November 2005

TELEVISION
U.S. Sends Signal on Value of Television
Why Not Deny Chicago Licenses?
Hollywood Unions Object to Product Placement on TV
Where Duopolies Abound
Christian Coalition Trumpets Multicasting
In Search of TV
Venture of Warner Bros., AOL to Provide Old Television Shows a
New Life Online

CHILDREN & MEDIA
Martin Urges Broadcast, Cable Channels To Take 'Responsibility'
On Indecency
PTC Drives Spike In Smut Gripes
Kids TV, Now With More Vitamins
School Radio Station Fights for Survival
PBS Wants to be Top Banana

INTERNET
World Wants More Say in Control of World Wide Web
Recommendations to the WSIS on Internet Governance
Control the Internet? A Futile Pursuit, Some Say
The Trail of a Clicked-On Ad, Brought to You by Google
If Books Are on Google, Who Gains and Who Loses?

POLICYMAKERS
Wall Street, K Street Mull FCC's New Nom
Tomlinson Defends Alhurra TV

QUICKLY -- Public Broadcasting Tops All Media in Public Trust; Midterm=20
Elections Ad Spending May Break Records; The $100 Laptop Moves Closer to=20
Reality; Disruption at the heart of the online revolution; Race and Media=
=20
Diversity; "Well Connected" Goes Global; Internship -- Consumers Union and=
=20
HearUsNow.org; E-911 rule may rein in some VoIP links; Spectrum Management;=
=20
Firestorm rages over lockdown on digital music

TELEVISION

US SENDS SIGNAL ON VALUE OF TELEVISION
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune 11/12, AUTHOR: William Neikirk]
While considering slashes in Medicaid and student loan programs, Congress=
=20
is about to set aside up to $3 billion to help millions of Americans with=
=20
old non-digital television sets buy converter boxes. Each converter box is=
=20
expected to cost the government $40 to $60, but supporters of the=20
legislation don't want to take any chances of being accused of denying=20
Americans their right to a TV picture when broadcasting goes all digital.=
=20
Depending on how much money is allocated, the funding would go to purchase=
=20
as many as 60 million "set-top" electronic boxes to make it possible for=20
old, broadcast-only TV sets to continue receiving a picture when the=20
broadcasting industry converts to all-digital transmission as soon as the=
=20
end of 2008. Conservative groups have criticized the proposed expenditure=
=20
as a giveaway, but the TV provision has received less attention because it=
=20
is included in deficit-reduction legislation that has generated an uproar=
=20
in the House for its spending reductions in programs affecting the poor,=20
such as Medicaid and food stamps. The GOP leadership yanked the budget bill=
=20
from the floor on Thursday because leaders had failed to gather enough=20
votes to pass it, and its outlook is now uncertain. Some of the House's=20
spending cuts could be killed to make the bill more palatable, but there is=
=20
no indication that the television provision is in jeopardy. The Senate has=
=20
already passed its budget measure. James Gatusso, a technology expert at=20
the Heritage Foundation, called it "a subsidy for old TV sets," and not the=
=20
wisest use of federal money at a time of large deficits. Robert Bixby,=20
executive director of the Concord Coalition, a budget-watchdog group, said=
=20
that helping poor people buy converter boxes appears justified, but he=20
added: "When the government subsidizes anything, it usually goes to people=
=20
who don't need it. I suspect that will be the case here."
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0511120110nov12,1,139...
0.story

WHY NOT DENY CHICAGO LICENSES?
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Mitchell Szczepanczyk, Chicago Media=
=20
Action]
[Commentary] Szczepanczyk asked the FCC to take seriously his groups=20
petition to deny the license renewals of all Chicago-area television=20
stations. Chicago may well be =93all about local politics,=94 but the petit=
ion=20
emphasizes the point that the full panoply of Chicago and Chicago-related=
=20
political races and campaigns, of which there is no shortage -- especially=
=20
during an election year -- were well-nigh invisible to TV-watching=20
Chicagoans. The study of Chicago TV coverage cited by the petition only=20
covered a month of newscasts and public-affairs shows before the election,=
=20
but people are most likely to pay attention to electoral issues as an=20
election approaches. Moreover, if people are going to want to learn about=
=20
local news and public affairs, then obviously they=92re going to watch the=
=20
local TV news and public-affairs shows. It makes sense to focus on the last=
=20
month and especially on programs devoted to news and public affairs, which=
=20
should be replete with coverage of local politics -- or at least have more=
=20
coverage of local politics than they had. If volunteer efforts like=20
Chicago-area community newspapers and Web sites can find the time to cover=
=20
local electoral politics, then certainly nine TV stations and all their=20
affiliated (and paid) staff can devote a portion of their coverage to local=
=20
electoral issues. But they didn't. So why should they get away with failing=
=20
a key test of the obligation of their broadcast license?
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6283406.html?verticalid=3D311...
dustry=3DEditorials&industryid=3D1034&referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
See also:
* Mail-order TV licensing
[SOURCE: FightingBob.com, AUTHOR: Mike McCabe]
[Commentary] The deal was supposed to be that broadcasters would get free=
=20
licenses to operate on the public airwaves in exchange for their commitment=
=20
to serve the public interest. The Federal Communications Commission used to=
=20
take this deal seriously, monitoring compliance with the public interest=20
obligation, enforcing the Fairness Doctrine and seriously reviewing=20
applications for license renewal. Stations had to show how their=20
programming served the public interest to stay in business. Today, the=20
Fairness Doctrine is gone. So is any serious effort to hold broadcasters=20
accountable for serving the public. The license renewal process has=20
degenerated to the point where broadcasters now mail in a postcard=20
requesting renewal and the FCC rubber stamps these "applications" without=
=20
any meaningful review of broadcaster performance.
http://www.fightingbob.com/article.cfm?articleID=3D452

HOLLYWOOD UNIONS OBJECT TO PRODUCT PLACEMENT ON TV
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Sharon Waxman]
A group of show business unions are denouncing the creeping practice of=20
"stealth advertising," the integration of commercial products into the=20
story lines of television shows, which they say deceives audiences and=20
forces writers and actors to do jobs they were not hired for. The Writers=
=20
Guild of America, West, and the Writers Guild of America, East, with the=20
support of the Screen Actors Guild, will hold a news conference today=20
calling for a code of conduct to govern this latest twist in the world of=
=20
advertising, in which product placement has become increasingly central to=
=20
plotlines. Reality shows like "The Apprentice," soap operas like "All My=20
Children" and even prime-time scripted hits like "Desperate Housewives"=20
have all adopted the practice of writing products into the shows as a way=
=20
of attracting ad dollars that have faltered in the age of TiVo and hundreds=
=20
of cable choices. The unions are calling for clearer disclosure to viewers=
=20
when products are integrated into a show's story line, and for greater say=
=20
in the practice by actors and writers. "Failing that," warned the writers'=
=20
memorandum, "we will seek additional FCC regulation." Gary Ruskin, who runs=
=20
the consumer advocacy nonprofit group Commercial Alert, said the networks=
=20
were already in violation of existing Federal Communications Committee=20
regulations regarding sponsorship disclosure, and that more rules were=20
needed. "Product placement is dishonest advertising," he said. "It's=20
stealth advertising," adding that his group had already petitioned the=20
commission to require greater disclosure. "Sponsorship identification has=
=20
been required since the outset of television advertising, but it hasn't=20
been designed to handle sophisticated product integration such as this," he=
=20
said. "The rules need to be updated."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/14/business/14guild.html?pagewanted=3Dall
(requires registration)

WHERE DUOPOLIES ABOUND
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Allison Romano]
While most markets boast a duopoly or two, Kansas City has three -- a=20
rarity under the FCC=92s ownership limits. And the three dramatically alter=
=20
the market=92s programming and ad-sales landscape. Scripps owns NBC affilia=
te=20
KSHB and independent KMCI. Hearst-Argyle, which owns ABC outlet KMBC, is=20
operating UPN station KCWE while awaiting FCC approval to purchase it. In=
=20
September, Meredith Broadcasting, owner of CBS affiliate KCTV, snagged the=
=20
third duopoly by obtaining a =93failing-station=94 waiver. The FCC granted=
=20
Meredith permission to buy WB affiliate KSMO because it was underperforming=
=20
in ratings and revenue; the FCC believed that new ownership could revive=20
the station. In each duopoly, the stations share backoffice operations and=
=20
some advertising functions, often selling packages that hit different=20
demographics on the two stations. Scripps fashioned KMCI as a=20
young-male=ADskewing indie station, with local sports and acquired comedies=
=20
such as The Simpsons. Hearst-Argyle=92s KMBC shares syndicated fare with=20
sister KCWE, and the UPN station replays The Oprah Winfrey Show and Dr.=20
Phil in prime time the same day they air on KMBC.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6283284?display=3DMarket+Eye&...
erral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

CHRISTIAN COALITION TRUMPETS MULTICASTING
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Christian Coalition has put out an action alert to its members urging=
=20
them to push Congress to require cable and other multichannel video=20
providers to carry all of a broadcaster's free multicast digital channels.=
=20
They are working to modify House and Senate DTV transition bills now=20
winding their way through Congress. Neither currently mandates cable=20
carriage of DTV signals, though a planned third Senate DTV bill may address=
=20
that issue.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6283300?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

IN SEARCH OF TV
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Michael Malone and John M. Higgins]
Are Microsoft, Yahoo!, AOL and Google the future of TV? With their=20
all-powerful search might, the thinking goes, the Internet companies will=
=20
do to television what they did to newspapers: package others=92 content and=
=20
sell lucrative targeted ads against it. Like cable operators two decades=20
ago, they'll become a vital content gatekeeper in a world where the viewer=
=20
watches any show, any time. The once powerful networks -- broadcast and=20
cable -- will watch their ad base erode. Ah, maybe not, say some TV=20
observers and investors. What you won't find on the Internet is a wide=20
selection of television=92s top product, the popular shows that command 60=
=20
million viewers nightly. While broadcast and cable networks are pushing=20
product onto the Internet, they=92re hesitating at giving up video beyond=
=20
short-term promotions. What gives the networks such sway in the $60 billion=
=20
TV advertising market is a single powerful issue that will become=20
increasingly difficult for companies to unwind: copyrights. Ownership of=20
content has its rewards. Indeed, while the rush to air TV programs online=
=20
has promotional value, it=92s merely an elaborate experiment for now: Will=
=20
people watch shows on their computer? Every veteran TV executive knows that=
=20
any large-scale migration of a network=92s best content would upset the=20
delicate supply chain of station groups, syndicators and advertisers.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6283401?display=3DFeatures&re...
ral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* The End Of TV (As You Know It)
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_47/b3960075.htm

VENTURE OF WARNER BROS., AOL TO PROVIDE OLD TELEVISION SHOWS A NEW LIFE ONL=
INE
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR:Chris Gaither and Meg James]
Peter is one closer to retirement as Time Warner plans to announce today=20
that it will make more than 100 old television series -- including "Falcon=
=20
Crest," "Kung Fu" and the '70s sitcom that made John Travolta a star,=20
"Welcome Back, Kotter" -- available for free in the first major archive of=
=20
TV shows on the Web. When it launches in January, the joint venture between=
=20
Warner Bros. Domestic Cable Distribution and America Online could help TV,=
=20
Internet and advertising executives gauge the appetite for longer=20
entertainment programs on the Web, which is dominated by shorter bits=20
typically lasting no more than a few minutes. The project, dubbed In2TV,=20
may give new life to once-popular TV programs that have fallen out of=20
syndication. It's also a bid to tap into the booming market for online ads,=
=20
including streaming video commercials.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-aol14nov14,1,575177.s...
y?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)
* Internet Service to Put Classic TV on Home Computer
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/14/business/14warner.html
(requires registration)

CHILDREN & MEDIA

MARTIN URGES BROADCAST, CABLE CHANNELS TO TAKE 'RESPONSIBILITY' ON INDECENCY
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
Broadcast and cable channels should assume more "corporate responsibility"=
=20
to protect viewers from sexually graphic and gratuitously violent content=
=20
on television, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said last week. He suggested=20
television affiliates, for example, should have more leeway to block=20
network fare that they consider inappropriate for their communities. Among=
=20
the ideas he supports is a "family tier" or some form of per channel=20
offerings that would give pay-TV consumers more choice. Another approach,=
=20
he said, is to give pay TV consumers "choice within [programming] packages"=
=20
rather than forcing a handful of bundled tiers on all viewers. Finally, he=
=20
said cable could adopt an indecency standard that would apply equally to=20
all channels.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-JITG1131657808450.html

PTC DRIVES SPIKE IN SMUT GRIPES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable]
After a steep drop in indecency complaints at the FCC in second quarter=20
2005, the number bounced back in the third quarter, thanks almost entirely=
=20
to the Parents Television Council (PTC). For the three months ended Sept.=
=20
30, indecency/obscenity complaints quadrupled to 26,185 from 6,161 logged=
=20
during the previous three months. Almost all of that spike came in July=20
(23,547), with only 1,716 complaints in August and 922 in September.=20
According to PTC's Web site, the group filed a total of 23,542 complaints=
=20
in July (10,775 against Fox and 12,767 against ABC), which would account=20
for all but five of the FCC complaints for the month. The offending shows=
=20
appear to be ABC's coverage of Live 8: A Worldwide Concert on July 2 (the=
=20
"f-bomb" was dropped) and an episode of Fox's summer psychological=20
thriller, The Inside, which PTC said included themes of forced sodomy and=
=20
S&M fetishes.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6283286?display=3DNews&referral=
=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)

KIDS TV, NOW WITH VITAMINS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Kevin Downey]
B&C is running a special report this week on kids TV and marketing to=20
children. Stung by critics -- and legislators -- who say kids TV turns=20
children into mini couch potatoes, kids networks now urge their audience to=
=20
shut off the TV to go outside and play. Kids programming has been under a=
=20
microscope for years, but this scrutiny is now growing far more intense.=20
The FCC=92s Children=92s Television Act stipulates a minimum required amoun=
t of=20
educational programming by broadcasters, but the commission has new rules=
=20
set to start Jan. 1 that, for the first time, would apply to cable as well=
=20
as broadcast. Disney, Time Warner and Viacom are fighting to crush the=20
rules altogether. Each network is wary of additional government oversights,=
=20
and most are careful to note that recent attempts to promote healthy=20
living, volunteerism and learning are part of a continuing effort to reach=
=20
kids with positive messages, not just a special effort motivated by fear of=
=20
tougher rules.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6283291?display=3DSpecial+Rep...
&referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* More coverage of B&C's special report on kids TV later this week.

SCHOOL RADIO STATION FIGHTS FOR SURVIVAL
[SOURCE: eSchool News]
A high school radio station that has been broadcasting for more than 30=20
years is in danger of being shut down. Reason: The Federal Communications=
=20
Commission (FCC) last month awarded the station's frequency to an upstart=
=20
religious broadcaster based some 3,000 miles away. The station ran into=20
trouble when it tried to increase its power signal from the meager 10 watts=
=20
it has broadcast for most of its existence to 250 watts, resulting in a bid=
=20
for its frequency by Living Proof, which reportedly plans to build a=20
facility in nearby Lunenburg, Mass. According to FCC rules, when a radio=20
station files a petition to make a "major change," it opens the rights to=
=20
its frequency to be challenged. Living Proof filed a competing claim on=20
WAVM's frequency, and school officials received a letter from the FCC dated=
=20
Oct. 6 saying it was granting the station's frequency to Living Proof,=20
pending the outcome of an appeal process. School officials question the=20
agency's decision for two reasons: One, it's ambiguous what is meant by a=
=20
"major change," and in this case, the rule shouldn't apply to the=20
relatively modest upgrade in WAVM's signal; and two, an out-of-town=20
religious organization shouldn't be given priority over a local school with=
=20
a well-established and highly successful program when it comes to competing=
=20
for a spot on the airwaves. "The FCC doesn't do warm and fuzzy--the fact=20
that we've got a track record a mile long means nothing to them. All we are=
=20
is files and forms and numbers," said Joseph Magno, the station's faculty=
=20
adviser, who added that the rules favor "big business" and "big-money=20
[players in] Washington."
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=3D5970

PBS WANTS TO BE TOP BANANA
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Ann Oldenburg]
Coming off a rocky period in which its budget was threatened on Capitol=20
Hill, one of its shows came under fire for featuring lesbians, and the=20
former chairman of its main funding source, The Corporation for Public=20
Broadcasting, resigned after criticism of his leadership, the Public=20
Broadcasting System is now focusing on one of its most important franchises=
=20
-- kids. =93We've always been a leader in this area, and now we're putting=
=20
more of our own resources here again so that we can continue to be a=20
leader,=94 says Lesli Rotenberg, who is heading up the new five-year=20
initiative called PBS Kids Next Generation Media. She says the plan isn't a=
=20
response to all those troubles but more a reflection of new =93prioritizing=
.=94=20
The overall goal isn't so much different from what the goals have always=20
been: =93a well-balanced diet of learning,=94 says Rotenberg. =93The curric=
ulum=20
will include math, science, literacy, music. Every program will have a big=
=20
dose of social and emotional learning, too, teaching values about respect.=
=20
The kinds of things we know that parents today are demanding.=94
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20051114/d_morepbs14.art.htm

INTERNET

WORLD WANTS MORE SAY IN CONTROL OF WORLD WIDE WEB
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Michelle Kessler]
The Bush administration and the U.S. tech industry are teaming to take on=
=20
the rest of the world in a fight about who controls the technical=20
underpinnings of the Internet. Right now, a U.S.-based group does. But=20
countries from Chile to China think they should have more say. The debate=
=20
is pretty geeky. But if the issues are not resolved, the Net could stop=20
working smoothly. And the fight -- which will come to a head at a United=20
Nations conference this week -- could become a foreign policy problem far=
=20
outside the virtual world.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20051114/icann.art.htm
* No resolution on Net control seen at tech summit
The United States is headed for a showdown with much of the rest of the=20
world over control of the Internet but few expect a consensus to emerge=20
from a U.N. summit in Tunisia this week.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DinternetNews&storyID=
=3D2005-11-14T082115Z_01_RID429696_RTRUKOC_0_US-SUMMIT.xml
* Internet showdown in Tunis
http://news.com.com/Internet+showdown+in+Tunis/2008-1012_3-5945200.html?...
=3Dfd_carsl

RECOMMENDATIONS TO WSIS ON INTERNET GOVERNANCE
[SOURCE: Association for Progressive Communications]
APC has participated extensively in the Internet governance process at the=
=20
World Summit on Information Society. Out of this participation and in=20
collaboration with other partners, including members of the WSIS civil=20
society Internet governance caucus, APC has crystallized a set of=20
recommendations with regard to Internet governance ahead of the final=20
Summit in Tunis in November 2005. APC proposes specific actions in each of=
=20
the following five areas: 1. The establishment of an Internet Governance=20
Forum; 2. The transformation of ICANN into a global body with full=20
authority over DNS management, and an appropriate form of accountability to=
=20
its stakeholders in government, private sector and civil society; 3. The=20
initiation of a multi-stakeholder convention on Internet governance and=20
universal human rights that will codify the basic rights applicable to the=
=20
Internet, which will be legally binding in international law with=20
particular emphasis on clauses in the universal declaration of human rights=
=20
specifically relevant to the Internet, such as rights to freedom of=20
expression, freedom of association and privacy. 4. Ensuring Internet access=
=20
is universal and affordable. The Internet is a global public space that=20
should be open and accessible to all on a non-discriminatory basis. The=20
Internet, therefore, must be seen as a global public infrastructure. In=20
this regard we recognize the Internet to be a global public good and access=
=20
to it is in the public interest, and must be provided as a public=20
provision. 5. Measures to promote capacity building in developing countries=
=20
with regard to increasing developing country participation in global public=
=20
policy forums on Internet governance.
http://rights.apc.org/documents/apc_recommendations_ig_EN.pdf

CONTROL THE INTERNET? A FUTILE PURSUIT, SOME SAY
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Markoff]
As the Internet's reach has extended worldwide, an international political=
=20
battle over its control has arisen. A meeting sponsored by the United=20
Nations this week in Tunis will take up a challenge to American authority=
=20
over ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers. ICANN=
=20
was established in 1998 to manage the Domain Name System, or D.N.S., which=
=20
assigns network names like disney.com and assures unique addresses. The=20
Tunis meeting, called the World Summit on the Information Society, will=20
consider calls for an end to unilateral American oversight. But several=20
people involved in the Internet's creation are concerned that the dispute=
=20
may be based on a false premise - that the Internet can lend itself to=20
centralized or governmental control - and could wind up fragmenting the=20
network itself. "Everyone seems to think that the D.N.S. system is a big=20
deal, but it's not the heartbeat of the Internet," said Leonard Kleinrock,=
=20
a computer scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who did=
=20
pioneering research in data packet switching, the fundamental technique=20
underlying networks. "Who controls the flow of the ocean? Nobody controls=
=20
it, and it works just fine. There are some things that can't be controlled=
=20
and should be left distributed."
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/14/business/14register.html?pagewanted=3Dall
(requires registration)

THE TRAIL OF A CLICKED-ON AD, BROUGHT TO YOU BY GOOGLE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bob Tedeschi]
Google plans to introduce free analytical tools for online publishers and=
=20
marketers today, a move that would help the company's clients get a better=
=20
sense of Web site traffic patterns and advertising campaigns. The new=20
service will cause significant ripples in the analytic industry, said Eric=
=20
T. Peterson, an analyst with Jupiter Research, an Internet consultant.=20
"This will really start to get a lot of companies interested in improving=
=20
their Web sites," Mr. Peterson said. Just 17 percent of the 250,000 or so=
=20
companies with at least $1 million in annual revenue and a Web site now use=
=20
analytical tools and services for those sites, Mr. Peterson said. The=20
remaining 83 percent have been deterred by the cost of such tools, among=20
other things. "And now here comes Google," he said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/14/business/14google.html?pagewanted=3Dall
(requires registration)

IF BOOKS ARE ON GOOGLE, WHO GAINS AND WHO LOSES?
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Edward Rothstein]
[Commentary] The Internet's near elimination of costs for the transmission=
=20
and sifting of digital media has led to another wave of copiers and=20
protectors, along with accusations of theft and heated debates over=20
file-sharing, copy-protection and licensing. But during the last decade the=
=20
debates have had a different character. The self-described "progressive"=20
side has challenged copyright enforcement and even argued for its radical=
=20
diminishment. This attempt to minimize existing controls, though, is=20
imagined not as a triumph for authors (as was initially the case in the=20
18th century) or as a triumph for profiteers or national ambitions (as in=
=20
the industrial espionage of the 19th), but as a form of liberation. In many=
=20
such arguments, lines are starkly drawn and echo older ideological battles:=
=20
idealism confronts materialism, socialism confronts capitalism, communal=20
values confront individualism. But the categories are all wrong. Organized=
=20
information -- information given shape and meaning -- is never really free.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/14/arts/14conn.html
(requires registration)

POLICYMAKERS

WALL STREET, K STREET MULL FCC'S NEW NOM
[SOURCE: Billboard Magazine, AUTHOR: Tony Sanders]
Some lobbyists are concerned with the pace of the Bush Administration in=20
building a 3-2 majority on the FCC. =93That lack of a majority puts the med=
ia=20
ownership rule changes at risk,=94 says one unnamed lobbyist. The thinking=
=20
there goes that the FCC will not be able to get going on a new media=20
ownership proceeding until a third Republican commissioner is nominated and=
=20
confirmed. If that goes too late into 2006, mid-term election may=20
contribute to a conservative pace for changing the rules. But other unnamed=
=20
lobbyists say the FCC has been so good at finding a middle ground on issues=
=20
that perhaps even moving forward on media ownership is possible.
http://www.billboardradiomonitor.com/radiomonitor/news/business/leg_reg/...
icle_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=3D1001477569

TOMLINSON DEFENDS ALHURRA TV
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Ken Tomlinson -- who resigned from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting=
=20
Board in the wake of a CPB Inspector General's report on his relationship=
=20
with the board -- was on Capitol Hill Thursday in his capacity as chairman=
=20
of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, explaining another investigation=20
launched into Alhurra Television and a complementary radio operation that=
=20
are the voices of America in the Middle East. Some of the issues raised=20
included Alhurra single-source contracting, its outsourcing to Associated=
=20
Press Television News, and whether "its policy of discouraging reporters=20
from rushing to cover breaking news leaves the likes of AL-Jazeera to be=20
the primary source of time-sensitive information."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6283225?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* Limbaugh distorted Tomlinson resignation: "He was trying to get some=20
conservative programming on NPR and PBS"
http://mediamatters.org/items/200511090009

QUICKLY

NEWSPAPERS RATE HIGH IN PUBLIC TRUST FACTOR, BUT PUBLIC BROADCASTING TOPS=
=20
ALL MEDIA
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Miki Johnson]
People trust newspapers like The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal,=
=20
and The New York Times more than commercial broadcast news but less than=20
public broadcasting, according to a survey released Thursday. A Harris=20
telephone survey, commissioned by the Public Relations Society of America,=
=20
found that 61% of the sample generally trusted news on PBS and NPR, 56%=20
trusted major newspapers, and 53% trusted commercial broadcasts and cable=
=20
news. These "trust" percentages were created by combining "trust=20
completely," "trust," and "trust somewhat" responses. Newspapers received=
=20
the highest "trust completely" response, with 13%, versus 10% for=20
noncommercial news and 4% for commercial news.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
t_id=3D1001477606
* For more see:=20
http://www.prnewswire.com/news/index_mail.shtml?ACCT=3D104&STORY=3D/www/...
ry/11-10-2005/0004213174&EDATE=3D

MIDTERM ELECTIONS AD SPENDING MAY BREAK RECORDS
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Ira Teinowitz]
The $515 million spent on this year=92s election -- a record for an off-yea=
r=20
election -- will pale compared to the predicted outlay for 2006, a midterm=
=20
election that could reach the lofty $1.7 billion spent during the=20
presidential election year of 2004. =93It=92s the only sector of the=20
advertising economy that is growing,=94 said Evan Tracey, chief operating=
=20
officer of TNS Media Intelligence Campaign Media Analysis Group. He said=20
political spending next year is likely to top $1.4 billion and could easily=
=20
beat the $1.7 billion registered in 2004 that included the hard-fought race=
=20
between President Bush and Sen. John Kerry. Expected to fuel the increase=
=20
is the number of big-state governor races, including Minnesota, Texas, New=
=20
York, California and Illinois, some U.S. Senate races in Florida and New=20
York, and the possibility that President Bush=92s image problem could=20
increase the number of competitive congressional districts.
http://adage.com/news.cms?newsId=3D46716

THE $100 LAPTOP MOVES CLOSER TO REALITY
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Steve Stecklow steve.stecklow( at )wsj.com]
A novel plan to develop a $100 laptop computer for distribution to millions=
=20
of schoolchildren in developing countries has caught the interest of=20
governments and the attention of computer-industry heavyweights. First=20
announced in January by Nicholas Negroponte, the founding chairman of the=
=20
Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab, the initiative appears=
=20
to be gaining steam. Mr. Negroponte is scheduled to demonstrate a working=
=20
prototype of the device with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan on=
=20
Wednesday at a U.N. technology conference in Tunisia. Although no contracts=
=20
with governments have been signed, Mr. Negroponte says current plans call=
=20
for producing five to ten million units beginning in late 2006 or early=20
2007, with tens of millions more a year later. Five companies -- Google,=20
Advanced Micro Devices, Red Hat, News Corp. and Brightstar -- have each=20
provided $2 million to fund a nonprofit organization called One Laptop Per=
=20
Child that was set up to oversee the project. Mr. Negroponte remains eager=
=20
to place the laptop in the hands of 100 to 150 million students. He says he=
=20
has learned in educational projects in Cambodia and other developing=20
countries that computers spur children to learn and explore outside the=20
boundaries of a classroom, and share their discoveries with their families.=
=20
"I do not think of them only in classrooms, but part of an integrated and=
=20
seamless experience for kids and their families," he says. Still, the=20
project would require governments in the developing world to come up with=
=20
$15 billion to supply 150 million laptops, and it isn't yet clear how many=
=20
countries can afford even a $100 machine. Technical hurdles also remain.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113193305149696140.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)

DISRUPTION AT THE HEART OF THE ONLINE REVOLUTION
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Editorial Staff]
[Commentary] Many companies have found the Internet to be a disruptive=20
technology - one that destroys old business models by providing products=20
more cheaply and efficiently. Now Microsoft, which makes the software that=
=20
powers personal computers and much of the Internet, is itself threatened by=
=20
disruptive technologies. It is a salutary reminder that even the most=20
profitable business model is not immune to competitive forces - and that=20
should be cause for rejoicing in a market economy. Adapting to a world=20
being remade by the disruptive influence of the Internet is tough -=20
especially for the inevitable losers with a technology where the winner=20
often takes all. Yet it is a story as old as capitalism, an economic system=
=20
that rewards successful innovation and sweeps away the casualties through=
=20
the process known as creative destruction. Technological change leaves no=
=20
business model unscathed, as Microsoft has belatedly discovered at the=20
heart of the most disruptive technology of our era.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/ea091a5c-5320-11da-8d05-0000779e2340.html
(requires subscription)

RACE AND MEDIA DIVERSITY
[SOURCE: St John's University School of Law]
On April 28 and 29, 2006, the Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and=
=20
Economic Development (=93The Ronald H. Brown Center=94) will hold an import=
ant=20
conference to explore the lack of racial diversity, and distorted=20
representations, in the media. The mission of the Ronald H. Brown Center is=
=20
=93to engage in legal studies, research and outreach focusing on issues tha=
t=20
affect the lives of underrepresented people while simultaneously educating=
=20
law students to be leaders on issues of racial, economic and social=20
justice.=94 One of The Ronald H. Brown Center=92s specific initiatives is t=
o=20
=93educate the news media and the public to promote understanding and focus=
=20
political and community efforts on the need to eradicate racism and social=
=20
inequalities.=94 The Ford Foundation is funding this dialogue aimed at=20
generating new thinking about racial diversity in the commercial and=20
noncommercial entertainment and news media and its effect on social justice=
=20
and media policy. In this dialogue, we seek to incorporate the input and=20
opinions of a diverse array of interested stakeholders, including scholars,=
=20
legal experts, journalists, and journalism critics. We would like the=20
conference participants to critique the misperceptions evident in the media=
=20
coverage of Hurricane Katrina (and in other news stories and entertainment=
=20
programming), to analyze and document the tremendous influence that media=
=20
have over the thinking, social policies and directions of our democratic=20
society, and to propose reforms that can take place in academia, the media,=
=20
and social policy to correct the lack of diversity and media distortions.
http://www.stjohns.edu/racemedia

"WELL CONNECTED" GOES GLOBAL
[SOURCE: Center for Public Integrity press release]
The Center for Public Integrity announced Monday that it has been awarded a=
=20
two-year, $700,000 grant from the Ford Foundation to extend Well Connected,=
=20
its landmark investigation of the telecommunications industry, to a global=
=20
level. The grant will ensure that the Center can build on the successful=20
first three years of Well Connected. Its features include Media Tracker, a=
=20
comprehensive searchable database of U.S. media ownership, and a series of=
=20
stories exploring the cozy relationship between the broadcast industry and=
=20
its primary regulator, the Federal Communications Commission. The project=
=20
has also produced the book Networks of Influence, a comprehensive expose of=
=20
the money the industry has spent to gain influence in Washington.
http://www.publicintegrity.org/report.aspx?aid=3D757

INTERNSHIP WITH CONSUMERS UNION AND HEARUSNOW.ORG
[SOURCE: Consumers Union]
Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports announces an unpaid=20
internship for college students to assist with work related to CU's website=
=20
on media and telecommunications issues. The internship position will be in=
=20
the Washington, DC office and can run through the school year. The=20
position is available immediately and requires a minimum of 20 hours a=20
week. Intern Activities Include: Communicate and maintain relationships=20
with individual consumers who write in to HearUsNow; Investigate the=20
telecommunications and media policy arena; Collect information for grant=20
reporting; and Work with Advisory Board and grassroots coalitions to build=
=20
relationships with a broad range of communities across the country.=20
Desirable Qualifications Include: Excellent written and oral communications=
=20
skills; Good organizational, research, and analytical capabilities;=20
Outstanding interpersonal skills, highly motivated, responsible,=20
self-directed, resourceful, and flexible; Experience with word processing=
=20
and computer research; Resume and cover letter required. The internship is=
=20
unpaid.
Submit resume and cover letter by mail or electronically to Morgan=20
Jindrich: mjindrich( at )consumer.org

E-911 RULE MAY REIN IN SOME VOIP LINKS
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
Most Internet-based phone services do not expect to meet a government=20
mandate to provide all their subscribers full-featured 911 service by Nov.=
=20
28. As a result, they likely will have to stop signing up customers in much=
=20
of the country during the holidays. A group of Internet-based providers has=
=20
asked a federal court to suspend the deadline. FCC spokesman Mark Wigfield=
=20
says VoIP providers would face a smoother road if they got certified as=20
=93telecommunications carriers=94 and took on the responsibilities that com=
e=20
with that. By law, certified carriers must be given access to local phone=
=20
company networks but also must bear burdens, such as extra per-call fees.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20051114/3b_new_voip14.art0.htm

SPECTRUM MANAGEMENT
[SOURCE: Government Accountability Office]
The GAO sent a report to Congress last week on the FCC's job of managing=20
the radio spectrum. The radiofrequency spectrum is a natural resource used=
=20
to provide an array of wireless communications services, such as mobile=20
voice and data services, radio and television broadcasting, radar, and=20
satellite-based services, which are critical to the U.S. economy and=20
national security. The current practice of allocating spectrum is largely=
=20
regarded as being a =93command-and-control=94 process -- that is, the=20
government largely dictates the use of spectrum. In particular, based on=20
regulatory judgments, FCC determines and limits what types of services --=
=20
such as broadcast, satellite, or mobile radio -- will be offered in=20
different frequency bands by geographic area. In addition, FCC issues=20
service rules to define the terms and conditions for spectrum use within=20
given bands. These rules typically specify eligibility standards, as well=
=20
as limitations on the services that relevant entities may offer and the=20
equipment and power levels they may use. Industry stakeholders offered a=20
number of options for improving spectrum management. The most frequently=20
cited options include 1) reexamining the distribution of spectrum to=20
enhance the efficient and effective use of this important resource, 2)=20
ensuring clearly defined rights and flexibility in commercially licensed=20
spectrum bands, and 3) extending and modifying FCC=92s auction authority. F=
or=20
example, stakeholders suggested that the government evaluate the relative=
=20
allocation of spectrum for government and commercial use as well as the=20
allocation of spectrum for licensed and unlicensed purposes. There was no=
=20
consensus on these options for improvements among stakeholders, except to=
=20
extend FCC=92s auction authority which is scheduled to expire in 2007.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-212R

FIRESTORM RAGES OVER LOCKDOWN ON DIGITAL MUSIC
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Jefferson Graham]
A look at consumer outrage over digital rights management. DRM, as it is=20
known in the entertainment industry, uses computer software to make it=20
tougher to freely copy entertainment purchases. It is what prevents users=
=20
of RealNetworks' Rhapsody, Microsoft's MSN Music and Yahoo Music from=20
transferring legally purchased digital music directly to the world's=20
most-popular digital player, Apple's iPod. DRM software is in the=20
background of all pre-recorded DVDs: It's the reason consumers can't copy=
=20
Hollywood DVDs to their hard drives.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20051114/drm_cover.art.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------