April 2007

NEWS ABOUT THE FCC
Congress Nudges an FCC on Hold
FCC's Kevin Martin on the Hot Seat
FCC chief avoids missteps of predecessor

LOCALISM
Local Government Groups Oppose FCC Order
Martin's DTV Lease Plan Drawing Little Support

TRIBUNE SALE
Zell Wins Tribune In Bid to Revive A Media Empire
What the Tribune Sale Means
Papers, Web firms need 'a new deal,' Zell says
Zell in Talks With Geffen On Deal for L.A. Times

BROADBAND
Consumer groups suggest rules for US wireless sale
Clinton Introduces Rural Broadband Bill
Helping Our Children Succeed: What's Broadband got to do with it?

TELECOM
Phone firms hung up over fees
Vonage wins temporary reprieve in Verizon case
Outrage! A Nation=92s Phones May End in Foreign Hands

CONTENT
Critics demand Imus be fired for Rutgers remark
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell To Approve Violence Report
NCTA: Let Program-Access Ban Expire
AFP, Google News settle lawsuit over Google News
Study Says Copyrighted Material Not Dominant on YouTube
A Call for Manners in the World of Nasty Blogs
Reaching Out to Diverse Faiths, Viewers

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
GOP-issued laptops now a White House headache

NEWS ABOUT THE FCC

CONGRESS NUDGES AN FCC ON HOLD
[SOURCE: Washington Post 4/4, AUTHOR: Charles Babington]
Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI) scolded the five=20
members of the Federal Communications Commission=20
when he finally got them before a powerful=20
subcommittee last month. The FCC botched handling=20
of cable television franchising, racked up a=20
backlog of unanswered consumer complaints, and=20
dallied on various disputes between industry=20
rivals with little oversight from the previous=20
Republican-controlled Congress in recent years,=20
the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce=20
Committee said in the March 14 hearing. Within=20
days, word spread that the FCC was accelerating=20
efforts to complete action on about 150 pending=20
matters -- from regulating cable television=20
service in apartment buildings to settling=20
quarrels over the distribution of=20
telecommunications funds in rural areas. Some=20
analysts saw the move as a direct response to=20
lawmakers' complaints. With Democrats running=20
Congress, FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin is=20
"responding to the sense that Dingell doesn't=20
like backlogs," said Andrew Jay Schwartzman,=20
president of the nonprofit Media Access Project.=20
"He doesn't want to be on the wrong side of Dingell."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/03/AR200704...
1652.html?referrer=3Demail
(requires registration)

FCC'S KEVIN MARTIN ON THE HOT SEAT
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Now serving his second term as chairman of the=20
Federal Communications Commission, 40-year-old=20
Kevin Martin, has been in the hot seat lately.=20
Since he became chairman in 2005, he has pushed=20
for greater curbs on sex and violence. Against=20
great resistance, he has attempted to force cable=20
systems to carry the digital channels of local TV=20
stations. And he has riled many more in the cable=20
industry with his advocacy of =93=E0 la carte,=94 which=20
would allow consumers to purchase only the=20
individual channels they want. Meanwhile, the new=20
Democratic-controlled Congress has threatened=20
frequent oversight hearings of the FCC. On the=20
eve of the National Association of Broadcasters=20
convention in Las Vegas, Chairman Martin sat down=20
with B&C=92s John Eggerton to talk about everything=20
from TV violence to the Fairness Doctrine. On=20
media ownership he Chairman Martin says, "I've=20
committed to completing all of the ownership=20
studies and all of the ownership hearings before=20
the commission takes any action to make sure we=20
are going through a process that is transparent=20
and people have the opportunity to raise the=20
issues of concern to them. We have committed to a=20
total of six ownership hearings and two on=20
localism. We have completed three of the six=20
ownership hearings. We have another one coming up=20
in Maine and one in Tampa at the end of April. So=20
we've made some progress, but we still have some=20
work to do. I'm not sure I can say when the=20
earliest we could do something, because I have to=20
make sure we finish all the hearings." On=20
broadcasters' public disclosure rules he says,=20
"Much of the debate over whether broadcasters=20
should be subjected to additional public-interest=20
obligations is based on whether they are serving=20
their communities now. I think most broadcasters=20
are doing a good job, and making public their=20
practices will add concrete facts to this debate=20
and should benefit them. My predecessor=20
circulated an item on enhanced disclosure, and I=20
recently proposed some edits to strengthen it."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6431598.html

FCC CHIEF AVOIDS MISSTEPS OF PREDECESSOR
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times 4/8, AUTHOR: Jim=20
Puzzanghera jim.puzzanghera( at )latimes.com]
The FCC is in the midst of a periodic review of=20
its media ownership rules, as required by=20
Congress. The agency will spend the rest of 2007=20
studying whether to relax restrictions on the=20
number of radio and TV stations that a company=20
can own in one market, as well as rules that=20
prevent ownership of a newspaper and a station in=20
the same city. But this review could be much=20
different from the last one, held four years ago.=20
The largest station owners are not as insistent=20
this time around on easing the rules because the=20
broadcasting business has lost some luster since=20
2003 as advertisers and viewers have become=20
enamored of the Internet. Major station owners=20
such as News Corp., Walt Disney Co. and CBS Corp.=20
are more interested in reducing their broadcast=20
holdings and expanding their presence online. "It=20
does not appear to me that the passion of the=20
opponents has diminished in any way, but the=20
passions of the proponents have diminished=20
significantly," said Blair Levin, a=20
telecommunications analyst at brokerage Stifel,=20
Nicolaus & Co. One exception: Tribune Co., which=20
owns newspapers and TV stations in five markets,=20
including Los Angeles, where it owns The Times=20
and KTLA Channel 5. The company's prospective new=20
owner, Sam Zell, would need waivers in those=20
markets to comply with the rules. Another factor=20
is that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin appears intent=20
on avoiding the mistakes made by his predecessor.=20
Former Chairman Michael Powell, a fellow=20
Republican, was widely criticized for holding=20
just one public hearing, and suffered a=20
humiliating blow to his credibility when Congress=20
reversed part of the FCC's decision to overhaul=20
the ownership rules. As a commissioner in 2003,=20
Martin voted to liberalize the rules. That's one=20
reason opponents worry that his open approach=20
might be simply an attempt to smooth the path for=20
what the media industry wants.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fcc8apr08,1,3101936.story?coll=3Dl...
eadlines-business&ctrack=3D1&cset=3Dtrue
(requires registration)

LOCALISM

LOCAL GOVERNMENT GROUPS OPPOSE FCC ORDER
[SOURCE: Multichannel News 4/3, AUTHOR: Linda Haugsted]
The Federal Communications Commission=92s recent=20
order requiring local governments to approve=20
applications from new video providers in 90 days=20
represents an =93abuse of discretion=94 and violates=20
federal law, according to petitions for review=20
filed by a coalition of local government and=20
cable access groups. The challenges were filed in=20
the U. S. Courts of Appeal for the Third, Fourth=20
and Sixth Districts. The petitions for review=20
were filed on behalf of the Alliance for=20
Communications Democracy, the Alliance for=20
Community Media, the National Association of=20
Counties, the National League of Cities, the=20
National Association of Telecommunications=20
Officers and Advisors and the U.S. Conference of=20
Mayors. The petition challenges an FCC ruling=20
released March 5. When an application for video=20
certification is made in a city by a telephone=20
company that already has facilities in city=20
rights of way, the city must act on that request=20
within 90 days, according to the order. The FCC=20
concluded that current municipal proceedings drag=20
on too long, frustrating competition. The=20
appellants argued that the FCC order violates the=20
U.S. Constitution, the federal Communications Act=20
and the public-notice requirements of the Administrative Procedure Act.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6430593.html?rssid=3D108

MARTIN'S DTV LEASE PLAN DRAWING LITTLE SUPPORT
[SOURCE: tvnewsday 4/4, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's plan to create a new=20
class of =93small and independently owned=94 TV=20
broadcasters using digital channels leased from=20
conventional, licensed broadcasters is generating=20
more confusion than enthusiasm. So far, only=20
religious broadcasters have embraced the idea.=20
Most others are waiting to see the full proposal=20
before passing final judgment. It=92s now being=20
circulated among the other FCC commissioners.=20
Under Martin=92s rent-a-channel plan, the digital=20
broadcasters would have all the obligations of=20
regular broadcasters, but would also have all the=20
rights. In other words, they will have to air=20
three hours a week of children=92s programming, but=20
they will also be able to demand carriage on=20
local cable systems. The opportunity would be=20
limited to =93small and independently owned=20
businesses,=94 Chairman Martin suggested in a March=20
9 speech before the American Women in Radio and Television.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/04/04/daily.2/

TRIBUNE SALE

ZELL WINS TRIBUNE IN BID TO REVIVE A MEDIA EMPIRE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal 4/3, AUTHOR: Sarah Ellison sarah.ellison( at )wsj.c=
om]
On April 2, the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles=20
Times, several other newspapers and 23 television=20
stations fell into the hands of an unlikely=20
newspaper baron, iconoclastic real-estate magnate=20
Sam Zell, whose bid had come at the eleventh=20
hour. Mr. Zell's plan suggests that he has some=20
degree of confidence in the beleaguered newspaper=20
business. He has told people he sees promise in=20
the company's Internet assets. But the deal=20
leaves many unanswered questions about the future=20
of Tribune. company's board accepted a revised=20
$34-dollar-a-share proposal from Mr. Zell to take=20
the company private. The complex deal is=20
structured around an employee stock-ownership=20
plan, or ESOP. When it is completed, most of the=20
company's shares will be held by Tribune=20
employees. Although he has no background in=20
journalism, Mr. Zell will become chairman of a=20
media company that will be carrying a heavy debt=20
load, which will force its new owners to face=20
tough questions. How Mr. Zell will be received=20
remains to be seen. He has said he doesn't intend=20
to break up the company, but Tribune said it will=20
sell off the Chicago Cubs after the completion of=20
the current baseball season. One person who has=20
spoken to Mr. Zell about his plans says he is=20
likely to seek further budget cuts, a move that=20
will likely be unpopular with staff, particularly=20
at the Los Angeles Times, where the editor and=20
publisher both stepped down last year to protest=20
budget cuts ordered by Tribune's headquarters.
http://online.wsj.com/article_print/SB117551431653956734.html
(requires subscription)

WHAT THE TRIBUNE SALE MEANS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Paige Albiniak]
Sam Zell=92s $8.2 billion purchase of the troubled=20
Tribune Co. is going to put more pressure to=20
perform than ever on the company=92s 23 TV=20
stations. While the TV stations represent only=20
one-quarter of the company=92s total revenue, they=20
turn in healthier cash flows than Tribune=92s 11=20
newspapers. And their profit margins range in the=20
low- to mid- 30% range, while the papers hover=20
around 20%. The company is going to depend on=20
those cash flows to handle the huge amount of=20
debt -- between $12 billion and $13 billion, up=20
from $5 billion in existing debt -- Tribune is=20
taking on to complete this deal. =93They don't have=20
a large margin of error when they take on that=20
much leverage,=94 says James Goss, senior=20
investment analyst with Chicago-based Barrington=20
Research. =93But their cash flows and revenue base,=20
which people presume are just falling off the=20
cliff, are really not. They've just leveled off.=94=20
Pressure to improve efficiencies at the stations,=20
and thus throw off more cash, may result in=20
layoffs, for which employees at Tribune=92s Los=20
Angeles Times have been bracing for months now.=20
Tribune executives say they do not expect=20
widespread cutbacks, but that=92s going to depend=20
on TV-station performance in coming months.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6431678.html
* Zell Gets Veto Power at Tribune
although Sam Zell will control only a minority of=20
the board, he will have the right to veto any=20
major transactions. The employees, who will get=20
company shares but who will no longer get 401(k)=20
contributions from Tribune, will have far less control.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/06/business/media/06tribune.html

PAPERS, WEB FIRMS NEED 'A NEW DEAL,' ZELL SAYS
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times 4/6, AUTHOR: David=20
Streitfeld david.streitfeld( at )latimes.com]
Sam Zell, who agreed to a takeover this week of=20
Tribune Co., came to the heart of Silicon Valley=20
on Thursday evening and said there needed to be=20
"a new deal and new formulas" between newspapers=20
and Internet companies. Journalists produce the=20
news that search engines such as Yahoo Inc. and=20
Google Inc. seamlessly and freely make available=20
to anyone with a computer, Zell said during a=20
presentation on corporate governance at Stanford=20
University. "If all the newspapers in America did=20
not allow Google to steal their content for=20
nothing, what would Google do, and how profitable=20
would Google be?" the Chicago real estate=20
maverick mused. His answer: Not very. He said he=20
had been in the news business for less than a=20
week, so he wasn't a genius at it yet. Told that=20
many people didn't think that newspapers were a=20
good business because of declining circulation=20
and falling ad revenues, he fired back: "A lot of=20
people didn't think the railcar business was a=20
good investment. I made a quarter-billion=20
dollars. A lot of people didn't think container=20
leasing was a good investment. I made a=20
half-billion. Should I go on?" "The Tribune deal,=20
no matter what happens, is not going to change my=20
life," Zell said. "But it's a fascinating=20
challenge. And it's even more of a challenge when=20
I see other people haven't been successful in figuring it out."
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-zell6apr06,1,2129698....
ry
(requires registration)

ZELL IN TALKS WITH GEFFEN ON DEAL FOR LA TIMES
[SOURCE: Washington Post 4/5, AUTHOR: Frank Ahrens]
Chicago real estate mogul Samuel Zell, whose=20
$13.2 billion bid for the Tribune Co. media=20
empire was accepted April 2, has already talked=20
to entertainment mogul David Geffen about a=20
possible deal for the Los Angeles Times and=20
dismissed a pair of rival bidders as=20
backstabbers. Zell said Eli Broad and Ronald=20
Burkle, Southern California billionaires who also=20
bid on Tribune, approached him late in the=20
process about forming a partnership to buy the=20
company. Zell said in yesterday's Chicago Tribune=20
that he put them off until his bid was accepted.=20
Broad and Burkle then complained in a letter to=20
the Tribune board that Zell's bid got=20
preferential treatment over their original offer.=20
"If somebody calls me and says 'I want to be a=20
partner' and the next day tries to stick a knife=20
in my back, tell me again why I would want to do=20
business with him?" Zell told the Tribune.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR200704...
2591_pf.html
(requires registration)

BROADBAND

CONSUMER GROUPS SUGGEST RULES FOR US WIRELESS SALE
[SOURCE: Reuters 4/5]
A coalition of consumer groups -- including=20
heavyweights such as Consumers Union, New America=20
Foundation and Media Access Project -- have=20
proposed a set of proposals aimed at ensuring=20
that an upcoming sale of U.S. wireless airwaves=20
will create more competition in the=20
communications industry. The Federal=20
Communications Commission is expected to let=20
bidders know sometime in April exactly what kind=20
of services can be offered using the airwaves as=20
well as how the auction will work and provide a=20
set of rules on how the spectrum will be divided=20
up. "We are asking them to set auction rules so=20
it is not just the incumbents that win," said Art=20
Brodsky, spokesman with Public Knowledge. The=20
coalition is proposing three rules: 1) network=20
neutrality, 2) reserving 30 MHz as "open access"=20
spectrum, and 3) allowing more competitors than=20
just the major incumbents to bid.
http://www.reuters.com/article/bondsNews/idUSN0522320220070405
* Coalition Pushes FCC For Open Spectrum Auction
http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=3...
8800661
* Silicon Valley Moneymen Make a Play for Airwaves
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Markoff]
Some of Silicon Valley=92s most powerful venture=20
capitalists and technology investors have joined=20
an investment group that is preparing to=20
challenge cellphone carriers, cable and satellite=20
companies for valuable radio spectrum that will=20
be freed when television broadcasters convert to=20
digital signals. The government mandated the=20
transition to digital, to be completed by Feb.=20
19, 2009, so it could reclaim a broad swath of=20
radio spectrum and reallocate the frequencies to=20
public safety organizations and commercial=20
broadband networks. The venture capitalists L.=20
John Doerr and James L. Barksdale have joined an=20
investment group that is promoting a plan that=20
would open a portion of the radio spectrum for=20
both uses, through technologies flexible enough=20
to support both next-generation wireless Internet=20
devices and public safety emergency=20
communications. The plan is being put forth by=20
Frontline Wireless, formed earlier this year by=20
Reed E. Hundt, the former Federal Communications=20
Commission chairman. Frontline Wireless is one of=20
several potential bidders for spectrum in the 700=20
MHz band, used until now by UHF television, that=20
is being opened up by the move to digital.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/09/technology/09spectrum.html
(requires registration)

CLINTON INTRODUCED RURAL BROADBAND BILL
[SOURCE: Sen Hillary Clinton press release 3/29]
Sen Hillary Clinton (D-NY) introduced The Rural=20
Broadband Initiatives Act. This legislation will=20
extend and improve access to broadband services=20
in small towns across America. It creates a=20
policy and action framework to ensure that the=20
federal government employs an effective and=20
comprehensive strategy to deploy broadband=20
service and access in the rural areas of the=20
United States. The bill will also establish a=20
Rural Broadband Innovation fund to explore and=20
develop cutting edge broadband delivery=20
technologies to reach underserved rural areas.=20
The Rural Broadband Initiatives Act has been=20
endorsed by the Communications Workers of America.
http://clinton.senate.gov/news/statements/details.cfm?id=3D271662&&

HELPING OUR CHILDREN SUCCEED: WHAT'S BROADBAND GOT TO DO WITH IT?
[SOURCE: The Children's Partnership , AUTHOR:=20
April KirkHart and James Lau with Wendy Lazarus and Laurie Lipper]
This issue brief is designed to help leaders for=20
children better understand what broadband is and=20
what is at stake for our nation's 73 million=20
children in the policy debate. It offers concrete=20
ways that leaders can make children's needs a=20
priority and advocate for digital opportunities for all youth.
http://www.techpolicybank.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=3DPublications_fro...
he_Children_s_Partnership&Template=3D/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=3D106=
92

TELECOM

PHONE FIRMS HUNG UP OVER FEES
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times 4/5, AUTHOR: James S. Granelli]
A legal fight involving two Southern California=20
companies and AT&T is exposing an ominous=20
reality: Phone companies say they can decide whom=20
their customers can't call. The Kidney Cancer=20
Assn., a small charity watching its nickels and=20
dimes, found that out the hard way. The nonprofit=20
had been using a free, Web-based=20
conference-calling service from a Long Beach=20
company to connect patients with medical experts.=20
But last month, the charity's cellphone provider,=20
Cingular, began blocking calls to the system run=20
by FreeConferenceCall.com. The same thing=20
happened to Richard Rezabek, a software=20
consultant, when he tried to conduct free=20
conference calls with his U.S. Navy clients. "For=20
two days, I had to pay to arrange long-distance=20
calls, paying 30 to 40 cents a minute for each=20
caller," said Rezabek "I couldn't charge my=20
customers -- I had to swallow that cost."=20
Swallowing the cost is exactly what Cingular=20
parent AT&T, Sprint Nextel and Qwest are saying=20
they're forced to do when they pay the high fees=20
smaller phone carriers charge on the back end to=20
connect callers. The conferences may be free to=20
the consumer, but they're costing long-distance=20
carriers millions of dollars. The blocked calls=20
exposed a long-brewing dispute over how much it=20
really costs to complete calls over a nationwide=20
public telephone system that connects separately=20
owned networks. It was believed to be the first=20
time that the disagreement had spilled into the consumer's consciousness.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-phone5apr05,1,5194606.story?coll=3...
-headlines-business
(requires registration)

VONAGE WINS TEMPORARY REPRIEVE IN VERIZON CASE
[SOURCE: Reuters 4/7, AUTHOR: Rachelle Younglai]
Vonage won a temporary reprieve from an appeals=20
court on Friday, hours after a lower court barred=20
it from adding new customers while it appeals a=20
finding it infringed Verizon patents for making=20
phone calls over the Internet. U.S. District=20
Judge Claude Hilton had limited Vonage to serving=20
its existing customers. He also required Vonage=20
to post a $66 million bond. The stay is good=20
until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal=20
Circuit hears Vonage's request for a permanent=20
stay of Judge Hilton's injunction. However, it=20
does not mean that Vonage will necessarily be=20
able to continue its business as usual for the length of the appeals proces=
s.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN0625380920070407
* Vonage Gets Temporary Reprieve on Ruling
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6431520.html?rssid=3D108
* After setback, Vonage wins temporary relief
http://news.com.com/Judge+puts+halt+on+new+Vonage+customers/2100-1036_3-...
3991.html?tag=3Dhtml.alert
* Temporary reprieve allows Vonage to keep signing up customers
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070409/2b_vonage09.art.htm

OUTRAGE! A NATION'S PHONES MAY END IN FOREIGN HANDS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Eric Sylvers]
AT&T and Am=E9rica M=F3vil, the Latin American=20
cellphone company, each offered to buy a third of=20
Olimpia, which owns 18 percent of Telecom=20
Italia=92s common shares, for a combined investment=20
of about 4.5 billion euros ($6 billion). AT&T and=20
Am=E9rica M=F3vil, which now have the largest=20
cellphone businesses in the United States and=20
Latin America, respectively, may have dropped=20
into this Italian soap opera unprepared for the=20
reaction from some politicians and business=20
leaders, who are demanding that Telecom Italia remain in domestic hands.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/09/business/worldbusiness/09italia.html
(requires registration)

CONTENT

CRITICS DEMAND IMUS BE FIRED FOR RUTGERS REMARK
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Peter Johnson]
Radio host Don Imus' apology Friday for=20
disparaging remarks about the Rutgers University=20
women's basketball team has not satisfied angry=20
critics, from black journalists to the NAACP, who=20
want him fired. He's also in hot water with=20
MSNBC, which simulcasts his popular talk show,=20
and syndicator CBS Radio. As reaction to his=20
comments played out, both outlets said they were=20
reviewing the incident. The furor over his=20
remarks comes as the popularity of MSNBC's=20
simulcast of Imus in the Morning has surged 35%=20
in the past year. It was a factor in rival CNN's=20
decision to switch anchors on its competing=20
American Morning. It's unclear how Imus' comments=20
will affect his popularity or tenure. But MSNBC=20
sought to distance itself from his "offensive"=20
remarks, noting, "As Imus makes clear every day,=20
his views are not those of MSNBC." Parent company=20
NBC called them "deplorable." CBS said that=20
though a "sincere apology was called for," it=20
will "monitor the program's comments going=20
forward." Imus' trademark is take-no-prisoners=20
humor, and fans say part of his appeal is that he=20
is an equal-opportunity offender. But blacks say=20
he has been particularly insensitive, comparing=20
former NBC News correspondent Gwen Ifill to a=20
"cleaning woman" and referring to Illinois Sen.=20
Barack Obama as "that colored fellow."
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20070409/d_imus09.art.htm

FCC COMMISSIONER ROBERT MCDOWELL TO APPROVE VIOLENCE REPORT
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable 4/2, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell says he will=20
vote to approve the FCC's upcoming report to=20
Congress on TV violence but has not done so yet=20
because he is still vetting it to make sure it is=20
"thorough and constitutional."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6429868?title=3DArticle&space...
c=3Dnews

NCTA: LET PROGRAM-ACCESS BAN EXPIRE
[SOURCE: Multichannel News 4/3, AUTHOR: Linda Haugsted]
Strong competition from direct-broadcast=20
satellite and terrestrial competitors means the=20
ban that prevents exclusive agreements between=20
programming networks and cable operators that=20
have invested in them is no longer needed,=20
according to a Federal Communications Commission=20
filing Monday by the National Cable &=20
Telecommunications Association. Due to the growth=20
in penetration of providers DirecTV and EchoStar=20
Communications, more than one in three video=20
households (approximately 28 million) now buy pay=20
television services from vendors other than=20
cable-television providers, according to the NCTA=20
filing. This means that if a channel were to=20
refuse to deal with DBS competitors, that=20
programmer stands to lose 30% of its distribution=20
revenue, the filing added. Retention of the=20
access ban serves to =93distort marketplace=20
competition,=94 according to the document.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6430436.html?rssid=3D108

AFP, GOOGLE NEWS SETTLE LAWSUIT OVER GOOGLE NEWS
[SOURCE: Reuters 4/7, AUTHOR: Eric Auchard]
Agence France-Presse and Google Inc. have settled=20
a copyright lawsuit, clearing the way for Google=20
to post snippets of the French news agency's news=20
and photos online, the two companies said on=20
Friday. In a joint statement, the two companies=20
said the accord allows the Internet giant to post=20
AFP content on Google News and other services.=20
Terms of the pact were not disclosed.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0728115420070407

STUDY SAYS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL NOT DOMINANT ON YOUTUBE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable 4/5, AUTHOR: Garth Johnston]
The amount of copyrighted material on YouTube and=20
other video sharing sites may be less than=20
previously thought. A report from online video=20
tracker Vidmeter found that of the top 6,725=20
videos between December 9, 2006 and March 22,=20
2007 only 621, or 9.23%, were removed because=20
they were found to infringe upon their owners=20
copyright. The most popular YouTube videos were=20
viewed 1,586,573,131 times in the studied time=20
frame and pulled clips accounted for only 94,187,203 of those views, or 5.9=
3%.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6431253.html

A CALL FOR MANNERS IN THE WORLD OF NASTY BLOGS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Brad Stone]
Last week, Tim O=92Reilly, a conference promoter=20
and book publisher who is credited with coining=20
the term Web 2.0, began working with Jimmy Wales,=20
creator of the communal online encyclopedia=20
Wikipedia, to create a set of guidelines to shape=20
online discussion and debate. Chief among the=20
recommendations is that bloggers consider banning=20
anonymous comments left by visitors to their=20
pages and be able to delete threatening or=20
libelous comments without facing cries of=20
censorship. A recent outbreak of antagonism among=20
several prominent bloggers =93gives us an=20
opportunity to change the level of expectations=20
that people have about what=92s acceptable online,=94=20
said Mr. O=92Reilly, who posted the preliminary=20
recommendations last week on his company blog=20
(radar.oreilly.com). Mr. Wales then put the=20
proposed guidelines on his company=92s site=20
(blogging.wikia.com), and is now soliciting=20
comments in the hope of creating consensus around=20
what constitutes civil behavior online.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/09/technology/09blog.html?hp
(requires registration)
* Aiming for a kinder, smarter online encyclopedia
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-citizen9apr09,1,22240...
story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business

REACHING OUT TO DIVERSE FAITHS, VIEWERS
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Tim Kridel]
Religious networks increasingly are exploring=20
ways to bridge different denominations and=20
shifting viewer habits. As a result, programmers=20
are looking to interfaith fare, as well as new=20
formats. Subscription video-on-demand service=20
Shalom TV bills itself as a =93mainstream Jewish=20
television network.=94 But its lineup includes=20
inter faith programs like Faith Journal, which=20
features Buddhist, Christian and Islamic scholars=20
and religious leaders debating universal=20
questions such as faith versus reason and the=20
point at which life begins. =93There is a keen=20
interest in inter faith dialogue toward=20
understanding the outlook of other religions and=20
creating a greater sense of interfaith harmony,=94=20
Shalom TV president and CEO Rabbi Mark Golub=20
said. =93Much of this is driven by the rising=20
awareness of Islam fueled [in part] by current=20
affairs. More and more programs are now=20
addressing this area.=94 That=92s noteworthy because=20
it shows how faith-based networks can attract=20
secular viewers who aren't looking for religious=20
programming but are drawn in when seeking=20
information about, for example, the roots of the crises in the Middle East.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6431733.html?display=3DSpecial+Report

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

GOP-ISSUED LAPTOPS NOW A WHITE HOUSE HEADACHE
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Tom Hamburger]
When Karl Rove and his top deputies arrived at=20
the White House in 2001, the Republican National=20
Committee provided them with laptop computers and=20
other communication devices to be used alongside=20
their government-issued equipment. The=20
back-channel e-mail and paging system, paid for=20
and maintained by the RNC, was designed to avoid=20
charges that had vexed the Clinton White House --=20
that federal resources were being used=20
inappropriately for political campaign purposes.=20
Now, that dual computer system is creating new=20
embarrassment and legal headaches for the White=20
House, the Republican Party and Rove's=20
once-vaunted White House operation. Democrats say=20
evidence suggests the RNC e-mail system was used=20
for political and government policy matters in=20
violation of federal record preservation and=20
disclosure rules. In addition, Democrats point to=20
a handful of e-mails obtained through ongoing=20
inquiries suggesting the system may have been=20
used to conceal such activities as contacts with=20
lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who was convicted on=20
bribery charges and is now in prison for fraud.=20
Democratic congressional investigators are=20
beginning to demand access to this RNC-White=20
House communications system, which was used not=20
only by Rove's office but by several top=20
officials elsewhere in the White House.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-laptops9apr09,1,531...
2.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-frontpage
(requires registration)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online=20
news summary service provided by the Benton=20
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------