May 2008

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EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
FCC Asks How to Proceed on D Block Re-auction
D Block Rides Again!
Harman Bill Would Fund Public-Safety Network

JOURNALISM
New Study Calls 'Embed' Program for U.S.=20
Media in Iraq a 'Victory' -- for the Pentagon

INTERNET/BROADBAND
A surfeit of Network Neutrality legislation
McCormick Says No to Network Neutrality
Telcos Fall Behind Cable in Broadband Battle
Philly won't fight to save Wi-Fi network
Africa making progress in Internet access

DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION
National Organizations Ask FCC to Look=20
Into Upgrade Issue of Digital TVs
Librarians Tout DTV Awareness Role

LABOR
Actors don't want to lose grip on Web clips
Dick Armey Goes Ballistic Over Broadcasters

QUICKLY -- Local Radio Market Failure in=20
Sacramento; Pop and country unite to fight=20
wireless proposal; First Spouse: Comparing Coverage of Bill, Michelle and C=
indy

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

FCC ASKS HOW TO PROCEED ON D BLOCK RE-AUCTION
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission is seeking=20
public comment on how the Commission should=20
proceed with the re-auction and licensing of the=20
700 MHz D Block spectrum while maximizing the=20
public safety and commercial benefits of a=20
nationwide, interoperable broadband network. In a=20
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) the=20
Commission asks for comment, ideas, and=20
recommendations on how to revise the rules for=20
the D Block. First, the NPRM asks whether it=20
remains in the public interest, following the 700=20
MHz Auction, to retain a Public/Private=20
Partnership between the D Block licensee and the=20
Public Safety Broadband Licensee. The NPRM also=20
seeks comment on various potential modifications=20
to the current rules governing the Public/Private=20
Partnership. For instance, the FCC asks whether=20
only entities that provide public safety=20
services, as defined in the Communications Act,=20
are eligible to use the public safety spectrum=20
portion of the shared network established by the=20
Partnership. Comments are also sought on the=20
technical requirements of the shared wireless=20
broadband network. In this regard, the NPRM=20
includes information on a possible technical=20
framework that identifies in greater detail=20
parameters for the shared wireless broadband=20
network. The NPRM also seeks comment on how the D=20
Block should be auctioned and licensed for=20
commercial use if it were not required to be part=20
of a Public/Private Partnership. The FCC=20
requests input on other ways to facilitate the=20
deployment of a public safety broadband network=20
if it found such a partnership were no longer in=20
the public interest. The FCC notes that, if the=20
D Block no longer contained the Public/Private=20
Partnership condition, additional actions by=20
Congress may be necessary to support the cost and=20
build-out of a nationwide, interoperable=20
broadband network for America's first responders.=20
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said he still supports=20
the concept of a public/private partnerships, but=20
he was pleased that the notice "turns a critical=20
eye on the specific parameters of the=20
partnership, and ways to ensure the commercial=20
viability of this endeavor by providing greater=20
certainty to all parties involved." The FCC needs=20
to deal with the public-safety spectrum issue=20
"thoughtfully and quickly," Chairman Martin=20
added. Commissioner Michael Copps raised concerns=20
there are "daunting technical issues" that need=20
to be addressed with the public-safety network,=20
but the FCC hasn't appointed a technical advisory=20
council to help with that task. The best solution=20
for public safety agencies would be a network=20
funded by the Congress, but the cost takes that=20
option off the table, added Commissioner Copps.=20
"In the seven years since 9/11, three years since=20
Hurricane Katrina, and one year since we began=20
the most recent auction of the 700MHz spectrum=20
band, we have learned two hard and disappointing=20
lessons," Commissioner Copps said. "First, that=20
America desperately needs to improve the=20
communications tools available to its heroic=20
first responders. And, second, that achieving=20
this task is not going to be easy."
* Press Release
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-282151A1.doc
* NPRM
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-08-128A1.doc
See http://benton.org/node/11018

D BLOCK RIDES AGAIN
[SOURCE: Tales from the Sausage Factory, AUTHOR: Harold Feld]
[Commentary] Feld believes the Federal=20
Communications Commission is united around the=20
following principles: 1) We all want to see a=20
working public/private partnership that gets the=20
network built and serves the interests of public=20
safety. 2) None of us really knows how to make=20
this happen. We hope someone out there who writes=20
real fast knows how and can tell us what to do=20
preferably by next month. 3) One thing we do=20
know, no more of this =93we'll make up the specs=20
and network requirements as we go along=94 crap.=20
Before this goes to auction, we will make damn=20
sure we get the business arrangements of the D=20
Block partnership nailed down. 4) Did we mention=20
we're hoping someone out there has some bright=20
ideas? And, wow, a NPRM released the same day it=20
was adopted -- will the sky fall?
http://www.wetmachine.com//item/1186http://www.wetmachine.com//item/1186

HARMAN BILL WOULD FUND PUBLIC SAFETY NETWORK
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Rep Jane Harman (D-CA) introduced a bill that=20
would fund administrative costs of a national=20
interoperable public-safety network for first=20
responders. Rep Harman said her bill was the=20
"best chance" to solve the interoperability=20
problem. It would authorize Congress to fund the=20
administration and management of the=20
public-safety network, rather than making first=20
responders come up with the money to manage it.=20
Rep Harmon's bill would authorize a "modest" $4 million to help cover expen=
ses.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6561015.html?rssid=3D193

JOURNALISM

NEW STUDY CALLS 'EMBED' PROGRAM FOR US MEDIA IN=20
IRAQ A 'VICTORY' -- FOR THE PENTAGON
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Greg Mitchell]
Debate over the "embedded journalist" program run=20
by the Pentagon since the weeks before the Iraq=20
invasion in 2003 has long raged, with some=20
claiming that it gave reporters valuable close=20
access to action while others saying that the=20
journalists were severely compromised within it.=20
Now sociologist Andrew M. Lindner, writing in the=20
spring issue of the American Sociological=20
Association's "Context" magazine describes what=20
is billed as the only sociological study to date=20
of the substantive content of media coverage=20
during the first six weeks of the Iraq war.=20
Lindner found that journalists embedded with=20
American troops emphasized military successes=20
more often than they covered consequences for=20
Iraqi citizens. "The embedded program proved to=20
be a Pentagon victory because it kept reporters=20
focused on the horrors facing the troops, not the=20
horrors of the civilian war experience," wrote=20
Lindner, who is completing his doctoral=20
dissertation at Penn State University. "The end=20
result: a communications victory for an=20
administration that hoped to build support for=20
the war by depicting it as a successful mission=20
with limited cost." Lindner's conclusions are the=20
result of a content analysis of 742 news articles=20
written by 156 English-language print reporters=20
in Iraq during the first six weeks of the war.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
t_id=3D1003803787

INTERNET/BROADBAND

A SURFEIT OF NETWORK-NEUTRALITY LEGISLATION
[SOURCE: ComputerWorld, AUTHOR: Scott Bradner]
[Commentary] Largely due to the continued dumb=20
statements and actions of a few apparently=20
PR-challenged carriers, the Network Neutrality=20
issue is alive and well in the U.S. Since any=20
issue like this seems to create a legislative=20
void that must be filled, we now have at least=20
two Network Neutrality-related bills for Congress=20
to consider. If one liked legislation-based=20
solutions, merging these bills and tossing out a=20
bit of Federal Communications Commission=20
make-work would not be too bad, but there would=20
still be some questions left unanswered.
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=3DviewArticleBasi...
rticleId=3D9085519&source=3Drss_news50

MCCORMICK SAYS NO TO NETWORK NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Speaking to Washington, D.C.-based First=20
Amendment think tank The Media Institute for the=20
first time, Walter McCormick, president of=20
USTelecom, essentially made an argument against=20
Network Neutrality regulation but without=20
invoking the phrase. And once he did, he likened=20
it to the Federal Communications Commission's=20
Fairness Doctrine for broadcasters, which the=20
commission jettisoned in the 1980s. McCormick=20
said speech was the "killer app" of the broadband=20
revolution, but it would be threatened by over-regulation.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6561051.html?rssid=3D193

TELCOS FALL BEHIND CABLE IN BROADBAND BATTLE
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Carol Wilson]
Two separate sources this week are offering up=20
more analysis showing the telcos are falling=20
behind the cable companies in the broadband and=20
video battle. Information Gatekeepers, an analyst=20
firm that once predicted the telcos would=20
overtake cable in broadband penetration, this=20
week issued its High-Speed Access Report for the=20
first quarter of 2008, showing cable is=20
outperforming its forecast and the telcos are=20
under-performing what IGI had forecast in 2006.=20
The latest report is in keeping with what IGI=20
began saying in 2007, when it warned that both=20
AT&T and Verizon were falling behind in=20
implementing high-speed access plans, and thus=20
their data revenues would not make up for lost=20
wireline access income. Also this week, Craig=20
Moffett, vice president and senior analyst at=20
Sanford C. Bernstein & Co., noted that Dish=20
Networks added a net total of 35,000 customers in=20
the first quarter, a decline of 89% from the=20
first quarter of last year. That can't be good=20
news for AT&T, which sells Dish as part of its=20
=93advanced=94 TV service in areas where its U-verse=20
IPTV offering is unavailable. Beginning in the=20
second quarter, Dish will be AT&T=92s only=20
satellite video partner, as the former BellSouth=20
territory moves away from that company=92s previous=20
deal with DirecTV and onto Dish.
http://telephonyonline.com/broadband/news/disturbing-numbers-telcos-0513/

PHILLY WON'T FIGHT TO SAVE WI-FI NETWORK
[SOURCE: InfoWorld, AUTHOR: Stephen Lawson]
The city of Philadelphia is moving on after its=20
brief municipal Wi-Fi relationship with=20
EarthLink, no longer trying to find a way to keep=20
the network up and running. The city government=20
isn't talking to EarthLink or doing anything else=20
to save the network, a spokesman for Mayor=20
Michael Nutter said Wednesday. This was in=20
contrast to a statement on Tuesday by Wireless=20
Philadelphia, a group that provides low-cost=20
access to the network for disadvantaged=20
residents, that said the group and the city were=20
together trying to find ways to preserve the=20
network. "Our goal at this point ... is to=20
facilitate an orderly termination of the=20
relationship and to protect the city's interests=20
in the process," spokesman Douglas Oliver said.=20
"We don't know what tomorrow holds. We don't know=20
what other opportunities could potentially=20
exist," Oliver added, but he said the city isn't=20
involved in any discussions about saving the=20
network. To start with, the city will focus on a=20
Complaint for Declaratory Judgment that EarthLink=20
filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court, Oliver=20
said. EarthLink said it wants the court to affirm=20
its rights to take down the network and to a $1=20
million limit on its liability.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/14/Philly-wont-fight-to-save-Wi-F...
etwork_1.html

AFRICA MAKING PROGRESS IN INTERNET ACCESS
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Niclas Mika]
Improving Internet access in Africa is a fight on=20
several fronts -- building undersea cables,=20
setting up regional exchanges and bridging the=20
last mile to homes and businesses -- but the=20
continent is making progress. For example,=20
Africa's mobile industry is booming --=20
subscribers grew by 33 percent over the past year=20
-- and carriers say they will invest $50 billion=20
over five years to boost cellphone coverage. But=20
more than 300 million people in rural parts of=20
Africa are not yet covered by any mobile phone=20
network, let alone one that would support=20
Internet access, and the continent has only 35=20
million fixed telephone lines for almost a billion people.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSL1477680420080514
* Africans change the face of mobility (InfoWorld)
http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/14/Africans-change-the-face-of-mo...
ity_1.html

DIGITAL TELEVISION TRANSITION

NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS ASK FCC TO LOOK INTO UPGRADE ISSUE OF DIGITAL TVs
[SOURCE: Telecommunications Research and Action=20
Center (TRAC), AUTHOR: Press release]
The American Association of People with=20
Disabilities, Consumer Federation of America,=20
National Hispanic Media Coalition, New America=20
Foundation, Telecommunications Research and=20
Action Center, and World Institute on Disability=20
urged the Federal Communications Commission to=20
investigate whether the lack of an automatic=20
upgrade capability in digital televisions (DTVs)=20
is hurting consumers, particularly those with=20
disabilities. In a letter to the FCC, the groups=20
stated that the lack of such a capability could=20
leave consumers with obsolete DTVs shortly after=20
they are purchased due to software problems with=20
the DTVs themselves, changes to V-Chip and=20
emergency alerting regulations, and enhancements=20
to accessibility technologies like captioning and=20
video description. They noted recently announced=20
software problems with V-Chips in televisions and=20
reception tuners in digital converter boxes the=20
government is subsidizing. Furthermore, the=20
organizations believe that this issue could=20
potentially be solved with a simple, inexpensive=20
automatic software upgrade that allows=20
manufacturers to correct software errors quickly=20
and easily with little to no burden on the=20
consumer. Automatic update capability could also=20
assist people with disabilities by enabling rapid=20
dissemination of new innovations and enhancements=20
to existing technologies for captioning, video=20
description, and alerting. Instead of waiting=20
for a new base of DTVs with enhanced=20
accessibility options to disseminate across the=20
market, an automatic update capability could=20
allow for such technology to be distributed much faster.
http://www.trac.org/newsroom/releases/archives/2007/national-organizatio...
ask-fcc.html
* Read the letter
http://www.trac.org/on-trac-for-2009/articles/letter-to-the-fcc.html

LIBRARIANS TOUT DTV AWARENESS ROLE
[SOURCE: Tech Daily Dose, AUTHOR: ]
About 400 librarians from around the country have=20
descended on Washington this week for their=20
annual lobbying blitz. But before they began=20
Wednesday meetings in the House and Senate,=20
American Library Association President Loriene=20
Roy hosted a press conference to discuss her=20
group's joint effort with the Association of=20
Public Television Stations and PBS to help=20
educate citizens about the rapidly approaching=20
digital TV transition deadline. While awareness=20
of the Feb. 17, 2009 analog shutoff date is=20
growing, research also shows that many people are=20
confused about what they can do to navigate the=20
transition, the ALA said. As trusted community=20
resources, libraries and public TV stations are=20
uniquely positioned to help get people the information they need.
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2008/05/librarians_tout_dtv_awa...
ess.php

LABOR

ACTORS DON'T WANT TO LOSE GRIP ON WEB CLIPS
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Richard Verrier]
Few things are more precious to actors than=20
control over their images. A stark reminder of=20
that came last week when the studios suspended=20
contract talks with the Screen Actors Guild after=20
three weeks of negotiations. A cause for the=20
logjam: Actors balked at a studio proposal that=20
would allow the studios to sell or license=20
excerpts of TV shows and movies for use on the=20
Internet, cellphones and other new-media devices=20
-- without the actors' consent. "As an actor you=20
want to control how your image is used and how=20
studios get to exploit it," SAG President Alan=20
Rosenberg said. "We can't erase 50 years of=20
protections that we've had for our members."=20
Studios counter that the decades-old consent=20
requirement -- which gives actors a say over=20
whether their images can be reused in a clip on=20
another television show or film -- would tie=20
their hands as they seek new ways to exploit=20
their vast libraries on the Web and tap into a=20
growing appetite among younger consumers for short-form entertainment.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-clips15-2008may15,0,4...
7.story
(requires registration)

DICK ARMEY GOES BALLISTIC OVER BROADCASTERS
[SOURCE: Tech Daily Dose, AUTHOR: Andrew Noyes]
Former Majority Leader Dick Armey came out=20
swinging on Wednesday, offering the National=20
Association of Broadcasters a good old-fashioned=20
Texas butt-kicking over their opposition to a=20
bill that he believes would put AM and FM radio=20
on a level playing field with other music=20
distribution platforms that pay royalties to=20
artists and copyright holders. At a briefing=20
organized by the MusicFirst coalition, Armey (now=20
employed by DLA Piper) said twin bills offered in=20
the House and Senate would eradicate broadcast=20
radio's longstanding exemption from paying=20
performance royalties. He called the NAB's=20
resistance to the bill "a sad testimony to their=20
lack of professionalism and commitment to the arts and creativity."
http://techdailydose.nationaljournal.com/2008/05/dick_armey_goes_ballist...
over.php

QUICKLY

LOCAL RADIO MARKET FAILURE IN SACRAMENTO
[SOURCE: Sacramento Bee, AUTHOR: Sue Wilson]
There's a mournful hush in Sacramento these days,=20
the empty sound of an entire political viewpoint=20
quieted. More than 32,000 weekly listeners who=20
once tuned to KSAC (1240 AM) to hear partisan=20
Democrats beat up on President George W. Bush,=20
now hear only Christian hip-hop. There's nothing=20
wrong with Christian hip-hop; it's a great outlet=20
for artists breaking out of the gansta rap mold.=20
But there are six other commercial radio stations=20
licensed in the Sacramento area programming the=20
Christian message. In the political realm, three=20
local radio stations program 264 hours of=20
partisan Republican radio talkers beating up on=20
Democrats every week. Now, zero stations program=20
any Democratic view whatsoever: 264-0. This=20
follows the national trend revealed in the 2007=20
Free Press and Center for American Progress=20
study, "The Structural Imbalance of Political=20
Talk Radio." Nationally, 90 percent of commercial=20
talk radio is conservative; only 10 percent is=20
liberal. Broadcasters make a deal when they=20
obtain =96 for free =96 a license to broadcast in a=20
community. In exchange for the opportunity to=20
make millions of dollars, the broadcasters must=20
serve the public interest =96 the public interest=20
of all of the people, not just a targeted slice=20
of audience most likely to buy their product. It=20
should not be solely about corporations willing=20
to shell out millions to market their message and=20
to keep business-friendly politicians in office.
http://www.sacbee.com/110/story/927485.htmlhttp://www.sacbee.com/110/stor=
y/927485.html

POP AND COUNTRY UNITES TO FIGHT WIRELESS PROPOSAL
[SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter, AUTHOR: Brooks Boliek]
The Grand Ole Opry and MTV may be at opposite=20
ends of the music spectrum, but they are part of=20
a coalition urging federal regulators to stand up=20
to a frequency grab by Microsoft and Google that=20
could render wireless microphones useless. In=20
papers filed Tuesday at the Federal=20
Communications Commission, a coalition that=20
includes the Opry, Country Music Television, the=20
Country Music Assn. and MTV Networks contends=20
that allowing millions of wireless devices to use=20
the same frequencies as wireless microphones would be a "catastrophe."
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN1344353520080514

FIRST SPOUSE: COMPARING COVERAGE OF BILL, MICHELLE AND CINDY
[SOURCE: Project for Excellence in Journalism, AUTHOR: Mark Jurkowitz]
Since January 1, the husband of candidate Hillary=20
Clinton (D-NY) appeared as a lead newsmaker in=20
nearly four times as many stories (298) as the=20
spouses of Sen Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen John=20
McCain (R-AZ) combined (78). (Significant=20
newsmaker means that at least 25 percent of the story is about that figure.)
http://www.journalism.org/node/11063
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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.
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