September 2005

Today is a day for Congressional hearings on Emergency Communications and=
=20
the NTIA is hosting a discussion on Hurricane Recovery featuring a TOP=20
grantee. For these and other upcoming media policy events, see=20
http://www.benton.org/?q=3Devent

LOBBYING
Phone, Cable Firms Take Lobbying Local
Knock, Knock...Sen. DeWine? Can We Come In?

BROADCASTING
Low-Power FM Radio May Benefit From Hurricane
2009 DTV Date Assailed
Indecency Complaints Plummet in 2Q
Libraries, Museums, and Public Broadcasters to Address Community Needs

JOURNALISM
Different "tone" and "style" at CPB?
TV: Why a little =91Dry' Journalism would Serve us All
Product Placement Pushes into Print

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY/PRIVACY
US Congress told to Wait on File-sharing Action
Congress to legislate file swapping?
First Privacy Officer Calls 'Experiment' a Success

INTERNATIONAL
Free Speech Issues Still Problematic For Vietnam
On Chinese Television, What's Cool Is No Longer Correct

QUICKLY -- Cable Rate Regulation; Enhancing Awareness of Lifeline/Link-Up;=
=20
States are slowly embracing eTexts; Broadband use grows in the U.S.; Like=
=20
Video Games? Now You Can Major in Them; What's Cool Online?

LOBBYING

PHONE, CABLE FIRMS TAKE LOBBYING LOCAL
Telephone and cable television companies, long among the most aggressive=20
lobbyists in Washington, also are spending heavily to influence state and=
=20
local governments on a range of issues, according to a study released today=
=20
by the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity. The companies spent at=20
least $77 million lobbying officials around the country in 2003 and 2004=20
alone, the analysis of public records showed. That number is likely to be=
=20
low, however, because many states require only minimal disclosure of=20
lobbying activities, according to the study. Topping the list for lobbying=
=20
was SBC Communications Inc., which spent $16.3 million during the two-year=
=20
period. The Texas-based phone giant also has operations in California and=
=20
11 other states. Second was Cablevision Systems Corp., which spent $13.5=20
million. Verizon Communications Inc. was third at $11.2 million. The=20
companies were working to influence issues such as who can provide new=20
services in localities and setting rules for protecting consumers. New=20
York, Texas and California were the most heavily lobbied states. Companies=
=20
spent $1.95 million in Maryland during the period and $875,000 in Virginia.=
=20
The phone and cable industries also gave campaign contributions totaling=20
$56.8 million to state candidates between 1999 and 2004, according to the=
=20
report.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR200509...
2250.html
(requires registration)
For more information see http://www.publicintegrity.org
* Telecoms spend big to try to sway rules
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20050929/1b_telecoms29.art.htm
* Telecom Firms Push for Issues on State Level
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-lobby29sep29,1,184111...
tory?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
* The Clash Of The High-Tech Titans
Nine years after passing what many saw as the mother of all telecom laws --=
=20
the 1996 Telecommunications Act -- federal lawmakers, regulators, and=20
administration officials are facing the prospect of yet another huge=20
legislative fight. Billions of dollars are at stake in the battle between=
=20
phone and cable companies. A look at the who, what, what, where, why of the=
=20
coming telecom reform legislation battle. When, you ask? Take it from this=
=20
Cubs fan -- there's always next year.
[SOURCE: National Journal's Insider Update, AUTHOR: Bara Vaida]
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-ZLCM1127945542869.html

KNOCK, KNOCK... SEN DEWINE? CAN WE COME IN?
As the Senate Judiciary Antitrust Subcommittee gears up for a hearing on=20
the state of competition in the cable TV sector, representatives of video=
=20
satellite providers and other pay-television rivals of the cable industry=
=20
have been feeling more than a bit left out. Over the past couple of weeks,=
=20
lobbyists for satellite and other cable industry rivals have argued to=20
committee aides that someone from their sectors should be allowed to=20
testify at the hearing, titled =93Video Competition In 2005 =AD More=20
Consolidation Or New Choices for Consumers?=94 But none of the cable compan=
y=20
competitors have been invited to appear. Among the issues that have been=20
raised by cable rivals -- such as DirecTV and RCN Corp. -- is the price=20
that some of the larger cable companies charge rivals for access to=20
regional sports games. Sports are considered must-have programming for any=
=20
pay TV service, and both Comcast and Time Warner have made deals with local=
=20
sports teams to control access to games across the country.
[SOURCE: National Journal's Insider Update, AUTHOR: Bara Vaida]
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-WKNU1115070261210.html

BROADCASTING

LOW-POWER FM MAY BENEFIT FROM HURRICANE
OK, no one "benefited" from the near total destruction of one of our=20
greatest cities and the surrounding area, but the politics of low-power FM=
=20
may have shifted considerably in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. A=20
high-profile experimental license that the FCC recently granted to=20
community activists could spotlight low-power radio's ability to reach=20
segments of the population lacking other media options. Some community=20
activists started a radio station in the parking lot of Houston's Astrodome=
=20
for Katrina evacuees. The FCC is considering a proposal that could put=20
more low-power radio stations on the air. The main obstacle: the National=
=20
Association of Broadcasters.
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-JAWJ1127938496683.html

2009 DTV DATE ASSAILED
Former Deputy Director of Homeland Security Asa Hutchison Wednesday called=
=20
on Congress to move up the hard date for the return of broadcasters' analog=
=20
spectrum to early 2008 from the anticipated 2009 hard date. In a commentary=
=20
in the Washington Times, Hutchison also said the problem of emergency=20
communications was not primarily one of bandwidth, but instead of=20
'"inadequate radios and other devices." FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has=20
suggested that so-called "smart radios," which seek out unused frequencies,=
=20
might help with that problem. Sen John McCain (R-AZ) has been pushing for=
=20
an earlier return of TV spectrum, but the Congressional Budget Office found=
=20
that the further back the date goes, the more valuable the spectrum becomes=
=20
and the more money will go to the U.S. Treasury. Congress will need that=20
money to make sure that analog viewers are not left with snow when the DTV=
=20
switch is pulled. That, too, could be a communications problems in=20
emergencies, not to mention an issue at the polls when legislators try to=
=20
get re-elected.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6261391?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

INDECENCY COMPLAINTS PLUMMET IN 2Q
According to the FCC's quarterly report, released Wednesday, indecency and=
=20
obscenity complaints against broadcast TV and radio dropped from 157,016 in=
=20
the first quarter of 2005 to 6,161 in the second. That latter figure=20
compares to 272,818 complaints in the second quarter of 2004. The drop=20
since January has also been precipitous, from 138,652 in January to 14,480=
=20
in February, to 3,884 in March, to approximately 2,000 per month from April=
=20
through June. January and February totals were boosted by Parents=20
Television Council complaints against CBS' CSI (infantilism) and Without a=
=20
Trace (teen orgy).
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6261345?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* See the FCC release:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-261287A1.doc

LIBRARIES, MUSEUMS AND PUBLIC BROADCASTERS TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY NEEDS
The Partnership for a Nation of Learners -- a collaboration between the=20
Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Institute of Museum and=
=20
Library Services (IMLS) -- announced its first-ever community collaboration=
=20
grants. The grants, totaling $1,447,022, will fund museums, libraries, and=
=20
public broadcasters in seven communities as they work together to address=
=20
specific, jointly identified community needs ranging for asthma education=
=20
to historic material conservation. The Partnership for a Nation of Learners=
=20
received 132 eligible applications requesting over $26 million for this=20
$1.4 million grant program, signaling the enormous interest and need for=20
programs of this kind. Public broadcasting, museum, and library=20
professionals reviewed every application in this highly competitive program=
=20
and made recommendations for funding. Grants were awarded to partnerships=
=20
in Boston, MA; South Portland, ME; St. Johnsbury, VT; Charleston, WV;=20
Haines, AK; Lincoln, NE; and Las Vegas, NV. The grant recipients will match=
=20
the awards with an additional $1,781,763. A list of project descriptions is=
=20
linked below.
[SOURCE: Corporation for Public Broadcasting press release]
http://www.cpb.org/pressroom/release.php?prn=3D495

JOURNALISM

LA TIMES DECEPTIVELY SUGGESTED NEW CPB CHAIRMAN INDICATED DIFFERENT "TONE"=
=20
AND "STYLE" THAN TOMLINSON
In a September 27 article, the Los Angeles Times reported that Cheryl F.=20
Halpern, the newly appointed chairman of the Corporation for Public=20
Broadcasting (CPB), "indicated" in her opening remarks that she would bring=
=20
a different "tone" and "style" to the job from that of outgoing chairman=20
Kenneth Y. Tomlinson, who oversaw "one of the most divisive chapters in the=
=20
corporation's 38-year history." But while also citing Halpern's 2003 Senate=
=20
Commerce Committee testimony, the Times failed to identify remarks Halpern=
=20
made in that testimony and elsewhere that suggest that she may be as=20
divisive as Tomlinson. As other media outlets have noted, Halpern 1) has,=
=20
like Tomlinson, accused National Public Radio (NPR) of airing news reports=
=20
that are biased against Israel; and 2) touted in her Senate testimony an=20
action taken by Voice of America and Radio Free Europe -- on whose=20
governing board she previously served -- to "remove physically somebody who=
=20
had engaged in editorialization of the news."
[SOURCE: MediaMatters4America]
http://mediamatters.org/items/200509270007

TV: WHY A LITTLE 'DRY' JOURNALISM WOULD SERVE US ALL
[Commentary] Storytelling has the power to shape the events it reports.=20
Shouldn't journalists be the dry eye in the storm, the builders of a=20
framework in which to tell the truth of suffering rather than enflame it=20
for gain? Media have congratulated themselves mightily these past few weeks=
=20
for their coverage of Katrina. But while it has often been brave and=20
insightful, it has also been dangerous and irresponsible. Reporters sobbed=
=20
and shouted along with the victims. MSNBC's Tim Russert seemed to weep, Fox=
=20
News' Geraldo Rivera to act as though he'd seen the Rapture, and CNN's=20
Anderson Cooper to froth with blame for Washington for its alleged=20
callousness and incompetence.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Harriet Rubin]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050929/opcommedia.art.htm
See also:
* The eyes on the storm
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20050929/opledemedia.art.htm
* Cavuto suggested he can't be both "a good American" and "a good journalis=
t"
http://mediamatters.org/items/200509280005

PRODUCT PLACEMENT PUSHES INTO PRINT
On the new reality TV show "Three Wishes," host Amy Grant helps small-town=
=20
folks solve their problems with the help of several familiar brand-name=20
products, whose makers chip in goods or services in order to have them=20
mentioned on the show. On "Meet Mister Mom," dads compete at running=20
households while their wives are away, and the men use only authorized=20
brands: They all clean with one household product, drive the kids in one=20
brand of minivan, and shop at one predetermined department store. Such=20
commercial arrangements, called product placements, have become ubiquitous=
=20
since "Survivor" launched the reality TV craze five years ago. Analyzing=20
the fall season, CBS television chairman Les Moonves declared in June, "I=
=20
think you're going to see a quantum leap in the number of products=20
integrated into your television shows this year." Now some signs indicate=
=20
that these practices may be infiltrating a much older medium: magazines and=
=20
newspapers. Revenue from product placements in magazine editorial copy -=20
the stories and photographs - is expected to rise 17.5 percent to $160.9=20
million this year, and in newspapers by 16.9 percent to $65 million, says a=
=20
report from PQ Media in Stamford, Conn., released in July. The study=20
measured all placements of products, whether paid for, exchanged in a=20
barter arrangement, or included without compensation to the publication. It=
=20
also counted such things as product reviews and photos of products provided=
=20
by companies without charge. Product placements, if done in exchange for=20
payment, would violate the operating guidelines of most publications, which=
=20
usually insist on a clear division between stories or "editorial copy" and=
=20
advertising as a mark of responsible journalism.
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Gregory M. Lamb]
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0929/p12s02-wmgn.html
* WRITERS GUILD PROTESTS TV PRODUCT PLACEMENTS
Demonstrating against the practice of product placement in TV programs, a=
=20
group of protestors armed with Writers Guild of America West literature=20
disrupted the Madison & Vine session of Advertising Week at New York=20
University's Skirball Center in Greenwich Village Tuesday.
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: T.L. Stanley]
http://adage.com/news.cms?newsId=3D46197

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY/PRIVACY

US CONGRESS TOLD TO WAIT ON FILE-SHARING ACTION
Congress should probably wait and see how lower courts apply a recent=20
landmark Supreme Court ruling on file-sharing networks before trying to=20
legislate on the subject, Marybeth Peters, the U.S. Register of Copyrights,=
=20
told the Senate Judiciary Committee Wednesday. The Supreme Court's decision=
=20
in June that anyone who distributes a device used to infringe copyright is=
=20
liable for the resulting acts of infringement by others may well have=20
resolved questions about boundary-setting in file-sharing networks for now,=
=20
but the High Court also sent the case back to a lower court for further=20
action on whether the file-sharing networks encouraged its users into=20
infringing action.
[SOURCE: Reuters]
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DinternetNews&storyID=
=3D2005-09-28T230115Z_01_KRA882845_RTRUKOC_0_US-CONGRESS-FILESHARING.xml
* CDT Urges Balanced Copyright Approach Following Grokster Case
In written testimony submitted for a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on=
=20
"Protecting Copyright and Innovation in a post-Grokster World," the Center=
=20
for Democracy and Technology urged that courts, industry leaders and=20
lawmakers take a page from the recent Supreme Court decision by supporting=
=20
an approach to that protects copyrighted works while still safeguarding the=
=20
ability of innovators to create new products. In the case of MGM v.=20
Grokster the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that peer-to-peer file-sharing=
=20
companies could be sued if they encouraged their customers to infringe=20
copyrighted works, but could not be held liable simply for designing=20
technology. CDT suggested that, properly interpreted, the Grokster decision=
=20
gives law enforcers and copyright owners all the tools they need to go=20
after bad actors, but should help to forestall legal challenges against=20
legitimate innovators.
CDT Testimony: Copyright Post-Grokster:
http://www.cdt.org/copyright/20050928GroksterTestimony.pdf

CONGRESS TO LEGISLATE FILE SWAPPING?
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) suggested at a Senate Judiciary hearing=20
Wednesday that because file-sharing networks continue to house illegal=20
files, they should be shut down. Pointing to what she called a "rise in=20
peer to peers" since the Grokster decision, Sen Feinstein said current law=
=20
is not effective enough to deter illegal file swapping and the government=
=20
must enact stronger enforcement measures. "If we don't stop it," she said,=
=20
"it's going to destroy these intellectual property industries." When the=20
Grokster decision initially came out, members of Congress said they were=20
inclined to take a hands-off, wait-and-see approach. Committee Chair Arlen=
=20
Specter (R-PA) a indicated that Congress was better suited than the courts=
=20
to address the matter. But at the close of the hearing, he announced, "At=
=20
least in the short term, I think we'll carry out the wishes of those who=20
want us to do nothing."
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Anne Broache]
http://beta.news.com.com/Congress+to+legislate+file+swapping/2100-1027_3...
84824.html?tag=3Dnefd.top
* Judiciary Leaders Target Peer-to-Peer
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6261280?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

FIRST PRIVACY OFFICER CALLS 'EXPERIMENT' A SUCCESS
Nuala O'Connor Kelly, who won praise for protecting Americans' privacy=20
rights at the Department of Homeland Security but drew criticism for her=20
office's lack of independence, announced she will step down this week after=
=20
two years as the department's first chief privacy officer. The=20
ombudsman-like job was created by Congress in 2002 to uphold the Privacy=20
Act within a department that launched a series of ambitious security=20
programs that affect millions of people, including airline travelers, truck=
=20
drivers and foreign visitors. Many groups that advocate greater privacy=20
protections feared the chief privacy officer could have become a rubber=20
stamp for the administration's homeland security agenda, but they credited=
=20
O'Connor Kelly with establishing an office that won respect within and=20
outside the administration. Marc Rotenberg, of the Electronic Privacy=20
Information Center, said O'Connor Kelly deserves "high grades," but her=20
office could do better if it had power to issue subpoenas.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Sara Kehaulani Goo and Spencer S. Hsu]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR200509...
2173.html
(requires registration)

INTERNATIONAL

FREE SPEECH ISSUES STILL PROBLEMATIC FOR VIETNAM
A business manager in Hanoi, Pham Hong Son, has spent 42 months in a=20
Vietnamese prison. His crime: downloading an essay titled "What is=20
Democracy?" from a U.S. State Department Web site, translating it and=20
sending it to friends and senior Communist Party officials. Last week, the=
=20
U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, Michael Marine, called on Vietnam to release=20
Son and four others described as prisoners of conscience. Vietnam has made=
=20
progress in "collective" human rights such as improving education and=20
reducing poverty, Marine noted. But it is still intolerant of political=20
dissent, he said.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ellen Nakashima]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR200509...
2218.html
(requires registration)

ON CHINESE TELEVISION, WHAT'S COOL IS NO LONGER CORRECT
At first glance, the new rules handed down by China's broadcasting=20
authority seemed natural enough in a country where the Communist Party=20
feels duty-bound to set the tone for everything, even pop music. Masters of=
=20
ceremony on state television's seemingly endless roster of variety shows,=
=20
the regulations said, should avoid vulgarity, dress modestly and uplift=20
their young viewers. But also in the latest set of rules, published Sept.=
=20
10 by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, was a less=20
obvious stipulation: Masters of ceremony should always use standard=20
Mandarin Chinese and should stop affecting Hong Kong or Taiwanese slang and=
=20
accents. To millions of Chinese, particularly boys and girls in the=20
provinces who constitute the main audience for pop-oriented variety shows,=
=20
Hong Kong and Taiwanese speech has come to mean being cool. The reason is=
=20
simple. Most of the music and performers making teenage hearts throb here=
=20
have long originated in the freer atmospheres of Hong Kong and Taiwan. As a=
=20
result, some hosts and hostesses of mainland variety shows have taken to=20
throwing Taiwanese slang words and Hong Kong tones into their on-air=20
speech, associating themselves with the cool radiating from those two=20
centers of the Chinese-language pop industry. But for nearly a year, the=20
government broadcasting authority has been engaged in a purification=20
project, designed to halt what officials feel is the creep of vulgarity and=
=20
non-Chinese influences into programs offered by the country's 3,000=20
national, provincial, city and county stations. The campaign fits into a=20
general tightening of government controls over broadcasting and other=20
media, including additional Internet rules banning "unhealthy news stories=
=20
that will mislead the public."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Edward Cody]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/28/AR200509...
2219.html
(requires registration)

QUICKLY

FCC GRANTS MORE CABLE RATE EXEMPTIONS, AS REQUESTS SURGE
Cable operators have been sending the FCC a steady stream of requests to be=
=20
exempted from local rate regulation. And the FCC is granting those=20
exemptions. Since Feb. 1, the FCC relieved such cable operators as Charter,=
=20
Cox and Time Warner of local franchise authority (LFA) control over monthly=
=20
rates for basic cable service and gear such as remote controls and set-top=
=20
boxes in areas with more than 2.3 million homes. By the end of May, the FCC=
=20
was granting exemptions for cable systems in areas with 900,000-plus=20
homes. Cable providers can escape local rate regulation in places with at=
=20
least two pay TV rivals with at least 15% of the market. The rising=20
penetration of DBS is spurring the rapidly growing petitions from cable=20
operators.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Jonathan Make]
(Not available online)

FCC ANNOUNCES MEMBERS OF JOINT WORKING GROUP ON LIFELINE AND LINK-UP SERVIC=
ES
On July 25, 2005, a nationwide initiative "Lifeline Across America" was=20
launched to enhance consumer awareness of federal and state Lifeline and=20
Link-Up programs. The initiative includes the formation of a joint=20
Working Group to develop best practices and outreach materials to support=
=20
Lifeline and Link-Up services. On Wednesday the FCC named the members of=
=20
the Working Group and advised the public of the opportunity to provide=20
input to the Working Group. Over the next several months, the Working=20
Group will gather input to support the development of best practices to=20
ensure the eligible consumers are aware of Lifeline and Link-Up and develop=
=20
outreach and training materials. Parties interested in providing input to=
=20
the Working Group may contact a member of the Working Group, or=20
alternatively, may provide input or arrange to provide input by sending an=
=20
email to lifeline( at )fcc.gov. Lifeline and Link-Up are low-income support=20
mechanisms, which ensure that quality telecommunications services are=20
available to low-income consumers at just, reasonable, and affordable=20
rates. Since its inception, Lifeline/Link-Up has provided support for=20
telephone service to millions of low-income consumers. These programs=20
provide for discounts to low-income households for both the initial=20
installation of phone service (Link-Up) and monthly phone bills=20
(Lifeline). National statistics, however, reveal that citizens who qualify=
=20
for Lifeline and Link-Up may not be aware of the benefits of the programs.
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2539A1.doc

STATES SLOWLY EMBRACING eTEXTS
Nearly all states with textbook adoption policies now include software,=20
digital content, and other technology-based media in their definitions of=
=20
"instructional materials," according to a recent survey by the Software and=
=20
Information Industry Association (SIIA). But only a third have updated=20
their submission or review processes to account for unique technology=20
issues not otherwise faced with printed textbooks. The survey's results=20
come almost a year after the SIIA launched a campaign to get states to=20
update their textbook adoption policies to accommodate digital resources
[SOURCE: eSchool News, AUTHOR: Robert Brumfield]
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=3D5883

BROADBAND USE GROWS IN THE US
More than 60 percent of Americans who use the Internet at home now do so=20
with a high-speed connection. That's a jump from 51 percent a year ago.=20
Nielsen/NetRatings says 86 million Internet users surfed the Web on home=20
broadband connections in August. Broadband use has grown steadily in the=20
United States as prices fall and more video and other bandwidth-intent=20
materials are available online.
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/12766604.htm
Also see:
* Broadband Adoption in the United States: Growing but Slowing
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/164/report_display.asp

LIKE VIDEO GAMES? NOW YOU CAN MAJOR IN THEM
Suddenly, the idea of a degree in video games is one that might even=20
persuade the parents who grumble about the high cost of video games to=20
write a tuition check. These days, there are companies that pay big bucks=
=20
to computer science geniuses who can develop the next big thing - a Grand=
=20
Theft Auto sort of game that will generate a big following and big sales.=
=20
Carnegie Mellon University and the Georgia Institute of Technology, for=20
example, now offer master=92s degrees in game development. The University o=
f=20
Southern California offers a graduate degree in interactive media and an=20
undergraduate program in game design. Locally, the University of Baltimore=
=20
is putting together an undergraduate degree in video game development. The=
=20
Entertainment Software Association, an industry trade group, puts the=20
number of colleges and schools offering some sort of gaming-related=20
coursework at over 50.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Mike Musgrove]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/)
(requires registration)

WHAT'S COOL ONLINE? TEENAGERS RENDER VERDICT
So what do teenagers want? As one might expect, they want to have some fun.=
=20
They want to customize products, they want to play games and they want to=
=20
socialize.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Julie Bosman]
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/29/business/media/29adco.html?pagewanted=...
ll
(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.
--------------------------------------------------------------