May 2008

Three events on Thursday: 1) Bridging=20
Scholar/Activist Divides in the Field of=20
Communications, 2) The Exaflood: Finding=20
Solutions, 3) Google Unwired. For these and other=20
upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar/2008/5

ELECTIONS AND MEDIA
TV=92s Low-Cal Campaign Coverage
Hillary Clinton Hits 'Sexism' In Media Coverage=20
-- Says Gender Bigger Drawback Than Race
The Press Corps=92 Unshakeable Crush on McCain
McCain and his lobbyists: The Cablevision connection
General Election Ad Spending Will Be Turned Up to 11

BROADCASTING/CABLE
GAO Report Questions Stations=92 Readiness for DTV Transition
Commerce Sec Gutierrez Announces One Million=20
Coupons Used for TV Converter Box Coupon Program
Boards OK Time Warner Cable Separation

INTERNET/BROADBAND
Commerce Sec Gutierrez: Broadband Regulation Too Costly

CONTENT
Senators weigh new laws over China online censorship
A Discomfiting Threat to Free Speech
MPAA Asked to Look Into Iron Man Ads
CDT: Global Internet Freedom Should Be Top Human=20
Rights and Foreign Policy Priority

TELECOM
Cell phone users may get break on fees
FCC cracks down on Universal Service Fund cheats
Virgin Mobile USA sees telecom consolidation

QUICKLY -- Newspaper Ownership And the FCC

ELECTIONS AND MEDIA

TV's LOW-CAL CAMPAIGN COVERAGE
[SOURCE: Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, AUTHOR: John Whiten]
Coverage in the early phase of a presidential=20
campaign is critical, since many voters are still=20
weighing their choices and making decisions at=20
this point. To see how this year=92s coverage was=20
shaping up, FAIR studied primary election=20
coverage on the nightly broadcast network=20
newscasts (ABC World News, CBS Evening News and=20
NBC Nightly News) in the six weeks leading up to=20
February 5, when 24 states held primaries or=20
caucuses. From December 26, 2007, until February=20
5, 2008, the three nightly newscasts aired a=20
total of 385 news stories about the election.=20
This averages out to more than nine news stories=20
on the election per night on network TV. With=20
that kind of saturation, you'd think that the=20
coverage would not only touch on the horse race=20
and polling, but would shed light on policy=20
platforms, economic plans, foreign policy goals=20
and other substantive differences among what was=20
then a wide-open field of candidates. You'd think=20
that, after viewing or reading 385 news stories,=20
you'd come away well-informed and ready to=20
participate in a democracy. But, unfortunately, you'd be wrong.
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3D3368

HILLARY CLINTON HITS 'SEXISM' IN MEDIA COVERAGE=20
-- SAYS GENDER BIGGER DRAWBACK THAN RACE
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: ]
Hillary Clinton hit "sexism" in media coverage of=20
her campaign as "deeply offensive to millions of=20
women." She criticized "misogynists" and said=20
that the race factor was often discussed but not=20
gender: "[E]very poll I've seen show more people=20
would be reluctant to vote for a woman to vote=20
for an African American, which rarely gets=20
reported on either." She said her treatment by=20
the media has "been deeply offensive to millions=20
of women. ... I believe this campaign has been a=20
ground breaker in lots of ways, but it certainly=20
has been challenging given some of the attitudes=20
that have been forthcoming in the press, and I=20
regret that because I think it's been really not=20
worthy of the seriousness of this campaign and=20
the historical nature of the two candidacies that we have here."
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
t_id=3D1003805819

THE PRESS CORPS' UNSHAKEABLE CRUSH ON MCCAIN
[SOURCE: Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, AUTHOR: Peter Hart]
If you pay even passing attention to national=20
politics, you know that presumptive GOP=20
presidential candidate John McCain is a maverick=20
who bucks his own party=92s line and never wavers=20
in his political beliefs. At least, that=92s what=20
the corporate media say=97reality tells a very=20
different story. A candidate could only get away=20
with such an elaborate and long-running con with=20
the media as willing accomplices. =93The press=20
loves McCain,=94 explained NBC host Chris Matthews=20
(9/10/06). =93We=92re his base.=94 For much of the=20
press, the early stages of the 2008 presidential=20
campaign were a chance to fall in love all over=20
again. =93Those of us on the Straight Talk Express=20
eight years ago got a breathtaking journalistic=20
opportunity: to be inside the lively mind and=20
heart of a leading contender for president,=94=20
Newsweek=92s Howard Fineman recalled (3/3/08).=20
=93McCain was as joyously combative as Popeye and=20
as earnestly confessional as Oprah.=94 Fineman was=20
actually restrained when compared to some of the=20
coverage from eight years prior. =93I know it=20
shouldn't be happening, but it is,=94 wrote Charles=20
Lane in the New Republic (10/18/99). =93I'm falling=20
for John McCain.=94 Lane=92s confession was in turn=20
surpassed in awkwardness by another writer in the=20
same magazine: Michael Lewis (9/30/96) declared=20
that his feelings for McCain were like =93the war=20
that must occur inside a 14-year-old boy who=20
discovers he is more sexually attracted to boys than to girls.=94
http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3D3369

MCCAIN AND HIS LOBBYISTS: THE CABLEVISION CONNECTION
[SOURCE: Newsday, AUTHOR: John Riley]
Perhaps overshadowed by other developments on the=20
campaign trail is the story about top John McCain=20
advisors who have made a living lobbying for some=20
rather dubious foreign regimes. The controversy=20
has led McCain to issue a conflict of interest=20
policy, and has led to the departure of five=20
lobbyists from his campaign. McCain campaign=20
manager Rick Davis was a part-time president of=20
the Reform Institute, a Washington group Sen=20
McCain (R-AZ) helped found to champion ideals=20
like reducing 'the influence of special=20
interests' in politics and government." McCain's=20
lobbyist-led "Reform Institute" was soliciting=20
money from telecommunications companies subject=20
to the jurisdiction of the Senate Commerce=20
Committee, which he headed. And Cablevision gave=20
two $100,000 donations to the "Reform Institute"=20
at the same time it was getting McCain's help=20
pushing a cable-pricing plan before the FCC that=20
critics said would hurt consumers. Help from=20
McCain, who argues for ridding politics of big=20
money, included giving the chief executive of=20
Cablevision the opportunity to testify before his=20
Senate committee, writing a letter of support to=20
the Federal Communications Commission, and asking=20
other cable companies to support so-called a la carte pricing.
http://weblogs.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/politics/blog/2008/05/m...
in_and_his_lobbyists_the_c.html
* McCain adviser's work as lobbyist comes to light
http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2008-05-20-McCainadvi...
_N.htm

GENERAL ELECTION AD SPENDING WILL BE TURNED UP TO 11
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Evan Tracey]
Right now, the volume of general election ads=20
hardly registers. However, if you have ever=20
turned on your car after you had previously been=20
driving with the radio volume turned all the way=20
up then you know what to expect -- a startling=20
blast. With the primaries going on for so long,=20
it would appear that when the general election ad=20
wars start it may have a similar effect. Since=20
the beginning of February, the Democrats'=20
presidential primary has slogged along week by=20
week and state by state with bursts of intense ad=20
spending and massive media attention. While all=20
this has been going on, the John McCain campaign=20
has been trying to infuse itself into the debate=20
whenever possible. Thus far, the ad spending=20
related to the general election has been somewhat=20
small and targeted. The question only time will=20
answer is what markets will the massive ad=20
dollars flow into. The McCain campaign has=20
already started to quietly spend more than $1=20
million on ads in New Mexico, Oregon, Iowa, West=20
Virginia and Ohio. His most recent ads promote=20
his "leadership" on issues such as health care,=20
mortgage relief and a gas tax holiday, while=20
Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton argue and fight.=20
From the political left, groups such as the=20
Democratic National Committee, Friends of the=20
Earth, Progressive Media USA, SEIU and MoveOn.org=20
have begun to approach $3 million in spending on=20
national cable spots as well as in a several key=20
battleground states. If 2008 is a repeat of 2004,=20
when pro-Kerry groups propelled the campaign to a=20
more than $100 million ad-spending advantage over=20
George Bush, then McCain will be heavily outgunned during the summer and fa=
ll.
http://adage.com/campaigntrail/post?article_id=3D127179

BROADCASTING/CABLE

GAO REPORT QUESTIONS STATIONS' READINESS FOR DTV TRANSITION
[SOURCE: Government Accountability Office, AUTHOR: Mark L. Goldstein]
The Government Accountability Office released a=20
report Tuesday examining 1) the status of=20
broadcast stations in transitioning to digital,=20
2) the extent to which broadcast stations are=20
encountering issues, and 3) the actions the=20
Federal Communications Commission has taken to=20
guide broadcasters in the digital transition.=20
Approximately 91 percent of the 1,122 full-power=20
TV stations that responded to the GAO survey=20
reported they are transmitting a digital signal,=20
68% at full strength. But some stations still=20
need to complete construction of their final=20
digital facilities, and others need to relocate=20
their digital channel to complete the transition.=20
Almost all of the stations not currently=20
broadcasting digitally report that they will be=20
by Feb 17, 2009. Some stations, including those=20
already broadcasting a digital signal, need to=20
resolve various technical, coordination, or other=20
issues before their transition to digital is=20
complete. Some stations are still awaiting FCC=20
decisions to complete their transitions. In=20
response to the report, Senate Commerce Committee=20
Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) said, "I would=20
note my ongoing and deep concern that while=20
industry is, at a minimum, fully informed of the=20
upcoming transition and aware of the potential=20
pitfalls, the same cannot be said for consumers.=20
Far too many Americans are unaware of or=20
unprepared for February 17, 2009. As this report=20
demonstrates, there is no one-size fits all=20
message that will adequately educate=20
consumers. It is imperative that all=20
stakeholders in the DTV transition, both public=20
and private, work together to ensure that local=20
communities are fully informed and prepared for=20
the transition, and that no consumer is left in=20
the dark." House Commerce Committee Chairman John=20
Dingell (D-MI) announced the Committee on Energy=20
and Commerce will hold a hearing on Tuesday, June=20
10 on the status of the DTV transition, including=20
examining the conclusions of the GAO report, as=20
well as the FCC plan to establish Wilmington, NC, as a DTV test market.
http://benton.org/node/11157

COMMERCE SEC GUTIERREZ ANNOUNCES ONE MILLION=20
COUPONS USED FOR TV CONVERTOR BOX COUPON PROGRAM
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and=20
Information Administration, AUTHOR: Press release]
On May 6, Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez=20
issued the following statement announcing one=20
million coupons have been used as part of the=20
National Telecommunications and Information=20
Administration (NTIA) TV Converter Box Coupon=20
Program. =93The nation is nine months away from the=20
historic February 17, 2009, digital television=20
transition for all full-power broadcasters. I=20
encourage all Americans who rely on an antenna=20
for their television programs to learn about=20
their options for the digital transition and to=20
act on their decision. =93More than one million=20
households have used coupons to purchase a=20
certified converter box and are now able to watch=20
digital television with a clearer picture and=20
more programming choices. =93I encourage households=20
who have ordered a coupon to use it to purchase an eligible converter box
within the coupon=92s 90-day expiration period.=94
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/2008/DTV_080506.pdf

BOARDS OK TIME WARNER CABLE SEPARATION
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: ]
Media conglomerate Time Warner and Time Warner=20
Cable say their boards have approved the=20
companies' legal separation, with Time Warner=20
Cable expected to pay a hefty $10.9 billion one-time dividend to shareholde=
rs.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/05/21/daily.3/

INTERNET/BROADBAND

COMMERCE SEC GUTIERREZ: BROADBAND REGULATION TOO COSTLY
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez on Monday=20
said cable operators should be allowed to manage=20
their broadband networks free from intrusive=20
regulation. =93Broad regulations that limit the=20
ability of operators to price or manage their=20
networks could actually deter and delay=20
investment and innovation. The result would be=20
fewer choices and higher prices for consumers,=94=20
Sec Gutierrez said during his remarks at NCTA's=20
The Cable Show '08. He claimed the Bush=20
administration recognized that the private sector=20
was the source of innovation and that government=20
should not adopt regulations that can't keep=20
pace with changing technology. Crafting rules=20
designed to ensure that broadband providers=20
manage their networks in a reasonable fashion=20
were unlikely to succeed, Sec Gutierrez said.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6562579.html?nid=3D4262
* Gutierrez Supports Network Management
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6562452.html?nid=3D4262

CONTENT

SENATORS WEIGH NEW LAWS OVER CHINA ONLINE CENSORSHIP
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Anne Broache]
Senators on Tuesday pressed executives from=20
Yahoo, Google, and Cisco Systems to justify their=20
business practices in China and other=20
Internet-censoring countries, with Cisco in the=20
hot seat over new allegations of=20
cozier-than-confessed ties with the Chinese=20
police. Sen Richard Durbin (D-IL), who led the=20
morning hearing in the Senate Judiciary=20
Committee's human rights panel, said he is=20
actively considering whether to draft new=20
legislation that, similar to a pending House of=20
Representatives proposal, would place a host of=20
new restrictions on American companies doing=20
business in Internet-restricting countries. Sen=20
Durbin said he appreciates the efforts of=20
American companies to promote free expression in=20
otherwise oppressive countries but believes some=20
are falling short on those pledges. "Perhaps it's=20
time for Congress to consider converting this=20
moral obligation into a legal obligation," he=20
said. Still, the event lacked the pervasive=20
finger pointing and name calling that punctuated=20
two previous hearings about similar topics in the=20
House of Representatives during the past two years.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9948331-7.html
* Congress to like Google's censor-handling proposal? (C-Net|News.com)
http://www.news.com/8301-10787_3-9948081-60.html
* Cisco denies online censorship role in China
http://money.cnn.com/rssclick/2008/05/20/technology/cisco_china.ap/index...
m?section=3Dmoney_technology

A DISCOMFITING THREAT TO FREE SPEECH
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] The Supreme Court upheld a law on=20
Monday that sweeps too broadly in its attempt to=20
ban child pornography, which is repellent and=20
illegal. Those who traffic in it must be=20
punished, but this law is drawn in a way that=20
also criminalizes speech that should be protected=20
by the First Amendment. The dissenters are right=20
that the court should have made Congress go back=20
and pass a more carefully written law. They are=20
also right that the court=92s analysis undermines=20
protections for political speech.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/opinion/21wed2.html?ref=3Dtodayspaper
(requires registration)

MPAA ASKED TO LOOK INTO IRON MAN ADS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Are those promos for Iron Man too intense for the=20
tykes? The Motion Picture Association of America=20
is being asked to decide. The Better Business=20
Bureau referred TV ads for two Paramount films,=20
including blockbuster Iron Man, to the MPAA to=20
decide whether the films should have been=20
advertised in shows targeted toward kids under=20
12. PG-13 Iron Man features some scenes of=20
intense violence and was advertised during kids=92=20
shows, said the BBB's Children's Advertising=20
Review Unit. CARU similarly referred another=20
Paramount film, the somewhat lower-profile=20
Drillbit Taylor, to the MPAA for the same call.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6562814.html?rssid=3D193

CDT: GLOBAL INTERNET FREEDOM SHOULD BE TOP HUMAN=20
RIGHTS AND FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITY
[SOURCE: Center for Democracy and Technology, AUTHOR: ]
The Congress and Administration should make=20
global Internet freedom a top human rights and=20
foreign policy priority, CDT said today in=20
testimony submitted to the Senate Judiciary=20
Subcommittee on Human Right and the Law. The=20
government should closely monitor and report on=20
global Internet freedom and factor progress in=20
this area into criteria for development=20
assistance and conditions for trade agreements.=20
CDT also called for greater cooperation between=20
the U.S. government and the technology industry=20
to better manage human rights risks associated=20
with offering Internet services in repressive countries.
http://cdt.org/testimony/20080520harris.pdf

TELECOM

CELL PHONE USERS MAY GET BREAK ON FEES
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: John Dunbar]
The Federal Communications Commission is quietly=20
negotiating to help cell phone customers avoid=20
expensive fees when they cancel contracts with=20
wireless companies. Cell phone companies=20
routinely charge customers $175 or more for=20
quitting their service early. Under a proposal to=20
the FCC, the wireless industry would give=20
consumers the opportunity to cancel service=20
without any penalty for up to 30 days after they=20
sign a cell phone contract or until 10 days after=20
they receive their first bill. The proposal also=20
would cap such fees and reduce them month by=20
month over the course of a contract based on how=20
long customers have left, according to people=20
familiar with the offer speaking on condition of=20
anonymity because the FCC has not accepted it.=20
The plan would not abolish cancellation fees entirely.
http://baytownsun.com/wire.lasso?report=3D/dynamic/stories/C/CELL_PHONE_...
S?SITE=3DTXBAY&SECTION=3DHOME&TEMPLATE=3Dblank.html&CTIME=3D2008-05-21-03-3=
6-52

FCC CRACKS DOWN ON UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND CHEATS
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
They rigged bidding auctions for contracts to=20
sell computers to school libraries. They created=20
bogus companies and billed the government for=20
hundreds of thousands of dollars. They got school=20
administrators to buy equipment on the false=20
premise that funding for the gear had been=20
secured. They inflated the cost of the products=20
that they provided to schools. Worst of all, they=20
demonstrated that it is just a little too easy to=20
game the system. Another chapter in the Federal=20
Communications Commission's troubled Universal=20
Service Program (USF) has opened. The agency has=20
debarred or announced suspension and debarment=20
proceedings against seven people accused or=20
convicted of cheating the USF's system for=20
distributing broadband related equipment to schools.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080520-fcc-cracks-down-on-univers...
service-fund-cheats.html

VIRGIN MOBILE USA SEES TELECOM CONSOLIDATION
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Ritsuko Ando, Sinead Carew]
Virgin Mobile Chief Executive Dan Schulman said=20
on Tuesday he expects more consolidation in the=20
U.S. telecommunications industry, including deals=20
among providers who rent space on larger=20
operator's networks. Along with deals among=20
mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) he also=20
expects other operators of wireline, wireless and=20
cable networks to consolidate.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2040309120080520

QUICKLY

NEWSPAPER OWNERSHIP AND THE FCC
[SOURCE: New York Sun, AUTHOR: Harold Furchtgott-Roth]
[Commentary] Furchtgott-Roth, a former Federal=20
Communications Commission member, writes about=20
the Senates recent vote to overturn newly-adopted=20
FCC media ownership rules. "The lawmakers=20
apparently want to ensure that the federal=20
government maintains a heavy hand in determining=20
who owns a newspaper," he writes. But he argues=20
FCC ownership rules that limit who can own a=20
newspaper or broadcast outlet violate the=20
Constitution. He concludes, "When the government=20
engages in the identity politics of promoting=20
"diversity of ownership," we are all the poorer.=20
One government may find our ownership diverse,=20
the next may not. House members may want to=20
review the First Amendment before voting to=20
continue the federal government's blanket=20
authority to regulate ownership of newspapers and broadcast stations."
http://www.nysun.com/business/newspaper-ownership-and-the-fcc/76726/
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------