time consuming, and will=20
insure that the complaint contains the minimum amount of information the=20
Commission needs to process it.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable: AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA526480?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
FCC complaint page: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html

MERGERS

HOUSE JUDICIARY LEADERS RAISE CONCERNS OVER TELECOM MERGERS
The House Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing Wednesday on=20
consolidation in the telecommunications industry. Leaders from both sides=20
of the aisle expressed concern that consolidation was undermining the=20
intent of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Pending mergers of SBC and=20
AT&T, Verizon and MCI would leave two firms controlling 80% of the business=
=20
and nearing two-thirds of all Bell customers.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Terry Lane]
(Not available online)
Link to hearing info: http://judiciary.house.gov/oversight.aspx?ID=3D142

GROUPS URGE OPPOSITION OF ADELPHIA SALE TO TIME WARNER-COMCAST
The Center for Digital Democracy, the Media Access Project, Common Cause,=20
Free Press and the Center for Creative Voices in Media have sent letters to=
=20
mayors in Arizona, California, Colorado, Ohio, Florida, Maine, New York,=20
Puerto Rico, Montana, Idaho and Washington warning that the sale of=20
Adelphia to Time Warner-Comcast will not be in the public interest of=20
cities and local franchising authorities that oversee cable rates. The=20
letter pledged to =93protect the public=92s rights=94 by demanding strict=20
regulatory scrutiny of a sale, adding that they would challenge the sale at=
=20
the federal, state and local level in each Adelphia market being=20
transferred in the purchase.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Anne Veigle]
(Not available online)
See letter at:=
http://www.creativevoices.us/php-bin/news/showArticle.php?id=3D114
See also --
Judge Approves Big Breakup Fee In Adelphia Deal
Time Warner and Comcast took a major step toward acquiring Adelphia=20
Communications as a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approved a $440 million fee=
=20
that Adelphia would have to pay the joint bidders if the deal isn't=
completed
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Peter Grant peter.grant( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111404121931912668,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_marketplace
(requires subscription)

QUICKLY
As Apple Suit Shows, 'Journalism' Is Broad
AS APPLE SUIT SHOWS, 'JOURNALISM' IS BROAD
[Commentary] There has been a lot of foolishness in the press of late=20
questioning whether webloggers and online publishers deserve the=20
professional label "journalist." The argument seems to be that only people=
=20
who are officially affiliated with big media conglomerates and whose work=20
is distributed on paper or by broadcast or cable should be allowed to bask=
=20
in the tremendous respect and reverence bestowed on certified newshounds by=
=20
a grateful public. The truth is that the only useful way to define=20
"journalist" is functionally: As anyone who hunts down suppressed,=20
overlooked or misunderstood information of public interest (even trivial=20
interest) and presents or explains it to an audience. The medium of=20
publication is irrelevant. Newspapers, magazines and TV and radio services=
=20
aren't invariably exemplars of serious news gathering; many are brainless,=
=20
irresponsible or purveyors of propaganda. Conversely, although many weblogs=
=20
and websites are outlets for wingnuts and noodniks, many others provide=20
trenchant and incisive news and analysis.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR:Michael Hiltzik]
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-golden21apr21,1,27057...
olumn?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)

BILL TARGETING CONTENT PIRATES PASSES
Both houses of Congress have now passed the Family Entertainment and=20
Copyright Act, a bill that will crack down on the illegal distribution of=20
pirated copies of movies and songs, but allow technologies like ClearPlay=20
to sanitize copies of films, DVD's or TV shows without violating copyright=
=20
laws.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA526370?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary service=20
provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday through=20
Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments,=20
policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are=20
factually accurate, their often informal tone does not always represent the=
=20
tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang=20
(headlines( at )benton.org) -- we welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------

The Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust will hold a hearing today on the=20
SBC/AT&T and Verizon/MCI Mergers. For this and other upcoming media policy=
=20
events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm To learn more about=20
opposition to the SBC deal in California, see=20
http://zerodivide.org/pdf/merger/mergerprotest.pdf

JOURNALISM
Columnist Group Prez Criticizes Armstrong Williams Probe
How Companies Pay TV Experts For On-Air Product Mentions
Watergate Journalist Says Media Losing Public's Trust

TELEVISION
Barton Readies Hard-Date Bill
Don't Delay Tuners, NAB Tells FCC
Verizon CEO Calls for Pay-TV Rule Changes
Cablevision Raises Bid for Adelphia To $17.1 Billion
'Decency' Group Lifts P&G Boycott

FROM THE BLOG-O-SPHERE/COMMENTARY
Back To Mayberry (Barton Threatens Kids Computer Skills)
Innovative Use of Digital Media
The Mess of Mass Entertainment

QUICKLY -- Anti-Piracy Bill Sweet, Sour for Hollywood; Finding a .job;=20
Indian TV Channel Finds Little Appetite for the Naked Truth

JOURNALISM

COLUMNIST GROUP PREZ CRITICIZES ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS PROBE
National Society of Newspaper Columnists President Suzette Martinez=20
Standring is not impressed with a U.S. Department of Education probe of=20
government money that went to conservative commentator Armstrong Williams.=
=20
Standring wrote, "Government and journalistic wordsmiths seem to be at odds=
=20
regarding the inspector-general's investigation of the Armstrong Williams=20
controversy. I laughed out loud when Education Secretary Margaret Spellings=
=20
suggested the $240,000 payoff to Williams might have begun as a hint by=20
senior officials, later misread by minions that, in turn, may have led to a=
=20
'chain reaction within the building to carry out the request." Standring=20
added: "The report comes across as a chagrined 'oopsie!' It describes=20
Armstrong's hiring to shill for No Child Left Behind policies as 'poor=20
judgment.' We maintain 'ethical lapse.' They say 'mistake,' we say 'abuse.'=
=20
In our dictionary, the Department of Education's 'public relations minority=
=20
outreach' is better defined under 'covert propaganda.' You say potahto, I=20
say payola.'"
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Dave Astor dastor( at )editorandpublisher.com]
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
_id=3D1000884855

HOW COMPANIES PAY TV EXPERTS FOR ON-AIR PRODUCT MENTIONS
A look at a little-known network that connects product experts with=20
advertisers and TV shows. The experts pitch themselves to companies willing=
=20
to pay for a mention. Next, they approach local-TV stations and offer=20
themselves up to be interviewed. Appearances frequently coincide with trade=
=20
shows, such as the Consumer Electronics Show, or holidays including=20
Christmas or Valentine's Day. Interviews typically air during regular news=
=20
programming in a way that's indistinguishable from the rest of the show.=20
One reviewer may conduct dozens of interviews with local stations over the=
=20
course of a day in what the industry calls a "satellite media tour." While=
=20
this circuit is predominantly focused on the local television market, the=20
big prize for marketers is a mention on national television shows, which=20
carry far more clout with viewers. A longstanding principle of journalism=20
holds that reporters cannot have financial relationships with the people or=
=20
companies they cover. TV shows present these gurus' recommendations as=20
unbiased and based solely on their expertise. But that presentation is=20
misleading if the experts have been paid to mention products on network or=
=20
local TV.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: James Bandler at=
james.bandler( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111386025685009961,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_page_one
(requires subscription)

WATERGATE JOURNALIST SAYS MEDIA LOSING PUBLIC'S TRUST
Carl Bernstein, the former Washington Post reporter who, along with Bob=20
Woodward, broke and covered the Watergate scandal, said, the=20
ever-escalating quest for profits has replaced journalism's obligation to=20
seek "the best obtainable version of the truth." Though the nation's=20
newspapers are hardly faultless, Bernstein said television news had been=20
taken over by an "idiot culture" that spends more time chasing celebrities=
=20
than explaining life-changing events. Bernstein said the media's race to=20
embrace this "idiot culture" has weakened its resolve to pursue truth and=20
relevance. It's a weakness, he said, that's come to threaten the public=20
good more than secrecy. Bernstein challenged the nation's media to=20
rediscover its obligations to inform the public and to promote the "public=
=20
good" rather than agendas driven by political spite.
[SOURCE: Lawrence Journal-World, AUTHOR: Dave Ranney]
http://www.ljworld.com/section/citynews/story/202103
See also --
TV news just isn't what it used to be
[SOURCE: The Arizona Republic, AUTHOR: Bill Goodykoontz]
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0417cronkite17.html

TELEVISION

BARTON READIES HARD-DATE BILL
House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) said legislation=20
setting a hard date for the end of the digital television transition should=
=20
be ready in two or three weeks. Rep Barton said the date may not be his=20
preferred 12/31/06, but will not be as late as 2009 as some have suggested.=
=20
Still under discussion with other committee members is a possible provision=
=20
that would expand broadcasters' digital cable carriage rights. Auction=20
revenues generated by returned analog TV spectrum may go to subsidize DTV=20
convertor boxes for low income households. Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT) and=20
other lawmakers in Las Vegas expressed some concern about ending the=20
transition too soon, resulting in a lot of obsolete television sets.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA525792?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
Lawmakers Concerned About 2006 DTV Bill
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA525870.html?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

DON'T DELAY TUNERS, NAB TELLS FCC
The National Association of Broadcasters and the Association of Maximum=20
Service Television (MSTV) will ask the Federal Communications Commission to=
=20
reject an effort by the consumer-electronics industry to delay the July 1,=
=20
2005 deadline for having digital-TV tuners in at least one-half of all TV=20
sets shipped. Currently, all DTV sets 13-inches and larger must have the=20
tuners by July 1, 2007; the Consumer Electronic Association says it now=20
favors accelerating the deadline, saying it could go all-tuner by March=20
2006 if the FCC drops this summer's 50% deadline.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell & John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA525788?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

VERIZON CEO CALLS FOR PAY-TV RULE CHANGES
During a speech at the National Association of Broadcasters conference in=20
Las Vegas on Monday, Verizon Communications CEO Ivan Seidenberg told an=20
audience made up largely of those in the TV industry that Verizon should=20
not be required to pay fees to local governments for offering pay-TV over=20
fiber. The issue stems from current "franchise" fees that allow local=20
municipalities to bill cable companies for using their public facilities,=20
such as light poles and sewers, to deliver television. Telephone companies=
=20
such as Verizon must pay separate fees to stretch their own copper wires to=
=20
offer phone and DSL services. Seidenberg said requiring the Bells to pay=20
video fees on top of their existing fees would hurt Verizon's video=
ambitions.
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Jim Hu]
http://news.com.com/Verizon+CEO+calls+for+pay-TV+rule+changes/2100-1037_...
75359.html?tag=3Dnefd.top
Also in:
Multichannel News:=20
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA525893.html?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

CABLEVISION RAISES BID FOR ADELPHIA TO $17.1 BILLION
Cablevision has raised its bid for Adelphia Communications to $17.1=20
billion, intensifying its bidding war with Time Warner and Comcast for the=
=20
fifth-largest cable operator. Adelphia, which has more than five million=20
subscribers, has been operating under bankruptcy protection since 2002.=20
While Cablevision's bid is still valued at less than Time Warner and=20
Comcast's offer, it likely has a larger cash component, which some=20
creditors might find to be more attractive. Time Warner and Comcast's bid=20
consists of $12.5 billion in cash and roughly $5.1 billion in stock, and=20
some creditors are concerned that the stock may wind up being valued less=20
than that, once it starts trading. Creditors so far have been unsuccessful=
=20
in persuading Time Warner and Comcast to include a guarantee in their offer=
=20
that the stock wouldn't fall below a certain value.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Peter Grant peter.grant( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111387113169510184,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_page_one
(requires subscription)

'DECENCY' GROUP LIFT P&G BOYCOTT
The American Family Association (formerly the National Federation for=20
Decency) has suspended its boycott of Procter & Gamble over what it had=20
charged was the company's sponsorship of television programming and=20
Internet sites promoting a "homosexual lifestyle." AFA targeted P&G because=
=20
it purchased ad time during "Will & Grace" and "Queer Eye for the Straight=
=20
Guy."
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA525858?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

FROM THE BLOG-O-SPHERE/COMMENTARY

BACK TO MAYBERRY
It is crystal clear Rep Joe Barton, Chairman of the House Energy and=20
Commerce Committee, is completely opposed to America=92s children learning=
=20
how to use computers, email and the web. Rep Barton has fixed his sights on=
=20
evaporating the E-rate.
[SOURCE: Riedel Communications, AUTHOR: Bunnie Riedel]
http://www.riedelcommunications.blogspot.com/

INNOVATIVE USE OF DIGITAL MEDIA
Three examples of innovative use of digital media to cover news events.=20
Each won the a Digital Edge Award.
[SOURCE: CyberJournalist.net, AUTHOR: Jonathan Dube]
http://www.cyberjournalist.net/news/002397.php

THE MESS OF MASS ENTERTAINMENT
[Commentary] While headlines herald the box-office dominance of =93family=20
films=94 and marvel at the new muscle of anti-indecency crusaders in the TV=
=20
business, few parents feel reassured by current offerings from the=20
entertainment industry. In the midst of ongoing debate about media=20
standards, the general public seems unable to decide whether we should fear=
=20
too much censorship =97 or too little. In part, the prevailing confusion=20
about where we stand in the struggle over pop culture indecency reflects=20
the limited focus of recent efforts to =93clean up=94 mass entertainment.=
While=20
concentrating on a few high-profile events on TV, activists and officials=20
have done little to address the omnipresent edginess and raunch on cable=20
TV, in the music business or in video games. While attempts to expand FCC=20
supervision into these arenas would prove unpopular, impractical and=20
ill-advised, a meaningful extension and adjustment of content ratings could=
=20
equip parents with information to enhance empowerment. In providing more=20
comprehensible and uniform content ratings, show-business companies could=20
simultaneously encourage those who say they seek more wholesome,=20
family-friendly alternatives, and those who worry that restrictive puritans=
=20
have already gone too far.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Michael Medved, radio host and film critic]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050419/oplede19.art.htm

QUICKLY

ANTI-PIRACY BILL SWEET, SOUR FOR HOLLYWOOD
Congress is poised to pass a bill ratcheting up the penalties for movie and=
=20
music bootlegging, handing Hollywood a long-sought victory in its drive to=
=20
prosecute pirates. But the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act of 2005,=
=20
which the House is expected to approve today, includes a bitter pill for=20
the studios: It would legalize products that electronically snip offensive=
=20
scenes or words from DVDs.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Jon Healey]
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-camcorder19apr19,1,36...
8.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)

WEB-SITE SUFFIX .JOB IS ADDED IN HOPE IT IS EASIER TO FIND ONE
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers approved the suffix=
=20
".jobs" earlier this month. Employers can use the suffix to create=20
dedicated job-postings Web sites that end in ".jobs" rather than ".com."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Erin White erin.white( at )wsj.com and=20
Kris Maher kris.maher( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111387642952910352,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_marketplace
(requires subscription)

INDIAN TV CHANNEL FINDS LITTLE APPETITE FOR THE NAKED TRUTH
Sexual disclosures bring public criticism, not acclaim for India TV, an=20
upstart television channel.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Rama Lakshmi]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A64602-2005Apr18.html
(requires registration)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary service=20
provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday through=20
Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments,=20
policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are=20
factually accurate, their often informal tone does not always represent the=
=20
tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang=20
(headlines( at )benton.org) -- we welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------

you how it will be)

Next week 1) Broadcasters get it on in Vegas; 2) the Senate Antitrust,
Competition Policy and Consumer Rights Subcommittee will examine the
SBC/ATT and Verizon/MCI mergers and 3) we will learn what's on the agenda
for new FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's first public meeting. For these and
other upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm

NEWS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
Bush Backs Pay Indecency Regulation
Bush: 'I Don't Want You Reading My Personal Stuff'

NEWS FROM CONGRESS
White House Accused of Impeding Investigation
Sens. Propose VNR ID Bill
Protecting The Press -- And the Public
Barton Proposes Funding 'E-Rate' From General Tax Revenues
Minority Serving Institutions Digital and Wireless Technology
Opportunity Act of 2005
Junk Fax Prevention Bill

NEWS FROM LOBBYISTS
Public Television and Cable Ratify Digital Cable Carriage Agreement
Rural Telecom Groups Respond to TeleConsensus Plans for
Telecom Legislation Reform

NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA
PUC Gives Up Fight Over VOIP

NEWS FROM THE WORLD
EU Cites Telecom-Rule Offenders
Voice of America by Way of Hong Kong

NEWS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE

BUSH BACKS PAY INDECENCY REGULATIONS
President George W. Bush told newspaper editors Thursday that he supports
extending indecency regulations to cable and satellite TV, but he also
argued as forcefully for marketplace forces. "The final edit is a parent
turning off the TV. The ultimate responsibility in a consumer-driven
economy is for people to say I'm not going to watch it and turn the knob
off. That's how best to make decisions and how best to send influences."
The President continued with what seemed a mixed message: "Look, we're a
free society. The marketplace makes decisions, If you don't like something,
don't watch it. And, presumably, advertising dollars will wither and the
show will go off the air, but I have no problems with standards being set
to help parents make good decisions."
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA525031?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
Also in --
Multichannel News:
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA525063.html?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
TVWeek: http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=7649

BUSH: 'I DON'T WANT YOU READING MY PERSONAL STUFF'
President Bush said on Thursday he does not send e-mail, not even to his
twin daughters, because he fears "my personal stuff" would be made public.
Oddly enough, this was a response to a question about whether his
administration is sufficiently responsive to requests made under the
Freedom of Information Act.
[SOURCE: Reuters]
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=QZWXOOTHDPATECRBAEKS...

NEWS FROM CONGRESS

WHITE HOUSE ACCUSES OF IMPEDING INVESTIGATION
Rep. George Miller (D-CA), ranking Democrat on the House Education and
Workforce Committee, said the White House is interfering with the
Department of Education inspector general's investigation into conservative
commentator Armstrong Williams' pay-for-play contract, which paid Williams
$240,000 to promote its No Child Left Behind Policy. Apparently, the White
House has denied Dept Of Education Inspector General Jack Higgins' requests
to interview key White House officials.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA525011.html?display=Breaking+...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
Also in --
NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/15/politics/15armstrong.html
USAToday:
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050415/a_williams15.art.htm

SENATORS PROPOSE VNR ID BILL
Senate Commerce Committee chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), with the support
of ranking member/co-chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), has committed to
holding a hearing and markup on a video-news-release bill that is expected
to be introduced by Sens. John Kerry (D-MA) and Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ).
The bill requires that "VNR's produced, distributed or otherwise paid for
by the federal government clearly identify the federal government as the
source of such material." The legislation, which would require the
disclaimer to run continuously during the VNR, was introduced as an
amendment to a "Junk Fax Prevention" bill being considered by the Commerce
Committee, but was withdrawn when Stevens agreed to take it up separately
as early as next week, according to a Sen Kerry spokesman.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA525004?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
Also in TVWeek: http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=7647

PROTECTING THE PRESS -- AND THE PUBLIC
[Commentary] An op-ed in support of the Free Flow of Information Act, or
Media Shield Law, introduced in Congress by the two authors with the
bipartisan co-sponsorship of Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Rep. Rick Boucher
(D-VA). The bill would set national standards for subpoenas issued to
reporters by an entity or employee of the federal government. "It strikes a
reasonable balance between the public's right to know and the fair
administration of justice," these Members write. Freedom of speech and the
press are two of the most important rights we Americans possess under our
Constitution. They form the bedrock of our democracy by creating a free
flow of information to the public. Unfortunately, these rights are under
attack. Nearly a dozen reporters were given or threatened with jail
sentences last year for refusing to reveal confidential sources. Compelling
reporters to testify, and in particular to reveal the identity of their
confidential sources, hurts the public interest. Many whistle-blowers will
refuse to come forward, and reporters will be unable to provide our
constituents with information they have a right to.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Rep Mike Pence and Sen Richard G. Lugar]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55030-2005Apr14.html
(requires registration)

BARTON PROPOSES FUNDING 'E-RATE' FROM GENERAL TAX REVENUES
House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) said he would like to
see the "E-rate" program abolished, or at least changed from a Universal
Service Fund program to one that receives its funding through the federal
appropriations process. Rep. Barton said he would replace the current
E-rate program with a system of one-year grants for low-income areas that
would require competitive bidding from vendors. Support would only be
provided for hook-ups and equipment - known as internal connections in the
current system. No support would go toward "maintenance" - known as telecom
and Internet services in the current system - which he said was currently
consuming "more and more" of the funding. "Maintenance should be up to the
local district," he added. Finally, he said the E-rate program should be
funded through the general federal appropriations process, not through a
"specific contributions process."
[SOURCE: TRDaily via E-rate Central AUTHOR: Lynn Stanton]
http://www.e-ratecentral.com/archive/Bulletins/Bulletins2005/b_20050414.asp
* Is Uncle Sam Leaving Children Behind?
[SOURCE: Forbes.com, AUTHOR: Andrew T. Gillies]
http://www.forbes.com/technology/personaltech/2005/04/13/cz_ag_0413beltw...

MINORITY SERVING INSTITUTIONS DIGITAL AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY OPPORTUNITY
ACT OF 2005
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved S.
432, the Minority Serving Institutions Digital and Wireless Technology
Opportunity Act of 2005, by unanimous consent. The bill was introduced by
Senator George Allen (R-Va.) and was cosponsored by 11 Senators, including
Commerce Committee members Senators John McCain (R-Ariz.), Trent Lott
(R-Miss.), and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.). The bill provides $250 million in
federal grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities, tribal
colleges, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, and
Hispanic-Serving Institutions for technology upgrades and communications
infrastructure. Additionally, the grants can be used to provide education
services for technology degrees and educator training, as well as to
encourage greater use of information technology to increase scientific,
mathematical, engineering, and technology research. The bill is identical
to a bill, S. 196, passed by the Senate 97-0 during the 108th Congress. The
legislation now proceeds to the full Senate for its consideration.
[SOURCE: Senate Commerce Committee Press Release]
http://commerce.senate.gov/newsroom/printable.cfm?id=236388

JUNK FAX PREVENTION BILL
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved by
unanimous consent the "Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005" (S. 714). The bill:
1) Establishes an exception to the general prohibition against the sending
of unsolicited faxes without express consent for parties with an
"established business relationship." 2) Establishes a requirement that
persons sending unsolicited faxes pursuant to an "established business
relationship" also provide consumers with a cost-free mechanism to opt-out
of further faxes, and that notice of this mechanism be provided on each
such fax in a clear and conspicuous manner. 3) Permits the FCC to limit the
duration of an "established relationship" consistent with reasonable
consumer expectations and appropriate justification by the FCC. 4) Requires
the FCC to report annually regarding enforcement actions taken against
senders of unsolicited fax advertisements. 5) Requires the GAO to conduct a
study analyzing enforcement actions conducted by the FCC and suggest
whether any additional enforcement measures may be warranted. The Committee
unanimously accepted 2 amendments by Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). The
first amendment required that consumers be permitted to "opt-out" of
receiving further faxes by contacting the sender at any time during the
day. Previously, the bill had limited the "opt-out" requirement to regular
business hours. The second amendment stipulated that the FCC can commence a
proceeding to limit the duration of an "established business relationship"
3 months after enactment as opposed to the 18-month timeframe established
in the bill. The bill now proceeds to the full Senate for its consideration.
[SOURCE: Senate Commerce Committee Press Release]
http://commerce.senate.gov/newsroom/printable.cfm?id=236401

NEWS FROM LOBBYISTS

PUBLIC TELEVISION AND CABLE RATIFY DIGITAL CABLE CARRIAGE AGREEMENT
Public Television stations serving markets that comprise over 80 percent of
U.S. TV households and cable systems representing over 80 percent of cable
subscribers have ratified the previously announced "Public Television
Digital Cable Carriage Agreement." The agreement, announced in late January
by the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), the Public
Broadcasting Service (PBS) and the National Cable & Telecommunications
Association (NCTA), ensures that local Public Television stations' digital
programming will be carried on cable systems serving the vast majority of
the nation's cable subscribers. Cable systems will begin adding the digital
PTV stations to their local cable systems pursuant to the agreement later
this year.
[SOURCE: Association of Public Television Stations Press Release]
http://www.apts.org/news/ncta_ratification.cfm
Coverage in --
B&C:
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA525074?display=Breaking+News&...
Multichannel News:
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA525068.html?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
TVWeek: http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=7648

RURAL TELECOM GROUPS RESPOND TO TELECONSENSUS PLANS FOR TELECOM REFORM
Four national trade associations representing small and mid-sized rural
telephone companies raised serious concerns with recommendations for
telecom legislation reform by a newly formed coalition of business groups
and large telecom providers. The Independent Telephone and
Telecommunications Association (ITTA), the National Telecommunications
Cooperative Association (NTCA), the Organization for the Promotion and
Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO) and the Western
Telecommunications Alliance (WTA) opposed certain of the coalition's
proposed reforms and expressed concern with the coalition's apparent
failure to take into account the distinct needs of community-based providers.
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications Cooperative Association Press Release]
http://www.ntca.org/ka/ka-3.cfm?content_item_id=3165&folder_id=522

NEWS FROM CALIFORNIA

PUC GIVES UP FIGHT OVER VOIP
The California Public Utilities Commission voted 3 to 1 to end its appeal
of a Federal Communications Commission rule designating so-called voice
over Internet protocol as an interstate service beyond state control.
Critics fear the move will leave California customers with little recourse
for poor or faulty Internet telephone service. Consumer groups contend that
regulation is needed more than ever as the changing landscape over the next
few years allows phone service to be delivered over such technologies as
high-speed wireless networks and power lines. "This is unbelievable," said
Bob Finkelstein, executive director of the Utility Reform Network in San
Francisco. "The trouble is we have activist regulators far keener on
representing the industry than the state's consumers." The commissioners'
votes "essentially say they think the commission is irrelevant, which is a
tremendous disappointment," said Janee Briesemeister, telecom policy
analyst for Consumers Union.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR:James S. Granelli]
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-puc15apr15,1,4900551....
(requires registration)

NEWS FROM THE WORLD

EU CITES TELECOM-RULE OFFENDERS
The European Commission warned 10 countries -- Germany, Italy, Latvia,
Malta, the Netherlands, Austria, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia and Finland --
for failing to implement European Union telecommunications rules. The ten
countries either have given insufficient powers to their national telecom
regulator or failed to impose certain requirements, such as allowing
consumers to switch operators and keep their phone numbers.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sandra Plas sandra.plas( at )dowjones.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111351477930107428,00.html?mod=todays...
(requires subscription)

VOICE OF AMERICA BY WAY OF HONG KONG
Everyone's getting into outsourcing -- even Voice Of America. Faced with
ever-tightening budgets, VOA will farm out about eight news writer jobs --
the slots of people who work the graveyard shift from around midnight to
the morning -- and move those tasks to Hong Kong. (The people will move to
other shifts.) These folks handle the late news writing, then send their
stories to be translated by VOA language services into Swahili, Spanish and
so on. VOA says the move could save at least $300,000 in salaries and
benefits each year, and would relieve people burdened by working those hours.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Al Kamen]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A55134-2005Apr14.html
(requires registration)
--------------------------------------------------------------
...and we are outta here. Have a great weekend; thanks for reading.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary service
provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday through
Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments,
policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are
factually accurate, their often informal tone does not always represent the
tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang
(headlines( at )benton.org) -- we welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------