Dec 10, 2008 (Abuse of Power)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10, 2008
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THE CHAIRMAN
Congress Blasts FCC Management Under Chairman Martin
FCC Investigation Continues
The FCC and the KGB -- No Longer A Laughing Matter
Person of the Year: Kevin Martin
THE GOVERNOR
Illinois Governor Blagojevich shook down the Chicago Tribune
Complaint points to clash over Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett
Illinois' top lawmakers to strip Gov of senate pick power
'Chicago Tribune' Delayed Governor Wiretap Stories at Fed's Request
Tribune Co.: No Misbehavior By OUR People In Scandal
THE TRIB & JOURNALISM
The Tribune's bankruptcy may signal a trend toward a new kind of newspaper journalism
Tribune arranges unique bankruptcy financing deal
The Newspaper Bubble, Too, Has Burst
Rivals seek to harness digital advertising
THE TRANSITION
Obama's single most important reform
Broadband, Energy and the Environment
CDT Releases Transition Papers
Obama's Road To White House Was Paved With Emails
Hollywood's Anti-Piracy Priorities For Obama
BROADCASTING/CABLE
Analog TV shutoff extension falters in Congress as digital TV transition looms
NTIA: Only 43% Of Over-The-Air Households In Hawaii Applied For DTV Coupons
Is Hispanic Media Ownership Relevant?
Comcast customers call to ask for relief
Time Warner Cable: Retrans Rules Should Change
A Show Meant to Cure the Ills of Network TV
Buyer: NBC's Leno Strategy Reflects Broadcast Erosion
FCC: White House Seeks Local TV Feeds For Situation Room
QUICKLY -- What the Search Engines Have Found Out About All of Us; AeA and ITAA to merge
THE CHAIRMAN
CONGRESS BLASTS FCC MANAGEMENT UNDER CHAIRMAN MARTIN
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Kim Dixon]
Members of the House Commerce Committee blasted Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin for his opaque and unpredictable management. An investigation into the FCC and Martin's leadership came partly in response to complaints about the agency from the public and from communications industry professionals. A report released Tuesday cites several instances where Martin "manipulated, withheld or suppressed data, reports and information," particularly in his attempts for tougher cable regulation, an issue Martin has pursued with vigor. Many FCC watchers agreed the agency has been inconsistent under Martin, but most said opaqueness at the agency precedes him and has been exacerbated by what the report called his "non-collegial" style. "While there are some troubling allegations in the report, most of what it describes resembles the way the FCC has been run for a very long time," said Andrew Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project. With a new Congress and administration coming in January, "it's an appropriate time to make the FCC more transparent." Martin spokesman Robert Kenny noted the panel did not find any legal or procedural violations, and mocked one of the findings: that the FCC overpaid for services for the deaf.
http://benton.org/node/19696
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FCC INVESTIGATION CONTINUES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
House Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chairman Bart Stupak (D-MI) said he will continue investigating the Federal Communications Commission, saying that there are still allegations that have not been fully investigated or resolved. He said that is because the FCC has still not released all the information the committee is looking for, as well as due to allegations only recently lodged, and the unwillingness of some folks to come forward while Martin remains chairman.
http://benton.org/node/19695
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THE FCC AND THE KGB -- NO LONGER A LAUGHING MATTER
[SOURCE: PublicKnowledge, AUTHOR: Art Brodsky]
[Commentary] Over the past couple of years, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin got a lot of mileage out of making jokes about his "KGB-style management" at the Commission. Nobody's laughing today. The House Commerce Committee report sets out in excruciating detail, supported in some cases by email from FCC staff, how Martin withheld information or ignored information that could have changed the outcome of some proceedings, how he intervened in proceedings and how he created a culture of paranoia around the Commission so that staffers weren't willing to risk disagreeing with the Chairman's conclusions on issues for fear of being demoted. At the Commission, this is called being "Martinized," the report said. As damaging as are the accounts of the individual cases, however, are the reports of staff intimidation and of the creation of the "climate of fear" in the agency. FCC staff were directed not to talk to other staff, or to workers at other government agencies. Staff were told to stop work on anything but not officially approved projects that have been assigned. "Projects that were authorized in the past are not necessarily considered to be authorized at this time," one email read. Everything has to be decided by the chairman's office, from important regulatory issues to the hiring of student interns, the report found. The result was a demoralized, ineffective agency.
http://benton.org/node/19694
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PERSON OF THE YEAR: KEVIN MARTIN
[SOURCE: RCR Wireless News, AUTHOR: Jeffrey Silva]
At one time or another, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin has managed to enrage, gratify and confound various factions of the wireless industry. And he's not done yet, having at least a month left to continue stirring it up before giving way to an Obama-appointed successor. The list is as long as it is controversial: open access, public safety, white spaces, major mobile phone and WiMAX merger approvals (and conditions), advanced wireless services-3, enhanced 911 location accuracy, roaming, backup power, universal service/intercarrier compensation reform and more. The results of Martin's wireless agenda have been mixed. The biggest constant has been controversy. Martin doesn't seem to shy away from it. He has plenty of detractors in the wireless industry and other telecom/media sectors (broadcasters ranted endlessly about the dangers of white spaces and Martin's stormy dealings with the cable industry are already legend), but there is little doubt about his disruptive impact on the wireless space. Indeed, policies that have reconfigured the wireless landscape will comprise a big chunk of Martin's legacy.
http://benton.org/node/19693
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THE GOVERNOR
ILLINOIS GOVERNOR BLAGOJEVICH SHOOK DOWN THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
[SOURCE: Chicago Sun Times, AUTHOR: ]
Among the federal charges against Gov Rod Blagojevich (D-IL) is that he threatened to withhold substantial state assistance to the Tribune Company in connection with the sale of Wrigley Field to pressure the Chicago Tribune into firing editorial board members sharply critical of him. Intercepted phone calls show that the Tribune Company, which owns the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Cubs, explored the possibility of obtaining assistance from the Illinois Finance Authority as part of the Tribune Company's efforts to sell the Cubs and the finance or sell Wrigley Field. In a Nov. 6 phone call, Blagojevich chief of staff John Harris explained to Blagojevich that the deal the Tribune Company was trying to get through the IFA was basically a tax mitigation scheme in which the IFA would own title to Wrigley Field and the Tribune would not have to pay capital gains tax, which Harris estimated would save the company approximately $100 million. Intercepted calls allegedly show that Blagojevich directed Harris to inform the Tribune and an associate, identified as Tribune Financial Advisor, that state financial assistance would be withheld unless members of the Chicago Tribune's editorial board were fired, primarily because Blagojevich viewed them as driving discussion of his possible impeachment.
http://benton.org/node/19692
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COMPLAINT POINTS TO CLASH OVER OBAMA ADVISOR VALERIE JARRETT
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Alexander Bolton]
President-elect Obama and Illinois Gov Rod Blagojevich clashed over whether to appoint Valerie Jarrett, a senior Obama adviser, to replace him in the Senate. Gov Blagojevich in a conversation intercepted by federal agents calls Obama a "motherf----r" and dismisses Obama's unwillingness to strike a deal: "F—k him." The complaint refers several times to Blagojevich's effort to win concessions from Obama in exchange for appointing "Senate Candidate 1," who is described as "an adviser to the President-elect" to Obama's vacant seat. The complaint states that Blagojevich and his top aide discussed trading the Senate seat for a lucrative private sector job arranged by Obama, such as the head of a foundation dependent on the government. Blagojevich also discussed the possibility of trading the seat for the position of secretary of Health and Human Services in Obama's Cabinet. Blagojevich and Harris also discussed the possibility of Obama pulling strings on his behalf to land him a position with the Service Employees International Union's Change to Win coalition. Obama's unwillingness to trade favors enraged Blagojevich. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/19691
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ILLINOIS' TOP LAWMAKERS TO STRIP GOV OF SENATE PICK POWER
[SOURCE: Crain's Chicago Business, AUTHOR: Greg Hinz]
Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan (D) and Senate President Emil Jones (D) said they will call a special legislative session next week to repeal the state law that now gives the governor the power to fill the state's open US Senate seat. Both said they will press instead for a special election to fill the remaining two years of former-Sen Obama's term. Though a special election technically would leave the decision in the hands of voters, it also would help well-known, well-funded potential contenders because of the difficulty of mounting a state-wide election on short notice. That could work to the advantage of several area members of Congress who have expressed interest in the seat. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/19690
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'CHICAGO TRIBUNE' DELAYED GOVERNOR WIRETAP STORIES AT FED'S REQUEST
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Mike Fitzgerald]
US Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who ordered the arrest of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich Tuesday morning, said at his office's request the Chicago Tribune agreed to delay publication of a story that the FBI was taping the governor. According to Fitzgerald, Tribune approached federal authorities to comment on the story. "I knew if that story was published, those bugs could not be planted," he said. He asked the paper to delay publication, saying the delay would be in the "public interest." "This was an extraordinary request for us to make, and the Tribune was very gracious," Fitzgerald added. Fitzgerald noted that when the Tribune last week published the story that the governor was being taped by federal authorities, Blagojevich was intercepted telling an aide to "undo" a plan to solicit a bribe in connection with filling the Senate vacancy.
http://benton.org/node/19689
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TRIBUNE CO: NO MISBEHAVIOR BY OUR PEOPLE IN SCANDAL
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: ]
Tribune Co. said Tuesday no one associated with it did anything wrong during the time Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich was allegedly attempting to pressure the company to fire Chicago Tribune editorial board members. "No one working for the company or on its behalf has ever attempted to influence staffing decisions at the Chicago Tribune or any aspect of the newspaper's editorial coverage as a result of conversations with officials in the governor's administration," a company statement said.
http://benton.org/node/19688
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THE TRIB & JOURNALISM
THE TRIBUNE COMPANY'S BANKRUPTCY MAY SIGNAL A TREND TOWARD A NEW KIND OF JOURNALISM
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Mark Trumbull]
The Tribune Co.'s move into bankruptcy this week is the most prominent signal but just one of many that a tumultuous revolution in the news industry is accelerating. It's a predicament similar to that of the US auto industry. A long reliable business model is under threat. For newspapers, it's because consumers are migrating increasingly to the free content zone called the Internet, while traditional revenue from ads and other sources is sagging. Then come some unexpectedly sharp economic forces that have also hit car manufacturers: a recession, a credit crunch, and rising costs for raw materials. One difference, ironically, is that the media troubles are getting a lot less media attention than Detroit's bailout bid. But they are every bit as real. Media companies see the Internet as an opportunity, not just a threat. It has opened the door to new formats and a more interactive role for news consumers, and to more rapid updating of breaking news. But online, the business partnership of advertisements and news content hangs in doubt. "It's not really clear ... what the new equilibrium will be," in terms of revenue to support the labor-intensive process of news gathering, says Lee Rainie, who heads the Pew Internet and American Life Project.
http://benton.org/node/19687
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TRIBUNE ARRANGES UNIQUE BANKRUPTCY FINANCING DEAL
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Emily Chasan]
Media group Tribune Co has arranged an untraditional financing deal with Barclays Capital, involving about $350 million in debt agreements, to fund operations during its reorganization. Unlike a typical debtor-in-possession bankruptcy loan, the company is seeking court approval of a $50 million letter of credit from Barclays. Tribune also wants approval to continue using a $300 million trade receivables facility it entered into with Barclays in July. The company has an outstanding balance of $225 million on the facility, which was amended for the bankruptcy, and Tribune is seeking to guarantee that obligation. Under the trade receivables facility, Barclays does not loan directly to the bankrupt parent company, but to a borrower known as Tribune Receivables LLC, which receives about 80 percent of the company's incoming cash receipts and was not placed into bankruptcy.
http://benton.org/node/19686
What does this mean?
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THE NEWSPAPER BUBBLE, TOO, HAS BURST
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Richard Perez-Pena]
The bankruptcy filing of the Tribune Company on Monday is just the latest, largest evidence that the American newspaper industry is suffering the hangover from an immense buying spree in 2006 and 2007 at what turned out to be the worst possible time for the buyers, just as the business was about to enter a drastic decline. Newspapers would be in trouble either way. The steady leak of advertising and readers from print to the Web has become a widening torrent in this recession year. Most newspapers remain profitable, but the margins are dropping fast, with the industry losing about 15 percent of its ad revenue this year. But the companies in the weakest condition are there largely because they borrowed a lot of money to buy papers, often at inflated prices, and the biggest of those deals were struck in 2006 and early 2007. Tribune's was the biggest of those deals, $8.2 billion to take private the company whose assets include The Los Angeles Times, The Chicago Tribune and 23 television stations, a transaction that almost tripled the company's debt. Most newspapers still have earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization that are equal to 10 to 20 percent of their revenue. That is down from 20 to 30 percent in the middle of this decade, but tolerable — if not for the burden of making debt payments. Some newspaper companies would like to merge with others in the same region, but have been barred from doing so by media ownership regulations.
http://benton.org/node/19704
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RIVALS SEEK TO HARNESS DIGITAL ADVERTISING
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Kenneth Li]
To save itself from an uncertain fate, the US newspaper industry has formed two consortiums with overlapping membership to boost digital revenue, recalling an ill-fated effort more than 10 years ago. Launched at the end of the last millennium, the New Century Network was considered cutting edge for its time - a massive publishing consortium of nine top US newspapers contributing their editorial firepower to an Internet portal that aimed to take down the likes of Yahoo and Microsoft. Internal disagreements and a feeling among members that they could do better on their own ended the project in 1998, three years after its glitzy debut. More than 10 years later, top papers are collaborating again in an attempt to increase revenues from the Internet. What has changed, though, is a greater desperation and thus greater willingness to cede control.
http://benton.org/node/19703
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THE TRANSITION
OBAMA'S SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT REFORM
[SOURCE: Salon, AUTHOR: Michael Lind]
[Commentary] Since the 1960s, public and private investment in energy efficiency, infrastructure, schools and the information highway have been underfunded, and absent structural reforms of the way Congress does the nation's business these priorities probably will continue to be underfunded. Devoting short-term stimulus spending to infrastructure and other needs will not address the chronic problem of underfunding. Here the states can show the federal government the way. In order to achieve the economic goals the president-elect has announced, the new administration and Congress should act rapidly to create a national infrastructure bank. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/19685
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BROADBAND, ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
[SOURCE: Benton Foundation, AUTHOR: Jonathan Rintels]
By implementing a National Broadband Strategy that includes initiatives to help Americans utilize broadband to reduce energy consumption and carbon dioxide gas emissions, the new Administration can quickly and meaningfully address the threats that energy insecurity and environmental degradation pose to our nation. Taking strong executive action to deploy universal, affordable, and robust broadband; promote telework; and modernize our existing nationwide electricity system with innovative "Smart Grid" technology could rapidly reap substantial benefits. [more at the URL below]
http://www.benton.org/initiatives/broadband_benefits/action_plan/energy_...
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CDT RELEASES TRANSITION PAPERS
[SOURCE: Center for Democracy and Technology, AUTHOR: Press release
The Center for Democracy and Technology released a series of papers that outline Internet policy proposals for President-elect Obama's Transition Team in the areas of security and civil liberties; preserving free speech on the Internet; keeping the Internet an open platform; protection of consumer privacy; and promoting open government. The 2-3 page memos provide a concise overview of the issues and recommend practical, achievable actions the new administration can take to keep the Internet open, innovative and free. The Internet played an integral part in this election, making it the most participatory in history. CDT believes the Internet can play an equally critical role in other areas, including health care, economic development and education, given the right government policies.
http://benton.org/node/19683
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OBAMA'S ROAD TO WHITE HOUSE WAS PAVED WITH EMAILS
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: David Goetzl]
What will become of candidate Barack Obama's massive email list which helped him raise $500 million and win a four year trip to the White House? It is likely to be used as a base to launch a stand-alone, online advocacy community in the vein of MoveOn.org. The operation could come under the aegis of the Democratic National Committee and serve as a marketing vehicle for Obama and fellow Democrats for years to come. Efforts to build contact lists in all 50 states began months before the Iowa caucuses. Field teams used various tactics, including collecting addresses at events, via online advertising and by offering incentives such as a free bumper sticker in exchange for contact information. Often, after collecting addresses, follow-up emails steered people to MyBarackObama.com, where they could find information on how to host events themselves. On Election Day, the campaign used its massive list for a get-out-the-vote effort. Emails provided people with the names of five others who supported Obama and asked them to call each one to ensure they were going to the polls, and offer a ride if need be.
http://benton.org/node/19682
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HOLLYWOOD'S ANTI-PIRACY PRIORITIES FOR OBAMA
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Andrew Noyes]
Increasing efforts to fight illegal movie theater videotaping as well as Internet and optical disc piracy are key points in a one-pager submitted to President-elect Barack Obama's transition team this week by the Motion Picture Association of America. The trade group, which represents major movie studios, offered the document as part of Change.gov's "Your Seat at the Table" feature, under which proceedings of meetings and documents shared between Obama's aides and outside groups are made available for public comment.
http://benton.org/node/19681
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BROADCASTING/CABLE
ANALOG TV SHUTOFF EXTENSION FALTERS IN CONGRESS AS DIGITAL TV TRANSITION LOOMS
[SOURCE: Chicago Examiner, AUTHOR: Ken Judah Freed]
[Commentary] The Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness (SAFER) Act, a bill to require the Federal Communications Commission to provide for a short-term partial extension of the analog television broadcasting authority, has moved through the Senate, but sits in the House without action. Given that Congress is focused right now on the national financial crisis and the likely bailout of the U.S. auto industry, the House is not likely to act on SAFER before it adjourns this month. Consequently, SAFER will have to be re-introduced in the Senate and House when the new Congress convenes in January. If the sponsors are willing to shepherd the bill though both chambers, legislation could be ready for President Obama's signature when he takes office on January 20, 2009. However, if Congress is distracted by more pressing matters, SAFER may not be get passed and signed before the analog shutoff. If that turns out to be the case, bye-bye analog TV on February 17. For broadcasters, do not count on SAFER. Tell viewers to make the transition to digital right now, if they haven't already, so they are not staring at static on a blank screen in February.
http://benton.org/node/19701
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NTIA: ONLY 43% OF OVER-THE-AIR HOUSEHOLDS IN HAWAII APPLIED FOR DTV COUPONS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
According to the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, only about 43% of over-the-air households in Hawaii have applied for DTV-to-analog converter box coupons. That comes with only about a month until the state switches to DTV at noon on Jan. 15, more than a month earlier than most of the rest of the country. According to NTIA, through Dec. 7, 9,990 applications had been approved from households self certifying that they were analog-only. That is out of a total of 23,290 over-the-air only households, according to Nielsen. And those are only the coupons that have been applied for. NTIA does not have information on how many of those have been redeemed and the converter boxes bought and tested. [more at the URL below]
http://benton.org/node/19680
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IS HISPANIC MEDIA OWNERSHIP RELEVANT?
[SOURCE: HispanicBusiness.com, AUTHOR: Richard Kaplan]
Media ownership was perhaps the most elusive goal for all minority groups in the 20th century. Amador Bustos, a leading player in the arena of popular Hispanic radio, said Hispanic ownership helps open doors when trying to successfully reach an audience. "It is important to have Latinos in the broadcasting game because the Hispanic owners will undoubtedly have a greater sensibility to the idiosyncrasies of the various Spanish-speaking groups," said Mr. Bustos, whose company has 60 employees and reported $12.9 million in 2007 revenue. "On the programming front, their understanding of the language, culture, and regional politics will contribute to shape the breadth and depth of the news and information coverage. On the employment front, historically Latino owners have been more prone to hire and promote other Latinos." Hispanic entrepreneurs, Mr. Bustos recalls, were once at the forefront of Spanish-language media. It was their commitment to the community, as well as their capital and cultural knowledge, that drove development. Now the dwindling number of Hispanic-owned companies forced a seismic shift in the landscape and has allowed entrepreneurs who remained in the market to use Hispanic ownership to their advantage.
http://benton.org/node/19702
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COMCAST CUSTOMERS CALL TO ASK FOR RELIEF
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: ]
Comcast said that it continues to see the effects of the slowing economy on business -- especially in advertising and add-on services such as pay-per-view -- and customers are calling to ask for relief from their monthly cable bills. But the nation's largest cable operator believes it's well-positioned to appeal to cost-conscious customers with a slew of lower-priced plans.
http://benton.org/node/19679
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TIME WARNER CABLE: RETRANS RULES SHOULD CHANGE
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Mike Farrell]
Time Warner Cable CEO Glenn Britt said that current retransmission consent regulations may have to change in the wake of the changing business landscape. Britt said that television stations are under more pressure now that network affiliate fees have all but dried up and the local advertising market has deteriorated. He added that the overall structure of station groups have changed over the years, putting additional pressure on the companies. "The station groups are in really, really bad shape; they're drowning, quite honestly," Britt said. "The difference in this retransmission cycle from previous ones is they don't have anywhere to go, so they are making big demands. It certainly seems counter to what's going on in the economy generally. It is something we're going to try to take up with the new Congress. The structure which may have made sense in the early 1990s probably doesn't make sense at this point. But that is for later."
http://benton.org/node/19678
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A SHOW MEANT TO CURE THE ILLS OF NETWORK TV
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Stuart Elliott]
The advertising industry is voicing support for a surprise decision by NBC to give Jay Leno a prime-time weeknight talk and comedy show, although there are questions over how viewers will respond to the risky move. The program, tentatively titled "The Jay Leno Show," would break new ground for programming on a broadcast television network during the lucrative prime-time hours, generally 8 to 11 p.m. That is when advertisers pay top prices — in the hundreds of thousands of dollars — for 30 seconds of commercial time. The show Mr. Leno will host on NBC, part of the NBC Universal division of General Electric, is to be "stripped" from 10 to 11 p.m. each Monday through Friday, beginning in fall 2009. The replacement of more conventional scripted series with a program featuring Mr. Leno, who has been the host of "The Tonight Show" on NBC since 1992, is indicative of how seriously the broadcasters are rethinking longtime business models as mass media fragment and consumers gain unprecedented power to avoid and skip commercials. "The model for network television is basically broken," said Rino Scanzoni, chief investment officer at the GroupM media division of WPP, primarily because of "huge, huge contractions" in the number of viewers who watch scripted prime-time fare. One plus Scanzoni sees is that the skit-and-shtick format of "The Jay Leno Show" would fit a growing trend of viewers being "more inclined to snack on television programs," he said, "instead of digesting them week in and week out." Another appeal of the new Leno show, Spengler said, is the ability to integrate brands and products into the content, which is known as branded entertainment.
http://benton.org/node/19700
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BUYER: NBC'S LENO STRATEGY REFLECTS BROADCAST EROSION
[SOURCE: TVWeek, AUTHOR: Jon Lafayette]
A leading ad buyer says NBC's decision to put Jay Leno into the 10 pm time slot is a sign of the times, reflecting the erosion of broadcast audiences, the effects of the digital video recorder and NBC's strategy of managing for margins, rather than for ratings. The broadcast networks have long garnered premium prices for commercials because they were the only way to reach a mass audience of viewers. But Laura Caraccioli-Davis, executive VP at media buyer Starcom, says the days of being able to reach 20 million viewers with a 10 pm drama are pretty much over. And even if the networks can get that many people to watch, digital video recorders have made advertising on those shows a less effective proposition.
http://benton.org/node/19677
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FCC: WHITE HOUSE SEEKS LOCAL TV FEEDS FOR SITUATION ROOM
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission is currently working with the White House and media companies to find a way to feed local TV station signals into the White House's situation room, the command and control nerve center in the West Wing that was given a high-tech makeover in 2006. A FCC spokesperson says that the feeds could be helpful in emergencies and natural disasters in, say, "some city that is 700 miles away." She pointed out that "it is often the local broadcaster that first gives any details" in situations where the White House's own people "may not be in Des Moines at that moment."
http://benton.org/node/19698
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QUICKLY
WHAT SEARCH ENGINES HAVE FOUND OUT ABOUT ALL OF US
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jim Dwyer]
Google has released its map of the national brain and appetites for 2008, and it turns out that many, many people across America have been asking the Internet "what is love?" and "how to kiss." And to tighten the focus, Google has also provided a list of search queries made by people sitting at computers in New York City. It turns out that New Yorkers are looking for something a bit different. On the surface, these kinds of lists are supposed to reveal what Google calls the zeitgeist of 2008, though it's not much of a surprise that people were interested in Sarah Palin and Barack Obama. But they also provide hints of the level of personal details that people are now turning over to search engines and related businesses without much awareness.
http://benton.org/node/19699
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AEA AND ITAA TO MERGE
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Dawn Kawamoto]
The American Electronics Association and Information Technology Association of America trade groups announced on Tuesday plans to merge lobbying efforts. The combined group, to be known as the Technology Association of America, is expected to have approximately 2,000 member companies.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-10118972-92.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag...
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