April 2007

For info on this week's media policy events --=20
including today's FCC media ownership hearing --=20
see http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Devent/2007/05/04/week/all/all/1

UNIVERSAL BROADBAND
Universal Service Reform Act of 2007
Rural Broadband Act Redefines USDA Loan Recipients

NETWORK NEUTRALITY
Goodlatte Predicts More Net Neutrality Hearings
Structured Network Neutrality is the Key

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
FCC targets Tampa Bay for hearing TODAY
More on Reilly/MediaNews/Hearst Settlement
Big media's assault on democracy
GE Shares Rally on Citigroup's Push for Unit Spinoffs
Ten Years Ago: Murdoch Satellite Deal May Have Hit a Snag

TELECOM
AT&T Taps Stephenson as CEO
Consortium Buys Control of Italy=92s Phone Giant

IN THE STATES
Google Seeks Clearer Path to State Data
Court Rules Against Iowa Cities Over Franchise Fees
Wisconsin Customer-Service Bill Includes DBS

VIOLENCE
TV violence tough to curb despite FCC's new plea
Violence Report Leaves Questions
Sexual Threats Stifle Some Female Bloggers

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
General Dynamics to Build Integrated Radio System

QUICKLY -- Republicans break ranks to oppose=20
tech-backed bill; How'd You Do In School Today?;=20
Baseball Ratings Start Off Strong

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/82UNIVERSAL BROADBAND

REPS. BOUCHER AND TERRY INTRODUCE "UNIVERSAL SERVICE REFORM ACT OF 2007"
[SOURCE: Reps Boucher and Terry press release]
On Thursday, House Commerce Committee Members=20
Rick Boucher (D-VA) and Lee Terry (R-NE)=20
introduced the Universal Service Reform Act of=20
2007 to improve the Universal Service Fund (USF)=20
and ensure its continued viability by broadening=20
the base of contributions into the Fund,=20
controlling distributions from the Fund, and=20
assisting with the rollout of high speed=20
broadband access. Since enactment of the=20
Telecommunications Act of 1996, a variety of new=20
providers of voice services which are exempt from=20
USF payments, have entered the market, resulting=20
in greater USF funding burdens being placed on=20
traditional service providers. The Universal=20
Service Reform Act of 2006 responds to these=20
developments by adding providers of services=20
which substitute for traditional service and=20
providers of connections to the broadband network=20
to contributors to the USF. The Universal Service=20
Reform Act of 2007 controls the growth of the USF=20
by capping all high-cost support mechanisms of=20
the USF. The measure will also encourage the=20
deployment of broadband, especially in rural=20
areas, by allowing recipients to use universal=20
service support to deploy broadband within their=20
service areas and by requiring recipients of=20
universal service support to deploy broadband=20
with a download speed of 1 megabit per second or=20
greater within 5 years of enactment.
http://www.boucher.house.gov/index.php?option=3Dcom_content&task=3Dview&id=
=3D1041&Itemid=3D75

RURAL BROADBAND ACT REDEFINES USDA LOAN RECIPIENTS
[SOURCE: TelecomWeb]
A new bill introduced in the U.S. House of=20
Representatives aims to "improve and re-focus an=20
important broadband loan program to ensure that=20
rural, unserved areas are properly targeted for=20
investment in and development of this critical=20
infrastructure." If passed, such reform could=20
benefit incumbent telcos, competitive telephone=20
companies and cable companies alike. Crafted by=20
Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-SD) and Jerry=20
Moran (R-KS), and co-sponsored by Earl Pomeroy=20
(D-ND), John Salazar (D-CO) and Adrian Smith=20
(R-Neb), the bi-partisan "Rural Utility Service=20
Bill" (H.R. 2035) promotes increased access to=20
high-speed broadband Internet service in rural=20
America. The bill would improve the Rural Utility=20
Service Broadband Loan Program that provides=20
federal loans to areas of rural America that=20
don't have service; that law, however, has a=20
loophole that allows nonrural areas and areas=20
that already have broadband services to apply for=20
these loans, thus depleting the cash set aside for the real rural America.
http://www.telecomweb.com/tnd/22967.html

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/57NETWORK NEUTRALITY

GOODLATTE PREDICTS MORE NET NEUTRALITY HEARINGS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Bob Goodlatte (R-VA.) co-chair of the=20
Congressional Internet Caucus says that he is=20
"Very, very concerned" about the prospects for an=20
Internet toll road with customers paying for=20
priority access to the Internet. But he said that=20
while he supports the "concept of net=20
neutrality," he is also concerned about=20
government overregulation of the Internet,=20
preferring to toughen antitrust laws to deal with=20
the issue. Rep Goodlatte said he introduced a=20
bill several years ago promoting open access,=20
which he defined as "making sure that consumers,=20
small businesses and others have an open=20
opportunity to reach each other in a fair,=20
competitive way, and concern that the people who=20
control the pipes don't essentially put up a toll system."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6437746.html?rssid=3D193

STRUCTURED 'NET NEUTRALITY IS THE KEY
[SOURCE: Network World, AUTHOR: Curt Monash]
[Commentary] Internet legislation should preserve=20
radical openness in two areas: Internet bit=20
transport and Internet content and applications.=20
Fortunately, both goals are achievable through a=20
scheme that follows seven policy-design=20
principles: 1) 'Net neutrality should be=20
preserved for the "Jeffersonian" part of the=20
Internet --research, teaching, political=20
discourse, and small-business commerce. 2) In=20
general, content and application providers should=20
be left almost wholly unregulated. 3) It's OK to=20
regulate telecom carriers. They are natural=20
oligopolists and are used to it. 4) It's OK to=20
charge for high Quality of Service. The=20
"Edisonian" part of the Internet will be stifled=20
without substantial investment; somebody has to=20
pay for it. 5) Any payment arrangements between=20
content and application providers and=20
consumer-facing carriers should be formulaic.=20
There should be no scope for negotiation, so bias=20
can't creep in. 6) Content and application=20
providers should be allowed to subsidize=20
communication costs. Consumers don't like paying=20
on a bit-by-bit basis; they prefer subscriptions=20
or free or ad-supported models. 7) Content and=20
application providers shouldn't have to subsidize=20
communication costs. There should be no=20
business-arrangements requirements limiting=20
innovators from getting started on the Internet.=20
Tariff rebate passthrough is a policy and=20
regulatory framework that satisfies all these principles.
http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2007/042307monash.html?page=3D1

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/21MEDIA OWNERSHIP

FCC TARGETS TAMPA BAY FOR HEARINGS
[SOURCE: Tampa Bay Business Journal, AUTHOR: Michael Hinman]
Media consolidation might make sense to the=20
bottom line, but members of the Federal=20
Communications Commission are expecting to get an=20
earful against loosening even more restrictions=20
on television and radio ownership when they visit Tampa today.
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2007/04/30/story2.html?from_...
=3D1
* Debate On Media Ownership Rules Ignores Realities Of Digital Age
[Media General editorial] "Our cross-media=20
ownership benefits this community, no matter what=20
critics say today about Big Media bogeymen."
http://www.tbo.com/news/opinion/editorials/MGBRCALK21F.html
* Media General=92s Claims Debunked
The cover story of Tampa=92s premiere alternative=20
weekly, Creative Loafing, warns of the dangers of=20
media consolidation =97 noting how thoroughly local=20
giant Media General has been able to dominate the Tampa market.
http://www.stopbigmedia.com/blog/?p=3D88

MORE ON REILLY/MEDIANEWS/HEARST SETTLEMENT
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Mark Fitzgerald and Jennifer Saba]
The dust refuses to settle on last week's=20
settlement between San Francisco Bay Area=20
businessmen Clint Reilly and local newspaper=20
owners MediaNews and Hearst. On Friday, MediaNews=20
Group President Jody Lodovic accused Reilly=20
attorney Joe Alioto of misrepresenting terms of=20
the settlement -- and said the Denver-based chain=20
was "strongly considering" suing him for=20
breaching confidentiality terms of the agreement.=20
In reply, Alioto said -- to paraphrase -- 'bring=20
it on.' On Saturday, Alioto repeated his argument=20
that the settlement was key to the survival of=20
the smaller area papers. The original goal of the=20
lawsuit was to unwind the sales and trades among=20
The McClatchy Co., Hearst and MediaNews that gave=20
MediaNews ownership of two big former Knight=20
Ridder Bay Area dailies, the San Jose Mercury=20
News and the Contra Costa Times. Joining those=20
two papers with other MediaNews Bay Area dailies=20
was fundamental to keeping the smaller papers competitive, Alioto said.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
t_id=3D1003578001

BIG MEDIA;S ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY
[SOURCE: The Seattle Times, AUTHOR: Ryan Blethen]
[Commentary] "Enough" is a word that means little=20
to corporate media. The few bloated companies=20
that remain atop the media food-chain have=20
crossed the line from growing profits to actively=20
pushing rule and law changes that will wound our=20
nation. These mega-companies move from one=20
industry to the next in the name of=20
consolidation, driven by a Wall Street appetite=20
that demands more every quarter. Companies once=20
devoted to a particular sector are now behemoths=20
that have control over almost everything read, watched or listened to.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003682648_ryan27.html

GE SHARES RALLY ON CITIGROUP'S PUSH FOR UNIT SPINOFFS
[SOURCE: Bloomberg, AUTHOR: Rachel Layne and Alexis Xydias]
Citicorp is suggesting that General Electric=20
should spin off NBC Universal, GE Money and the=20
company's real-estate division. GE should spin=20
off NBC because the division "has no meaningful=20
synergy with the rest of the portfolio,'' the=20
Citigroup note said. Nicholas Heymann of=20
Prudential Equity Group said a company such as=20
Google may be interested in buying NBC Universal=20
as part of its effort to add to its mix of media=20
offerings including YouTube. Divesting assets=20
would make GE, the world's second-largest company=20
by market value, easier to understand for=20
investors, wrote Citigroup analysts including=20
Jeffrey Sprague. NBC Universal provided $16.2=20
billion, or about 10 percent, of GE's $163.4 billion in revenue last year.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=3D20601103&sid=3DaVUAn4RXPYRU

MURDOCH SATELLITE DEAL MAY HAVE HIT A SNAG
[SOURCE: Washington Post 4/29/1997, AUTHOR: Paul Farhi]
Ten years ago, News Corp. told Echostar, its=20
partner in a proposed $1.7 billion Sky project,=20
that it wanted to renegotiate part of the deal.=20
Some speculated that Murdoch and Echostar's chief=20
executive, Charlie Ergen, were fighting over=20
control of Sky or that Murdoch was having second=20
thoughts about the financial commitment to Sky,=20
which would run as much $5 billion over several=20
years. The deal would ultimately unravel and the=20
two "partners" then fought to buy rival DirecTV.=20
News Corp won that battle but has now soured on=20
that and is swapping it with Liberty Media headed=20
by former cable exec John Malone.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/11577819.html?dids=3D1...
7819:11577819&FMT=3DABS&FMTS=3DABS:FT&fmac=3D&date=3DApr+29%2C+1997&author=
=3DPaul+Farhi&desc=3DMurdoch+Satellite+Deal+May+Have+Hit+a+Snag
(requires registration)

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/9TELECOM

AT&T TAPS STEVENSON AS CEO
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Dionne=20
Searcey dionne.searcey( at )wsj.com and Jessica E. Vascellaro]
AT&T announced on Friday that longtime Chairman=20
and CEO Edward Whitacre will step down in June=20
and be replaced by COO Randall Stephenson. Mr.=20
Stephenson, who holds a master's degree in=20
accounting from the University of Oklahoma, was a=20
key architect of AT&T's recent acquisition of=20
BellSouth Corp. He embraces the technology his=20
company peddles using laptops and GSM cards, and=20
is of a different ilk than Mr. Whitacre, who came=20
to AT&T in 1963 as a facility engineer. Mr.=20
Stephenson inherits unique challenges facing=20
phone companies whose very core business --=20
landline phone service -- is diminishing in the=20
age of wireless and Internet phone calls. While=20
some phone companies, like Sprint-Nextel Corp.=20
and Verizon Communications Inc., have shed=20
landlines and focused on wireless service, a=20
growth business, AT&T has cherished its landline=20
service. It is bundling it with wireless and TV=20
offerings and testing devices that will converge=20
the two services. Like other large telecom=20
players, AT&T will have to navigate new=20
technologies that make communications easier for=20
consumers and seek to bring them to market=20
without cannibalizing traditional revenues too=20
much. AT&T will turn its attention increasingly=20
abroad as it aims to become the preferred=20
provider of telecommunications services to=20
multinational corporations around the world. Mr.=20
Stephenson said Friday that, on the international=20
scene, AT&T is going to look for business=20
partners rather than make large acquisitions,=20
though he added that the company may look for=20
small acquisitions around the world to better=20
serve large corporate clients. AT&T has a slew of=20
new competitors, including Google and cable=20
companies that in the past two years have=20
aggressively entered the phone business.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117768601212684889.html?mod=3Dus_busines...
hats_news
(requires subscription)

CONSORTIUM BUYS CONTROL OF ITALY'S PHONE GIANT
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Victoria Burnett and Peter Kiefer]
Telef=F3nica of Spain and a group of Italian=20
investors agreed on Saturday to pay 4.1 billion=20
euros ($5.6 billion) for a controlling 18 percent=20
stake in Telecom Italia, allowing the Spanish=20
telecommunications giant to expand into the=20
Italian market and extend its presence in Latin=20
America. The deal ends months of speculation=20
about the future of Telecom Italia, whose suitors=20
had included AT&T, and it represents a setback=20
for Telef=F3nica=92s arch rival Am=E9rica M=F3vil, owned=20
by the Mexican tycoon Carlos Slim Hel=FA. Despite=20
the involvement of Telef=F3nica, the deal also=20
appears to maintain the Italian-majority=20
ownership of the country=92s former monopoly phone company.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/business/worldbusiness/30telecom.html
(requires registration)
* Telef=F3nica Wins Telecom Italia Stake, Not Control
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117779206831686021.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
e_one

IN THE STATES

GOOGLE SEEKS CLEARER PATH TO STATE DATA
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Miguel Helft]
Four states have joined forces with Google to=20
make information from their Web sites more=20
directly accessible through Internet searches.=20
Much of the public data on government Web sites =97=20
things like school rankings, contractor and real=20
estate licenses and information on emergency and=20
public health services =97 is easy to access=20
through the sites themselves, but is not always=20
readily available through Web search engines.=20
Google has been working with officials in=20
Arizona, California, Utah and Virginia to make=20
some of that information more broadly available,=20
using a technological standard for exposing=20
previously hidden Web pages. The company said=20
that over time it hoped to extend the partnership=20
to other government agencies at the federal,=20
state and local level. Since the Web standard has=20
recently been recognized by all major search=20
engines, like Yahoo, Microsoft and Ask, the=20
information would also be accessible through=20
those services. While the newly searchable data=20
is already public, its wider dissemination could=20
add fuel to a debate over how to balance personal=20
privacy with the public=92s right to access government records.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/30/technology/30data.html
(requires registration)
* Google, 4 U.S. states partner on gov't info search
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2946293620070430
* Google Search To Expand Links To Information From Virginia Agencies
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/29/AR200704...
1058.html

COURT RULES AGAINST IOWA CITIES OVER FRANCHISE FEES
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Haugsted]
Scott County, Iowa, judge ruled that the cities=20
of Davenport and Bettendorf are illegally=20
handling the franchise fees they collect. Those=20
cities have been placing the fees they collect=20
from cable customers, via their cable operator,=20
in city general funds. The judge ruled that if=20
there is money collected beyond the cost to=20
inspect, license, supervise or otherwise regulate=20
cable, then the overage represents a tax levy, a=20
category forbidden by state law.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6437501.html

WISCONSIN CUSTOMER-SERVICE BILL INCLUDES DBS
[SOURCE: Multichannel News]
The Wisconsin State Assembly tentatively approved=20
a state franchising bill that contains a clause=20
that will include direct-broadcast satellite=20
providers under the state's customer-service=20
rules. If approved, permanent video franchises=20
will be awarded by the state Department of=20
Finance. Customer-service rules, such as rebates=20
for outages of more than four hours, will be=20
regulated by the state Department of Agriculture,=20
Trade and Consumer Protection and will require=20
compliance by satellite-delivered services.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6437673.html

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/84VIOLENCE

TV VIOLENCE TOUGH TO CURB DESPITE FCC'S NEW PLEA
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Amanda Paulson]
The Federal Communications Commission, which=20
released its long-awaited recommendations on TV=20
violence last week, is strongly urging that=20
Congress can and should regulate the degree of=20
violence that can be shown during prime-time=20
hours. The FCC has also proposed to regulate=20
cable TV for the first time, attempting to reduce=20
the market for violent images by requiring cable=20
companies to offer consumers more flexibility in=20
which channels they choose to purchase. While=20
such regulation may prove politically popular, it=20
will be a tough sell to the courts, experts say.=20
"There is very little chance that a bill=20
attempting to define violence and regulate it=20
would ever pass constitutional muster," says Clay=20
Calvert, codirector of the Pennsylvania Center=20
for the First Amendment at Pennsylvania State=20
University. "It would be a huge shift for [the=20
FCC] to regulate content on cable and satellite,=20
and this is probably not the best issue to do it=20
on=85. Violence is going to be even harder to=20
define than indecency." Despite that, many=20
advocates say that evidence of harmful effects of=20
media violence on children, combined with a=20
significant increase in the degree of violence=20
that makes it over the air waves, means that the=20
government needs to try. If Congress does write=20
legislation, a major challenge will be coming up=20
with an acceptable =96 and narrow =96 definition of excessive violence.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0430/p02s01-ussc.html

VIOLENCE REPORT LEAVES QUESTIONS
[SOURCE: TVWeek, AUTHOR: Ira Teinowitz]
Few if any of the legislators and interest groups=20
who responded to the Federal Communications=20
Commission's long-anticipated report about=20
violence on television last week defended the=20
level of rough content on the air. Instead, they=20
disagreed on how to address it. Some say leave it=20
to Congress, others say leave it to the viewers,=20
but most expect members of the TV industry will=20
step up self-policing to handle it themselves.=20
The FCC offered a list in its report of potential=20
actions Congress could take for both broadcast=20
and cable, but didn't recommend one over the=20
other. Among those it included were limiting=20
violent programming to certain times of day,=20
creating a family hour, imposing government=20
labels for violent content and creating a la carte cable tiers.
http://www.tvweek.com/article.cms?articleId=3D31867
(requires free registration)

SEXUAL THREATS STIFLE SOME FEMALE BLOGGERS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ellen Nakashima]
As women gain visibility in the blogosphere, they=20
are targets of sexual harassment and threats. Men=20
are harassed too, and lack of civility is an=20
abiding problem on the Web. But women, who make=20
up about half the online community, are singled=20
out in more starkly sexually threatening terms --=20
a trend that was first evident in chat rooms in=20
the early 1990s and is now moving to the=20
blogosphere. The treatment of women online is not=20
just an equivalent of what happens offline, some=20
women say. The Internet allows the content to be=20
seen immediately, often permanently and far more=20
widely than a remark scribbled on a restroom=20
wall. A 2006 University of Maryland study on chat=20
rooms found that female participants received 25=20
times as many sexually explicit and malicious=20
messages as males. A 2005 study by the Pew=20
Internet & American Life Project found that the=20
proportion of Internet users who took part in=20
chats and discussion groups plunged from 28=20
percent in 2000 to 17 percent in 2005, entirely=20
because of the exodus of women. The study=20
attributed the trend to "sensitivity to worrisome behavior in chat rooms."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/29/AR200704...
1555.html
(requires registration)

http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/7EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIO=
NS

GENERAL DYNAMICS TO BUILD INTEGRATED RADIO SYSTEM
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Wilson P. Dizard III]
General Dynamics has won a 15-year,=20
multibillion-dollar contract to build a=20
nationwide interoperable voice and data radio=20
network for federal law enforcement agencies. The=20
Integrated Wireless Network program, run by the=20
Justice Department with the participation of the=20
Homeland Security and Treasury departments, is=20
intended to provide compatible radio systems to=20
federal police agencies, partly so they can=20
cooperate effectively during terrorist attacks=20
and natural disasters. It will also help the=20
federal police link to state, local and tribal=20
law enforcement networks. The core IWN radio=20
systems that the program will provide to=20
participating agencies will rely on the Internet=20
Protocol Version 6 standard, the same type of=20
next-generation Internet technology that=20
increasingly will drive the operations of the World Wide Web.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/29/AR200704...
1077.html
(requires registration)

QUICKLY

REPUBLICANS BREAK RANKS TO OPPOSE TECH-BACKED BILL
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Anne Broache]
Votes in Congress this week to increase=20
government spending on math and science education=20
and research programs might seem as=20
uncontroversial a political statement as renaming=20
federal courthouses or post offices. After all,=20
both major parties generally backed the proposals=20
in dueling technology-related agendas touted this=20
week by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a Senate=20
Republican High Tech Task Force. President Bush=20
also endorsed the ideas as part of his State of=20
the Union address last year and continued to=20
angle for increased research spending in next=20
year's budget. But beneath non-controversial=20
political paeans to improving American=20
competitiveness, a rift has formed over=20
traditional lines: more government spending vs.=20
fiscal restraint. Some Republicans are=20
questioning whether the best way to ensure the=20
nation stays ahead of India and China is to pour=20
billions of taxpayer dollars (paid for by tax=20
increases or deficit spending) into government=20
programs whose effectiveness is in doubt.
http://news.com.com/Republicans+break+ranks+to+oppose+tech-backed+bill/2...
-1028_3-6179857.html?tag=3Dhtml.alert.hed

HOW'D YOU DO IN SCHOOL TODAY?
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Linton Weeks]
A look at Edline, SchoolFusion and School=20
Center -- online, up-to-the-sec grade-tracking=20
programs used in middle and high schools. They=20
provide students, teachers and parents with an=20
online meeting place to discuss day-to-day=20
assignments, tests and grades. But it also=20
enables parents to keep track of a kid's academic=20
progress -- or lack of progress -- in a=20
heretofore unthinkably micromanagerial way.=20
Parents can know everything; children have no=20
wiggle room. Gone is the fudge factor, the white=20
lie. A student makes a D on a quiz, a D shows up on Edline.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/29/AR200704...
1391.html
(requires registration)

BASEBALL RATINGS START OFF STRONG
[SOURCE: MediaWeek, AUTHOR: John Consoli]
There's nothing a telecom policy analyst needs=20
more than a good baseball game to unwind after a=20
long day of... um, analyzing. Advertisers that=20
bought commercial time in regional and national=20
Major League Baseball telecasts are reaping the=20
benefits during the first month of the season,=20
with ratings significantly overdelivering=20
guarantees. Cumulative household ratings for all=20
the regional sports networks across the country=20
are averaging a 4.0 for MLB telecasts, 20 percent=20
higher than last year=92s 3.3 average. On the=20
national front, Fox is averaging a 2.7 through=20
three weekend telecasts, up 13 percent, while=20
ESPN overall is averaging a 1.8, up 50 percent over last season.
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=3D100...
7822
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online=20
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Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday=20
through Friday, this service provides updates on=20
important industry developments, policy issues,=20
and other related news events. While the=20
summaries are factually accurate, their often=20
informal tone does not always represent the tone=20
of the original articles. Headlines are compiled=20
by Kevin Taglang headlines( at )benton.org -- we welcome your comments.
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