March 2008

* Create your Benton.org account today.=20
http://www.benton.org/user/registerRegistration=20
is quick and easy. Creating an account allows you=20
to add comments to content like our=20
http://www.benton.org/node/10318Andrew=20
Schwartzman interview published yesterday. *

ELECTIONS & MEDIA
The Buzz on the Bus: Pinched, Press Steps Off
The Maverick and the Media
Off Target
New Media Offers Cost Effective Alternative to Political Media Bud=
gets
Obama Outspends Clinton On Internet Again
Does the Web Deserve The Power It Gained To Influence Politics?
Behind in the Ratings, CBS News Hopes for Help From a Debate

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Is the XM/Sirius Merger Good for You?
Out of Tune With Consumers
Boucher Urges FCC to Approve XM-Sirius Merger
FCC Approves Crossownership, Duopoly
Clear Channel talks in trouble?

BROADCASTING
Increased DTV Awareness
Will Kids Pay the Price for Recall Failures?
Ad Spending Barely Budged in 2007

WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
Wireless spectrum winner Verizon now gets to interpret 'open acces=
s'
Comcast, Time Warner Cable in Wireless Talks
Dish's Strategy Stokes Concerns

QUICKLY -- Comment Deadlines for Universal=20
Service NPRMs Extended by Two Weeks; Google=20
holders seek human rights, censorship review;=20
Indonesia passes bill to block porn sites; A new=20
push to avert cell-tower bird strikes

ELECTIONS & MEDIA

THE BUZZ ON THE BUS: PINCHED, PRESS STEPS OFF
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jacques Steinberg]
As Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack=20
Obama debated in Cleveland on a snowy evening in=20
late February, 650 journalists descended on the=20
city to follow every jab and parry, albeit on=20
enormous televisions in two makeshift filing=20
centers. But early the next morning, as the two=20
candidates set off for engagements across Ohio=20
and Texas, representatives of only two dozen or=20
so news organizations tagged along. For most of=20
the others, the price of admission =97 more than=20
$2,000 for just one person to travel on Mr.=20
Obama=92s charter flights that day =97 was too steep,=20
in an era in which newspapers in particular are=20
slashing costs and paring staff, and with no end=20
in sight to a primary campaign that began more=20
than a year ago. Among the newspapers that have=20
chosen not to dispatch reporters to cover the two=20
leading Democratic candidates on a regular basis=20
are USA Today, the nation=92s largest paper, as=20
well as The Boston Globe, The Dallas Morning=20
News, The Houston Chronicle, The Atlanta=20
Journal-Constitution, The Baltimore Sun, The=20
Miami Herald and The Philadelphia Inquirer (at=20
least until the Pennsylvania primary, on April=20
22, began to loom large). Traveling campaign=20
reporters say they try to do more than just=20
regurgitate raw information or spoon-fed news of=20
the day, which anyone who watches speeches on=20
YouTube can do. The best of them track the=20
evolution and growth (or lack thereof) of=20
candidates; spot pandering and inconsistencies or=20
dishonesty; and get a measure of the candidate=20
that could be useful should he or she become president.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/us/politics/26bus.html?ref=3Dtodayspaper
(requires registration)

THE MAVERICK AND THE MEDIA
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Neal Gabler]
[Commentary] Sen John McCain is a darling of the=20
media: Reporters routinely attach =93maverick,=94=20
=93straight talker=94 and =93patriot=94 to him like=20
Homeric epithets. But why? The answer, which says=20
a great deal about both the political press and=20
Sen McCain, may be that he is something political=20
reporters really haven't seen in quite a while,=20
perhaps since John F. Kennedy. Seeming to view=20
himself and the whole political process with a=20
mix of amusement and bemusement, Sen McCain is an=20
ironist wooing a group of individuals who regard=20
ironic detachment more highly than sincerity or=20
seriousness. He may be the first real=20
postmodernist candidate for the presidency =97 the=20
first to turn his press relations into the basis=20
of his candidacy. He acknowledges the symbiosis=20
between himself and the press and, more=20
important, his willingness, even eagerness, to=20
let the press in on his own machinations of them.=20
In exposing his two-way relationship with the=20
press this way, he reveals the absurdity of the=20
political process as a big game. He also reveals=20
his own gleeful cynicism about it. Yet the=20
reporters, so quick in general to jump on=20
hypocrisy, seem to find his insincerity a virtue.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/opinion/26gabler.html?ref=3Dtodayspaper
(requires registration)

OFF TARGET
[SOURCE: American Journalism Review, AUTHOR: Paul Farhi]
As bad as the media consensus has been during the=20
year's Presidential primaries, it's perhaps more=20
remarkable how little remorse and reflection it=20
has inspired. In one of the few journalistic mea=20
culpas after the New Hampshire debacle, the top=20
editors of the Politico, John Harris and Jim=20
VandeHei, wrote, "If journalists were candidates,=20
there would be insurmountable pressure for us to=20
leave the race. If the court of public opinion=20
were a real court, the best a defense lawyer=20
could do is plea bargain out of a charge that=20
reporters are frauds in exchange for a signed=20
confession that reporters are fools." Which=20
raises some basic questions: Why have so many=20
been so wrong so often during this campaign? Why=20
the urge to predict and prognosticate the course=20
of events rather than simply describe them? And=20
what, if anything, should anyone do about it? At=20
bottom, says Andrew Cline, political reporters=20
need to remind themselves about the fundamental=20
value of their calling, something becoming=20
increasingly lost in the blizzard of=20
opinion-happy bloggers and shoot-from-the-hip=20
cable pundits: Reporters can still hold=20
candidates to account. "If you're a reporter=20
covering a presidential campaign, you're in a=20
privileged position," Cline says. "You get to ask=20
questions that the average voter can't ask the=20
candidates. You're the eyes and ears of the=20
citizenry. You ought to be that curious citizen.=20
Take a step back, and ask yourself this: What=20
does a voter want to know about, not a political insider."
http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=3D4489
* Why did it take reporters so long to refute Clinton's Bosnia story?
http://www.politico.com/blogs/michaelcalderone/0308/Hillary_and_Sinbad.html

NEW MEDIA OFFERS COST EFFECTIVE ALTERNATIVE TO POLITICAL MEDIA BUDGETS
[SOURCE: Center for Media Research, AUTHOR: Jack Loechner]
A recent analysis of BIGresearch's Simultaneous=20
Media Survey of 15,727 participants shows that=20
members of all political parties are making new=20
media a smart, cost-effective alternative to=20
expensive television ads. According to the=20
analysis, the top three used most among=20
Democrats, Republicans and Independents include=20
cell phones, video gaming and instant messaging.=20
New media is a big part of Libertarians' lives as=20
well with 37.6% regularly or occasionally=20
blogging, while 26.9% of Democrats, 25.7% of=20
Independents and 22.9% of Republicans are doing so.
http://blogs.mediapost.com/research_brief/?p=3D1667

OBAMA OUTSPENDS CLINTON ON INTERNET AGAIN
[SOURCE: Online Media Daily, AUTHOR: Mark Walsh]
Sen Barack Obama (D-IL) again fair surpassed Sen=20
Hillary Clinton in online ad spending, according=20
to the candidates' latest spending reports filed=20
with the Federal Election Commission. The Obama=20
campaign spent more than $1 million with search=20
giant Google compared with only about $67,000 by=20
Clinton during February. The $1 million paid to=20
Google in February was also more than a 10-fold=20
increase over what his campaign had spent with=20
Google in January. The Obama campaign also=20
outraised the Clinton campaign: of the $55=20
million Obama raised in February, $45 million=20
came in via the -- $30 million of the $35 million=20
raised by Clinton came in online donations.
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=3DArticles.san&s=...
9144&Nid=3D40776&p=3D368626

DOES THE WEB DESERVE THE POWER IT GAINED TO INFLUENCE POLITICS?
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Lee Gomes lee.gomes( at )wsj.com]
[Commentary] As with Nixon going to China, it=20
might take an Obama, with solid youth-tech cred,=20
to suggest any downside to the online world.=20
Considering the rapidly growing number of=20
Americans who rely on the Web to follow the=20
election and judge its players -- even if mostly=20
via mainstream-media sites -- it's a good time to=20
look at all the Web does very well with politics,=20
and at what it messes up. Controversial videos of=20
politicians may enjoy the popularity they do=20
because they confirm ideas already held about the=20
politicians involved, in which case blaming=20
YouTube confuses cause and effect. But there is a=20
danger that our politics might be shaped by=20
insignificant events that assume an importance=20
merely by having been caught on tape. It's not=20
just video that is being refashioned in the=20
Internet age, but words, too, through blogs and=20
other widely democratized forms of expression.=20
Blogs are enormously useful, if only because of=20
the way they allow communities with similar=20
politics to follow the ups and down of a campaign=20
as a group. One of the biggest electoral impacts=20
of the Web involves one of its earliest=20
applications: email. It's an easy and effective=20
way for people to share ideas with friends about=20
what might be going on with the candidates. By=20
operating person-to-person and under the radar,=20
email can have an enormous and injurious=20
influence before anyone even notices. Suggesting=20
that there is both good and bad with the Web and=20
politics isn't to say they exist in equal=20
amounts. Say what one will about the shortcomings=20
of blogs, I can't imagine going back in time to a=20
world where a relatively small number of=20
newspapers and magazines -- even though by and=20
large they were very good ones -- had an=20
effective monopoly on what did and didn't get printed about a campaign.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120648590555263733.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)

BEHIND IN THE RATINGS, CBS NEWS HOPES FOR HELP FROM A DEBATE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bill Carter]
It is an axiom of political debates that lagging=20
competitors always want them more than=20
front-runners. CBS News, which lags well behind=20
its competitors in most areas of television news,=20
wants a debate between Barack Obama and Hillary=20
Rodham Clinton in the worst way. The network may=20
get its wish this week. After every other=20
national television news organization =97 even the=20
Spanish-language Univision =97 has been center=20
stage in a debate-cluttered election season, CBS=20
is expected finally to land a prime-time face-off=20
between Senator Obama and Senator Clinton.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/26/arts/television/26cbs.html?ref=3Dtoday...
per
(requires registration)

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

IS THE XM/SIRIUS MERGER GOOD FOR YOU?
Pretty much every car company has sided-up with=20
one satellite radio provider or another since the=20
two systems' arrivals in 2001. Has the exclusive=20
availability of XM or Sirius soured (or sealed) a=20
new-car purchase? Oh, you betcha. Yes, the basics=20
of style, safety, price, and performance still=20
outweigh what's on the radio in the minds of most=20
new vehicle shoppers, but rest assured, Oprah=20
Winfrey and Howard Stern do indeed sell cars. (A=20
few automakers have been clever enough to offer=20
buyers a dealer-installed choice between XM and=20
Sirius.) The big question is Will my existing=20
receiver still work once the merger is complete?=20
The answer, it appears, is yes and no. There is=20
no question that existing hardware will continue=20
to receive broadcasts from their intended=20
provider. XM and Sirius will, by all accounts,=20
continue to exist as separate entities. And yet,=20
Sirius chief exec Mel Karmazin remains firm in=20
his insistence that the merger will yield better=20
(that is, more plentiful) programming at a lower=20
end-user cost. So expect the merged corporate=20
entity to concoct a range of=20
cable-television-style programming packages and =E0 la carte options.
* XM/Sirius Merger Approved: What's It Mean to You?
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Matthew Phenix]
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/03/xmsirius-merger.html
* American Antitrust Institute Rips DOJ Over XM-Sirius Ruling
The American Antitrust Institute, which opposed=20
the XM Satellite Radio-Sirius Satellite Radio=20
deal as a "merger to monopoly," said the=20
Department of Justice, in finding no fault with=20
the deal, created a higher bar for such monopoly=20
findings while lowering the bar for a finding=20
that such a merger would benefit consumers.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6544805.html?rssid=3D193
* Giving XM and Sirius a monopoly on data (Philip Greenspun)
[Commentary] The main argument that the Justice=20
Department used to grant these folks a monopoly=20
on satellite radio is that it isn't a monopoly on=20
music. A person could use an MP3 player, listen=20
to standard AM and FM stations, or hire a=20
violinist to sit in the back seat of his or her=20
car. What has been lost in the press coverage of=20
this event is that XM and Sirius are the only=20
companies equipped to offer nationwide data=20
broadcast services. Each 64 kbps data stream=20
could be used for a music channel or to broadcast=20
aviation weather, traffic jam information, or any=20
other data important enough for people to pay.=20
These data channels are more lucrative than the=20
music channels. Aviation weather costs $50 per=20
month for one channel, none of which need be paid=20
out as a royalty because the information is all=20
provided free by the federal government. Traffic=20
information is $10 per month for one channel.=20
Music costs about $13 per month for 100 channels.
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/03/25/giving-xm-and-sirius-a-mon...
ly-on-data/
* Public stands to lose in proposed XM and Sirius=20
satellite radio merger (Common Cause)
Common Cause objects to the proposed merger=20
between XM and Sirius satellite radio approved=20
Monday by the Justice Department. =93Approval of=20
this merger would not only create an unfair=20
monopoly, but could also spark a tidal wave of=20
consolidation among media companies that would=20
leave citizens=92 informational needs behind,=94 said=20
Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause. Numerous=20
studies have demonstrated that media=20
consolidation harms communities by depriving=20
citizens of important diverse sources of news, information and opinion.
http://www.commoncause.org/site/apps/nlnet/content3.aspx?c=3DdkLNK1MQIwG&b=
=3D395891&content_id=3D{FC49A7DC-9BAC-4323-9C13-5055582DD994}&notoc=3D1
* Justice for Satellite Radio
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] The Justice Department's approval=20
this week of the XM-Sirius satellite radio merger=20
was a long time coming -- maybe too long given=20
that the deal was announced more than a year ago.=20
Still, credit Antitrust Division chief Thomas=20
Barnett for making the right call in the end.=20
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin=20
Martin isn't known for showing Mr. Barnett's=20
principled restraint, so XM and Sirius may decide=20
they have no choice but to pay Martin's=20
political clearance fee if they want the merger to proceed.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120649100833464047.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
nion
(requires subscription)
* Satellite radio merger sounds good -- at first hearing
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: David Lazarus]
[Commentary] Justice basically bought Sirius' and=20
XM's pitch that consumers won't be harmed by a=20
merged company because they have so many other=20
audio options available to them. This, in turn,=20
will serve as a deterrent to Sirius-XM (or=20
whatever it's called) jacking up prices=20
willy-nilly once the company has the satellite=20
radio field to itself. I was wary of that idea=20
when the merger was first announced in February=20
2007. My gut told me that a monopoly is a=20
monopoly, and if a single company controlled=20
satellite radio, customers would be held hostage=20
to whatever pricing or conditions the company=20
set. Then I moved to Los Angeles. And I started=20
living half my life on the freeway. And I became a Sirius subscriber.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-lazarus26mar26,1,4838...
.column
(requires registration)

OUT OF TUNE WITH CONSUMERS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Steve Pearlstein]
[Commentary] The latest example of a government=20
bailout of a troubled industry has nothing to do=20
with Bear Stearns. It is, instead, the Justice=20
Department's decision to give the green light to=20
the merger of the satellite radio companies XM=20
and Sirius. For the past several years, these two=20
companies have been competing so hard for talent,=20
distribution channels and customers that neither=20
has been able to turn a profit, and probably=20
wouldn't have for years. Consumers have been the=20
big winners, with great programming at affordable=20
prices. All that is about to change now that the=20
Bush administration has concluded that we'll all=20
be better off if these heretofore fierce rivals=20
are allowed to stop competing and concentrate=20
instead on reducing costs, paring down their=20
combined offerings and finally delivering profit=20
to their shareholders. As precedent, it could be=20
used to justify the merger of ABC with both CBS=20
and NBC, Clear Channel with the Bonneville radio=20
network or even Coke with Pepsi. The message it=20
sends to business executives is clear: If you=20
find yourself in a tough competitive environment,=20
the best strategy is not to find a way to offer=20
better products and services at a better price,=20
but rather to call your investment banker and=20
negotiate a truce with your biggest rival.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/25/AR200803...
3269.html
(requires registration)

BOUCHER URGES FCC TO APPROVE XM-SIRIUS MERGER
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
More reaction to the Department of Justice's=20
approval of the XM-Sirius merger. On Tuesday,=20
Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) praised the decision and=20
urged the Federal Communications Commission to=20
approve the deal, too. The FCC is expected to put=20
some conditions on the merger if it approves it.=20
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has said that he would=20
like to get the merger review completed by the end of this month.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6544634.html?rssid=3D193

FCC APPROVES CROSSOWNERSHIP, DUOPOLY
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission granted=20
license renewals to three Media General stations=20
for which it also recently granted waivers of its=20
newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule. In=20
doing so, the commission denied challenges to=20
those licenses filed by the National Association=20
for the Advancement of Colored People, Free Press=20
and Common Cause South Carolina. Getting the=20
license renewals were WBTW Florence (SC); WRBL=20
Columbus (GA); and WMBB-TV Panama City (FL),=20
where Media General also owns the Morning News,=20
the Opelika-Auburn News and the Jackson County=20
Floridian, respectively. The FCC said the license=20
challenge was mooted by its Dec. 18 decision to=20
loosen the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership=20
rules. At the same time as that decision, it=20
granted permanent waivers to Media General in=20
each of those markets. The Commission also=20
approved the sale of three TV stations from=20
Lincoln Financial Group to Raycom Media,=20
including giving the latter a six-month waiver to=20
operator a duopoly in the Richmond-Petersburg (VA) market.
* FCC Grants Media General License Renewals
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6544699.html?rssid=3D193
* FCC Approves Raycom Media Station Purchase
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6544695.html?rssid=3D193

CLEAR CHANNEL TALKS IN TROUBLE?
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Megan Davies]
According to an unnamed source, talks over the=20
$20 billion leveraged buyout of U.S. radio=20
operator Clear Channel Communications are in=20
trouble, with the banks financing the deal=20
unwilling to take a mark-to-market loss.
http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN2529682020080325
* Has Clear Channel Deal Fallen Through? (MediaWeek)
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=3D100...
5527
* Major Buyout Deal Is Close to Collapse
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120647527104363151.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
e_one
* Talks stall in Clear Channel buy-out
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/a614237e-fac0-11dc-aa46-000077b07658.html

BROADCASTING

MAGID STUDY FINDS INCREASED DTV AWARENESS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Glen Dickson]
According to research firm Frank N. Magid=20
Associates, 59 percent of Americans are now aware=20
of the digital television transition. In=20
September 2007, a similar survey found that just=20
34 percent of adults were aware of the coming=20
turn-off of analog TV. Fifty-three percent of=20
consumers have heard about the National=20
Telecommunications and Information=20
Administration=92s program to provide government=20
subsidies toward the purchase of digital=20
converter boxes that will let analog TVs show DTV=20
signals; 29% of over-the-air-only consumers=20
reported that they have already applied for their NTIA coupons.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6544545.html?rssid=3D193
* Magid: 6 In 10 Aware Of Digital TV Switch
http://phillipswann.c.topica.com/maakEDVabFW9VbsRVLVeaeQCSn/http://www.tv=
predictions.com/magid032508.htm=20

WILL KIDS PAY THE PRICE FOR RECALL FAILURES
[SOURCE: David K. Aylward]
[Commentary] Ironically, at the very time when so=20
much attention is being paid to the digital TV=20
transition, a very large percentage of the=20
digital televisions sold in the US over the last=20
two years lack V-Chip 2.0 which allows upgrading=20
the ratings software. The FCC is trying to figure=20
out the problem. Its Enforcement Bureau and then=20
the FCC itself are trying to come up with a=20
solution, presumably some combination of fines=20
and remedial action. The level of fines should be=20
related to the remedial action each company=20
takes. The FCC=92s objective should be to fix the=20
problem and make sure it doesn't happen again.=20
The solution is for the manufacturers and/or=20
retailers to come to houses and fix the defective=20
software, or at least mail thumb drives and clear=20
instructions to the buyers. Anything less will=20
not solve the problem. Of course, if digital=20
televisions were treated by their manufacturers=20
like our office and home computers, the solution=20
would be a snap. One could automatically download=20
an upgrade, a =93patch=94, directly into the device.=20
Consumers, especially the kids who are supposed=20
to be protected by the V-Chip, should not have to=20
pay the price for manufacturers not thinking=20
ahead, or manufacturers hoping the FCC doesn't=20
care enough to force compliance now and in the future.
http://benton.org/node/10342

AD SPENDING BARELY BUDGED IN 2007
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Nat Ives]
U.S. ad spending growth ground to a halt in 2007,=20
climbing a negligible 0.2% to reach $149 billion=20
last year after a 4.1% gain in 2006, according to=20
data released today by TNS Media Intelligence. Ad=20
spending in the fourth quarter declined 0.1% from=20
the fourth quarter one year prior. The stall in=20
spending growth isn't a shock, given the general=20
financial uncertainty and specific problems in=20
high-spending categories like domestic auto or=20
housing. But its arrival highlights the speed=20
with which market conditions have gone south. It=20
was only January 2006 when TNS predicted that=20
2007 would produce a 2.6% gain, itself considered=20
a "tepid" rate of growth. Now tepid looks positively sunny.
http://adage.com/article?article_id=3D125921
* New media expected to get more ad dollars
Advertisers and marketers, struggling to keep up=20
with changing consumer habits, are about to make=20
massive investments in new digital and=20
out-of-home media platforms, according to a=20
forecast out today from research firm PQ Media.=20
It says that companies will spend more than=20
$160.8 billion in 2012 =97 up 82% from 2008 =97 on 18=20
emerging markets including online videos,=20
store-based TV screens, sponsored events, TV and=20
movie product placements, cellphones, video games and digital video recorde=
rs.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20080326/altmedia26.art.htm

WIRELESS/SPECTRUM

WIRELESS SPECTRUM WINNER VERIZON NOW GETS TO INTERPRET 'OPEN ACCESS'
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
With its winning $4.7 billion bid last week,=20
Verizon Wireless didn't just stake claim to=20
beachfront wireless property, it also grabbed=20
control of the guest list to the open-access=20
party. The government, in opening up the coveted=20
swath of the spectrum, essentially said the=20
winner must allow consumers to use any compatible=20
device or software on it as long as it doesn't=20
harm the network. But analysts said the=20
open-access playground comes with restrictions=20
and Verizon Wireless, as the winner, will be the=20
one making the rules and setting the schedule.=20
The open-access rules are designed to loosen that=20
grip, giving way to more products, innovation and=20
competition. After first fighting the rules,=20
Verizon Wireless has apparently already warmed up=20
to them, and is set to apply them to the rest of=20
its existing network, even before it gets access=20
to the new spectrum. But with Verizon in a=20
gatekeeper's role, analysts and others say they=20
expect an incremental improvement in the overall=20
wireless landscape. Consumer advocates and tech=20
entrepreneurs said the Federal Communications=20
Commission wasted an opportunity by not requiring=20
the winner to lease airwaves to competitors.=20
However, Verizon Wireless has committed to=20
selling wholesale access to its current network,=20
with pricing based on customer usage, and will=20
presumably apply the same model to the new spectrum.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/latestheadlines/ci_8700215

COMCAST, TIME WARNER CABLE IN WIRELESS TALKS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Amol Sharma=20
amol.sharma( at )wsj.com and Vishesh Kumar]
According to unnamed sources, the two biggest=20
U.S. cable providers, Comcast Corp. and Time=20
Warner Cable Inc., are discussing a plan to=20
provide funding for a new wireless company that=20
would be operated by Sprint Nextel Corp. and=20
Clearwire Corp. The partnership would create a=20
nationwide wireless network using WiMax=20
technology, which is designed to provide=20
high-speed Web access from laptops, cellphones=20
and other mobile devices, as well as high-quality=20
mobile video. Sprint and Clearwire have been=20
working for months to cooperate on a WiMax=20
rollout and are now trying to raise at least $3=20
billion for a joint venture. Under the plan the=20
parties are reviewing, Comcast -- the largest=20
cable operator with 24 million subscribers --=20
would put as much as $1 billion into the venture,=20
with No. 2 operator Time Warner Cable adding $500=20
million. The sixth-biggest cable operator, Bright=20
House Networks, is also involved in the talks and=20
would contribute between $100 million and $200 million.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120648766842863793.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)
* Cable Companies In Talks to Fund WiMax Network
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/25/AR200803...
2987.html
* Cable companies discuss funding wireless venture
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2528498320080326

DISH'S STRATEGY STOKES CONCERNS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Roger Cheng=20
roger.cheng( at )dowjones.com and Corey Boles]
With a swath of wireless spectrum in hand, Dish=20
Network Corp. is moving toward eliminating a=20
weakness in the satellite-TV business: the=20
inability to offer on-demand content without=20
outside help. But the weaker spectrum it=20
purchased suggests Dish is tiptoeing toward that=20
goal rather than making any large strides. It is=20
widely believed that Dish will use the licenses=20
won from the Federal Communications Commission's=20
recently concluded spectrum auction to build a=20
wireless network that could nearly cover the=20
nation. But the spectrum by itself isn't strong=20
enough to power a full wireless network without=20
complicated tweaking, leaving some to wonder what=20
Dish's ultimate goal is. Satellite-TV providers=20
have been pressured to provide on-demand content=20
as phone and cable rivals expand their offerings.=20
But satellite-TV providers are unable to offer=20
two-way communications services because they=20
broadcast from satellites in space and lack an=20
in-ground network. Subscribers can't order a=20
movie or TV show and get it instantaneously. That=20
is a problem as consumers change their viewing=20
habits. Dish may be looking at its wireless=20
spectrum as a possible solution, but there are=20
complications. The company purchased what is=20
known as "unpaired" spectrum, which generally=20
allows for one-way communication, and which isn't=20
ideal for a full-service wireless-broadband=20
network, according to analysts. Dish could create=20
a wireless network focused on providing on-demand=20
content to supplement its existing service. It=20
could use a customer's existing pipe for two-way communication.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120649173740964183.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)

QUICKLY

COMMENT DEADLINES FOR UNIVERSAL SERVICE NPRMs EXTENDED BY TWO WEEKS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission has=20
extended the deadlines for filing comments in=20
three universal service proceedings. Comments in=20
the Notices for Proposed Rulemaking (NPRMs) are=20
now due April 17; reply comments are due May 19,=20
2008. No saying the dog ate your comments.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-08-674A1.doc
-- Also see:
* Universal Service Reform and Universal Broadband
http://www.benton.org/node/8969

GOOGLE HOLDERS SEEK HUMAN RIGHTS, CENSORSHIP REVIEW
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Michele Gershberg]
Shareholders of Google will propose that the=20
company take steps to ensure freedom of Internet=20
access and establish a review of its operations'=20
effect on human rights. In one proposal expected=20
to be submitted at the company's 2008 annual=20
meeting on May 8, shareholders will ask Google to=20
commit to certain standards, including a pledge=20
not to engage in proactive censorship or host=20
user data in countries that restrict political=20
speech. A second proposal put forward by=20
Harrington Investments requests that the company=20
create a board committee on human rights to=20
review the implications of its policies on a worldwide basis.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2540166320080325
* Google Shareholders to Vote On Proposed Human Rights Panel
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/25/AR200803...
3759.html

INDONESIA PASSES BILL TO BLOCK PORN SITES
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Telly Nathalia]
Indonesia plans to restrict access to=20
pornographic and violent sites on the Internet=20
after the country's parliament passed a new=20
information bill. The Southeast Asian country has=20
had a vigorous debate over pornography in recent=20
years, exposing deep divisions in the Muslim-majority nation.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSJAK8242120080325

A NEW PUSH TO AVERT CELL-TOWER BIRD STRIKES
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Mark Clayton]
Communication towers are one of the=20
fastest-growing parts of the problems for=20
migrating birds due to the US passion for=20
cellphones and high-definition television. Among=20
about 96,000 towers listed in a federal database,=20
some 22,000 new towers were listed as having gone=20
up in just the past five years. Last month the US=20
Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia=20
Circuit ordered the Federal Communications=20
Commission to provide more citizen input and=20
comply with US environmental laws including the=20
National Environmental Policy Act when approving=20
new towers. Yet the problem =96 and one partial=20
solution for bird strikes =96 is less about the=20
number of towers and more about the way they are=20
illuminated at night, researchers say. All=20
communications towers 200-feet or higher =96 and=20
all towers near a flight path or airport =96 must=20
be lighted according to Federal Aviation=20
Administration (FAA) standards in order to warn=20
pilots away, FCC rules mandate. Such tower=20
lighting is not a problem for birds in clear=20
weather. But on stormy and foggy nights, when=20
clouds are thickest, migrating flocks of birds=20
tend to zero in on tower lights like moths to a flame.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0326/p16s01-sten.html
--------------------------------------------------------------
... and we're outta here. See you in April.
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------