April 2008

FUTURE OF THE INTERNET HEARING
Senate Network Neutrality Hearing Recap

_Testimony/Statements_
Chairman Inouye: Broadband and the Benefits of=20
the Internet Should Reach All Americans
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin
Public Knowledge Commends Martin On Internet Enforcement Policy
Professor Lawrence Lessig
Michele Combs -- Christian Coalition of America
Robert Hahn -- American Enterprise Institute
Patric Verrone -- Writers Guild of America, West
Justine Bateman -- Actress / Writer / Producer
Kyle McSlarrow -- National Cable & Telecommunications Association

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Would News Corp. Need FCC Help To Keep Stations, Newsday?
Murdoch Taking on FCC Media Rule
Clear Channel suitors reject offer by banks

ELECTIONS & MEDIA
Obama=92s Winning in Video Views
Political coverage is more noise than news
The Latest Proof that the Karl Rove Playbook Has Become the MSM's Bible

BROADCASTING/CABLE
Fox Asks FCC to Reconsider Indecency Petition Rejection
You Won't Get Fined for Saying 'Frak'

INTERNET/BROADBAND
In China, a battle over Web censorship
Google accused of deception in selling AdSense keyword ads

QUICKLY -- qubo Creates Nutritional Guidelines=20
for Kids=92 Food Advertising; AT&T Gets Wireless, Data Lift

FUTURE OF THE INTERNET HEARING

SENATE NETWORK NEUTRALITY HEARING RECAP
[SOURCE: Benton Foundation]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin=20
Martin and others testified before the Senate=20
Commerce Committee Tuesday. Chairman Martin=20
fought a bit with lawmakers over whether the FCC=20
has the authority to punish Comcast over charges=20
that it blocks certain kinds of Internet traffic=20
-- a practice Chairman Martin said is more=20
widespread than the company had previously=20
acknowledged. Martin said Comcast's blocking of=20
BitTorrent peer-to-peer traffic appeared to=20
happen when there wasn't network congestion, in=20
contrast to claims from the broadband provider.=20
Comcast's actions, first described by the=20
Associated Press last October, appeared to "block=20
uploads of a significant portion of subscribers"=20
in that part of the network, even during times=20
when the network wasn't congested, Martin said.=20
Chairman Martin resisted calls by Democratic=20
members of the committee to pass a network=20
neutrality law, saying the FCC now has the=20
authority to act on network blocking complaints=20
on a case-by-case basis. The FCC in 2005 adopted=20
a set of open Internet policy principles, and it=20
has responded to traffic-blocking complaints,=20
Martin said. Sen John Kerry (D-MA) is concerned=20
the FCC may face lawsuits if it enforces its=20
Network Neutrality principles without new=20
legislation from Congress. Senate Republicans=20
voiced opposition to new legislation, with Ted=20
Stevens (R-Alaska) saying that "intense=20
regulation" of the Internet would be "entirely unwarranted."
http://benton.org/node/10612

_Testimony/Statements_

Chairman Inouye Seeks to Ensure Broadband and the=20
Benefits of the Internet Reach All Americans
[SOURCE: US Senate Commerce Committee, AUTHOR: Sen Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)]
Along with the problems facing individual=20
Americans as they navigate the digital world,=20
there are also challenges facing those who=20
provide services and content via the Internet,=20
and those who build and manage the network=20
infrastructure necessary for the continued=20
expansion and improvement of the Internet. I=20
believe that the government has a responsibility=20
to create a regulatory environment that will one=20
day enable each and every American to have=20
affordable access to reliable broadband service.=20
To achieve this long-term goal, I have introduced=20
the Broadband Data Improvement Act. This act is=20
designed to give us a starting point. It will=20
better define what broadband is, and it will=20
provide us with accurate information on the=20
current status of broadband deployment in the=20
United States. This information is essential if=20
we are to chart the most responsible course=20
toward universal broadband deployment. Another=20
significant responsibility of our government is=20
to ensure that the Internet continues to grow and=20
thrive. The issue of Network Neutrality, and its=20
offspring, nondiscrimination and network=20
management, looms large in this debate. The=20
central question here seems to be how to best=20
balance the right of the American people to=20
uncensored and unfettered access to Internet=20
content and services against the desire of=20
Internet service providers to manage their=20
networks in an efficient and profitable manner.=20
For several years now, policy discussions on this=20
subject have been waged on a rhetorical=20
battlefield. We are told that nothing less than=20
the Future of the Internet is at stake. Yet even=20
in this winner-take-all environment, we see the=20
inklings of progress: the dialogue between cable=20
and peer-to-peer services, the novel open access=20
requirements on the C-block spectrum, and the=20
swift response of a wireless provider to a text=20
messaging snafu that thwarted political speech.=20
It may be early for optimism, but progress=20
deserves praise. In the meantime, I can assure=20
you that this Committee will continue to=20
vigorously exercise its oversight authority over this important issue.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=3DHearings.Statem...
&Statement_ID=3Dadaa2b80-62cd-471d-88da-afe0a224fa37

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: FCC Chairman Kevin Mart=
in]
Contrary to some public claims about Commission's=20
approach generally, for the Commission to take=20
enforcement action against a telephone company=20
for blocking and degrading a particular=20
application but refuse to pursue enforcement=20
action against a cable company blocking or=20
degrading a particular application would unfairly=20
favor the cable industry. I believe that the=20
Commission must remain vigilant in protecting=20
consumers' access to content on the=20
Internet. Thus, it is critically important that=20
the Commission take seriously and respond to=20
complaints that are filed about arbitrary limits=20
on broadband access and potential violations of=20
our principles. Indeed, I have publicly stated=20
that the Commission stands ready to enforce this=20
policy statement and protect consumers' access to=20
the Internet.... The Commission should address=20
issues of appropriate network management using a=20
consistent framework. There are several factors=20
that I believe the Commission should use when=20
analyzing complaints and concerns about network=20
management practices by broadband operators: 1)=20
The Commission should consider whether the=20
network management practices are intended to=20
distinguish between legal and illegal activity.=20
2) The Commission should consider whether the=20
network service provider adequately disclosed its=20
network management practices. 3) The Commission=20
should consider whether the network management=20
technique arbitrarily blocks or degrades a particular application.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-281690A1.doc

Public Knowledge Commends Martin On Internet Enforcement Policy
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Gigi Sohn]
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin=92s testimony today=20
before the Senate Commerce Committee was right on=20
the money when he said that the Commission should=20
take very seriously whether Internet network=20
management by a cable or telephone company=20
=91arbitrarily blocks or degrades a particular=20
application.=92 By saying there should be=20
=91heightened scrutiny=92 if it appears that a=20
telephone or cable company is selectively picking=20
out some applications for special treatment,=20
Martin put the companies on notice that their=20
management techniques need to =91further a=20
compelling or at least an important/legitimate=20
interest would need to be tailored to fit the=20
exact interest.=92 The chairman=92s remarks mean that=20
Comcast and other companies are out of bounds=20
when they target a particular protocol, such as=20
peer-to-peer applications, for throttling=20
regardless of the time of day (or night) or the=20
traffic levels on the network. While we continue=20
to support legislation to make certain that the=20
Internet is guided by non-discrimination=20
principles that are well established in law, we=20
are encouraged by the chairman=92s statement today=20
that the he is willing to defend some measure of=20
non-discrimination in proceedings before the agency.
http://www.publicknowledge.org/node/1533

Professor Lawrence Lessig
[AUTHOR: Lawrence Lessig]
[W]hile [Network Neutrlaity] questions are not=20
new, in my view, Congress has yet to address them=20
adequately. For the reasons I outline below, this=20
failure to act continues to threaten the growth=20
and economic vitality of the Internet. Thus, I=20
would urge Congress to enact legislation that=20
sets the basic framework for this critical=20
economic infrastructure in a way that assures the=20
greatest innovation and economic growth. That=20
framework would embed a design principle that=20
gave birth to the Internet =97 network neutrality.=20
In addressing the question before this Committee,=20
I would offer four points to consider. 1) The=20
question of effective regulation for critical=20
economic infrastructure did not begin with the=20
Internet. 2) Policymakers should adopt policies=20
that drive network providers towards business=20
models of broadband abundance rather than=20
business models that exploit scarcity. 3)=20
Investment decisions by venture capitalists are=20
driven by expectations of future, not present,=20
behavior. 4) Congress should direct the FCC to=20
implement, with the minimal regulatory=20
intervention necessary, a policy that drives=20
network providers to a business model of abundance.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/_files/LessigTestimony.pdf

Michele Combs -- Christian Coalition of America
[SOURCE: Christian Coalition of America, AUTHOR: Michele Combs]
The Christian Coalition does not seek burdensome=20
regulations. We generally believe that less=20
government is better than more government. And,=20
we do not believe that governments should censor=20
speech. But let=92s be clear. Right now, the=20
telephone and cable companies are investing in=20
and using the exact same censorship and content=20
discrimination technologies that are being used=20
by the Chinese government to censor speech. In=20
fact, the Chinese government is currently using=20
these same technologies to block the Christian=20
Coalition=92s speech from being received by its=20
citizens. The Christian Coalition is merely=20
asking Congress to create simple rules of the=20
road that make it clear that it will allow cable=20
and phone companies to block the lawful speech=20
rights of the Christian Coalition and others.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/_files/ChristianCoalitionStatementfort...
enateCommitteeonCommerceFinal.pdf

Robert Hahn -- American Enterprise Institute
[SOURCE: American Enterprise Institute, AUTHOR: Dr. Robert Hahn]
In its short history, the Internet has grown at=20
an astounding pace. Legislators have
the ability to dramatically affect the future of=20
Internet growth and innovation. Legislators=20
should carefully weigh the benefits and costs of=20
regulatory policies. The economic issues raised=20
in the network neutrality and network management=20
debates can be effectively addressed by using=20
antitrust authority where appropriate, allowing=20
Internet pricing flexibility, and fostering more=20
efficient use of spectrum to facilitate entry=20
into the broadband market. Government should=20
allow firms to experiment with different business=20
models for Internet services. Allowing such=20
market flexibility is likely to be the best way=20
to ensure efficient innovation on the information superhighway.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/_files/HahnSenateTestimony408V17.pdf

Patric Verrone -- Writers Guild of America, West
[SOURCE: Writers Guild of America, West , AUTHOR: Patric Verrone]
The axiom in Hollywood is that "content is king."=20
But those who control access to the king control=20
the kingdom. Because of federal regulation -- or=20
lack thereof -- that control is in the hands of=20
neither the consumer nor the content creators,=20
but the distributors.... the policy decisions=20
that triggered the consolidation of old media has=20
not yet been made for the new media. There is=20
still time to protect the rights of content=20
producers and consumers. We need to establish=20
clear Net neutrality rules to ensure that the=20
Internet remains a level playing field for all.=20
We dethrone the gatekeepers and once more make content king.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/_files/Pverronetestimonysenatecommerce...
.pdf

Justine Bateman -- Actress / Writer / Producer
[AUTHOR: Justine Bateman]
In entertainment, I believe we are on the verge=20
of a creative renaissance and the Internet is the=20
new grid upon which this renaissance can rest,=20
because unfortunately the business grid of TV and=20
film today cannot support that. Traditional media=20
is now like a pool over which a pool cover has=20
been placed causing those wild ducks that used to=20
swim around in your pool to go elsewhere. Those=20
ducks now I'm sure have found an open body of=20
water in which to swim, much like we content=20
creators have been found open distribution on the=20
Internet. And the idea of your site succeeding or=20
failing based upon whether or not you paid the=20
telecom companies enough to carry your material=20
or allow quick access is appalling. Honestly, I=20
can't help but think of extortion when I imagine=20
that kind of arrangement. Net neutrality will=20
allow for we creators to continue owning and=20
controlling our content in a way that we have not=20
been able to since the repeal of the financial=20
and syndication rules. A whole new class of small=20
business owners will emerge, providing thousands=20
of new jobs in a sector that desperately needs=20
them. And with innovation comes competition. Net=20
neutrality would insure a level playing field for that.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/_files/jbatemantestimonysenatecommerce...
.pdf

Kyle McSlarrow -- National Cable & Telecommunications Association
[SOURCE: National Cable & Telecommunications=20
Association, AUTHOR: Kyle McSlarrow]
[W]hile broadband deployment to every community=20
in America merits the full attention of=20
policymakers, legislation calling for =93network=20
neutrality=94 or government intervention into the=20
operation of networks would undermine the goals=20
of broadband deployment and adoption. The=20
development of the Internet, expansion of=20
broadband networks, and creation of innovative=20
Internet applications we have seen would not have=20
occurred at such a rapid pace if providers were=20
restricted in how they could engineer their=20
networks to accommodate these dynamic=20
developments. The government=92s consistent light=20
regulatory touch since the introduction of=20
broadband has worked. And only that continued=20
regulatory freedom is likely to spur the=20
investment and innovation that consumers have come to expect.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/_files/McSlarrowTestimony_April222008_...
.pdf

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

WOULD NEWS CORP NEED FCC HELP TO KEEP STATIONS, NEWSDAY?
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
There seems to be some question as to whether=20
News Corp. would have to either apply for a=20
Federal Communications Commission waiver or=20
divest its New York TV stations if it decides to=20
buy Newsday. The company already owns two TV=20
stations in the New York market and one local=20
newspaper, the New York Post, as well as national=20
paper The Wall Street Journal, also based in New=20
York City. Old FCC rules prevented News Corp.=20
from owning the stations and paper, but it got a=20
financial-distress waiver because of the ill=20
health of the Post. It is allowed to own the=20
Journal because that is considered a national=20
paper rather than a local one. Even though there=20
are FCC limits on newspaper-broadcast=20
cross-ownership, the company could buy Newsday=20
without the FCC having to approve the deal=20
because no TV or radio license is involved. The=20
FCC does review deals involving newspapers buying=20
stations because those licenses change hands. In=20
addition, owning both would become an issue at=20
license-renewal time no matter whether it was a=20
newspaper buying a broadcast outlet or the other=20
way around. News Corp.'s licenses in New York --=20
WWOR and WNEW -- are currently up for renewal. If=20
the FCC applies the new cross-ownership rule it=20
adopted in December, News Corp. would likely need=20
either a waiver or would have to divest, since=20
the rule specifically said it allows the=20
ownership of one station and one newspaper, not=20
two stations. Of course, News Corp. could wait=20
until its licenses were renewed -- it filed for=20
renewal in February of last year, but there were=20
various challenges to that renewal from activist=20
groups. If so, the issue would not come up again=20
for another eight years -- the term of a license.=20
The new cross-ownership rule went into effect=20
March 20, but it has been challenged in court by=20
broadcasters as too little deregulation and by=20
anti-consolidation activists as too much.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6554117.html?rssid=3D193

MURDOCH TAKING ON FCC MEDIA RULE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Stephen Labaton]
As he nears completion of a deal to acquire=20
Newsday from the Tribune Company, Rupert Murdoch=20
appears likely to pose the first significant=20
challenge to the media ownership rule that the=20
Federal Communications Commission recently=20
adopted. Even without Newsday, Mr. Murdoch was in=20
the process of seeking waivers to continue to=20
control two newspapers (The Wall Street Journal=20
and The New York Post) and two television=20
stations (WNYW and WWOR) in the New York area.=20
With those waiver requests pending at the FCC,=20
the Newsday deal means that Mr. Murdoch must now=20
apply for a waiver to own the two television=20
stations and three newspapers in the same market.=20
The Newsday deal also becomes public as Congress=20
takes up a measure that would restore the old=20
ownership rule, which generally restricted a=20
company from owning both a newspaper and a=20
television station in the same city, unless the=20
FCC granted a waiver. On Thursday, the Senate=20
Commerce Committee is expected to approve the=20
bill, which is sponsored by Senator Byron L.=20
Dorgan (D-ND). Industry lobbyists say that the=20
measure has a good chance of passing the House=20
and the Senate this year, although President Bush has threatened to veto it.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/business/media/23ownership.html?ref=3D...
ayspaper
(requires registration)
* Murdoch Moving to Buy Newsday for $580 Million
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/business/media/23paper.html?ref=3Dtoda...
aper

CLEAR CHANNEL SUITORS REJECT OFFER BY BANKS
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Henny Sender]
The latest skirmishes be=ADtween the banks and=20
potential buyers of Clear Channel are raising=20
expectations that the lenders will have to come=20
up with $22bn in debt financing for the buy-out.=20
There are two parallel legal cases stemming from=20
the November 2006 deal under which Bain Capital=20
and Thomas H Lee & Partners agreed to buy the=20
Texas company, which owns radio stations and=20
outdoor advertising sites. One, filed in New York=20
by the private equity firms, would compel the=20
banks to make good on their agreements to fund=20
the deal. Clear Channel filed the other in its=20
home state, alleging that the banks acted=20
improperly and asking for damages of $26bn. The=20
banks offered to settle their legal disputes with=20
the buyers on Tuesday through binding arbitration=20
=96 an offer that the buy-out firms spurned. Wall=20
Street and hedge fund traders betting on whether=20
a deal gets done interpreted the banks=92 offer as a sign of weakness.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/fe01bd14-10c1-11dd-b8d6-0000779fd2ac.html
(requires subscription)

ELECTIONS & MEDIA

OBAMA'S WINNING IN VIDEO VIEWS
[SOURCE: TVWeek, AUTHOR: Julieanne Smolinski]
Sen. Barack Obama is No. 1 in the Web video race.=20
According to a study released today by Nielsen=20
Online, Sen. Obama=92s Web site had the most unique=20
viewers of video content for the month of March,=20
at 518,000. Sen. Hillary Clinton=92s site followed=20
with 351,000, with Sen. John McCain trailing far=20
behind at 38,000 uniques. The findings were=20
released as part of a study that reports overall=20
growth in Web video consumption. Only 1% of=20
viewers viewed both of the Democratic candidates=92=20
sites, prompting Nielsen to suggest there is=20
minimal overlap in viewing between the two, and=20
that a candidate=92s site is more likely to attract=20
a supporter than a curious undecided voter.
http://www.tvweek.com/news/2008/04/obamas_winning_in_video_views.php
(requires free registration)
* Obama Out-Streams Clinton, McCain
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6554123.html?rssid=3D193

POLITICAL COVERAGE IS MORE NOISE THAN NEWS
[SOURCE: St Petersburg Times, AUTHOR: Eric Deggans]
[Commentary] After months spent consuming endless=20
cable TV news coverage of this endless=20
presidential campaign, I've got a theory: The=20
more attention they pay to a subject, the less=20
viewers actually learn. Trying to capitalize on=20
the contentious, percolating viewer magnet that=20
the campaign has become, each big cable news=20
channel has its own evening show focused on the=20
election: Fox's America's Election HQ, MSNBC's=20
Race to the White House and CNN's Election=20
Center. I recorded each show on April 9 and=20
watched closely, eager to test my hypothesis. The=20
timing was good: Deep into the six-week break=20
between primary elections, these shows offered a=20
look at what cable might cover when actual news=20
is in short supply. Unfortunately, I found news=20
programs chewing over morsels of information like=20
grazing cows, taking a sliver of reported fact=20
and massaging it with analysis and supposition=20
until viewers had a tough time separating fact=20
from assumption and opinion. It's the high=20
"signal-to-noise ratio" of cable news, the way=20
punditry and strategy often overwhelm the meat of=20
reportage. Not surprisingly, the show with the=20
highest ratio this day was on Fox News.
http://www.tampabay.com/features/media/article466590.ece

THE LATEST PROOF THAT THE KARL ROVE PLAYBOOK HAS BECOME MSM'S BIBLE
[SOURCE: Huffington Post, AUTHOR: Arianna Huffington]
[Commentary] Huffington's new book discusses the=20
role the media have played in allowing the=20
lunatic fringe now in control of the Republican=20
Party -- the people who believe in torture but=20
don't believe in evolution -- to hijack our=20
democracy. The mainstream media has so=20
internalized the Right's framing and messages=20
they have now become a part of its DNA. The first=20
of the latest round of exhibits proving that the=20
Karl Rove playbook has become the MSM's bible was=20
offered into evidence during last week's ABC=20
debate. The uproar that followed made it seem as=20
if this kind of behavior was an aberration but,=20
in fact, this has been going on for years -- only=20
in a less concentrated form. Next came a=20
double-whammy in Sunday's New York Times. First=20
up was David Barstow's epic revelation of the=20
unseemly complicity between the Pentagon and the=20
mainstream media in delivering the Bush=20
administration's talking points on Iraq via "a=20
kind of Trojan media horse" -- Pentagon-approved,=20
prepped, and financially-enriched "military=20
analysts" dutifully parroting the Bush party=20
line, with nary a raised eyebrow from the TV=20
stations and newspapers offering these=20
highly-decorated sock puppets their prestigious=20
platforms. It was -- and, indeed, continues to be=20
-- a propagandists' field day.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/the-latest-proof-that-t...
b_97862.html

BROADCASTING/CABLE

FOX ASKS FCC TO RECONSIDER INDECENCY PETITION REJECTION
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Fox asked the Federal Communications Commission's=20
Enforcement Bureau to rethink its decision not to=20
consider Fox's challenge to indecency fines=20
against 13 stations for an April 7, 2003, airing=20
of Married by America that showed some pixilated=20
body parts of bachelor-party revelers. Fox said=20
the petition rejection was an abuse of its=20
discretion and a ploy to avoid the substance of the petition.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6554131.html?rssid=3D193

YOU WON'T GET FINED FOR SAYING 'FRAK'
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Brian Steinberg]
You can't say that word on TV -- or can you? No=20
one on broadcast TV is supposed to be able to use=20
the four-letter profanity that starts with the=20
letter F and signifies sexual intercourse. Even=20
on basic cable, the word is often edited out of=20
movies and usually not inserted into original=20
scripts. In short, when it comes to that word and=20
TV companies who wish to court mainstream=20
advertisers and audiences, healthy distance is=20
usually helpful. Some networks, however, are cleverly dodging the issue.
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=3D126574

INTERNET/BROADBAND

IN CHINA, A BATTLE OVER WEB CENSORSHIP
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Paul Wiseman]
The communist government in Beijing is=20
intensifying its efforts to control what its=20
citizens can read and discuss online as political=20
tensions rise ahead of this summer's Olympic=20
Games. Fighting the censors every step of the way=20
is an army of self-described "hacktivists" such=20
as Bill Xia, a Chinese-born software engineer who=20
lives in North Carolina. Xia and others are=20
engaged in a kind of technological arms race,=20
inventing software and using other tactics to=20
allow ordinary Chinese to beat the "Great=20
Firewall of China" and access information on=20
sensitive subjects such as Chinese human rights=20
and Tibet, the province where pro-independence=20
sentiment has boiled over in recent months.=20
Invoking the hit science-fiction movie The=20
Matrix, Xia has compared what he does to giving=20
Chinese Web surfers a "red pill" that lets them=20
see reality for the first time. He spends long=20
nights struggling to outfox an opponent =97 the=20
Chinese government =97 that is arguably the world's=20
best at controlling what its people see. "They=20
are very smart," Xia says. "We have to move very=20
quickly." To Americans and other Westerners, it=20
might seem odd that Internet censorship is still=20
possible at a time when YouTube, satellite TV and=20
online chat rooms produce an overwhelming flow of=20
real-time news and data. Yet authoritarian=20
regimes from Cuba to Saudi Arabia to Pakistan=20
rely on a mix of sophisticated technology and=20
old-fashioned intimidation to ensure that dissent=20
can be repressed, even in the Information Age. No=20
one does it quite like China, which has proved=20
that old-school communist apparatchiks could tame=20
something as wild as the Web. China has the=20
world's "most sophisticated" Internet filtering=20
system, according to the OpenNet Initiative, an=20
academic cooperative that tracks censorship=20
issues. At the heart of China's censorship efforts is a delicate balancing =
act.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20080423/1a_cover23.art.htm

GOOGLE ACCUSED OF DECEPTION IN SELLING ADSENSE KEYWORD ADS
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Anick Jesdanun]
An advertiser sued Google Inc. in federal court=20
Tuesday claiming the company deceived him and=20
charged for ads displayed on third-party Web=20
sites, even though he left blank an "optional"=20
box that seemed to address the issue. The dispute=20
is over Google's popular AdSense program, which=20
targets ads to keywords in articles and other=20
content at participating sites. The program=20
complements the traditional AdWords program,=20
which runs targeted ads alongside Google's search=20
results. Ads under both programs generate the=20
bulk of Google's revenues. The lawsuit accuses=20
Google of defrauding advertisers out of millions=20
of dollars collectively by "redefining the=20
universally understood meaning of an input form left blank."
http://www.bnd.com/business/technology/story/318234.html

QUICKLY

QUBO CREATES NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR KIDS' FOOD ADVERTISING
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: P.J. Bednarski]
Bilingual TV and online kids=92 service qubo said=20
Tuesday that it created nutritional guidelines to=20
help its sales staff decide which food=20
advertisers are acceptable for children=92s television.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6554133.html?rssid=3D193

AT&T GETS WIRELESS, DATA LIFT
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Roger Cheng, Andrew LaVallee]
AT&T posted a 22% rise in first-quarter profit,=20
as strong wireless and data growth eased concerns=20
about the weak U.S. economy's impact on the=20
company. Earnings at the San Antonio, Texas,=20
telecommunications company's wireless unit nearly=20
doubled to $2.9 billion, as revenue increased=20
18%. The unit's growth was driven by strong=20
subscriber gains and increased average monthly=20
revenue per subscriber. Apple Inc.'s iPhone, for=20
which AT&T has exclusive U.S. service rights,=20
also has been a major factor. AT&T added 1.3=20
million net wireless subscribers, an increase of=20
8.7% over the year-earlier period, including=20
705,000 new post-paid subscribers, or customers=20
who sign service contracts and pay monthly bills.=20
The largest U.S. carrier by subscribers ended the=20
quarter with 71.4 million total customers.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120884648236734139.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)
* Led by Wireless Unit, AT& T Reports a 21.5 Percent Gain (Associated Press)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/22/AR200804...
2921.html
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------