September 2006

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NEWS FROM CONGRESS
Budget Office Pegs Telecom Bill Cost At $5.2 Billion
McCain: Telecom Bill Not Dead Yet
U.S. Commerce Department to Extend Oversight of ICANN
Wiretap Bill Altered
Warren Bell Removed from Commerce Committee's Nominations Agenda
Stevens Pleased that Schools Will Not Lose E-Rate Funding Because of
Missed Deadlines
Administration Opposes Federal Shield Law for Journalists

FCC NEWS
Media Consolidation Shuts Out Women and Minorities
Adelstein: Public Deserves to see studies
FCC listens to Austin about Media Consolidation
FCC Prepares For New Public Safety/Security Bureau
FCC seen backing airline's broadband at Logan
Heading off a potential FCC debacle

INTERNET/BROADBAND
More Adults tap Internet for Election News
Effort to Combat Child Pornography Would Close Web Sites

QUICKLY -- Tribune to Consider Radical Action; Rules change lets AT&T
avoid disclosure requirements; Where did NPR's burger money go?;
Consumer Groups Lobby to Remove Ads from Schools; Media Advertising
Spending Will Grow 23.6%; Helping Amazon's wireless Net;
Administration Stopped Global Warming Interview; "Every Writer Must
Have a WGA Contract"; Nets Prepare Profanity Defenses; Copyright
Holders Seek Clarity On Payments; TiVo, Info Resources to Track
Consumer Purchasing Behavior

NEWS FROM CONGRESS

BUDGET OFFICE PEGS COST AT $5.2 BILLION
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
The Senate telecommunications bill would increase U.S. government
spending by $5.2 billion from 2007 to 2016, the Congressional Budget
Office estimates in a just-released report. During that period,
however, U.S. Treasury revenue would grow by $5 billion, the report
predicts. The bulk of the costs would result from changes to the
universal service fund that subsidizes telecom offerings in rural and
impoverished areas. CBO says that nearly $4.5 million would be spent
over nine years to expand the program to subsidize high-speed
Internet access. But the report also says USF revenue collection
would grow by roughly the same amount. The CBO report poses yet
another hurdle to Senate consideration of the bill because it shows
that the measure would add to the budget deficit. That makes the
measure subject to a point of order that would require 60 votes to
overcome. CBO estimates that the Senate version of the House-passed
bill, H.R. 5252, could raise costs for state and local governments by
up to $400 million per year in 2008 and 2009. Their costs would be at
least $150 million per year during that period. Costs for states and
localities would decrease after 2009 but could exceed $100 million
per year through 2011, the office says. CBO said costs also would
rise due to provisions to limit franchise fees on cable providers, to
permanently extend the ban on certain Internet taxes, and to impose a
three-year moratorium on state and local taxes applied to wireless
telephone service.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-QYPT1158781627016.html

MCCAIN: TELECOM BILL NOT DEAD YET
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Heather Greenfield]
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) told technology company leaders that a major
telecommunications bill is not dead. Although he does not see a way
to pass it before the November election, he noted the possibility a
bill could see Senate floor action in a lame-duck session. He
expressed understanding for both sides of the net Neutrality debate,
but said the problem now is that most consumers have a choice of only
one or maybe two broadband providers. If the dominant provider
steered search-engine traffic to Microsoft because of faster service
there than Google, a consumer may not be able to just switch
companies. Given the lack of competition now, he said he plans to
"continue to champion the rights of localities" to offer their own
broadband networks.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-UFBO1158783448382.html

US COMMERCE DEPARTMENT TO EXTEND OVERSIGHT OF ICANN
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Dan Caterinicchia]
The U.S. Commerce Department told Congress Wednesday it will extend
its oversight of the California organization that handles domain name
policies, while finding ways to improve the group's accountability
and transparency. John Kneuer, the department's acting assistant
secretary for communications and information, said the government's
current agreement with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers works and should continue. Commerce plans to renew a
memorandum of understanding with ICANN, but it will likely add
provisions designed to address complaints that the group is sometimes
too secret and makes decisions that don't reflect the Internet
community at large, Kneuer said. The current agreement expires at the
end of the month, but neither Kneuer nor Paul Twomey, ICANN's
president and chief executive, provided details about the length of
such an extension or about any changes.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/INTERNET_GOVERNANCE?SITE=TXGAL&SE...
* Testimony of John M. R. Kneuer
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/congress/2006/Kneuer_ICANNoversight_092...
* U.S. government to keep control of Web domain group ICANN
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=internetNews&storyID...

BUSH'S ALLIES STRUGGLE TO KEEP WAR BILLS
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Laurie Kellman]
White House loyalists struggled on Wednesday to save President Bush's
wartime legislative plans from collapsing under Republican squabbles.
For the White House, there was some good news. The House Intelligence
Committee approved by voice vote a bill that would put into law the
Administration's warrentless wiretapping program. The sponsor, Rep.
Heather Wilson (R-NM) had rewritten the measure to make it more to
President Bush's liking. The Judiciary Committee later endorsed a
similar version, 20-16. But Wilson's revision, likely to draw
President Bush's support, is the bill that probably will make it to
the full House. Under Wilson's revised bill, the President may only
conduct the secret surveillance under specific conditions. For
example, the President must notify Congress within five days of
authorizing the surveillance, name the entity that poses the threat
and state the reason for believing an attack is imminent. Even if the
House and Senate pass versions of the wiretapping legislation in the
next week, the differences would not be resolved until a lame-duck
congressional session after the Nov. 7 elections, Rep Wilson said.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_TERRORISM?SITE=PAYOK&SEC...
* Wiretap Bill Altered
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20060921/a_terror21.art.htm
* House panel endorses controversial spy bill
http://news.com.com/House+panel+endorses+controversial+spy+bill/2100-102...
** See also --
* While Nixon Campaigned, the F.B.I. Watched John Lennon
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Adam Cohen]
[Commentary] The F.B.I.'s surveillance of John Lennon is a reminder
of how easily domestic spying can become unmoored from any legitimate
law enforcement purpose. What is more surprising, and ultimately more
unsettling, is the degree to which the surveillance turns out to have
been intertwined with electoral politics. Critics of today's domestic
surveillance object largely on privacy grounds. They have focused far
less on how easily government surveillance can become an instrument
for the people in power to try to hold on to power. "The U.S. vs.
John Lennon" would be a sobering film at any time, but it is
particularly so right now. It is the story not only of one man being
harassed, but of a democracy being undermined.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/opinion/21thu4.html
(requires registration)

WARREN BELL REMOVED FROM COMMERCE COMMITTEE'S THURSDAY NOMINATIONS AGENDA
[SOURCE: US Senate Commerce Committee]
The Senate Commerce Committee has removed the nomination of Mr.
Warren Bell, to be a Member of the Board of Directors of the
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, from the Committee's Thursday
agenda. Bell was removed after several members of the Senate
Commerce Committee expressed concerns. The nomination hearing is
still scheduled for Thursday, September 21, 2006 at 10:00am. The
following nominations will still be considered: Ms. Chris Boskin, to
be a Member of the Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting and the Honorable David Pryor, to be a Member of the
Board of Directors of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Det...
* Nomination on Hold for Public Broadcasting Post
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-bell21sep21,1,94...

STEVENS PLEASED THAT SCHOOLS WILL NOT LOSE E-RATE FUNDING BECAUSE OF
MISSED DEADLINES
[SOURCE: US Senate Commerce Committee]
The Federal Communications Commission last week issued an order to
ensure 128 school districts around the nation will not lose their
E-rate funding because of late filed applications. Last week's order
is consistent with a recent order by the full Commission in the
"Bishop Perry Middle School" proceeding, which was released May 19,
2006. In the Bishop Perry case, the FCC decided that the Universal
Service Administrative Company (USAC) may depart from otherwise
required deadlines upon careful review of individual circumstances
and where the doing so will serve the public interest. The 128 school
districts, including several in Alaska, sought waivers of USAC's
filing deadline on the ground that the application process is
complicated and time-consuming. Thursday's order directs USAC to not
penalize school districts who filed late because their initial
applications had ministerial or clerical errors.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Det...

ADMINISTRATION OPPOSES FEDERAL SHIELD LAW FOR JOURNALISTS
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
The No. 2 official at the Justice Department said Wednesday that a
shield law for reporters would encourage leaks of classified
information. At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Deputy
Attorney General Paul McNulty also said the proposal to protect
reporters from having to identify their sources would "significantly
weaken" the department's ability to obtain information it needs to
protect national security. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen
Specter (R-PA) rejected McNulty's opposition, saying he wants to push
forward with the bill, inspired in part by last year's jailing of
journalist Judith Miller, then of The New York Times.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...

FCC NEWS

MEDIA CONSOLIDATION SHUTS OUT WOMEN AND MINORITIES
[SOURCE: Free Press, AUTHOR: S. Derek Turner & Mark Cooper]
As the Federal Communications Commission considers sweeping changes
to the nation's media landscape, Free Press today released a new
report on female and minority media ownership that shows the
consequences of further consolidation. The new study, Out of the
Picture, is the first complete assessment and analysis of female and
minority ownership of full-power commercial broadcast television
stations. The report argues that the FCC has abandoned its
responsibility to monitor and foster the diversity of media owners,
while ignoring the impact of its own policies. Out of the Picture
finds that pro-consolidation policies enacted by the FCC already have
had a significant impact on minority ownership, indirectly or
directly contributing to the loss of 40 percent of the stations that
were minority-owned in 1998. Among the report's findings: 1) Women
comprise 51 percent of the entire U.S. population, but own only 4.97
percent of all TV stations. 2) Minorities make up 33 percent of the
entire U.S. population, but own only 3.26 percent of all stations. 3)
While the level of female and minority ownership has advanced in
other industries since the late 1990s, it has worsened in the
broadcast sector. 4) Hispanic- or Latino-owned stations reach just
21.8 percent of the Latino TV households in the United States. 5) 91
percent of African-American TV households are not reached by a
black-owned TV station. 6) Markets with minority owners are
significantly less concentrated than markets without them -- even if
the size of the market is held constant.
http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=167
* Copps: Lack of Minority TV Owners is 'Disgrace'
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2006/09/20/daily.12/

ADELSTEIN: PUBLIC DESERVES TO SEE STUDIES
[SOURCE: TVNewsday, AUTHOR: Harry Jessell]
FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein said that the agency has
tarnished its reputation by not releasing studies that might
contradict a "predetermined" policy outcome. "It undercuts our
reputation as the expert agency if we whitewash studies that don't
come up with the conclusions that are favored by the very media that
we are charged with overseeing," the commissioner said during a
teleconference this morning to trumpet the release of another study
detailing the low percentages of female and minority ownership of TV
stations. "I am very concerned that taxpayers' dollars are used to
fund these studies and, if they don't reach a predetermined outcome,
the taxpayers never have an opportunity to see them," Commissioner
Adelstein said. "We deserve a full accounting of all studies that are
in progress and the studies that have been done so that the public is
made aware of the factual data and analysis that has been done by our
excellent staff," he said. "We can hopefully restore our reputation
as the expert agency and not be seen as one that is politicizing the
outcome of what should be objective studies."
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2006/09/20/daily.8/

FCC LISTENS TO AUSTIN ABOUT MEDIA CONSOLIDATION
[SOURCE: Austin Statesman, AUTHOR: Joe Gross]
Opening a public hearing on media consolidation and diversity at the
University of Texas, veteran Tejano broadcaster Marcelo H. Tafoya
said that when he started in radio in 1962, one was taught to fear
God and the FCC, not necessarily in that order. But according to
Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, those days are long gone, mostly
because of loosened ownership rules that shut out local voices and
give large media corporations a good deal of control. "We're like a
paper tiger, and (media corporations) know better than to fear us,"
Adelstein said at the Tuesday night hearing. The Federal
Communications Commission "should be promoting localism, diversity
and competition. We've failed on all three fronts." The hearing,
organized by the League of United Latin American Citizens and the
National Latino Media Council, was tied to the public comment period
on FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's proposal to modify restrictions on
newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership. The proposal would change rules
that prevent a company from owning a major daily newspaper and radio
or television station in the same area. The proposal also wants to
alter restrictions that ban one company from owning two or more TV
stations in a single market. At this hearing, the primary interest
was in the absence of Tejano music from the Austin airwaves. Of the
eight Spanish radio stations in the area, six are owned by Border
Media Partners, and two are owned by Univision.
http://www.statesman.com/search/content/news/stories/local/09/20/20fcc.html
* FCC Commissioner seeks input on media ownership expansion
http://media.www.dailytexanonline.com/media/storage/paper410/news/2006/0...
* Adelstein: Public Deserves to See All Studies
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2006/09/20/daily.8/

FCC PREPARES FOR NEW PUBLIC SAFETY/SECURITY BUREAU
[SOURCE: TelecomWeb]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) appears close to staffing
its new. Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau conceived in the
wake of last year's Hurricane Katrina and other several Gulf Coast
storms. The new bureau is designed to address a range of
communications emergency-response contingencies pursuant to natural
disasters or infrastructure attacks. Wireline and wireless carriers,
and other federal agencies as well as police, fire, public-safety and
emergency-response officials on local, county and state levels
reportedly are looking forward to viewing the implementation goals
and schedules for what they regard as a critical new bureau, although
it admittedly adds another bureaucratic layer to the FCC. As
envisioned by the FCC, the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau
will be organized into three divisions -- Policy, Public
Communications Outreach & Operations and Communications Systems
Analysis -- and it will have a front office consisting of the
bureau's senior leadership and management staff. All told, the new
bureau would handle a wide range of functions -- including network
reliability, resiliency and security issues -- that have been
dispersed among seven different bureaus and offices.
http://www.telecomweb.com/tnd/19338.html

FCC SEEN BACKING AIRLINE'S BROADBAND AT LOGAN
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Jeremy Pelofsky]
Boston airport authorities cannot stop Continental Airlines from
offering wireless Internet service in its frequent flier lounge under
a proposed Federal Communications Commission ruling. FCC Chairman
Kevin Martin has proposed backing Continental's request to keep its
free service running. The proposed ruling favoring Continental has
been sent to the four other FCC commissioners for a vote. If
Continental wins, the FCC ruling could serve as a precedent for other
airlines and Internet service providers to offer airport Internet
access, often sought by business travelers.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=internetNews&storyID...

HEADING OFF A POTENTIAL FCC DEBACLE
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Randolph J. May, Free State Foundation]
[Commentary] A decade ago, Congress decided cable companies and their
competitors should allow consumer electronics manufacturers to make
"plug and play" set-top equipment that would work with any cable or
direct broadcast satellite service. Rather than leasing it, consumers
could buy such equipment from multichannel video program
distributors. So it was that Congress authorized regulations in 1996
to ensure that equipment used to access multichannel video
programming would be available at retail from entities unaffiliated
with cable or direct broadcast satellite service operators. Congress'
goal may have made theoretical sense then in the staid, still fairly
monopolistic world that characterized analog communications. However,
the rapid changes in technology and the marketplace spurred by the
digital revolution require that the FCC revise its equipment
regulations, or their costs to consumers will far exceed their
benefits. In the interest of consumers, the FCC should act quickly to
extend the integration ban's implementation date for all multichannel
video program distributors, while, at the same time, closely
monitoring the technological developments in a dynamic marketplace.
http://news.com.com/Heading+off+a+potential+FCC+debacle/2010-1047_3-6117...

INTERNET/BROADBAND

MORE ADULTS TAP INTERNET FOR ELECTION NEWS
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Nearly one-fifth of American adult users of the Internet in August
2006 spent some time reading about politics or the coming U.S.
election, a big increase from November 2004, according to a survey
released on Wednesday by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
The non-partisan think tank said 26 million Americans -- or 19
percent of adult users -- turned to the Internet in August to read
political news and information, compared to 21 million in November
2004 when a presidential election was held. The latest figure is
noteworthy because August is typically a quiet month in political
campaigns due to summer vacations, said John Horrigan, associate
director of the Pew project. "We think that increase is due to more
and better content about politics than there was a couple of years
ago," Horrigan said. "You have more people reading blogs, some of
which are political, and there is the 'You Tube' phenomenon for
viewing political videos, which add up to a more attractive
environment," he added.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID...
* Campaign and Political News Online: More Americans turn to the
Internet for news about politics
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/187/report_display.asp
* Senators criticize .com price increases
http://news.com.com/Senators+criticize+.com+price+increases/2100-7345_3-...

EFFORT TO COMBAT CHILD PORNOGRAPHY WOULD CLOSE WEB SITES
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Kurt Eichenwald]
As part of the battle against the spread of child pornography on the
Internet, an initiative has begun allowing for the shutdown or
blocking of sites offering illicit images of minors, even in cases
where no criminal investigation is being conducted. The initiative,
expected to be announced today at a Congressional hearing, is part of
an effort among a group of Internet service providers and the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The initiative is
part of an array of tactics adopted in recent months to combat child
pornography sites on the Internet. Among them was the creation of the
Financial Coalition Against Child Pornography, a group of major
financial institutions and Internet companies that are working with
the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Payment
processors representing 87 percent of the business in the United
States have joined the coalition, according to Mr. Allen's statement.
The coalition will be able to follow the money that is the lifeblood
of the commercial child pornography business and has the goal of
eradicating the business by 2008, Mr. Allen said in his prepared
remarks. Among the groups participating in the effort are the U.S.
Internet Service Provider Association, as well as AOL, Earthlink,
Google, Microsoft and United Online.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/us/21porn.html
(requires registration)

QUICKLY

TRIBUNE TO CONSIDER RADICAL ACTION
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sarah Ellison sarah.ellison( at )wsj.com]
Tribune Company's board, under growing pressure from shareholders, is
expected to consider dramatic options for the company's future at its
board meeting today, including taking the company private in a
leveraged buyout or spinning off its TV-station group. No decision on
any option has been made, and it is possible the company will decide
not to take any radical action, said several people familiar with the
company's thinking. Serious obstacles exist to any major strategic
move. But Tribune is expected to consider these and other
alternatives in coming weeks. While Tribune's board considered some
strategic alternatives earlier this year, including a possible
spinoff of the company's TV stations, a sense of urgency has grown
among senior Tribune executives. Already under pressure from some
investors over its stock price, the company has endured months of
turmoil sparked by a public falling-out with the company's biggest
shareholder, the Chandler family, which owns a 15% stake in Tribune.
In recent days, the company also has faced a rebellion at one of its
biggest operations, the Los Angeles Times, where the newspaper's
editor and publisher are resisting pressure to make further cuts in staff.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115880895006369768.html?mod=todays_us_pa...
(requires subscription)
* At Los Angeles Times, a Civil Executive Rebellion
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/21/business/media/21tribune.html

RULES CHANGE LETS AT&T AVOID DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: David Lazarus]
Five years ago, AT&T was fined millions of dollars and was required
to adopt strict disclosure requirements after state regulators
determined that the company had engaged in misleading marketing
practices. Last week, AT&T told the California Public Utilities
Commission in a regulatory filing that it will no longer follow those
requirements. The telecom giant is taking advantage of new rules that
allow California phone companies to unilaterally change certain
regulatory provisions without prior approval from state officials.
AT&T says the disclosure requirements, which forced the company to
always reveal to new customers its cheapest service first and to seek
permission before making marketing pitches, made it too difficult to
interact with consumers. "We felt this wasn't fair to customers,"
said Gordon Diamond, an AT&T spokesman. "We wanted to streamline the
process to make it faster and easier for people to sign up for new
service." "This is a regulatory Pearl Harbor," PUC member Jeff Brown
said of AT&T's surprise filing last week. "We set up a gold standard
for disclosure by a utility and they've just tossed it away."
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/09/20/BUG2QL8HL51.DTL

WHERE DID NPR's MONEY GO?
[SOURCE: The Boston Globe, AUTHOR: Alex Beam]
[Commentary] Since the $225 million gift that NPR received in 2003
from Joan Kroc has public radio gotten any better? It certainly
hasn't gotten any worse. NPR executive vice president Ken Stern says
the Kroc money "allowed us to invest in what this country needs --
serious, in-depth reporting." Overall, NPR has added 85 new staffers
and 10 new beats and has opened five new foreign bureaus at a time
when almost all other media are shuttering them. Also, the gift has
funded more investigative reporting, and brought people such as
Robert Krulwich and Ted Koppel into the public radio fold. Two new
shows have come on the air post-Kroc, "Day to Day" and "News & Notes."
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2006/09/20/where_did_np...

CONSUMER GROUPS LOBBY TO REMOVE ADS FROM SCHOOLS
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Meredith Deliso]
In an age where advertising is more aggressive and techniques that
target children are controversial, there are those who want to keep
at least one area free of paid content: schools. With Channel One
anchors bringing news into the classroom and now BusRadio blaring on
yellow school buses across the country, Commercial Alert, the Center
for a New American Dream and Obligation have organized a campaign to
remove the news program and radio show from every school in the
country. A letter endorsed by 40 organizations and 64 children's
advocates was sent last week to the 100 leading national advertisers
and the top 50 advertising agencies urging them not to advertise with
the two companies. The campaign comes at a time when advocacy groups
are increasingly targeting below-parental-radar tactics such as
advergaming and viral marketing. Of particular concern is food
advertising -- especially ads for fast food, soda and sugary cereal
-- geared toward students at a time when childhood obesity is a
national concern.
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=111979

MEDIA ADVERTISING SPENDING WILL GROW 23.6%
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Andrew Hampp]
Consumers may have slowed in their media spending habits, but that
hasn't stopped advertisers from aggressively pursuing new ways to
reach potential shoppers. The Advertising Spending data of the 2006
Veronis Suhler Stevenson Communications Industry Forecast indicates
that consumer spending on media increased 2.8% to $185.90 billion in
2005, the lowest growth rate for the communications sector in 30
years. Yet despite the decrease in box office, music and video-game
sales, the amount of money spent on media advertising continues to
grow, with a projected increase of 23.6% to $918.0 million in 2006.
And media advertising still has room for growth in untapped markets,
said Chris Russell, managing director, private equity at Veronis
Suhler Stevenson. The report also found the Internet continues to
spike overall advertising spending, which is expected to increase
6.4% to $210.9 billion in 2006.
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=111984

HELPING AMAZON'S WIRELESS NET
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: Tom Abate]
Intel Corp. Chairman Craig Barrett is set to fly more than 1,000
miles up the Amazon River today to unveil a futuristic wireless
network designed to bring high-speed Internet to a remote city in
Brazil. Barrett's appearance in Parintins -- whose 114,000 residents
live on an island accessible only by boat or plane -- caps six weeks
of effort by 50 technicians from Intel and Silicon Valley allies
Cisco Systems and Proxim Wireless. Together with partners from
several Brazilian organizations, the team installed a high-speed
wireless computer network on the island. This is the first in what
Intel says will be a series of similar projects designed to bring
advanced technologies to the developing world.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/09/20/BUG2QL8HL...

ADMINISTRATION STOPPED GLOBAL WARMING INTERVIEW
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Rep. Henry Waxman (D-CA) has internal Commerce Department e-mails
that suggest the Bush Administration denied a 2005 CNBC request to
interview National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Scientist Tom Knutson because he believes there is a connection
between global warming and the number and intensity of hurricanes.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6373770.html

WGA'S VERRONE: "EVERY WRITER MUST HAVE A WGA CONTRACT"
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Ben Grossman]
Speaking at a rally Wednesday in Los Angeles, Writers Guild Of
America, West President Patric Verrone unveiled a new doctrine for
his organization as the WGA looks to unify its constituency prior to
contract negotiations next year. The WGA deal expires in October
2007. "Every piece of media with a moving image on a screen or a
recorded voice must have a writer," Verrone told a gathering of
several hundred writers in Pan Pacific Park. "And every writer must
have a WGA contract."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6373941.html?display=Breaking...

NETS PREPARE PROFANITY DEFENSES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Broadcast television networks have until today to file indecency
remand comments. A federal court granted the FCC's request to take a
second look at four profanity rulings it made last March, but the FCC
promised to do it all in 60 days, hence the narrow comment window. It
announced the two-week window Sept. 7. The FCC did not make the
decisions available for comment the first time because it took no
enforcement action, instead saying there were words -- one rhyming
with "duck" and variants of "cow chips" -- it would find indecent in
particular contexts going forward. Broadcasters sued and the FCC said
it had made a mistake not giving an opportunity to comment.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6373778?display=Breaking+News

COPYRIGHT HOLDERS SEEK CLARITY ON PAYMENTS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Programmers want to make sure cable systems are paying all they
should be to copyright owners for retransmitting broadcasters'
digital signals The Copyright Office has asked for comment on what,
if any, changes or clarifications need to be made to the reporting
process for cable payments to copyright holders for retransmission of
broadcast signals. In 1976, Congress determined that cable should pay
for those signals, but that it was unworkable to have everyone
negotiate the carriage independently. So a compulsory license fee was
established based on gross revenues associated with those
transmissions. Along came digital and now a broadcast can be analog
or digital, and a digital broadcast can be a replication of the
original signal, or new, multicast programming, or it can be HDTV.
The Motion Picture Association of America, joined by the major sports
leagues, have asked the Copyright office to begin a rulemaking to
clarify what payments cable operators need to be making on those
various new slices of the digital pie.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6373871?display=Breaking+News

TIVO, INFO RESOURCES TO TRACK CONSUMER PURCHASING BEHAVIOR
[SOURCE: MediaWeek, AUTHOR: Katy Bachman]
Through a partnership with Information Resources Inc., TiVo announced
Wednesday the launch of IRI TiVo Consumer Insights Suite, two new
research services designed to provide marketers with measures of how
TV viewing and DVR usage impact product purchases. The new services
will be based on the creation of two separate single-source panels (a
national panel and a local market test panel) combining data from
TiVo's set-top box with IRI's consumer scanner panels.
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=10031...
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