May 2007

To view Benton's Headlines feed in your RSS=20
Aggregator, paste=20
http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/6/all/feed into your read=
er.
For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
Wise-up intelligence
Verizon Wants Protection On Surveillance
CDT Urges Congress to Make CRS Reports Available

BROADBAND/INTERNET
Fast enough for you?
Virgin Throttles Back Broadband Bandwidth Hogs
National Broadband Policy Rant
Comcast Unveils 'Wideband' Technology

TELECOM
FCC Releases New Telephone Subscribership Report
FCC Releases Telephone Penetration by Income Report
Communications Taxation Hearing

CABLE
McSlarrow Fires Back at FCC's Martin
Elected officials learn -- in Vegas

JOURNALISM
The Murdoch Street Journal
Democratic Excess
There's more to life than fluff, hype and horse races
Can you teach an old media new tricks?
Hurdles Loom in Deal for Reuters

QUICKLY -- Minority writers make little progress=20
in TV, film; Old media turns combative against=20
new media; The World According To Esther Dyson

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

WISE-UP INTELLIGENCE
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] When the Bush Administration=20
proposes changing a law that protects Americans=20
from unchecked electronic surveillance, civil=20
libertarian knees begin to jerk. And=20
understandably so. This, after all, is the=20
administration that for five years eavesdropped=20
on the international phone calls and e-mails of=20
U.S. citizens suspected of ties to foreign=20
terrorists without seeking the approval of the=20
special court that was created to oversee such=20
surveillance. But some of what is being requested=20
makes sense. The problem is that these sensible=20
adjustments are weighed down by two kinds of=20
baggage: the administration's past casualness=20
about privacy, and language in the=20
"modernization" bill that seems to give past and=20
future eavesdropping on Americans too much benefit of the doubt.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-ed-fisa9may09,1,657...
6.story?coll=3Dla-news-a_section
(requires registration)

VERIZON WANTS PROTECTION ON SURVEILLANCE
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Winter Casey]
Companies that cooperate with government in=20
anti-terrorism surveillance programs should be=20
given some legal protection, said Verizon's Tom=20
Tauke. On another front, Tauke said he does not=20
think telecommunications policy is a big concern=20
for U.S. consumers right now, so there is no=20
urgent cry for federal telecom legislation.=20
However, he said Congress could pay attention to=20
the issue of high-speed Internet deployment in=20
less attractive areas, to the universal service=20
fund, and to fostering electronic health records.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/2007/05/verizon_wants_protection_on_su.html

CDT URGES CONGRESS TO MAKE CRS REPORTS AVAILABLE
[SOURCE: Center for Democracy & Technology]
CDT Executive Director Leslie Harris urged=20
lawmakers to make the unclassified,=20
taxpayer-funded reports produced by the=20
Congressional Research Service (CRS) available to=20
the public over the Internet. Harris joined other=20
open government advocates at an event on Capitol=20
Hill to unveil the recommendations of the Open=20
House Project, a collaborative effort launched=20
earlier this year by the Sunlight Foundation to=20
make the House of Representatives more readily=20
accessible to ordinary citizens on the Web. CDT=20
created OpenCRS.com in 2005 to increase the=20
public availability of CRS reports and has long=20
advocated for Congress to make the reports fully=20
available to the public online.
Harris Comments, May 08, 2007:=20
http://www.cdt.org/righttoknow/20070507harris-opengov.pdf
Open CRS: http://opencrs.com

BROADBAND/INTERNET

FAST ENOUGH FOR YOU?
[SOURCE: Telephony Online, AUTHOR: Ed Gubbins]
The telecom industry has forever wrestled with=20
the question of how much bandwidth to deliver to=20
residential consumers. But this year, a chorus of=20
authoritative voices is offering new proposals=20
for specific speed goals. How those target speeds=20
should be calculated, however, is one more tough=20
question to ponder. In January, Vermont's=20
governor proposed a plan to ensure all Vermonters=20
at least 3 Mb/s of symmetric bandwidth by 2010=20
and at least 20 Mb/s symmetrically by 2013. In=20
March, the Fiber-to -the-Home Council called on=20
Congress to ensure 100 Mb/s of symmetric=20
broadband to most Americans by 2010 and to all=20
Americans by 2015. And a bill introduced in the=20
Minnesota state legislature the same month called=20
for the availability of 1 Gb/s of symmetric=20
bandwidth to all Minnesotans by 2015. How did=20
they arrive at these numbers, and whose methodology makes sense?
http://telephonyonline.com/home/news/telecom_fast_enough/

VIRGIN THROTTLES BACK BROADBAND BANDWIDTH HOGS
[SOURCE: TelecomWeb]
U.K. cable operator Virgin Media has become one=20
of the first broadband providers in the world to=20
disclose publicly its rules for how much data its=20
so-called "unlimited" broadband customers can=20
download. Those who download too much during peak=20
hours will find their network speed slashed. The=20
Virgin limits will apply to the 5 percent of=20
users who download the most data during the "peak=20
time" of 4 p.m. to midnight, Virgin says. "Our=20
boffins [U.K. slang similar to US's 'geeks']=20
recently ran a trial to see how much our service=20
was being affected. They discovered that, in=20
certain areas, just 5 percent of customers were=20
downloading such a large amount of content that=20
it was affecting the service for other users in=20
these areas," Virgin wrote in a notice to its=20
customers. "And we're not talking about just a=20
few video clips. In some cases, the top 5 percent=20
of users were downloading as much as 3 GB, just=20
during peak times. That's around 750 music tracks=20
in the space of a few hours." As a result, Virgin=20
adds, "to make sure our service is fair for=20
everybody," those who download too much will have=20
to make do with slower speeds for a four-hour=20
"time out." But it's not going to disconnect them entirely.
http://www.telecomweb.com/tnd/23147.html

NATIONAL BROADBAND POLICY RANT
[SOURCE: INTERNET.COM, AUTHOR: Mark Koskenmaki]
[Commentary] Why do we need to know how many=20
Americans subscribe to broadband services? Why=20
would the mayor of my town, for instance, want to=20
know? What public purpose would be served by=20
expending resources to find out? Koskenmaki=20
argues there is no reason. So why is the FCC and=20
Congress in a dither about where broadband is=20
available? If people want it, it will come. Just=20
like grocery stores. If it won't, then the real=20
question of consequence is: WHY? Is it not=20
economically feasible? Is it physically not=20
feasible? Is the actual demand enough to sustain=20
the mechanism to provide the service? What=20
artificial obstructions exist to providing=20
broadband? There are only two choices: Either=20
private enterprise fills the needs, like grocery=20
stores do=97or government takes over and "takes=20
care of us" like they did with the telephone=20
monopoly way back when. There is no "middle=20
ground". For decades we paid absurdly high costs=20
for phone services, and "innovation" and "change"=20
did not even exist. Either we become ardent,=20
vocal, and so persistent in our defense,=20
insisting upon keeping free enterprise alive and=20
the regulators the hell away...or we give up and=20
admit that we prefer monopolies.
http://www.isp-planet.com/fixed_wireless/politics/2007/national_broadban...
olicy_rant.html

COMCAST UNVEILS 'WIDEBAND' TECHNOLOGY
[SOURCE: MediaWeek, AUTHOR: Jim Cooper]
Comcast Chairman and CEO Brian Roberts unveiled=20
new broadband technology called "wideband," which=20
can download vast amounts of data and video in a=20
matter of seconds and potentially supercharge=20
cable=92s triple-play offering. Roberts=20
demonstrated how wideband can download four=20
gigabytes of data -- equivalent to how much the=20
average family consumes online a month -- in just=20
under four minutes. In the short term, Roberts=20
and his fellow cable operators plan to use that=20
speed to continue to hammer away at the=20
competitive threat from both the telcos and=20
satellite with their triple-play offering of=20
video, broadband and voice services. And as that=20
triple play continues to attract consumers with=20
new services, the big MSOs intend to grow in=20
scale and even acquire or crowd out new-media=20
competition that has just started to test cable=92s=20
incumbency in the broadband video space.
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=3D100...
2463

TELECOM

FCC RELEASES NEW TELEPHONE SUBSCRIBERSHIP REPORT
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission released=20
its latest report on telephone subscribership=20
levels in the United States. The report presents=20
subscribership statistics based on the Current=20
Population Survey conducted by the Census Bureau=20
in November 2006. The report also shows=20
subscribership levels by state, income level,=20
race, age, household size, and employment status.=20
In November 2006: 1) The telephone subscribership=20
penetration rate in the U.S. was 93.4%, an=20
increase of 0.5% over the rate from November=20
2005. 2) The telephone penetration rate for=20
households with incomes below $20,000 was below=20
92%, while the rate for households with incomes=20
over $100,000 was over 98%. 3) Among the states,=20
the penetration rates ranged from a low of 88.5%=20
in Indiana to a high of 98.0% in Minnesota. 4)=20
Penetration rates ranged from 88.1% for=20
households headed by a person under 25 to about=20
95% for households headed by a person over=20
55. 5) Households with one person had a=20
penetration rate of 90.2%, compared to a rate of=20
94.9% for households with four to five=20
persons. 6) The penetration rate for unemployed=20
adults was 91.1%, while the rate for employed adults was 94.7%.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-272903A1.doc
* See report online
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-272904A1.pdf

FCC RELEASES TELEPHONE PENETRATION BY INCOME REPORT
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission released a=20
report presenting data on telephone penetration=20
levels on a state-by-state basis for various=20
income categories. The report presents=20
penetration statistics based on individual=20
household data from the Current Population Survey=20
conducted by the Census Bureau in March 2006. The=20
report is designed to track the effects of=20
federal and state Universal Service Fund Lifeline=20
and Linkup support mechanisms that defray the=20
cost of telephone service for low-income=20
consumers. Some highlights: 1) In March 2006,=20
penetration among low-income households (under=20
$10,000 annual income in 1984 dollars) nationwide=20
was 86.3%. This contrasts with an overall=20
nationwide penetration rate of 92.9% in March=20
2006. 2) Since 1985, when the Federal=20
Communications Commission first established=20
Lifeline to help low-income households afford the=20
monthly cost of telephone service, penetration=20
rates among low-income households have grown from=20
80.0% to 86.3%. 3) States that have provided a=20
high level of lifeline support for telephone=20
service for low-income consumers experienced an=20
average growth in penetration for low-income=20
households from March 1997 to March 2006. In=20
contrast, states that provided a low level of=20
lifeline support experienced an average decline=20
in telephone penetration rates for low-income=20
households between March 1997 and March 2006. 4)=20
Penetration rates among low-income households=20
ranged from a high of 96.1% in New Hampshire to a=20
low of 77.3% in Alabama in March 2006.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-272905A1.doc
* See report online
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-272906A1.pdf

COMMUNICATIONS TAXATION HEARING
[SOURCE: US Senate Commerce Committee]
The Senate Commerce Committee has announced it=20
will hold a hearing on Communications, Taxation=20
and Federalism on Tuesday, May 15, 2007, at 10:00=20
a.m., in room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=3DPressReleases.D...
il&PressRelease_id=3D248807&Month=3D5&Year=3D2007

CABLE

MCSLARROW FIRES BACK AT FCC'S MARTIN
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
Responding to cable-hostile regulatory stances of=20
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin=20
Martin, National Cable & Telecommunications=20
Association president Kyle McSlarrow said Tuesday=20
that government intervention in the=20
video-programming market -- including a la carte=20
mandates Chairman Martin wants -- is unnecessary=20
because the pay TV market is a hotly competitive=20
business. "If one assumes that the video=20
marketplace is one of intense competition, then=20
the only sensible policy outcome is one where the=20
government gets out of the way and lets the free=20
market flourish," McSlarrow said in a Cable Show=20
=9107 speech here. "I think that marketplace is=20
competitive and every cable operator knows that=20
[it is] in a competitive firefight with satellite=20
distributors and, now, telephone companies."
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6440328.html

ELECTED OFFICIALS LEARN -- IN VEGAS
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune 5/8, AUTHOR: Jeffrey Meitrodt and Monique Garcia]
With Illinois state lawmakers wrestling over a=20
highly contentious bill that would dramatically=20
overhaul the cable television business in the=20
state, the industry took at least 11 state House=20
and Senate members to Las Vegas last weekend for=20
schmoozing and schooling. The Cable Television=20
and Communications Association of Illinois is=20
fighting AT&T over the way cable TV is regulated.=20
Gary Mack, a spokesman for the Illinois cable=20
group, said all 38 members of the two legislative=20
committees that oversee cable television were=20
invited to this year's annual conference of the=20
National Cable and Telecommunications=20
Association. The Illinois association offered to=20
pay for airfare "and all your expenses related to=20
this educational trip." "It's troubling that=20
legislators would be off in Vegas with the cable=20
industry at the same time we have major cable=20
legislation on the table," said Cindi Canary,=20
director of the Illinois Campaign for Political=20
Reform. A House ethics officer signed off on the=20
trip but told lawmakers they would have to report=20
it as a gift on their financial disclosure forms=20
because the sponsor would likely spend more than=20
$500 on airfare, meals and lodging.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0705070709may08,1,3096025.s...
y?coll=3Dchi-newslocal-hed

JOURNALISM

THE MURDOCH STREET JOURNAL
[SOURCE: Slate, AUTHOR: Jack Shafer]
[Commentary] If you take him at his word, Rupert=20
Murdoch will make no colossal editorial changes=20
at the Wall Street Journal if he acquires its=20
parent company, Dow Jones. Of course, nobody=20
should take Murdoch at his word. Whatever=20
soothing music he sings about no meddling by the=20
CEO and maintaining high editorial standards,=20
he'll quickly identify enemies in the Journal's=20
newsroom and show them the door. Many of the=20
Journal's 600 news-gatherers won't need an=20
escort: They'll quit in protest, just as 60=20
Chicago Sun-Times reporters and editors did in=20
the opening weeks of Murdoch's ownership of that paper in 1984.
http://www.slate.com/id/2165749/?nav=3Dfix
* Steiger sat on what?!
[SOURCE: CJRDaily, AUTHOR: Dean Starkman]
Well, we can stop wondering whether The Wall=20
Street Journal would allow Rupert Murdoch to=20
screw up its editorial judgment. That already happened.
http://www.cjrdaily.org/the_audit/post_34.php

DEMOCRATIC EXCESS
[SOURCE: Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting]
A critical look at coverage of the opening=20
debates in the presidential election. In the wake=20
of the first candidates' debate among the=20
Democratic contenders for the White House, many=20
media outlets and commentators seemed annoyed=20
that the so-called "second-tier" candidates are=20
even bothering to run. Oddly, similar complaints=20
about a surplus of GOP contenders in the first=20
Republican debate were hard to find in the=20
corporate media. The disparity is striking: The=20
lesser-known (and generally more conservative)=20
Republican candidates are cheered for=20
participating in the process, and a cable=20
commentator like Buchanan can use his perch in=20
the media to support those candidates.=20
Progressive voices have no similar presence in=20
the media debate -- and the Democratic candidates=20
that most represent progressive ideals are=20
derided for taking up the time of other, more worthy candidates.
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3D3098

THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN FLUFF, HYPE AND HORSE RACES
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times 5/7, AUTHOR: Robert=20
W. McChesney, University of Illinois]
[Commentary] Effective democratic journalism=20
means a news system that: is a rigorous watchdog=20
over people in power and people who want to be in=20
power, in both the public and private sector;=20
provides a wide range of informed opinion on the=20
important issues of the day, and provides an=20
early warning system for issues on the horizon;
ferrets out over time truth from lies so liars=20
cannot operate with impunity. By these standards=20
we should have grave concerns about our=20
journalism, and yes, it is getting worse. Doing=20
quality journalism no longer makes business sense=20
for the handful of firms that dominate the news business.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-dustup7may07,0,6735373.story?c...
=3Dla-opinion-center
(requires registration)
* Empowering us with our own spare time
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times 5/7, AUTHOR: Glenn=20
Harlan Reynolds, University of Tennessee]
[Commentary]
To secure its future, Big Media is going to have=20
to try something it hasn't excelled at in recent=20
years: Producing a quality product. Will it=20
manage? Not, I suspect, under current management.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-dustup7may07,0,6735373.story?p...
=3D2&coll=3Dla-opinion-center=20

CAN YOU TEACH AN OLD MEDIA NEW TRICKS
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times 5/8, AUTHOR: Glenn=20
Harlan Reynolds, University of Tennessee]
[Commentary] Quality matters, and today's news=20
media aren't delivering. There are a lot of=20
reasons, but the most important, I fear, is that=20
most of the people running newspapers and=20
television networks are, to put it kindly,=20
clueless. Hard-news reporting=97actual facts, not=20
opinion=97remains the "killer app" for Big Media.=20
But they're not making proper use of their=20
structural advantages there, and those advantages=20
are likely to weaken over time. Right now,=20
traditional media organizations are still in a=20
much better position overall to cover actual news=20
than citizen journalists. They've got the=20
infrastructure, the training, and the experience.=20
But those advantages are eroding daily as=20
technology shifts in favor of smaller operations,=20
and as citizen journalists gain experience and=20
audience. Will Big Media change in time? They=20
will if they're smart=97which is to say, probably not.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-dustup8may08,0,7194127.story?c...
=3Dla-opinion-center
(requires registration)
* Create a better media world
[Commentary] Do we define traditional media as=20
institutions the produce journalism or do we=20
define traditional media as old technologies,=20
like television and newsprint? If it is the=20
former, the answer is an emphatic yes, we need=20
traditional media, even in the digital era; if it=20
is the latter, the answer is less clear and=20
debatable. Likewise, do we define citizen=20
journalists as people conducting journalism in=20
their spare time with no institutional support or=20
do we define citizen journalists as full-time=20
journalists who may not have traditional training=20
and who are building new institutions that=20
produce journalism? If it is the former, the=20
answer is yes, we need traditional media; if it=20
is the latter, the answer is less clear and=20
debatable. I tend to define both traditional=20
media and citizen journalists in the former=20
sense, so my answer to the question tends to be a resounding yes.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times 5/7, AUTHOR: Robert=20
W. McChesney, University of Illinois]
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-dustup8may08,0,7194127.story?c...
=3Dla-opinion-center

HURDLES LOOM IN DEAL FOR REUTERS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Aaron O. Patrick aaron.patrick( at )wsj.co=
m]
Thomson and Reuters Group PLC's ambitious plan to=20
create the world's largest supplier of financial=20
data and news could face regulatory hurdles as it=20
would narrow the market to two main competitors=20
from three. While the talks are friendly, the=20
takeover faces a hurdle at Reuters: It will have=20
to be approved by independent trustees who=20
control Reuters Founders Share Co., which was=20
established to maintain the independence and=20
integrity of the Reuters news service. The deal=20
would also likely have to be cleared by the=20
European Commission's Competition Directorate,=20
the European Union's antitrust authority, which=20
is often tougher on big mergers than U.S.=20
authorities. It has a track record of asking for=20
extensive information from merging companies and=20
is likely to ask customers and competitors for their views.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117860689438895641.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
e_one
(requires subscription)

QUICKLY

MINORITY WRITERS MAKE LITTLE PROGRESS IN TV, FILM
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Richard Verrier]
Despite some advances by women and minority=20
writers, white male scribes disproportionately=20
dominate film and TV jobs in Hollywood, according=20
to a study released Tuesday by the Writers Guild=20
of America, West. More than 30% of the American=20
population is nonwhite, the study noted, yet=20
minority writers accounted for fewer than 10% of=20
employed television writers between 1999 and=20
2005. In film, the share of minority writers=20
remained at 6%, unchanged since 1999, according=20
to the sixth in a series of reports by the guild=20
examining employment and earnings trends of its members.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-writer9may09,1,522606...
tory?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)

OLD MEDIA TURNS COMBATIVE AGAINST NEW MEDIA
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Kenneth Li]
Leading media executives took a combative tone=20
against Internet companies on Tuesday, suggesting=20
that Big Media increasingly considers new content=20
distributors like Google Inc. to be more foe than=20
friend. But top executives said talk of the=20
demise of traditional media in the digital age=20
was overblown. While new distribution=20
technologies like the Internet and mobile phones=20
are siphoning television audiences, media=20
companies argued that the Web also brings new revenue streams.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0847652320070508

THE WORLD ACCORDING TO ESTHER DYSON
[SOURCE: Online Media Daily, AUTHOR: Laurie Petersen]
Esther Dyson, chairman of EDventure Holdings,=20
weighs in on the future of search, the wisdom--or=20
not--of Microsoft buying Yahoo, and the opportunities in emerging markets.
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=3DArticles.san&s=...
9935&Nid=3D30165&p=3D368626
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------