August 2007

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BROADCASTING
Disability Coalition Reports Problems in Digital Television Transition
Comments on FCC DTV Consumer Education Plan Due Sept 17
Sony Launches Recycling Program for Old TVs

INTERNET/BROADBAND
Broadband Additions Slow Down in Second Quarter
As Internet News Grows, Print Is in Jeopardy

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
Markey Demands Answers on Bush Administration's Plan to
Turn Spy Satellites on Americans

QUICKLY -- What does 'open access' mean?; Many,=20
many devils in the details: 700 MHz rules;=20
Lobbying, Aspen Style; Checking in with Dan Isett=20
of the Parents Television Council

BROADCASTING

DISABILITY COALITION REPORTS PROBLEMS IN DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION
[SOURCE: Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology]
The Coalition of Organizations for Accessible=20
Technology (COAT) made a formal report to the=20
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) last week=20
about some of the problems that the transition to=20
digital television poses for people with=20
disabilities. COAT responded to the FCC's=20
solicitation this summer for comments in a=20
routine review of rules and policies affecting=20
the conversion to digital television. Analog=20
television transmission will end on February 17,=20
2009, when digital transmission should be fully=20
implemented. "There are some real mess-ups with=20
passing through closed captions during this=20
transition," says Rosaline Crawford of the=20
National Association of the Deaf (NAD), a leading=20
coalition affiliate. "Our members tell us about=20
cable converter boxes not working and about=20
captions that 'slide off the TV screen,' are=20
garbled, or are somehow lost in transmission. In=20
one case, the cable company had to bring out=20
three different converter boxes to the=20
subscriber's home before the closed caption=20
function could be located and captions could be displayed with the TV progr=
am."
http://www.broadcastnewsroom.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=3D173116

COMMENTS ON DTV CONSUMER EDUCATION PLAN DUE SEPT 17
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
On July 21, 2007, the Commission adopted a Notice=20
of Proposed Rulemaking for the Commission's=20
Digital Television Consumer Education Initiative,=20
which requested comment on the best means of=20
creating a coordinated, national DTV consumer=20
education campaign. The DTV Consumer=20
Education NPRM set deadlines for filing comments=20
and reply comments at 30 and 45 days after=20
publication of the DTV Consumer Education NPRM=20
in the Federal Register. On August 16, 2007, the=20
DTV Consumer Education NPRM was published in the=20
Federal Register. Accordingly, comments must be=20
filed on or before September 17, 2007, and reply=20
comments must be filed on or before October 1,=20
2007. For additional information, contact Lyle=20
Elder, Lyle.Elder( at )fcc.gov, or Eloise Gore,=20
Eloise.Gore( at )fcc.gov, of the Media Bureau, Policy=20
Division, (202) 418-2120. Press inquiries should=20
be directed to Mary Diamond, (202) 418-2388. TTY:=20
(202) 418-7172 or (888) 835-5322.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-3612A1.doc

SONY LAUNCHES RECYCLING PROGRAM FOR OLD TVs
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Glen Dickson]
Sony is launching a nationwide recycling program=20
in which it will recycle free-of-charge all old=20
Sony TVs and all Sony-branded products in=20
partnership with Waste Management. The program=20
will launch Sept 15 with some 75 Waste Management=20
dropoff centers throughout the United States.=20
Sony's goal is to have some 175 centers operating one year from now.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6469483.html?rssid=3D193

INTERNET/BROADBAND

BROADBAND ADDITIONS SLOW DOWN IN SECOND QUARTER=20
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Moss]
The nation=92s 19 largest cable and telephone=20
providers =AD representing about 94% of the market=20
=AD acquired more than 1.7 million additional=20
high-speed Internet subscribers in the second=20
quarter, the fewest additions in three years,=20
according to a report released by the Leichtman=20
Research Group. The top broadband providers now=20
account for nearly 58 million subscribers, with=20
cable distributors counting 31.5 million=20
broadband subscribers and telcos 26.4 million=20
subscribers, according to Leichtman.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6469229.html?rssid=3D196
* Leichtman press release
http://www.leichtmanresearch.com/press/081607release.html

AS INTERNET NEWS GROWS, PRINT IS IN JEOPARDY
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Pauline Millard]
The Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and=20
Public Policy at Harvard University released a=20
report today that examines trends in Internet=20
news. The study suggests that the Web is a threat=20
to print media, whose advantage of being a "first=20
mover" is in flux. The study also revealed that=20
even though the Web tends to favor "brand name"=20
news sites, local sites are a brand name in their=20
community and should use it to their advantage.=20
The Internet is seen as a growth opportunity for=20
news organizations, provided that they adapt. The=20
Shorenstein report says that part of the reason=20
local media isn't seeing the jumps in traffic=20
that national outlets are is because they were=20
slow to respond to the shift in readership. Above=20
all, the news outlets need to focus on their greatest asset: the news.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
t_id=3D1003626877
* Creative Destruction: An Exploratory Look at News on the Internet
http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/presspol/index.htm

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

MARKEY DEMANDS ANSWERS ON BUSH ADMINISTRATION=92S=20
PLAN TO TURN SPY SATELLITES ON AMERICANS
[SOURCE: Rep Ed Markey]
Rep Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Chairman of the=20
Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee=20
and a senior member of the House Homeland=20
Security Committee, today wrote to Homeland=20
Security Secretary Michael Chertoff seeking=20
answers in response to reports that the Bush=20
Administration will undertake an unprecedented=20
expansion in the use of advanced spy satellites=20
for surveillance of Americans. The letter=20
requests answers to several questions about the=20
new program, including: What legal assessments of=20
this new surveillance program have been=20
performed? What policies and procedures will the=20
Department implement to ensure that Americans=92=20
privacy and civil rights are protected once this=20
new surveillance program begins operation? How=20
will new guidelines be developed to govern this=20
program and will the public have the opportunity=20
to comment on and review the guidelines? Will the=20
Department of Homeland Security or any of the=20
civilian agencies that utilize the imagery and/or=20
other output from the spy satellites retain any=20
of this information after it has been evaluated?=20
What privacy and security safeguards will be used=20
for the storage of the information? How will the=20
Department handle complaints from individuals=20
subject to surveillance under this program? Has=20
the Department consulted with the Federal=20
Communications Commission or the Department of=20
Commerce about the commercial and competitive=20
implications of utilizing government-owned and=20
operated military assets for domestic uses?
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=3Dcom_content&task=3Dview&id=3D...
9&Itemid=3D141

QUICKLY

WHAT DOES 'OPEN ACCESS' MEAN?
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Randolph May]
[Commentary] On July 31, the Bush=20
administration's Federal Communications=20
Commission voted to impose a burdensome 1960s-era=20
regulatory regime on currently unregulated=20
wireless broadband operators. Republicans Kevin=20
Martin and Deborah Tate joined with the two=20
always pro-regulatory Democrat commissioners to=20
require whichever entity wins the bidding on=20
soon-to-be auctioned 700 MHz radio spectrum to=20
operate on an "open access" basis. What does open=20
access mean? According to the commission, the=20
auction winner "will be required to allow=20
customers, device manufacturers, third-party=20
application providers, and others to use any=20
device or application of their choice" on its=20
network. In other words, the nondiscrimination=20
principle at the core of open access means=20
traditional common carrier type regulation.
http://news.com.com/What+does+open+access+mean/2010-1037_3-6202981.html?...
=3Dnefd.top

MANY, MANY DEVILS IN THE DETAILS: 700 MHZ RULES
[SOURCE: Susan Crawford]
Susan Crawford has read through the FCC's 700 MHz=20
spectrum auction rules and she's not jumping for joy.
http://scrawford.blogware.com/blog/_archives/2007/8/13/3157309.html

LOBBYING, ASPEN STYLE
[SOURCE: Drew Clark]
When Washington's telecommunications=20
policy-makers escape the heat and humidity of the=20
capitol in Aspen (CO), they bring something else=20
with them -- the urge to lobby.
http://www.drewclark.com/2007/08/lobbying-aspen-style.shtml

CHECKING IN WITH DAN ISETT OF THE PARENTS TELEVISION COUNCIL
[SOURCE: Lasar's Letter on the FCC, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
A Q&A with Dan Isett, the Director of Corporate=20
and Government Affairs at the Parents Television=20
Council. As you read, beware of fleeting=20
expletives, a la carte cable packages, media=20
ownership consolidation, violent TV programming=20
and that annoying "conservative" label.
http://www.lasarletter.net/drupal/node/448
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...and we are outta here. Have a great weekend; drive carefully.
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Communications-related Headlines is a free online=20
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