Oct 23, 2009 (A Free and Open Internet)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for FRIDAY OCTOBER 23, 2009
Like pigs in blankets, wonks will want to check out the FCC's Electronic Comment Filing System 2.0 Launch today http://bit.ly/3WWTQR
NETWORK NEUTRALITY
FCC Seeks Public Input on Draft Rules to Preserve the Free and Open Internet
AT&T, Google Spar Over Web Rules
Speak Your Piece: Internet Ghosts
Network Neutrality: A debate full of sound and fury
The Internet Freedom Act
BROADBAND & WIRELESS
Handicapping Broadband Stimulus Picks
Schools make their case for broadband grants
CenturyLink wants a public/private broadband policy
Chopra seeks public-private partnerships
Why the Great Internet Buildout Is Spurring M&A
Private investment key to broadband build-out
AT&T sees dual wireless network future
LTE may be too little too late
AT&T exec implies iPhone exclusivity in U.S. ending
NTIA Broadband Data Transparency Workshop
Google CEO: Vast Web changes coming within 5 years
Fiber-based services could solve small telco profit squeeze
Unprotected Six?
The Cell Refuseniks, an Ever-Shrinking Club
Nokia takes on iPhone in legal fight
CYBERSECURITY
House Panel Discusses NIST Role in Cybersecurity
House Passes Cybersecurity Resolution
JOURNALISM
Behind the War Between White House and Fox
Life beyond print: Newspaper journalists' digital appetite
Global Warming Dives the Online Conversation
MORE FCC NEWS
FCC Workshop to focus on improving disclosure of ex parte contacts
Commissioner Baker Names New Staff
ADVERTISING
Consumers fear targeted ads slippery slope
Senate Democrats Go After Tax Deduction for Advertising
MORE ONLINE ...
Twitter and Status Updating
Boucher Wants Input on FCC's Program Carriage Complaint Process
American Cable Association says cost of programming is too high
Physicians have doubled their time online since 2004
Study: big movie budget = big movie profit
Booksellers Ask Justice Department to Investigate War Over Pricing
Census gets new interactive website
Recent Comments on:
Free Press: AT&T investments are proof Network Neutrality doesn't hinder broadband
NETWORK NEUTRALITY
FCC LAUNCHES NETWORK NEUTRALITY PROCEEDING
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
The Federal Communications Commission is seeking public input on draft rules that would codify and supplement existing Internet openness principles. Under the draft proposed rules, subject to reasonable network management, a provider of broadband Internet access service: 1. would not be allowed to prevent any of its users from sending or receiving the lawful content of the user's choice over the Internet; 2. would not be allowed to prevent any of its users from running the lawful applications or using the lawful services of the user's choice; 3. would not be allowed to prevent any of its users from connecting to and using on its network the user's choice of lawful devices that do not harm the network; 4. would not be allowed to deprive any of its users of the user's entitlement to competition among network providers, application providers, service providers, and content providers; 5. would be required to treat lawful content, applications, and services in a nondiscriminatory manner; and 6. would be required to disclose such information concerning network management and other practices as is reasonably required for users and content, application, and service providers to enjoy the protections specified in this rulemaking. The draft rules make clear that providers would also be permitted to address harmful traffic and traffic unwanted by users, such as spam, and prevent both the transfer of unlawful content, such as child pornography, and the unlawful transfer of content, such as a transfer that would infringe copyright. Further, nothing in the draft rules supersedes any obligation a broadband Internet access service provider may have -- or limits its ability -- to deliver emergency communications, or to address the needs of law enforcement, public safety, or national or homeland security authorities, consistent with applicable law. The Commission is also seeking comment on how it should address "managed" or "specialized" services, which are Internet-Protocol-based offerings provided over the same networks used for broadband Internet access services. Comments are due on Thursday, January 14. Reply comments are due on Friday, March 5.
benton.org/node/29068 | Federal Communications Commission | FCC Staff presentation | NPRM | AP | GigaOm | ars technica
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AT&T, GOOGLE SPAR OVER WEB RULES
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Amy Schatz]
There's nothing neutral in the battle between AT&T and Google over the future of the Internet. Google, the powerhouse of Silicon Valley, and AT&T, champion for the old-line phone industry, are marshaling political allies, lobbyists and—in AT&T's case—labor unions for a fight over proposed "network neutrality" rules that could affect tens of billions of dollars in investments needed to upgrade the U.S. broadband network, which lags in speed and affordability compared with some countries. On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission made good on its promise to push new rules that would require Internet providers such as AT&T to deliver Web traffic without delay. Broadly, that means cable and phone companies couldn't block or slow access to services from Google, Netflix or others that are a drain on their networks or could compete with their businesses. But as the details of the new rules are hammered out in coming months, AT&T and Google are ramping up efforts to ensure the FCC doesn't impose rules that could hurt their profits or expansion plans. Plenty of lobbyists have made their concerns about the FCC's proposal known to their political allies over the past few weeks. But AT&T lobbyists were particularly active, swarming Capitol Hill and state houses, prompting a bipartisan mix of governors, congressmen and senators to send worried letters to the FCC.
benton.org/node/29088 | Wall Street Journal
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SPEAK YOUR PIECE: INTERNET GHOSTS
[SOURCE: Daily Yonder, AUTHOR: Wally Bowen]
[Commentary] The current battle over Network Neutrality has deep roots, oddly enough, in rural America. In 1891, a Kansas undertaker named Almon Strowger patented the first telephone switch. His innovation, he would later say, was compelled by a local telephone operator who limited calls to his business while favoring calls to his competitor, with whom she was romantically involved. The telephone switch, in turn, enabled federal "common carrier" rules to ensure non-discriminatory treatment of all phone calls, a regulatory regime which has governed our nation's telephone system for more than 100 years. But there's more to the net neutrality back-story. In the 1950s, a Texas cattle rancher named Thomas Carter believed he could connect a two-way radio to the telephone back at his ranch-house, allowing him to make calls while riding his far-flung ranch on horseback. By 1958, his CarterPhone was working and ready to market. But AT&T cried foul, claiming this new application might harm its network. A 10-year legal battle ensued. It ended when the Federal Communications Commission approved the CarterPhone rule, which stated that innovative applications could connect if they did no harm to the network. The CarterPhone regulation gave us innovations such as fax, answering machines, and data modems. Combined, common carrier and CarterPhone regulations are the heart of net neutrality.
benton.org/node/29067 | Daily Yonder
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NET NEUTRALITY: A DEBATE FULL OF SOUND AND FURY
[SOURCE: dailywireless.org, AUTHOR: Craig Settles]
[Commentary] "Follow the money" definitely gets to the bottom of the question of why the incumbent telcos have totally lost their mind over net neutrality. It has become a breathtaking display of whining, bullying, fear mongering and distortion of facts. Net neutrality is really about ensuring fairness on an Internet that is a channel for open communications. It's about protecting consumers, businesses, nonprofits and government entities from harmful practices executed in the best financial interests of those 30 or so companies that manage a third of all Internet traffic. One thing anti-net neutrality advocates fail to tell you is that service providers can indeed charge different prices to different people (or organizations) that access different levels of data. But net neutrality says providers' pricing policies can't be predatory/anti-competitive. These service providers have a business model and entrenched mindset that necessitate they tightly control the environment in which they do business. A prime example is applications (e.g. ringtones) for the handsets that carriers sell. "Walled garden" was the name given to carriers' attempts to control and charge for everything in their network. Customers couldn't buy anything from outside of the garden, many startups and small companies couldn't get access to the garden. This mindset and type of business modus operandi is what many people believe carriers will enforce on the Internet. If net neutrality rules are passed, carriers are paralyzed with panic that they won't be able to maximize profits. Two things loom large to justify both fears.
benton.org/node/29089 | dailywireless.org
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THE INTERNET FREEDOM ACT
[SOURCE: US Senate, AUTHOR: Sen John McCain (R-AZ)]
On the same day the Federal Communications Commission launched a proceeding to write open Internet rules, Sen John McCain (R-AZ) introduced legislation that would prohibit the FCC from enacting rules that would regulate the Internet. The Internet Freedom Act would "allow for continued innovation that will in turn create more high-paying jobs for the millions of Americans who are out of work or seeking new employment."
benton.org/node/29072 | US Senate
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BROADBAND & WIRELESS
HANDICAPPING BROADBAND STIMULUS PICKS
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: John Celentano]
[Commentary] The $7.2 billion in Broadband Stimulus prize money in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) is creating quite a buzz around the telecom race track. The blogs are atwitter with a lot of speculation, but nobody knows if they've bet on the right horse. The first Round 1 winners are to be announced on November 7. The Rural Utilities Service (RUS) Broadband Initiative Program (BIP) has a $2.5 billion appropriation that will be disbursed in the form of loans and loan guarantees, grants or loan/grant combinations. Established rural telcos are the favorites in this race. Many rural telcos won Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) and 700 MHz licenses in recent FCC spectrum auctions, and want to use BIP funds to build them out. Regional wireless carriers, small cable operators and wireless ISPs with AWS/700 MHz licenses or authorizations for unlicensed band operation will also place high. Wireless infrastructure is faster to market, with lower costs per subscriber, than most wired solutions. Beyond that, new companies proposing large geographic coverage to millions of POPs are strong contenders, especially if they are asking for a big loan versus a grant. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunity Program (BTOP) will hand out $4.7 billion in the form of grants. BTOP favors projects that offer clear socio-economic benefits for disadvantaged businesses and residents, are relevant to the overall goal, are technically feasible and financially viable, can meet the timelines, and create a lift for the local economy. Since the Federal government wants to spread the wealth, there will be at least one award in every state.That said, State governments can tip the odds towards their favorites ahead of the BIP/BTOP final selections. Many BTOP projects are government- and nonprofit-run broadband networks, or public-private partnerships that have local or state governments as the dominant partner. Most of these projects will be funded with BTOP grants in metro and suburban underserved areas as opposed to unserved rural areas that BIP addresses. The BTOP pot is almost twice the size of the BIP budget. So we might see more projects in the public sector than with private operators.
benton.org/node/29081 | TelephonyOnline
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SCHOOLS MAKE THEIR CASE FOR BROADBAND GRANTS
[SOURCE: eSchool News, AUTHOR: Dennis Carter]
Colleges and universities have applied for tens of millions of dollars in federal stimulus grants designed to expand broadband Internet access, arguing that university IT infrastructure makes campuses worthy recipients. A review of colleges and universities that applied for federal broadband grant money showed many campuses vying to provide more computers with broadband web access to local residents, and other schools hoping to establish wide-ranging cloud-computing networks. The Research Foundation of the State University of New York (SUNY) requested the largest higher-ed related grant, asking for $30 million to implement an educational and workforce training program run through a cloud-computing network. Cloud computing lets users access data, applications, and computer programs over a network via large server centers. The $30 million would be used to purchases hardware and software for an expansive cloud-computing network, curriculum to educate students and workers, and delivery of "community-based educational training programs" to schools and libraries. The application said the program would focus on underrepresented populations.
benton.org/node/29080 | eSchool News
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CENTURYLINK WANTS PUBLIC/PRIVATE BROADBAND POLICY
[SOURCE: Fierce, AUTHOR: Sean Buckley]
Speaking at SuperCOMM, Tom Gerke, executive vice chairman of CenturyLink (formally CenturyTel and EMBARQ), said the company's major focus is broadband access. He said the industry will not be able to achieve the goals of a National Broadband Plan unless there's a public/private partnership in place. A proper public/private partnership should include three common elements: cooperative public private effort; modernization of Universal Service Fund; and reform of intercarrier compensation. This public/private investment strategy should be able to support not only immediate needs, but the ability to use optical-based networks that can scale to meet future needs. "A key component of this is private investments that should take care of those areas where there's economically viable standalone opportunities, but when you get beyond that there has to be partnership that's predictable and sustainable," Gerke said. Whether the USF funding arrangement is realigned through a legislative process, the key will be in making sure that funding gets extended to the outlying areas that today just can't be served economically. "The donut holes are going to be taken care of, but what's important is making sure you get the support to those lower density areas," Gerke said. No less important is intercarrier compensation. The system has been set up to compensate carriers from others that use their network to terminate calls, for example. In calling for a reformed USF system, Gerke believes that there should be a balanced transitional approach and that the pain of reform be balanced with affordable benchmark rates.
benton.org/node/29079 | Fierce
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CHOPRA SEEKS PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Carol Wilson]
The Obama administration is eager to form public-private partnerships with telecom service providers to address critical societal issues such as improving health care IT and medical care, distance learning and better education, and more open government, Aneesh Chopra, U.S. chief technology officer, said Thursday in a SuperCOMM keynote. Chopra also asked for the telecom industry's help in bringing the U.S. back up to speed with the rest the world in embracing technology and innovation. Chopra opened his speech by citing one such partnership, orchestrated "with one phone call" during his tenure as secretary of technology with the state of Virginia. "It was Cox and Comcast cable that offered to carry GED classes for free on their on-demand platform, making those available to thousands upon thousands of Virginians," Chopra said. "That's the kind of public-private partnerships we envision." Many of the administration's initiatives assume a robust and healthy telecom infrastructure, Chopra added, and telecom service providers are playing "a critical role in developing the much more modernized infrastructure" that will help drive the U.S. economy forward.
benton.org/node/29078 | TelephonyOnline
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WHY THE GREAT INTERNET BUILDOUT IS SPURRING M&A
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Om Malik]
If you're a BlackBerry or iPhone user/addict, then you are partly responsible for the great Internet buildout. Those cute apps that look up baseball scores or let you log into Facebook eat up enough bandwidth to put the backend infrastructure of phone companies under pressure, forcing them to upgrade their networks with new and fancy gear. Equinix, a data center provider, on Wednesday said it was going to buy competitor Switch and Data for about $689 million in cash and stock. And now Tellabs, a Naperville, Ill.-based maker of telecom equipment, says it's buying WiChorus, a mobile Internet equipment maker based in San Jose, Calif. Tellabs is paying $165 million in cash for the upstart company whose venture backers include Pinnacle Ventures, Accel Partners, Mayfield and Redpoint Ventures and which counts Clearwire among those that uses its products. WiChorus' SmartCore platform competes with the likes of Starent, which itself is in the process of being acquired by Cisco Systems for $2.9 billion. What's really going on is pretty simple: Today's consumers are increasingly spending more time on the web — and they're using the mobile web almost constantly.
benton.org/node/29066 | GigaOm
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PRIVATE INVESTMENT KEY TO BROADBAND BUILDOUT
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Sarah Reedy]
Speaking at SuperCOMM, Frank Gallagher, managing director and group head of the communications and media group at Stifel Nicolaus, warned a panel of telecommunications service providers, "If you want broadband, that's fine, but don't expect us to fund it if you can't see a return." The panel agreed that private investment will be a key driver of broadband infrastructure build out and stressed the need for the Federal Communications Commission to move quickly on issues like inter-carrier compensation and the Universal Service Fund. Whether it's a wireline or wireless build out, broadband deployment is capital intensive, and it invariably requires a long wait for any return on investment (ROI), said Tom Tauke, executive vice president of public affairs, policy and communications at Verizon. ROI requires adoption by customers, which is proving to be a challenge. Tauke said Verizon is relying on monthly bills for access and services to support the capital investment, but with the price of access declining, the carrier is constantly looking for other sources of revenue from things like advertising. Compounding this issue is the fact that broadband expansion into the most rural areas is not economically feasible today, added Steve Davis, senior vice president of public policy and government relations at Qwest Communications. The capital expenditures required to provide services is significantly higher and must be spread upon a smaller number of customers. These rural areas should be top of mind for the FCC, he said.
benton.org/node/29065 | TelephonyOnline
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AT&T SEES DUAL WIRELESS NETWORK FUTURE
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Ed Gubbins]
To accommodate consumers' rapidly changing expectations, mobile operators will need to adopt a dual approach employing wide-ranging and shorter-ranging wireless networks together, according to John Stankey, AT&T's president and chief executive officer of operations. "I don't think a single macro wireless network is sustainable over time, given the pace of spectrum availability and what's actually out there in terms of fixed spectrum," Stankey told the SuperCOMM trade show. "I think the reality is that there will be macro and micro networks. We're starting down that path at AT&T, focusing on how we make WiFi and licensed spectrum a more seamless experience for customers. Other variants will come up on this over time. But to manage the kind of mobile experience customers will require and truly have the quality of service they need will require a multiple approach to network management in the wireless space. You're going to see micro and macro in terms of licensed and unlicensed spectrum. This is a key architecture element we're all going to have to come to grips with." As an example, Stankey cited events crowded with customers at which AT&T has seen WiFi handle 20% of the data load.
benton.org/node/29064 | TelephonyOnline
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LTE MAY BE TOO LITTLE TOO LATE
[SOURCE: sourcewire.com, AUTHOR: ]
A new report from Unwired Insight shows that the relentless growth of 3G traffic volumes will create a 3G network capacity crisis for some mobile network operators as early as 2010. Early deployment of Long Term Evolution (LTE) will be essential, and continued growth in data consumption will create insatiable demand for LTE spectrum. 3G traffic volumes are set to increase by a factor of 20 by 2015, driven by many factors, including the increased adoption of traffic-intensive services such as mobile broadband and mobile TV services, the increased proportion of smartphones and dramatic reductions in mobile data pricing. Key findings of the new report are: 1) As 2G users continue to migrate to 3G services, the available capacity per 3G user will decline rapidly in networks utilizing HSPA, to less than 100MB per user per month in some cases. LTE will be essential to counter this decline. 2) While LTE promises peak data rates of over 100Mbps, this is only possible with wide allocations of spectrum, and even then is only experienced by a few lucky users that have particularly good radio conditions. Other users will achieve much lower data rates, so the average data rates from practical LTE networks will be nowhere near the peak values. 3) Network operators will have an insatiable appetite for LTE spectrum, to stand any chance of keeping up with forecast traffic demand. For some operators, 10MHz of spectrum will be able to support forecast traffic levels only until 2011. A further 10MHz will be needed by 2012 and another 10MHz in 2013. In addition, some operators will have to embark on major network expansion programmes to keep pace with forecast traffic levels.
benton.org/node/29063 | sourcewire.com | Unwired Insight
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AT&T EXEC IMPLIES IPHONE EXCLUSIVITY MAY END
[SOURCE: Computerworld, AUTHOR: Matt Hamblen]
AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega strongly implied that the carrier's exclusive deal to sell the iPhone in the U.S. is ending, although he gave no details. Asked what AT&T plans to do should the exclusive deal come to an end as has been rumored, de la Vega said the iPhone is a good source of new subscribers, but is only part of a smartphone portfolio that gives good results. "We have a legacy of having a great portfolio...that will continue after the iPhone is no longer exclusive to us," de la Vega said. "We think we will continue after the iPhone...to drive [results]...." De la Vega said that while the iPhone has been a "good source of new gross [subscribers] for us," the new subscribers from the iPhone in the third quarter was only one-third of the total from all devices.
benton.org/node/29062 | ComputerWorld
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NTIA BROADBAND DATA TRANSPARENCY WORKSHOP
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will host a public meeting regarding data related to broadband Internet access that the agency collects, data needs of researchers, and future broadband research. The meeting will be held October 30, 2009 and will consider: 1. The types and frequency of broadband Internet access data that NTIA can compile through its ongoing programs and research that will be useful to the research community. For example, NTIA has categories of data from the BTOP and State Broadband Data Program and is gathering information through the next CPS that may be useful to the research community; 2. The current sources of data available to the research community for research related to broadband Internet access; 3. The economic, social, policy, or other areas that research related to broadband Internet access can inform; 4. The emergent themes, trends, and new directions within the research community regarding broadband Internet access data; 5. The data format preferred by researchers including those for distributing broadband-related data on the Web to promote maximum transparency for researchers and the interested public; and 6. The legal requirements regarding the agency's collection of and dissemination of data from third parties.
benton.org/node/29061 | National Telecommunications and Information Administration
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VAST WEB CHANGES COMING
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: ]
Eric Schmidt, chairman and CEO of Google Inc., spoke to about 5,000 chief information officers and information technology executives at Gartner Symposium/Itxpo, a technology conference. He said in just five years we may see a Web where Chinese is the dominant language, and connections are so fast that distinctions between audio, video and text are blurred. Teens today consume information much differently on the Web and are able to juggle various forms of information seamlessly, he said. Streams of information will increase as connections grow faster, and if Web surfers feel as though they are drowning in information, it is because a fundamental shift is occurring to user-generated content. The success of sites such as Facebook and Twitter are examples of this shift, he said. "You will tend to listen to other people," he said. The problem, of course, is how to organize all the information, he said. It is the fundamental problem facing Google, a company offering many products but built on a Web search engine that trolls for information, gathers it and ranks it for users.
benton.org/node/29060 | Associated Press
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FIBER-BASED SERVICES COULD SOLVE TELCO PROFIT SQUEEZE
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Joan Engebretson]
Small independent telcos are experiencing a profit squeeze, according to a new study from the Telergee Alliance, a network of seven certified public accounting firms with telecom specialties. Net income for 196 small telcos surveyed decreased a median of 22.3% in 2008, researchers found. The 2009 Telergee Benchmark Study, made available exclusively to clients of Telergee firms and to TelephonyOnline, surveyed small US telcos with total access lines ranging from fewer than 500 to more than 18,000. Although telcos experienced a median 10.7% increase in non-regulated revenues, it was not sufficient to offset the impact of a median 2.2% decrease in telcos' traditional wireline revenues and a median 2.9% increase in wireline expenses. Driving the decrease in wireline revenues was a decline in access lines, which experienced a median 3.5% decrease. Many small telcos, particularly those in rural areas, receive Universal Service funding to cover some of their network costs, and that has minimized the impact of a decline in voice lines, noted Rick Betts. Independent telcos have pursued a wide range of new business opportunities in an effort to replace lost landline revenues. Some of these ventures, including wireless, competitive local exchange carrier (CLEC) operations and traditional cable service, generate revenues but yield narrow or declining margins. The most successful non-regulated service, the Telergee study found, is Internet connectivity, which comprises a median 12.9% of respondents' total operating revenues. The long-term solution to telcos' revenue squeeze, according to sources from several Telergee firms, is to offer fiber connectivity to end users capable of supporting higher speed data and, potentially, advanced video services based on the Internet protocol (IPTV). Nearly half of telcos in the Telergee study said they plan to offer IPTV by the end of 2010, including 19.5% that offer the service today.
benton.org/node/29059 | TelephonyOnline
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UNPROTECTED SIX?
[SOURCE: CommLawBlog, AUTHOR: Lee Petro]
[Commentary] In a bold move guaranteed to generate heated debate, National Public Radio (NPR) has asked the Commission to dump the Channel 6 protection obligations (set out in Section 73.525 for those of you scoring at home) which have been imposed on noncommercial FM stations for the last quarter century. While the proposal no doubt appeals strongly to NPR's NCE-FM constituency, the television side of the universe and particularly current Channel 6 licensees and viewers can't be happy. The protection requirements were imposed in the first place because the portion of the FM band reserved for NCE operations butts up against Channel 6, spectrum-wise. As a result, the potential for interference to Channel 6 operations from stations in the NCE-FM band was thought to be considerable, leading the Commission back in 1985 to impose extra hurdles in the path of new and improved NCE-FM service in order to shelter Channel 6. For all you spectrum historians, NPR's petition for rulemaking provides interesting background about the development of the protection requirements. According to NPR, the increased sensitivity of today's television receivers particularly in the wake of the DTV transition warrants reconsideration of the standards. NPR even has two studies, conducted by its own labs and by the highly-respected techno-gurus at Hammett & Edison, which it cites in support of the proposition that the interference rule no longer serves any real purpose.
benton.org/node/29076 | CommLawBlog
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CYBERSECURITY
HOUSE PANEL DISCUSSES NIST ROLE IN CYBERSECURITY
[SOURCE: House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation, AUTHOR: Press release]
The House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing to discuss the recommendations made in the Administration's 60-day review of federal cybersecurity, Cyberspace Policy Review, that could be appropriate for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to take action on. In addition, the hearing also discussed the postponed reorganization of NIST's Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). Subcommittee Members believe that NIST may be the appropriate agency to fulfill the following: The need for a single locus for federal government involvement in international cybersecurity technical standards; The need for an increased public awareness and education campaign; and The need for a larger focus on identity management.
benton.org/node/29074 | House Committee on Science and Technology's Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation
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HOUSE PASSES CYBERSECURITY RESOLUTION
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Andrew Noyes]
With nine days left to go in October, the House on Thursday unanimously passed Rep.Yvette Clarke's, resolution honoring National Cyber Security Awareness Month. The Senate approved a similar measure several weeks ago."This Congress understands that our citizens rely on information technology in every aspect of our lives - from managing businesses to social networking," the New York Democrat said in a statement. "As innovation spurs increased access and demand for the Internet and information technologies, cyber warfare and cyber crime are increasing in sophistication and frequency."
benton.org/node/29054 | CongressDaily
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JOURNALISM
BEHIND THE WAR BETWEEN WHITE HOUSE AND FOX
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jim Rutenberg]
Late last month, the senior White House adviser David Axelrod and Roger Ailes, chairman and chief executive of Fox News, met in an empty Palm steakhouse before it opened for the day, neutral ground secured for a secret tête-à-tête. Ailes, who had reached out to Axelrod to address rising tensions between the network and the White House, told him that Fox's reporters were fair, if tough, and should be considered separate from the Fox commentators who were skewering President Obama nightly, according to people briefed on the meeting. Axelrod said it was the view of the White House that Fox News had blurred the line between news and anti-Obama advocacy. What both men took to be the start of a frank but productive dialogue proved, in retrospect, more akin to the round of pre-Pearl Harbor peace talks between the United States and Japan.
benton.org/node/29090 | New York Times | Charles Krauthammer | HuffingtonPost
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LIFE BEYOND PRINT
[SOURCE: Northwestern University's Media Management Center, AUTHOR: Vickey Williams, Stacy Lynch, Bob LeBailly]
Today's newspaper journalists have no trouble envisioning a career where news is delivered primarily online and to mobile devices instead of in print, according to a new report by the Media Management Center. In fact, almost half think their newsroom's transition from print to digital is moving too slowly. This survey finds that many journalists are heavily engaged in digital activities in their personal lives and would like to devote more effort to digital products at work. But most of their time in the newsroom is still spent on print responsibilities. Among the study's other findings: Newspaper journalists still love their jobs; Online desire in the newsroom is not determined by age, years of journalism experience, or proximity to retirement; and Digital journalists know customers best.
benton.org/node/29058 | Northwestern University's Media Management Center
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MORE FCC NEWS
FCC WORKSHOP TO FOCUS ON IMPROVING DISCLOSURE OF EX PARTE CONTACTS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Press release]
The Federal Communications Commission will hold a staff workshop on
October 28, 2009 to explore possible revisions to the Commission's ex parte rules and processes to enhance the transparency of the Commission's actions while at the same time maximizing the exchange of information between the public and the Commission. This workshop follows an internal study of the current ex parte rules by Commission staff which identified a number of areas in which the current rules might be improved or updated. The workshop will also explore new issues posed by the increasing use of Internet-based media of communication and expression, such as blogs. The workshop participants consist of practicing attorneys as well as representatives of companies, trade associations, and public interest groups, all of whom have substantial experience with the ex parte rules. The panelists will provide their perspectives on the successes and shortcomings of the current rules and suggest alternatives to better balance the goals of fairness, openness, and efficiency. A moderating panel of senior FCC staff will direct the panel discussions and pose questions.
benton.org/node/29071 | Federal Communications Commission
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COMMISSIONER BAKER NAMES NEW STAFF
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: FCC Commissioner Meredith Baker]
Federal Communications Commission member Meredith Baker announced that Bradley Gillen, Charles Mathias and Christi Shewman will serve as her legal advisors. Commissioner Baker also announced that Millie Kerr has been appointed as her Confidential Assistant and Staff Attorney. 1) Gillen will serve as Legal Advisor for media issues. He has been the Director of Federal Regulatory and Senior Counsel for Dish Network. Gillen began his career in the communications group at Wiley Rein. 2) Mathias will serve as Legal Advisor for wireless, international and public safety issues. He most recently served as an Associate Bureau Chief in the Wireless Bureau and before that Special Counsel, where he worked on spectrum and wireless policy issues. Before joining the FCC, Mathias held senior legal and government relations positions at Lucent Technologies and Bechtel. In private practice, he counseled companies and individuals in the information and communications technologies sector, and especially companies interested in expanding their business internationally. 3) Christi Shewman will serve as Legal Advisor for wireline and universal service. Ms. Shewman has served in a number of roles in the Wireline Competition Bureau since 2003, including Chief of the Competition Policy Division. During her years in the Bureau, she managed and was the lead attorney on, among others, the IP-Enabled Services proceeding and various broadband matters. In 2006, Ms. Shewman served as counsel, on detail from the FCC, to the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation. Before joining the Bureau, she held previous positions with Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, the Office of FCC Commissioner Gloria Tristani, and Qwest Communications. 4) Millie Kerr will serve as Confidential Assistant and Staff Attorney to Commissioner Baker. Before joining the FCC, Ms. Kerr worked as an associate for Allen & Overy LLP in London.
benton.org/node/29070 | Federal Communications Commission | TVNewsCheck
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