October 2005

For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org

15 YEARS AFTER THE CHILDREN'S TELEVISION ACT
Markey Intros Kids Media Research Bill
Kids Rules 'Horrendous,' Says ANA's Liodice
Children's Television Rules Violations

SPECTRUM
Katrina=92s Radio Silence
The Advantages of New Communications Technology
in the Wake of Katrina
The DTV Transition's New Math
The Fight Over Wireless
San Jose Considers WiFi Expansion
Cable Sprints Into the Wireless Game

BROADCASTING
CPB Personnel Moves
Former Beer Man with Ties to Delay's K Street Cabal Heads Broadcast Lobby
Housing Bill Could Crimp TV Ads
Ratings Task Force: Keep Voluntary MRC
Networks Think Outside the Box
NBC, Time Warner deal to let viewers "start over"

QUICKLY -- FCC Democrats To Seek Telecom Merger Safeguards; Universal=20
Service Reform Proposed; Sprint Nextel Affiliate Votes to Force Buyout; EU,=
=20
Developing Nations Challenge U.S. Control of Internet; Some Bloggers Would=
=20
be Protected by Shield Law; Some Screenwriters Are More Equal Than Others;=
=20
Clear Channel Sees Profit Fall as It Airs Fewer Commercials

15 YEARS AFTER THE CHILDREN'S TELEVISION ACT

MARKEY INTROS KIDS MEDIA RESEARCH BILL
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Congressman Ed Markey (D-MA) and several colleagues have introduced a bill=
=20
to fund children's media research by the Centers for Disease Control. Sen.=
=20
Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and several others have already introduced a similar=
=20
bill in the Senate. The bills would call for research on the impact on kids=
=20
of "all forms of electronic media," including TV, movies, DVDs, video=20
games, cell phones, and the Internet."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6277427?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

KIDS RULES 'HORRENDOUS,' SAYS ANA's LIODICE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: ]
Calling the FCC's kids TV rule changes for the digital age "savage,"=20
"irresponsible" and "horrendous," Association of National Advertisers=20
President Bob Liodice Monday explained his association's decision to take=
=20
them to court. Liodice decried the new rules' definition of program=20
promotion in kids shows as advertising (unless it is for an educational or=
=20
informational show), and restrictions on the broadcasting of Web site=20
addresses. He says they "threaten the continued viability of children=92s=
=20
programming,"and are a back-door attempt to impose "sweeping"regulation of=
=20
the Internet. "[L]et=92s ask the FCC to act responsibly and give up this=20
irresponsible approach to regulating children=92s advertising," he wrote.=
=20
"The downstream implications of such horrendous rulemaking are very serious=
=20
and will undermine the terrific balance that currently exists among=20
advertisers, programmers and kids."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6277454?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

CHILDREN'S TELEVISION RULES VIOLATIONS
WLOX(TV), Biloxi (MS); WTOL(TV), Toledo (OH); WSFA(TV), Montgomery (AL);=20
WAVE(TV), Louisville (KY); WWAY(TV), Wilmington (NC); WDWB(TV), Detroit=20
(MI); WAXN-TV, Kannapolis (NC) -- all these stations apparently violated=20
the Federal Communications Commission's children's television rules, but=20
all have one license renewals without fines. WVAG(TV), Valdosta (GA) was=20
fined $10,000 for failure to comply with the FCC's rules requiring each=20
commercial broadcast station to place in its public inspection Children TV=
=20
Programming Reports.
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
For more see --
* WLOX(TV), Biloxi, MS:=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2736A1.doc
* WTOL(TV), Toledo, OH:=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2738A1.doc
* WSFA(TV), Montgomery, Alabama:=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2739A1.doc
* WAVE(TV), Louisville, Kentucky:=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2740A1.doc
* WWAY(TV), Wilmington, North Carolina:=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2743A1.doc
* WDWB(TV), Detroit, Michigan:=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2742A1.doc
* WAXN-TV, Kannapolis, NC:=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2737A1.doc
* WVAG(TV), Valdosta, Georgia:=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-05-2752A1.doc

SPECTRUM

KATRINA'S RADIO SILENCE
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Thomas W. Hazlett]
[Commentary] Hurricane Katrina blew emergency communications away,=20
crippling relief efforts. Now public safety radio reforms are being floated=
=20
from every think tank. Some suggest more money and some suggest more=20
spectrum for first responders. Throwing money, frequencies or technology at=
=20
public safety radio will do little to improve the situation. To save lives,=
=20
federal policy makers must resist the temptation to impose =93apartheid=94,=
=20
treating public safety networks as so special that they must be quarantined=
=20
on frequencies of their own. Emergency radio services need to exit their=20
government technology ghetto and get onboard advanced networks =AD as smart=
=20
customers, not Soviet-style suppliers. The solution is to buy public safety=
=20
radio service just as police cars are purchased from automakers. Private=20
sector operators or system aggregators should bid to supply public safety=
=20
networks. Airwaves should not be quarantined. This would open up shared use=
=20
of frequencies, leveraging network economies. Three aspects are key. First,=
=20
network sharing must be legal. Building tiny castles for each department is=
=20
ridiculously expensive. Second, public safety spectrum must be available to=
=20
the marketplace. Agencies benefit from selling airwave access during=20
non-emergency moments, enabling (financially and functionally) the sharing=
=20
of advanced networks. Finally, local radio fiefdoms must be conquered. Only=
=20
with regional or perhaps state-wide systems will police in one town achieve=
=20
mission critical coordination with police in the next. Throwing money -- or=
=20
radio spectrum -- at police and fire departments will not prevent the next=
=20
unnatural disaster in radio communications. Turning first responders from=
=20
uncompetitive network providers into smart shoppers of advanced technology,=
=20
will. =93Waving around internet buzz words and hinting that there is a tech=
=20
fix,=94 writes Gerry Faulhaber, Wharton economist, =93is not only not helpf=
ul,=20
it is counterproductive.=94
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/8defb2f6-4486-11da-a5f0-00000e2511c8.html
(requires subscription)

THE ADVANTAGE OF NEW COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY IN THE WAKE OF HURRICANE KAT=
RINA
[SOURCE: Mobile Satellite Ventures press release]
In a study issued Monday by Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV), recognized=20
telecommunications experts Dale Hatfield and Phil Weiser, both Professors=
=20
of Interdisciplinary Telecommunications at the University of Colorado,=20
review how public safety communications systems failed to operate=20
effectively during Hurricane Katrina. They also outline the requirements=20
for an ideal public safety network, in particular, how public safety=20
agencies should support the development of the next generation architecture=
=20
of hybrid satellite and terrestrial systems as a critical tool in public=20
safety. Hatfield and Weiser explain that the optimal public safety=20
communications architecture should be a vibrant and flexible system that=20
accommodates different technologies. In particular, the system should=20
incorporate traditional public safety land mobile radio systems (LMRs) into=
=20
a broader architecture that includes satellite, terrestrial and emerging=20
wireless broadband networks. With the advent of mobile satellite services=
=92=20
ancillary terrestrial component (ATC) offering (which can switch seamlessly=
=20
between satellite and terrestrial networks), the benefits of this hybrid=20
approach are substantial, including low cost access to a fully=20
interoperable, reliable, ubiquitous network. The authors challenge=20
policymakers to provide the leadership necessary to make this important=20
technology a reality by urging them to ensure that satellite and=20
terrestrial providers are afforded the opportunity to develop and finance=
=20
effective offerings for public safety agencies
http://www.msvlp.com/pr/news_releases_view.cfm?id=3D75
* Toward a Next Generation Strategy: Learning from Katrina and Taking=20
Advantage of New Technologies
http://www.msvlp.com/nextgen/vision/papers.cfm

THE DTV TRANSITION'S NEW MATH
[SOURCE: Wired in Washington, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
[Commentary] What are the costs associated to ending analog television in=
=20
2009 instead of 2007? There are three big numbers to watch. The first is=20
the amount of the set-top box subsidy. The second is the value of the=20
frequencies to the government. The third is the consumer benefit. Let's do=
=20
the spectrum math. 1) On the set-top box: "The longer you wait, the more=20
expensive the box becomes, because demand goes down," said an official with=
=20
Zoran, which makes circuitry for set-top boxes. "From a subsidy point of=20
view, [waiting 'til '09] may be a wash." 2) Will spectrum be worth more in=
=20
'09? Spectrum experts say the Congressional Budget office is being too=20
cautious when estimating the revenues that could be generated by analog TV=
=20
spectrum auctions. 3) Consumer benefit: Even if that auction did yield=20
less, delaying the DTV transition until 2009 does not make economic sense.=
=20
"The notion that the government would delay an auction purely to increase=
=20
revenues to the federal government is perverse," said Dorothy Robyn of the=
=20
Brattle Group. "The government should be acting to get the spectrum into=20
the marketplace as soon as possible, and not as a monopolist seeking to=20
maximize revenue," added Gregory Rosston of the Stanford Institute for=20
Economic Policy Research. That's because of the massive consumer benefits=
=20
that flow from increased cellular and broadband competition. With only=20
about 160 megahertz of spectrum devoted to commercial services, the United=
=20
States is far behind other industrialized countries. If another 60=20
megahertz were auctioned, consumers would save $24 billion every year=20
because they would use wireless devices more and pay lower prices for using=
=20
them, according to George Mason University economist Tom Hazlett. Bottom=20
line: Keeping the hard date at 2009 would yield the government at least $10=
=20
billion, minus up to $3 billion for converter boxes. There would be no=20
consumer benefit until 2009. That's a $7 billion total. Imagine that a hard=
=20
date of 2008 yielded $8 billion and the subsidy remained constant. The $24=
=20
billion annual consumer surplus puts this package at approximately $29=20
billion. Even if a hard date of 2007 yielded an implausibly low $5 billion=
=20
in auction revenue, with a similar subsidy, two years' worth of spectrum=20
usage by consumers means this approach would net a $50 billion benefit.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-XMFW1113937467518.html

THE FIGHT OVER WIRELESS
[SOURCE: Slate, AUTHOR: Adam L. Penenberg]
Imagine if the town you live in transformed into one gigantic wireless hot=
=20
spot overnight. You could feed parking meters with your MasterCard instead=
=20
of hunting for quarters. Utility companies might read meters in real time=
=20
and pass the savings on to customers. The next time you saw a pothole, you=
=20
could instantly e-mail a camera phone photo to city hall. Municipal=20
wireless wouldn't just make life easier for citizens -- it has the=20
potential to save lives. Firefighters would be able to turn traffic lights=
=20
green as they race to put out a blaze. Police could tap into a bank's=20
surveillance cameras to get a head start on cracking a heist. And emergency=
=20
responders would be able to communicate during a natural disaster or=20
terrorist attack, a need that became obvious in the aftermath of 9/11 and=
=20
Hurricane Katrina. This wireless fantasy land, where wireless is as much a=
=20
public utility as water and electricity, has become irresistible to=20
hundreds of cities. But it will remain fantasy if telecommunications=20
industry lobbyists continue to hold sway over state and federal policymaker=
s.
http://www.slate.com/id/2128632/fr/nl/

SAN JOSE CONSIDERS WI-FI EXPANSION
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR:Jessie Seyfer]
The San Jose City Council is set to vote today on whether to seek proposals=
=20
to expand areas of free wireless Internet access downtown. However, San=20
Jose has no plans at this point to follow the lead of San Francisco and=20
other cities and provide free wireless access throughout the city. That=20
apparently is because of opposition from so-called "stakeholders,"=20
including business leaders as well as providers of fee-based high-speed=20
Internet access services. "They didn't think it was right for the city to=
=20
use city funds to try to blanket the entire city,'' said John Bjurman,=20
chief information officer of the IT Department. ``They felt it is really=20
the realm of private industry to do that function." San Jose's Information=
=20
Technology Department states that having larger areas of WiFi access=20
downtown could greatly enhance city events.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/12990639.htm

CABLE SPRINTS INTO WIRELESS GAME
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Mike Farrell]
The nation=92s three largest cable-system operators are close to signing an=
=20
agreement with Sprint Nextel to supply wireless telephone service to their=
=20
subscribers. The deal, if completed and executed rapidly, would make=20
Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications the first large suppliers=
=20
of four major forms of communication: television, Internet access,=20
telephone and now, wireless services. The agreement with the three=20
operators allows for the relationship to expand and include additional=20
products and services. One such future service could allow a cable network=
=20
to handle the handoff of a call from a network inside the home to the=20
cellular network outside. That would make it possible to use the same=20
handset both as an Internet protocol-based home unit and as a=20
cellularly-linked mobile phone.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6277180.html
(requires subscription)

BROADCASTING

CPB PERSONNEL MOVES
[SOURCE: Corporation for Public Broadcasting press release]
Patricia S. Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public=20
Broadcasting, has made a number of promotions to help her round out her=20
senior staff. Steve Altman, promoted to senior vice president, business=20
affairs. He is the architect of CPB's contract and procurement policies.=20
Greg Schnirring, promoted to vice president, radio. Schnirring will be=20
involved in extending public radio's reach to underserved audiences through=
=20
digital radio's multi-channel capacity. Brian Sickora, promoted to vice=20
president, TV system development. Most recently senior director, TV system=
=20
development, Sickora will continue to oversee the development and delivery=
=20
of CPB's Major Giving Initiative, the station-based initiatives of the=20
Small Station Fund, and the Community Service Grant programs, which=20
distribute nearly $300M to stations annually. J. Westwood Smithers, Jr. was=
=20
appointment as General Counsel was announced last week. Harrison also=20
announced that David Creekmore, CPB's chief financial officer and=20
treasurer, has resigned from CPB effective November 1.
http://www.cpb.org/pressroom/release.php?prn=3D499

FORMER BEER MAN WITH TIES TO REP DELAY'S K STREET CABAL HEADS BROADCAST LOB=
BY
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy, AUTHOR: Jeff Chester]
[Commentary] "The nation's radio and television broadcasters have now=20
aligned themselves even more closely with the right wing of the GOP. David=
=20
Rehr is best known as a ranking member of Rep. Tom DeLay's "K Street=20
Project" wrecking crew, which raised enormous sums for the former House=20
majority leader and his National Republican Congressional Committee=20
cronies. By fully joining DeLay's K Street Project (which places GOP=20
operatives in leadership positions at trade associations and lobbying=20
shops), the NAB is now clearly an "O and O" (owned and operated) of the=20
GOP. These insider connections will no doubt come in handy as Rehr and the=
=20
NAB seek to secure favors from the GOP controlled Congress and FCC. A=20
further weakening of what little public interest programming broadcasters=
=20
do can be expected. Given Rehr's role as head of the National Beer=20
Wholesalers Association, we can also expect to see even more ads for=20
alcohol on television as well. The NAB has always been "drunk" with its=20
power. Now they are taking a more literal approach to ensure nothing gets=
=20
in the way of their anti-public interest agenda."
http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/JCRehrstatement.html

HOUSING BILL COULD CRIMP TV ADS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
A number of housing and nonprofit watchdog groups are warning that a House=
=20
bill could be amended this week to discourage housing nonprofits from,=20
among other things, buying broadcast ads through affiliated groups.=20
According to the National Council of Nonprofit Associations, OMB Watch and=
=20
others, the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act may be amended to restrict=
=20
advocacy by nonprofits by disqualifying them from receiving money from the=
=20
Affordable Housing Fund if they pay for, or are connected with a group that=
=20
pays for, broadcast advertising or PSAs that mention federal candidates=20
within 60 days of a general election or 30 days of a primary.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6277153?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

RATINGS TASK FORCE: KEEP VOLUNTARY MRC
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
In a report released Monday, the Nielsen-created Independent Task Force on=
=20
Nielsen Measurement recommended adding more advertiser representation to=20
the Media Rating Council, adding consumer groups to the council in a=20
nonvoting capacity, cutting the dues for smaller and minority companies=20
(currently $10,500 per year) and changing voting for accreditation from a=
=20
show of hands to a recorded vote. The group did not recommend making MRC=20
accreditation mandatory for media ratings systems. There has been=20
legislation introduced that would require that mandatory accreditation,=20
which is currently voluntary.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6277434?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

NETWORKS THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: R. Thomas Umstead]
Welcome to the brave new world of cable-network programming, where not all=
=20
the content is delivered through the set-top box. Savvy startups that don't=
=20
make operators' regular channel lineups are finding new homes on video=20
servers, sending their shows on request to viewers who may be looking at a=
=20
computer screen. Established programmers are all figuring out how to profit=
=20
from the second box in the home -- the cable modem or digital phone line=20
adapter. With 61% of all Internet users accessing the Web via high-speed=20
connections, according to Nielsen Media Research data from August,=20
programmers want to reach potential viewers through any screen they might=
=20
be sitting in front of. But network executives trying to pursue both=20
computer and TV monitors must perform a balancing act. Cable programmers=20
want to fully explore the financial potential of reaching viewers anywhere,=
=20
anytime, over the Internet. But in doing so, they want to maintain their=20
bread-and-butter relationships with traditional cable and satellite=20
distributors that have put their brands, in some cases, in front of 90=20
million households -- and that provide most of their revenue base. As=20
content providers continue to struggle to thread this needle, several=20
issues arise. For one, negotiating for content rights has become more=20
difficult for programming aggregators and distributors alike, according to=
=20
executives on both sides of the table. And that begs a pair of questions:=
=20
How do programmers structure rights agreements when not just cable=20
programmers or dish distributors are on the other side of that table, but=
=20
big Web site operators like Yahoo!, Google, AOL and MSN, are as well? And=
=20
how do operators protect the exclusivity of what is coming down their=20
pipes, when marquee networks like MTV and ESPN are creating their own=20
robust, self-branded services on the Web?
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6277218.html
(requires subscription)

NBC, TIME WARNER DEAL TO LET VIEWERS "START OVER"
[SOURCE: Reuters]
NBC Universal and Time Warner Cable said on Monday they reached a broad=20
carriage renewal agreement that includes video on demand rights and new=20
interactive television services. The agreement also allows Time Warner=20
cable systems the right to offer some NBC cable and network programs using=
=20
its new "Start Over" feature that lets viewers restart shows already in=20
progress. Viewers using "Start Over" will not be able to fast forward past=
=20
commercials, which has been a lure for programmers wary of digital video=20
recorders and video on demand.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DtechnologyNews&sto...
D=3D2005-10-24T192721Z_01_RID458783_RTRUKOC_0_US-NBC-TIME-WARNER-DEAL-TO-LE=
T-VIEWERS-START.xml&archived=3DFalse

QUICKLY

FCC DEMOCRATS TO SEEK TELECOM MERGER SAFEGUARDS
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
FCC Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps are seeking to=20
condition two pending telecommunications mergers with safeguards to protect=
=20
small businesses and consumers. They also might seek the divestiture of=20
overlapping facilities that would result from combining AT&T with SBC=20
Communications and MCI with Verizon Communications. But the FCC will not=20
make a final decision on divestitures until the Justice Department, which=
=20
has primary authority in the area, issues its expected approval of the=20
deals. Commissioners Adelstein and Copps might seek to force the merged=20
companies to offer high-speed Internet sold separately from phone service.=
=20
They also may try to impose "network neutrality," a prohibition on blocking=
=20
or degrading competing services.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-PQGO1130185608243.html

UNIVERSAL SERVICE REFORM PROPOSED
[SOURCE: Progress & Freedom Foundation press release]
Universal service reform should 1) include a cap on the fund, 2) introduce=
=20
performance-based block grants, and 3) shift funding to a "numbers tax."=20
These are the conclusions of The Digital Age Communications Act Universal=
=20
Service Working Group in a Preliminary Report, complete with model=20
legislative language, released Monday by the Progress & Freedom Foundation.
http://www.pff.org/news/news/2005/102405dacausf1.html
See full report at:
http://www.pff.org/issues-pubs/books/051024DACAUSF1.pdf

SPRINT AFFILIATE VOTES TO FORCE BUYOUT
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: ]
As expected, shareholders of Nextel Partners voted Monday to force Sprint=
=20
Nextel to spend billions of dollars to buy them out, as their charter=20
permits. Of the 85% of the shares voted, 99.9% favored the buyout, as=20
shareholders decided to go with Nextel Partners' recommendation to exercise=
=20
the buyout right, known as a put option.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113010563305677027.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
sonal_journal
(requires subscription)

EU, DEVELOPING NATIONS CHALLENGE US CONTROL OF INTERNET
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Christopher Rhoads=20
christopher.rhoads( at )wsj.com]
A growing number of countries, including China, Brazil, India and Cuba --=
=20
as well as the European Union -- are questioning U.S. control over the=20
Internet. They argue that since the Internet is a global tool, no one=20
country should control it. They contend that decisions should fall under=20
the jurisdiction of an international body, such as the United Nations.=20
Their argument received an unexpected boost late last month when an EU=20
commissioner proposed removing U.S. oversight of Icann, reversing the EU's=
=20
support of the current arrangement. The Internet is managed by a nonprofit=
=20
private organization called the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and=
=20
Numbers, or Icann, set up by the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1998 and=20
based in Marina del Rey, Calif. Icann has an international advisory body,=
=20
but the U.S. government retains veto power over all decisions -- such as=20
the creation of new Web domains. The matter intensified in August, when the=
=20
U.S. government asked Icann to table an initiative to add a new domain name=
=20
for pornography Web sites. Icann had tentatively approved the new domain=20
name, called .xxx, several months earlier, but at the last moment the=20
Department of Commerce removed its support, after it said it received=20
thousands of letters of complaint from conservative Christian groups and=20
others. Regardless of the merits of the decision, the move was proof to=20
critics of Icann that it is controlled by the U.S., said Lee McKnight, an=
=20
associate professor for information studies at Syracuse University. "Until=
=20
August, the U.S. had not done anything to upset other governments," said=20
Mr. McKnight. "Then just before these meetings, it did do something=20
unilaterally."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113019875405778267.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)

BILL'S AUTHOR SAYS SOME BLOGGERS WOULD BE PROTECTED BY SHIELD LAW
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Mark Fitzgerald]
Bloggers who actually gather news would be protected under the proposed=20
federal shield law, the legislation's first author, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN)=
=20
told the Inland Press Association Monday.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
t_id=3D1001350839

SOME SCREENWRITERS MOREEQUAL THAN OTHERS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Bridget Johnson, columnist for the=20
Los Angeles Daily News ]
[Commentary] In a town full of dirty little secrets, the composition of=20
writers in Hollywood rises to the level of scandal. Though Tinseltown pays=
=20
lip service to liberalism and equality, women and minority film and=20
television writers get work and get paid with a disparity that is striking.=
=20
The 2005 Hollywood Writers Report found that among film writers, women=20
represented just 18% of employment while minorities combined stood at 6%.=
=20
The median earnings gap between men and women, and minorities and white men=
=20
in film work widened from $12,500 to $19,000 since the WGA's last report=20
was released in 1998. In television, women accounted for 27% of writers and=
=20
minorities represented just under 10%. And both are more likely to hold the=
=20
lower-status title of "staff writer." About 10% of all shows in the 2004-05=
=20
season had no women writers on staff, unchanged from the WGA's comparative=
=20
assessment of the 1999-2000 season. Pay for TV writing was an average of=20
$12,000 more for men than women. Minority TV writers in 1998 earned on=20
average $8,500 less than white men; this gap jumped to nearly $18,000 in=20
the 2005 report. Women and minority writers also tend to be pigeonholed --=
=20
for example, much of the TV work for minorities is on black-themed UPN=20
sitcoms. Women are often expected to write romantic comedies or dramatic=20
tear-jerkers. One hears tales around town of women feeling they might have=
=20
better luck getting their action script accepted if they just put their=20
first initials on the title page. Though the WGA report didn't include a=20
breakdown of genre typecasting, "We do know anecdotally that it occurs,=20
said spokeswoman Cheryl Rhoden.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113018969817778009.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
sonal_journal
(requires subscription)

CLEAR CHANNEL SEES PROFIT FALL AS IT AIRS FEWER COMMERCIALS
[SOURCE: Bloomberg News]
Clear Channel is cutting advertising time on its stations to build ratings=
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and stem audience defection to competitors such as satellite radio and the=
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Internet. The media company's "Less Is More" strategy won't pay off until=
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there is enough demand to support higher prices for a smaller number of ad=
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minutes, said David Miller, an analyst at Sanders Morris Harris. The=20
company reported yesterday that profits fell 21% in the third quarter.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-clear25oct25,1,342315...
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Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary service=20
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Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments,=
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policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are=20
factually accurate, their often informal tone does not always represent the=
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tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang=20
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