April 2007

For this week's media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/?q=3Devent

INTERNET/BROADBAND
Verizon is pressured on network
How Do the Feds Fund Broadband? Let Me Count The Ways
Privacy groups challenge Google's DoubleClick deal
Internet user ratings draw fire from trade group
Senate: Does Broadband Rollout Measure Up?
Wireless Connectivity to Drive Global Internet
Wi-Fi fight in Chicago air
And the Fees for VoIP Providers Just Keep Mounting

BROADCASTING
Clear Channel to sell TV group for $1.2 bln
Imus' downfall sends message to broadcasters
Texas Station Interrupts Commercial Interruptions
Rehr Urges Broadcasters To Update Lingo

JOURNALISM/MEDIA
The Impact of Virginia Tech on the News
Virginia shooting restarts media blame game
Bill Moyers on Why the Press Bought the Iraq War
Philadelphia Journalism=92s New Order
Gingrich Attacks Press as Out of Touch

OWNERSHIP
Former Media Executives Give New Life to =91Blank Check=92 Corpora=
tions

QUICKLY -- FCC chief wants better 911 access for=20
cellphones; YouTube deletes video of McCain=20
singing 'Bomb Iran'; ACA Digs In on Retrans, July=20
1 Set-Top Ban; Digital Subscribers Like Free=20
Radio, Too; New Model for Sharing: Free Music=20
With Ads; In presidential race, who's getting=20
techies' money?; Interactive TV Ads Could Hit U.S. Soon

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/15INTERNET/BROADBAND

VERIZON IS PRESSURED ON NETWORK
[SOURCE: Boston Globe 4/21, AUTHOR: Carolyn Y. Johnson]
Sen John Kerry (D-MA) and Rep Edward Markey=20
(D-MA) on Friday said they would send a letter to=20
Verizon Communications demanding that it finish=20
building a fiber-optic network to deliver TV,=20
phone, and Internet service throughout=20
Massachusetts. The reaction came after reports=20
that Verizon had suspended applications for new=20
cable licenses. The company, now lobbying=20
aggressively for legislation that would allow the=20
state, instead of local governments, to grant=20
cable licenses -- while also opposing Gov Deval=20
L. Patrick's proposal to impose new=20
telecommunications taxes -- emphasized that it is=20
continuing to invest in its fiber-optic service,=20
or FiOS, network and hopes to win franchises in=20
22 communities where it is negotiating for them.
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2007/04/21/verizon_is...
essured_on_network/
* SEN. KERRY. REP. MARKEY ASK VERIZON NOT TO=20
DELAY HIGH SPEED BROADBAND SERVICE IN MASSACHUSETTS
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=3Dcom_content&task=3Dview&id=3D...
1&Itemid=3D141

HOW DO THE FEDS FUND BROADBAND? LET ME COUNT THE WAYS
[SOURCE: Reason Foundation, AUTHOR: Steve Titch]
[Commentary] Perhaps the real question to ask=20
about the so-called =93digital divide,=94 isn't how=20
to address it, but whether it exists at all, at=20
least when it comes to rural telecommunications.=20
OPASTCO, the trade group that represents some 520=20
small rural telcos, says some 90 percent of its=20
membership is offering broadband Internet. And=20
that group of 90 percent makes broadband=20
available to 90 percent of their customers. In=20
addition, half of the OPASTCO membership is=20
offering wireless services and half (not=20
necessarily the same or opposing half) are=20
offering video. True, much of this is due to=20
subsidies, but not all. Although the bloated=20
Federal Universal Service Fund most often comes=20
to mind, there=92s almost no end to the federal=20
government=92s bounty in funding approaches. First=20
there=92s the Rural Utilities Service at the U.S.=20
Department of Agriculture, which oversees two=20
federal assistance programs exclusively dedicated=20
to broadband. One program is the Rural Broadband=20
Access Loan and Loan Guarantee program, which has=20
$500 million banked for 2007. The RUS also=20
oversee the Community Connect Broadband Grant=20
Program, which has allocated $9 million so far in=20
2007. These programs are on top of other general=20
federal programs from various departments (HUD,=20
Commerce, Homeland Security, Education) that can=20
be tapped to fund broadband. These include The=20
USF=92s High Cost Program, Schools and Libraries=20
Fund and Rural Health Care Fund, but also: Rural=20
Telephone Loans and Loan Guarantees; Community=20
Development Block Grants; Indian Community=20
Development Block Grants; Grants for Public Works=20
and Economic Development Facilities; The=20
Appalachian Regional Commission; The Delta=20
Regional Authority; The Denali Commission;=20
Distance Learning and TeleMedicine Program;=20
Interoperable Communications Equipment Grants;=20
Telehealth Network Grants; Public=20
Telecommunications Facilities Program; Technology=20
programs overseen by the Department of Education;=20
Library grants; Medical Library Assistance.
http://www.reason.org/outofcontrol/archives/2007/04/how_do_the_feds.html

PRIVACY GROUPS CHALLENGE GOOGLE'S DOUBLECLICK DEAL
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Eric Auchard]
Consumer privacy groups on Friday sought to=20
derail Google's $3.1 billion deal to buy online=20
ad supplier DoubleClick, filing a complaint with=20
U.S. regulators to block the merger on privacy=20
grounds. Groups led by the Electronic Privacy=20
Information Center have filed the complaint with=20
the U.S. Federal Trade Commission arguing the=20
merger would violate agreed limits on how much=20
data advertisers collect on consumers and seeking=20
an injunction. "Google's proposed acquisition of=20
DoubleClick will give one company access to more=20
information about the Internet activities of=20
consumers than any other company in the world,"=20
the complaint by the privacy activist groups argues.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2040687820070421
* EPIC Files Complaint at FTC to Block Google Acquisition of DoubleClick
http://www.privacy.org/archives/001978.html
* FTC Filing today on GoogleClick First in a Series of Steps
http://www.democraticmedia.org/jcblog/?p=3D250

INTERNET USER RATINGS DRAW FIRE FROM TRADE GROUP
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Paul Thomasch]
The Interactive Advertising Bureau, a trade=20
group, raised fresh concerns about the=20
measurement of Internet users' behavior and=20
called on Friday for two leading market research=20
companies to submit to audits. The IAB's=20
complaints about the Internet audience ratings=20
issued by comScore Inc. and Nielsen//NetRatings=20
come as advertisers shift increasing amounts of=20
money into online digital media. That shift has=20
made precise measurements of how and where users=20
spend time on the Web more important, and=20
comScore and Nielsen//NetRatings issue the most=20
closely watched audience data. In particular,=20
their data on Web media companies Google Inc. and=20
Yahoo Inc. is used by investors and analysts to=20
gauge their progress throughout the quarter.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2030152520070420

SENATE: DOES BROADBAND ROLLOUT MEASURE UP?
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Senate Commerce Committee has scheduled a=20
full-committee hearing on the state of U.S.=20
broadband deployment, "Communications, Broadband=20
and Competitiveness: How Does the U.S. Measure=20
Up?" The hearing will be held April 24 at 10 a.m.=20
Congressional and FCC Democrats have been=20
generally critical of the state of the broadband=20
rollout, citing statistics that place the U.S.=20
out of the top-15 in broadband deployment. Also=20
on Tuesday, the House Subcommittee on=20
Telecommunications and the Internet will hold a=20
hearing "Broadband Lessons from Abroad."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6435463.html

WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY TO DRIVE GLOBAL INTERNET
[SOURCE: mediacaster]
While dial-up access to the Internet continues=20
its slow death globally, the number of
Internet adults utilizing =91wired=92 broadband=20
connections may also be peaking, according to=20
results released from Ipsos Insight=92s annual The=20
Face of the Web study. It is estimated that over=20
three-quarters (77%) of the global online=20
population was utilizing a broadband connection=20
to access the Internet, at the end of 2006, in=20
comparison to just 21% utilizing a dial-up=20
connection. And though the prevalence of=20
broadband access continued its steady growth=20
trend through 2006, growing an additional seven=20
percentage-points from 2005 (70%), the salad days=20
of robust annual growth for broadband penetration may soon be coming to an =
end.
http://www.mediacastermagazine.com/issues/ISArticle.asp?id=3D67877&issue...
04182007
* Wired broadband adoption to slow, but wireless shows potential
http://www.rfdesignline.com/news/199103197;jsessionid=3DD3WUD121HOBRQQSN...
SKH0CJUNN2JVN

WI-FI FIGHT IN CHICAGO AIR
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune 4/20, AUTHOR: Jon Van]
A digital wireless future is shaping up for=20
Chicago, with two major Internet service=20
providers -- AT&T and EarthLink -- vying to build=20
a municipal broadband network that would operate=20
alongside a higher-end service planned by Sprint=20
Nextel. Both the service proposed by AT&T and=20
EarthLink and the one planned by Sprint Nextel=20
would give computer users in the city wireless=20
Internet access, whether at home, in the office=20
or on the street, but the technology and purpose=20
of the two systems are somewhat different. The=20
Tribune has learned that AT&T Inc. and EarthLink=20
Inc. are in a competition to build a wireless=20
network using Wi-Fi technology, and both have=20
made written and oral proposals to the city and=20
Hardik Bhatt, the city's chief information=20
officer. A spokeswoman said the city is making=20
progress in reviewing the proposals, but Bhatt=20
declined to estimate when a decision might be=20
made. Separately, Sprint Nextel Corp. has=20
selected Chicago as the location for one of its=20
first WiMax wireless broadband networks, which=20
should be in place by the end of the year. WiMax=20
would use powerful technology to envelop the city=20
in a wireless signal capable of giving users=20
Internet access in buildings, on the street or in=20
traveling vehicles. The signal travels for miles.=20
By contrast, a Wi-Fi signal travels for blocks=20
and wouldn't work, for example, in a moving car.=20
But even so, executives at AT&T and EarthLink=20
said their firms' enthusiasm for building a=20
municipal broadband network in the city is undiminished.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-0704200144apr20,0,6882142.sto...
track=3Drss

AND THE FEES FOR VOIP PROVIDERS JUST KEEP MOUNTING
[SOURCE: Jeff Pulver 4/19]
[Commentary] First came fees to ensure that VoIP=20
providers can connect to and be=20
backward-compatible with non-IP-enabled local=20
emergency response centers. Then came fees to=20
support the Universal Service Fund, a fund to=20
which VoIP providers are not eligible. Then comes=20
the possible fees that VoIP providers might have=20
to pay Verizon to license the patent for IP-PSTN=20
translations and use of VoIP in WiFi hotspots....=20
and now, the FCC has released a Notice of=20
Proposed Rulemaking tentatively concluding that=20
Interconnected VoIP providers should pay=20
regulatory fees to the FCC in order to fund the=20
FCC's enforcement and rulemaking activities. Nice=20
to see that the FCC thinks the VoIP industry=20
should be footing the bill for all the rules it=20
has begun imposing on the VoIP providers.
http://pulverblog.pulver.com/archives/006823.html

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/14BROADCASTING

CLEAR CHANNEL TO SELL TV GROUP FOR $1.2 BILLION
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Megan Davies]
Clear Channel said on Friday it will sell its=20
television group to private equity firm=20
Providence Equity Partners for about $1.2=20
billion. Providence Equity will get 56 television=20
stations in 24 markets across the United States=20
as well as their related Internet sites and=20
wireless projects. The deal is expected to close=20
in the fourth quarter, subject to regulatory=20
approval. Clear Channel said it continues to=20
pursue the divestiture of 287 radio stations in=20
54 markets, having already reached agreements to=20
sell 161 radio stations in 34 markets for a total of $331 million.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSWNAS703520070420
* Clear Channel Sells Its TV Stations for $1.2 Billion
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=3D20601204&sid=3DarAJ25YnL.OA
* Behind Clear Channel Stations Sale
Veteran broadcaster Sandy DiPasquale, who will=20
head up the 56 stations that Providence Equity=20
Partners has agreed to acquire from Clear Channel=20
for $1.2 billion, will focus on news, sales and=20
online as he takes over their stewardship.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6435489.html

IMUS' DOWNFALL SENDS MESSAGE TO BROADCASTERS
[SOURCE: Orlando Sentinel, AUTHOR: Christopher Boyd]
Freewheeling shock jocks beware: In the age of=20
the Internet your words can not only haunt you,=20
they can end your career. Don Imus learned that=20
last week when a sound bite from his morning talk=20
show became a dagger that an angry public turned=20
at his throat. The episode brought the tight-wire=20
act of talk radio into fresh focus. Broadcasters=20
like controversial talk when it draws an=20
audience, but turn on it when advertisers=20
complain or regulators pounce. The digital age=20
has put radio under new scrutiny. When Imus=20
started his career, a flip remark usually=20
vanished in the ether. Today, digital sound bites=20
can be lifted, critiqued and disseminated on the=20
Internet in moments, leading to firestorms like=20
the one that pulled Imus down. That means new=20
risks for broadcasters. But few expect maverick=20
announcers will go away, or even tone down their=20
shows very much. In a competitive, fragmented=20
medium, edgy talk show hosts have a very valuable=20
asset: fiercely loyal audiences.
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-radio2007apr20,0,2815707.sto...
coll=3Dorl-business-headlines
* Howard Kurtz's Imus Amnesia
Critic forgets requests to shun racist show
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3D3089

TEXAS STATION INTERRUPTS COMMERCIAL INTERRUPTIONS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sarah McBride sarah.mcbride( at )wsj.com]
Dallas classic-rock radio station KZPS will flip=20
to a rock-and-country hybrid format called Lone=20
Star. But "Stairway to Heaven" won't be the only=20
thing missing from the new station -- regular=20
30-second and 60-second advertisers won't be part=20
of the lineup, either. Instead, the Clear Channel=20
Communications Inc. station plans to weave in=20
mentions of sponsors, no more than fifteen=20
seconds at a time, throughout the regular=20
programming -- a setup that is more akin to=20
public radio than traditional commercial=20
broadcasting. The move marks a radical extension=20
of Clear Channel's "Less Is More" initiative,=20
which aims to boost audience ratings by cutting=20
the amount of advertising on each of its=20
stations. The broadcast-radio industry, wavering=20
in the face of competition from satellite radio=20
and iPods, is eager for ideas that can create new=20
opportunities. In this case, it is a gamble: The=20
sponsorship plan will generate less revenue=20
initially than regular commercials, though Clear=20
Channel believes that, over time, listeners will=20
flock to a station that isn't cluttered with=20
advertising, allowing KZPS to collect higher sponsorship rates.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117728416369878439.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)

REHR URGES BROADCASTERS TO UPDATE LINGO
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
National Association Broadcasters President/CEO=20
David Rehr urged broadcasters to rebrand their=20
issues in new terms=97ones that don't make them=20
sound like Luddites in a changing digital world.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6435499.html

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/24JOURNALISM/MEDIA

THE IMPACT OF VIRGINIA TECH ON THE NEWS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Editorial Staff]
[Commentary] The media onslaught. Local=20
newscasters reporting before they could grieve.=20
The incisive power of one shaky cellphone video=20
and the sickening redundancy of another. The=20
power of the Web to inform. A brushfire of debate=20
set off by a barrage of bullets. The Virginia=20
Tech murders, the worst shooting spree in U.S.=20
history, flashed a bright light on the modern=20
news cycle. A look at how this tragedy played out=20
and why it will affect the business of news.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6435483.html
* For Virginia Tech Killer's Twisted Video, Pause but No Rewind
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/22/AR200704...
1447.html

VIRGINIA SHOOTING RESTARTS MEDIA BLAME GAME
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Lisa Baertlein]
In the rush to explain massacres like the one at=20
Virginia Tech, experts including popular TV=20
psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw dusted off a=20
familiar scapegoat -- violent video games, movies=20
and other media. Researchers said focusing on the=20
role of youth-oriented entertainment could mask=20
deeper, intractable issues such as child abuse,=20
poverty, suburban alienation, declining parental=20
involvement and shrinking school budgets that=20
result in fewer nurses and counselors who might interrupt the cycle.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2029563220070420
* Violent TV Images Pose Problem for Kids
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: David Bauder]
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=3D/n/a/2007/04/22/entertainm...
/e091509D99.DTL&hw=3Djournalism&sn=3D007&sc=3D730

BILL MOYERS ON WHY THE PRESS BOUGHT THE IRAQ WAR
[SOURCE: AlterNet]
The marketing of the war in Iraq by the=20
administration has been much examined, but a=20
critical question remains: How and why did the=20
press buy it? The new Bill Moyers Journal=20
documentary from PBS explores these very=20
questions. Bill Moyers and his team piece=20
together the reporting that shows how the media=20
were complicit in shaping the "public mind"=20
toward the war, and ask what's happened to the=20
press' role as skeptical "watchdog" over=20
government power. This segment features the work=20
of some intrepid journalists who didn't take the=20
government's word at face value, including the=20
team of reporters at Knight Ridder news service=20
whose reporting turned up evidence at odds with=20
the official view of reality. The full=20
documentary will broadcast on PBS on April 25.
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/50785/
* Moyers hammers the media for 'Buying the War' in Iraq
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20070423/d_moyers23.art.htm

PHILADELPHIA JOURNALISM'S NEW ORDER
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Katharine Seelye]
Many newspapers are losing advertising revenue=20
these days and have taken steps that they might=20
not have taken when times were flush. But at The=20
Philadelphia Inquirer, everything -- even a=20
joint venture with an advertiser that in other=20
times might have raised questions about editorial=20
integrity -- is being rethought. Starting next=20
week, The Philadelphia Inquirer will run a new=20
column called PhillyInc., written by Inquirer=20
reporters and editors, on the first page of its=20
business section. The sponsored column is part of=20
the new world here as Brian P. Tierney, a local=20
advertising executive, settles in as the paper=92s=20
hands-on publisher and promoter in chief for what=20
has become a grand experiment in private local=20
ownership of a major metropolitan daily.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/23/business/media/23inky.html
(requires registration)

GINGRICH ATTACKS PRESS AS OUT OF TOUCH
[SOURCE: New York Times 4/23/1997, AUTHOR: Kevin Sack]
Ten years ago, the House Speaker Newt Gingrich=20
(R-GA), who has faced heavy criticism in the=20
press of his ethics record, leveled a brief but=20
blistering attack on the news media and suggested=20
that advertisers should use their financial clout=20
to demand change. Speaking to the Georgia Chamber=20
of Commerce, he complained that it had been=20
difficult for the Republican majority in Congress=20
to convey its themes of individual liberty and=20
limited government. ''It's very hard to=20
communicate that partly because the media, which=20
all of you control with your advertising, doesn't=20
have a clue what we're doing and they don't slow=20
down and pay attention to it and they have=20
editorial boards that are as baroque and out of=20
touch as some tenured faculties,'' said Mr.=20
Gingrich, a former college professor. ''I would=20
say to all of you, the responsibility for a news=20
media that can't report accurately how the world=20
works rests on those who pay for it, and that's=20
the advertisers,'' he continued. ''And I'm not=20
talking about bias. I'm talking about rethinking=20
the whole style of the newsroom and rethinking=20
what we cover. If Thomas Edison invented the=20
electric light today, it would be reported on the=20
evening news that the candle-making industry was=20
threatened. Ralph Nader would announce a lawsuit=20
on behalf of poor people who might get=20
electrocuted. And the candle workers union would=20
have at least two senators introduce a bill to=20
block electricity on behalf of their industry.''
http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=3DF10A12FC385A0C...
EDDAD0894DF494D81
(requires TimesSelect subscription)

OWNERSHIP

FORMER MEDIA EXECUTIVES GIVE NEW LIFE TO 'BLANK CHECK' CORPORATIONS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Richard Silkos]
Time was that former media executives were=20
offered consulting contracts, partnerships at=20
private equity firms or book deals. Now, they are=20
being offered a blank check. Over the past=20
several months, new shell companies led by former=20
senior executives of companies like Time Warner,=20
ABC, RCN, DirecTV and VNU have raised hundreds of=20
millions of dollars on the stock market in=20
low-profile deals using an obscure but growing=20
financing technique called =93special purpose=20
acquisition corporations,=94 or SPACs. SPACs have=20
been gathering steam over the past two years as=20
an alternative to private equity as Wall Street=20
firms like Deutsche Bank, Citigroup, Merrill=20
Lynch and Lazard have begun underwriting them.=20
The sudden surge in media-related SPACs, people=20
involved in the deals said, reflects the=20
wrenching changes digital technology is having on=20
the media, telecommunications and technology=20
industries. While many large companies in these=20
industries struggle with falling profits and=20
stagnant share prices, there is a belief among=20
investors that niche opportunities can be found=20
in everything from broadcasting and publishing to=20
European media. So far, most media SPACs are=20
seeking to buy companies for under $500 million,=20
which puts the deals they seek under the radar of=20
most big private equity firms. For media firms,=20
the surge in these businesses is a reversal from=20
the conventional thinking that more media=20
companies will go private. Indeed, one way to=20
think of SPACs is as the inverse of private=20
equity -- a form of instant public equity.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/23/business/media/23blank.html
(requires registration)

QUICKLY

FCC CHIEF WANTS BETTER 911 ACCESS FOR CELLPHONES
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Leslie Cauley]
For consumers to figure out how a cellphone=20
carrier stacks up on 911 services is nearly=20
impossible. The Federal Communications Commission=20
requires wireless carriers with GPS-based systems=20
=97 Verizon Wireless is one =97 to be able to verify=20
the location of callers 67% of the time. Even=20
then, however, they have to do it within only 492=20
feet of a person's actual location. For=20
network-based systems =97 AT&T's Cingular is in=20
this group =97 the requirements are about 328 feet=20
67% of the time. The problem: The FCC lets the=20
carriers decide whether to calculate performance=20
city-by-city or on a nationwide basis. AT&T and=20
Verizon Wireless both decline to break out local=20
911 performance numbers, saying only that they=20
meet FCC requirements. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin=20
says the industry, as well as his agency, must do better than that.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070423/e911_martinside.art.htm
* Growing wireless use highlights limitations of 911 services
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070423/e911_safety.art.htm

YOUTUBE DELETES VIDEO OF MCCAIN SINGING 'BOMB IRAN'
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
YouTube confirmed Friday that it had erroneously=20
deleted and would restore a video of presidential=20
candidate John McCain singing an impromptu ditty=20
about starting a war with Iran. The Arizona=20
senator joked about attacking the sovereign=20
nation during a campaign stop in South Carolina=20
this week, singing, to the tune of the Beach Boys=20
song "Barbara Ann": "That old, that old Beach=20
Boys song, Bomb Iran. Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, anyway."
http://news.com.com/YouTube+deletes+video+of+McCain+singing+Bomb+Iran/21...
1025_3-6178173.html?tag=3Dhtml.alert.hed

ACA DIGS IN ON RETRANS, JULY 1 SET-TOP BAN
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Moss]
Some lawmakers this week were asking members of=20
the American Cable Association for suggestions=20
for a solution to the issue of retransmission=20
consent, the head of the lobbying group said=20
Friday. The ACA held its 14th Annual Washington=20
Summit earlier this week, which was capped by its=20
members going to the Hill to meet with lawmakers=20
Wednesday. The two issues on the agenda were=20
retransmission consent and the July 1 ban on=20
set-tops with integrated security. ACA president=20
Matt Polka said that in a number of cases, his=20
members were told by congressmen that=20
retransmission consent -- which allows=20
broadcasters to demand compensation for carriage=20
of their stations -- is a tough issue. But Polka=20
was heartened that some of these lawmakers asked=20
his members =93to give us a solution.=94 That=92s=20
important, according to Polka, because the ACA is=20
trying to get Congress engaged in the=20
retransmission-consent issue. =93We=92re going to persist,=94 he said.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6435315.html

DIGITAL SUBSCRIBERS LIKE FREE RADIO, TOO
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Alex Mindlin]
As a group, fans of digital radio do not listen=20
to traditional radio less than everyone else. In=20
fact, they listen to slightly more, according to=20
a study recently released by Arbitron and Edison=20
Media Research. The data suggest that, generally=20
speaking, fans of digital radio are seeking to=20
supplement, not replace, traditional radio.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/23/technology/23drill.html
(requires registration)

NEW MODEL FOR SHARING: FREE MUSIC WITH ADS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Robert Levine]
For years, music labels have been trying to=20
prevent fans from downloading their songs on=20
peer-to-peer file-sharing networks. Now, some of=20
them would like to encourage people to listen to=20
music that way =97 provided they view some=20
advertising first. Several start-up companies are=20
pursuing the idea of advertising-supported music,=20
including SpiralFrog and Ruckus, which caters to=20
college students. Qtrax, one such company that=20
plans to open for business in September, already=20
has deals to sell music from Warner Music Group=20
and EMI Group, and it plans to announce a similar=20
deal with Sony BMG Music Entertainment today.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/23/technology/23qtrax.html
(requires registration)

IN PRESIDENTIAL RACE, WHO'S GETTING TECHIES' MONEY?
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
CNET News.com compiles an index of giving to top=20
Presidential campaigns from various parts of the technology sector.
http://news.com.com/In+presidential+race%2C+whos+getting+techies+money/2...
-1028_3-6178061.html?tag=3Dnefd.lede

INTERACTIVE TV ADS COULD HIT US SOON
[SOURCE: MediaWeek, AUTHOR: John Consoli]
Interactive TV ads, commonplace in England and=20
undergoing extensive testing in Canada, are still=20
not in the mainstream in the U.S., although that=20
could soon change. =93Television innovation does=20
not move at Internet speed. But within the next=20
three years, I think we are going to see=20
widespread deployment of interactive advertising,=20
and interactive programming on broadcast and=20
cable networks,=94 said Tracey Scheppach, vp, video=20
innovation director at Starcom USA. The=20
technology allows a viewer using a remote control=20
to click on an icon within a traditional=20
30-second commercial, for example, to get more=20
information about a product. Down the road,=20
Scheppach said, viewers could use their remotes=20
to vote on shows like American Idol and Dancing=20
with the Stars, changing the face of live TV.
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=3D100...
4611
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Communications-related Headlines is a free online=20
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through Friday, this service provides updates on=20
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summaries are factually accurate, their often=20
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