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December 2010

December 31, 2010 (Comcast; IPv6; Spectrum)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2010


OWNERSHIP
   MAP, Free Press, Others Ask FCC To Delay Comcast/NBCU Vote
   Nonprofit News May Thrive in Comcast Takeover

BROADCASTING
   Travelers Information Stations
   How to receive a Broadcast TV Station when Dropped by Cable

INTERNET
   Potential Impacts on Communications from IPv4 Exhaustion & IPv6 Transition
   65% of Internet users have paid for online content

SPECTRUM
   White spaces could expand beyon

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OWNERSHIP

COMCAST DELAY SOUGHT
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Public interest groups -- including Media Access Project and Free Press -- have asked the Federal Communications Commission to "defer action" on the Comcast/NBCU joint venture until Comcast makes its programming contracts back to 2006 part of the FCC record in the transaction, the FCC staff can review them, and groups like themselves can view them, subject to protective orders, then comment on them. The FCC's transition team, backed by the chairman, has already given its tentative approval of the deal, subject to mandatory and voluntary conditions, but MAP and company say the FCC promised not to make a decision until it had reviewed the entire record. In a letter to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski and the other commissioners dated Dec 28, they pointed to the chairman's testimony in a Mar. 11, 2010 Senate hearing on the deal that the commission's merger decisions are made "only after we compile and review a full record." They point out that Comcast had not complied with the FCC's request that it provide information on "certain programming contracts," specifically all programming contracts struck since 2006. "[I]f opponents are denied access to this information subject to the strict protective orders designed to protect the confidentiality of business information," they argue, "there will not have been a full opportunity for them to file facts and arguments based on that data." The groups concede that the information was provided to the Justice Department--with which the FCC is working closely--and that when they asked John Flynn, senior counsel to the chairman for transactions, whether the FCC staff had reviewed the documents, he said that the FCC staff had access to them and that "it is aware of its obligation to ensure that the Commission's record reflects documents upon which the Commission has relied in its review of the pending applications." But that is not sufficient, they argue.
benton.org/node/47383 | Broadcasting&Cable
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COULD NONPROFIT NEWS GET BOOST FROM COMCAST?
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Brian Stelter]
Included in Comcast’s promises regarding its acquisition of NBC is a little-noticed plan that may stimulate the growth of nonprofit news organizations. Comcast is pledging to establish partnerships between news nonprofits and at least five of the 10 NBC television stations that are owned by NBC Universal. The partnerships will be modeled on an existing relationship between KNSD, the NBC-owned station in San Diego, and voiceofsandiego.org, an innovative news organization that relies on donations from foundations, corporations and readers. Comcast’s embrace of what it calls “hyperlocalism” may be an advantage to nonprofits that are gathering news in metropolitan areas. Independent newsrooms like voiceofsandiego.org have sprung up in several cities, and in some cases they have filled gaps left by downsized newspaper newsrooms. The partnership plan was outlined in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission on Dec. 23, the same day that Julius Genachowski, the commission chairman, indicated that he would support the combination of Comcast and NBC Universal as long as a number of conditions were attached.
benton.org/node/47381 | New York Times
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BROADCASTING

FCC CONSIDERS EXPANDING ROLE OF TRAVELERS INFORMATION STATIONS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
The Federal Communications Commission has adopted an Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that seeks public comment on whether the role of travelers information stations (TIS) should be expanded beyond sharing noncommercial information of interest to travelers, including broadcast of Amber alerts, public health warnings, terror threat levels, weather reports, and other helpful information. TIS stations serve as a local AM radio communications channel that is diverse and reliable particularly for motorists seeking information and updates on traffic congestion, accidents and weather reports. Expansion of TIS' role to provide travelers with other types of emergency information and alerts may benefit the public interest not only through redundancy, but particularly during power blackouts when traditional means of communications may be inoperable. A significant number of these stations throughout the country operate on solar-power and/or have battery back-up power systems and would enable them to continue to provide broadcast information to travelers regionally during significant power outages. The Order and NPRM comes as a direct result from petitions filed by the Highway Information Systems, Inc. (HIS), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the American Association of Information Radio Operators (AAIRO) requesting that the FCC expand the role of TIS nationwide by allowing regional broadcasts of more types of potential life-saving emergency information to travelers. In the interest of promoting policies to enhance the reliability and effectiveness of emergency alerts and warnings reaching the public over diverse communications platforms, the FCC grants the petitions by HIS and AASHTO requesting a rulemaking to expand the role of TIS. However, the FCC denies AAIRO's request for a declaratory ruling on the FCC's rules for TIS to broadcast messages concerning the safety of life and protection of property at the discretion of authorized government agencies because their interpretation of the rule would constitute a change in policy requiring a notice and comment rulemaking. The issues raised by AAIRO have been included in the FCC's NPRM and are open to public comment. Generally, the Order and NPRM seeks public comment on whether the FCC should significantly expand the scope of permitted communications and alerts by local governments on TIS stations and what limits if, in any, should be placed on those noncommercial messages. The FCC is also seeking comment on whether TIS power limits should be modified to reach a larger listening audience in their coverage area and to what extent TIS broadcast locations should be expanded without resulting in harmful interference to the communications of other licensed broadcasters.
benton.org/node/47379 | Federal Communications Commission | read the Order and NPRM
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TV CONSUMER ADVISORY
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
The Federal Communications Commission issued a Consumer Advisory to help people in retransmission disputes.
What can I do if a local broadcast television station is no longer available on my pay TV service?
If you wish to view the station, you may be able to do so through one of the following options:
Watch the station (and other broadcasting stations) over the air using an antenna and a digital television.
Watch the station (and other broadcasting stations) over the air using an antenna and an analog television attached to a digital-to-analog converter box.
Subscribe to another pay service that is carrying the station. Available pay services vary based on your location. You should contact the pay service provider to determine whether it provides service to your residence. In addition, you should be aware that different pay TV service providers' agreements for the same broadcast television station may expire on different dates. Switching to another pay service is not a guarantee that your new service will continue to carry a particular broadcast television station.
In addition, some broadcast network programming is available on the Internet, though it is often delayed for some time after its initial broadcast.
How can I watch a station over the air without a pay TV subscription?
To watch a television station over the air, you need either: A digital TV set OR an analog TV set connected to a digital-to-analog converter box.
benton.org/node/47374 | Federal Communications Commission
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INTERNET

IPV4 AND IPV6
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Robert Cannon]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released the third of its new FCC Staff Working Papers. This agency-wide research paper series replaced all of the earlier working paper series that had been issued by individual bureaus and offices. It is intended to encourage staff research that furthers the "expert" function of the agency and builds agency intellectual capital. This active research program is managed by the Office of Strategic Planning and Policy Analysis (OSP). The new paper is "Potential Impacts on Communications from IPv4 Exhaustion & IPv6 Transition" by Robert Cannon, a Senior Attorney in OSP. His paper explains why, with the exhaustion of Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) addresses looming, there is insufficient time to complete the full transition to IPv6. The paper also explains how the implementation of IPv4 workarounds, while making that old protocol more efficient, are creating new problems of their own.
benton.org/node/47378 | Federal Communications Commission | read the working paper
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PAYING FOR IT ONLINE
[SOURCE: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, AUTHOR: Jim Jansen]
Nearly two-thirds of Internet users – 65% – have paid to download or access some kind of online content from the Internet, ranging from music to games to news articles to adult material. Music, software, and apps are the most popular content that Internet users have paid to access or download, although the range of paid online content is quite varied and widespread.In a survey of 755 Internet users between 28 October and 1 November 2010, respondents were asked about 15 different kinds of online material that could be purchased or access after a payment. The online content that we were trying to assess in this survey is “intangible” digital products such as software, articles, and music that need not have a physical form. This is in contrast to something we have measured in previous surveys but were not trying to capture here: the use of the Internet to purchase “tangible” products such as clothes, CDs, books, or computers or tangible services such as hotel reservations or airline tickets.
benton.org/node/47375 | Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project
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SPECTRUM

WHITE SPACES COULD EXPAND
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
The Federal Communications Commission has released a Notice of Inquiry full of proposals that could radically transform who gets to use the radio spectrum bands and how. Among the ideas being considered is an expansion of the FCC's white space device service from the television bands to other license regions as well. "Commenters should address whether they believe this concept is practical for other bands," the NOI asks. "If so, they should identify in which bands they believe such a system could work and provide details on how it would work." The gist of the probe is that the government needs to find ways to make wireless licenses "dynamic"—that is, useable by far more than one licensee. "Even as we look to free up existing spectrum to meet the needs for wireless broadband, we can and should explore ways to make more dynamic and opportunistic use of the spectrum we have," noted FCC Chair Julius Genachowski following the NOI's release—that is, "to help us use our spectrum resource more intensively and efficiently." Ditto, declared his Republican colleague Commissioner Robert McDowell. "I hope our updated rules will adhere to the Commission’s more recent 'flexible use' policy," he declared. "Old style 'command and control' (read: prescriptive) rules not only hamper creative entrepreneurs who are in the best position to understand and satisfy consumer demands, they cause spectral inefficiencies as well." Here's a rundown of some of the ideas that the Commission is considering along these "dynamic" lines.
benton.org/node/47376 | Ars Technica
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December 28, 2010 (Net Neutrality; Comcast; Puerto Rico)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for TUESDAY, DECEMBER 28, 2010


NETWORK NEUTRALITY
   The FCC’s Open Internet Rules – Stronger than You Think
   FCC: ISPs can't use First Amendment as shield from network neutrality
   Got a network neutrality complaint? Here's what to do
   If the FCC Had Regulated the Internet

MORE ON BROADBAND
   All Americans Do Not Have Access to Broadband Services – Have We Forgotten Puerto Rico?

OWNERSHIP
   Genachowski Ready to OK Comcast-NBCU
   Comcast NBCU concessions include 'ten-dollar' broadband
   FCC Seeks Comment on Diversity Recommendations

TELEVISION/BROADCASTING
   Update: Revised Broadcast License Renewal Forms Head To OMB
   FCC, CBS Continue To Battle Over Janet Jackson Reveal
   Why KCET never became a major player in the PBS network

SPECTRUM/WIRELESS
   FLO Spectrum Sale Hints at UHF Spectrum Value
   Apple Sued Over Mobile App Privacy
   US Mobile Technographics

MORE ONLINE
   Ten most compelling Independent telco stories of 2010
   Wikileaks Leads on Blogs

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NETWORK NEUTRALITY

NET NEUTRALITY RULES STRONGER THAN YOU THINK
[SOURCE: Internet Architecture and Innovation, AUTHOR: Barbara va Schewick]
Federal Communications Commission members Michael Copps and Mignon Clyburn were able to strengthen the network neutrality rules proposed by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. In particular, the text of the order:
sets out important principles that will guide the commission’s interpretation of the non-discrimination rule and the reasonable network management exception;
explicitly bans network providers from charging application and content providers for access to the network providers’ Internet service customers;
stops just short of an explicit ban on charging application and content providers for prioritized or otherwise enhanced access to these customers (this second practice is often called “paid prioritization”); and
keeps alive the threat of regulation with respect to the mobile Internet.
benton.org/node/47295 | Internet Architecture and Innovation | GigaOm
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NET NEUTRALITY AND FIRST AMENDMENT
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
The Federal Communications Commission's network neutrality order rejects the notion that Internet service providers enjoy First Amendment protection from its open Internet rules. Here's how the debate played out. Over the last two years of deliberation about net neutrality, the big ISPs sometimes compared their broadband transmission services to cable television. They did so because a crucial Supreme Court decision upheld the idea that pay-TV providers enjoy First Amendment protections as "speakers." In its order, the FCC took a stance similar to the Supreme Court, calling cable ISP analogies with Turner "inapt." "Unlike cable television operators, broadband providers typically are best described not as 'speakers,' but rather as conduits for speech. The broadband Internet access service at issue here does not involve an exercise of editorial discretion that is comparable to cable companies' choice of which stations or programs to include in their service. In this proceeding, broadband providers have not, for instance, shown that they market their services as benefiting from an editorial presence. To the contrary, Internet end users expect that they can obtain access to all or substantially all content that is available on the Internet, without the editorial intervention of their broadband provider." Bottom line, the FCC insists, its new rules are 'narrowly tailored' to limited goals. They focus on the end user's link to the Internet, barring actions that might "unfairly impede" public access to cyberspace.
benton.org/node/47293 | Ars Technica | GigaOm
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NET NEUTRALITY COMPLAINTS
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
Pending the effective date of release for the Federal Communications Commission's new open Internet rules, anybody will be able to file a formal or informal network neutrality complaint. Here's what the FCC's Order says about this process, and how the FCC's complaint system currently works. The FCC says its Consumer Division will soon "make available resources explaining these rules and facilitating the filing of informal complaints." For formal complaints, there's a $200 filing fee and specific procedural, appearance, and docket filing rules. Lawyers usually get involved. The process is not for the faint of heart. The complainant must first inform the "defendant" Internet service provider in writing that they are taking this step, describe the charges, and wait for the company to provide an answer, to which the complainant can file a reply. Defendants must deliver their answer within 20 days of receiving the complaint. Replies must be filed within 10 days of receiving the broadband provider's response. "In some cases, the facts might be uncontested," the Order notes, "and the proceeding can be completed based on the pleadings. In other cases, a thorough analysis of the challenged conduct might require further factual development and briefing." Complainants should keep in mind that they bear the burden of proving some kind of violation the agency's rules, the FCC says. But the broadband provider "must answer each claim with particularity and furnish facts, supported by documentation or affidavit, demonstrating the reasonableness of the challenged practice. At that point, the complainant will have the opportunity to demonstrate that the practice is not reasonable. Should experience reveal the need to adjust the burden of proof in open Internet disputes, we will do so as appropriate."
benton.org/node/47292 | Ars Technica
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IF THE FCC HAD REGULATED THE INTERNET
[SOURCE: Slate, AUTHOR: Jack Shafer]
[Commentary] In January 1993, idle regulators at the FCC belatedly discover the burgeoning world of online services. Led by CompuServe, MCI Mail, AOL, GEnie, Delphi, and Prodigy, these services have been embraced by the computer-owning public. Users "log on" to communicate via "e-mail" and "chat rooms," make online purchases and reservations, and tap information databases. Their services are "walled gardens" that don't allow the users of one service to visit or use another. The FCC declares that because these private networks use the publicly regulated telephone system, they fall under the purview of the Communications Act of 1934. The commission announces forthcoming plans to regulate the services in the "public interest, convenience, and necessity." The FCC ignores the standalone Internet because nobody but academics, scientists, and some government bodies go there. So do the online services, which don't offer Internet access. "Regulating the Internet would make as much sense as regulating inter-office mail at Michigan State University," says the FCC chairman. "The online services are the future of cyberspace." The online companies protest and vow to sue the FCC, but the heavily Democratic Congress moots the suits by passing new legislation giving the commission oversight of the online world. The FCC immediately determines that the lack of interoperability among the online systems harms consumers and orders that each company submit a technical framework by January 1994 under which all online companies will unify to one shared technology in the near future. The precedent for this are the technical standards that the FCC has been setting for decades for AM and FM, and for television. The online services threaten legal action again, and again Congress passes new legislation authorizing the FCC to do as it wishes. The online companies hustle to submit a technical framework. Microsoft wants in on the game, so it persuades the FCC to extend the framework deadline to July 1995.
benton.org/node/47290 | Slate
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MORE ON BROADBAND

HAVE WE FORGOTTEN PUERTO RICO
[SOURCE: Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, AUTHOR: Henry Rivera]
[Commentary] Implementation of the National Broadband Plan (NBP) in Puerto Rico has thus far proven to be a significant hurdle for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The NBP was well received by the telecommunications and technology industries, policymakers, and several leading national Hispanic, Asian, and African American groups, all of which are quickly realizing that, without access to broadband services, they will not be able to compete and participate in the 21st century’s digital economy. The FCC’s recent study on broadband adoption found that no one in Puerto Rico has access to broadband.
1/6 of Americans (3,954,000 people) without broadband access live in Puerto Rico, which accounts for almost the entire population of Puerto Rico.
Broadband download speeds for Puerto Rico fall below 1.0 Mbps (below that of Mexico and all 33 OECD countries), while U.S. download speeds average nearly 3.8 Mbps.
Puerto Rico has a population greater than 24 U.S. states but an average median household income of only $13,189, compared to $34,809 for all areas of the United States and $28,627 for unserved areas generally. Poverty is a significant issue in Puerto Rico, with 44.8% of Puerto Rico’s residents living below the poverty line.
Puerto Rico has by far the lowest telephone penetration rate of any U.S. state. Prior Census studies suggest the actual telephone penetration rate may lie somewhere between 73% and 80%, while the local regulator in Puerto Rico estimates the rate at 40%.
benton.org/node/47273 | Minority Media and Telecommunications Council
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OWNERSHIP

COMCAST ORDER CIRCULATED
[SOURCE: TVNewsCheck, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski wants to give the green light to the Comcast-NBC joint venture … with conditions. Senior FCC officials revealed during a telephone press briefing Dec 23 that an order to do just that is being circulating among the other four commissioners. The order imposes certain conditions on the proposed merger; they were not spelled out during the press briefing. However, FCC officials indicated that the order covers issues dealing with program access, program carriage, on-line access and broadcast matters addressing localism and diversity.
benton.org/node/47288 | TVNewsCheck
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TEN DOLLAR BROADBAND
[SOURCE: Connected Planet, AUTHOR: Susana Schwartz]
Comcast’s concessions to win approval for its merger with NBC Universal include a $9.95/month high-speed Internet service for people earning less than $20,000/year. Perhaps that concession comes in light of recent research that shows the deal may raise TV prices for consumers. The argument against the deal is that the likes of DirecTV, Dish, RCN, Verizon and AT&T might have to negotiate for access to premium programming, at which point Comcast could hold out for higher prices. Those higher charges for programming would possibly be passed on to subscribers. Although Comcast seems optimistic that the deal will be approved by January, many hope the Comcast sales pitch won't blur the FCC’s vision in considering objectively the full impact of the deal on telecom providers, Web TV players and competitors in satellite and cable. Consumer advocacy groups and legislators amped it up in the last couple weeks. For example, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has called on the FCC to block the deal, stating "If this merger is approved, I have little doubt that Comcast-NBCU will retain hundreds of attorneys and lobbyists to exploit gaps and loopholes in any conditions and regulations," he said in a statement. "Once we allow companies to become this powerful, the FCC does not regulate them. They regulate the FCC."
benton.org/node/47285 | Connected Planet
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DIVERSITY RECOMMENDATIONS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
The Media and Wireless Telecommunications Bureaus of the Federal Communications Commission seek comment on a recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age that the Commission consider a new preference program in its competitive bidding process to provide bidding credits to individuals and entities who have overcome substantial disadvantage. The Advisory Committee explains that the new preference ‘‘would expand the pool of designated entities to include those qualified applicants who have overcome substantial disadvantage," noting that the proposed program is analogous in some respects to programs used by educational institutions in their admissions processes. Comments are due on or before February 7, 2011; reply comments are due on or before February 25, 2011.
benton.org/node/47282 | Federal Communications Commission
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TELEVISION/BROADCASTING

BROADCAST RENEWAL FORM TO OMB
[SOURCE: CommLawBlog, AUTHOR: ]
Changes to the broadcast license renewal application form (Form 303-S) appear to have passed the first bureaucratic hurdle: having invited public comments (which were due by December 13) and then having waited a decent interval (that would be about two days), the Federal Communications Commission has passed its proposed changes along to the Office of Management and Budget for OMB’s review. Notice of that development has now been published in the Federal Register. This gives everybody yet another opportunity to toss in any comments they might have about the revised form – but this time those comments should be directed to OMB. If you've got anything to say to OMB, you've got until January 26, 2011 to say it. Once that deadline has come and gone, look for the revised form to be officially released by the Commission, just in time for the next round of renewal applications which are due by June 1.
benton.org/node/47275 | CommLawBlog | Federal Register notice
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NIPPLEGATE STILL IN COURT
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission, backed by the Justice Department, says that broadcasters give up full First Amendment status when they get a government license, and so should be subject to government regulation of swearing and nudity when kids could be watching. That was the gist of the FCC's supplemental brief to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, which is reviewing its earlier decision that the FCC's $550,000 fine of CBS for Janet Jackson's partially exposed breast on the 2004 Super Bowl halftime show broadcast was arbitrary and capricious. The Third Circuit had sought input on whether, if CBS was found to have knowledge of the "reveal," the FCC should be applying the criminal or civil recklessness standard. The FCC argues it should be the latter, which would mean CBS could be culpable even if it was not aware of what Jackson and Justin Timberlake were going to do, so long as it should have been aware. The criminal recklessness standard applies only if CBS had been aware of the risk and chose to disregard it.
benton.org/node/47277 | Broadcasting&Cable
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WHY KCET NEVER MADE IT BIG IN PBS
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Melissa Maerz, Scott Collins]
Next week, in addition to being without an NFL franchise, Los Angeles will lose another hallmark asset that major cities typically claim — a flagship PBS affiliate. Why couldn't the nation's second-largest media market sustain a thriving PBS affiliate that operated a top national player? If New York, Boston and Washington (DC) can do it, why couldn't Los Angeles? While KCET officials contend they were marginalized by an institutional bias within PBS toward an elite group of East Coast stations, critics are adamant, at times withering, in their view that the local station squandered its potential, surrendered its ambition of becoming a national player and never truly connected with its viewing public - who after all were counted on to largely fund the endeavor. One need look no further than the amount of prime-time programming hours produced for the national PBS audience last year, say critics. While WNET in New York (125 hours), WGBH in Boston (135 hours) and WETA in Washington, D.C. (337 hours), combined for 597 hours, KCET contributed just 10. KCET officials, proud of their programming that included local hits like "California's Gold" and nationally distributed ones like "Tavis Smiley," maintained they were unfairly blocked from competing nationally. The PBS network greatly favored the "big three" — WETA, WGBH and WNET — which effectively formed an oligarchy that prevented not only KCET but medium and smaller PBS affiliates from grabbing prime programming hours.
benton.org/node/47279 | Los Angeles Times
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SPECTRUM/WIRELESS

THE VALUE OF SPECTRUM
[SOURCE: TVTechnology, AUTHOR: Doug Lung]
One of the precepts of the FCC's plan to reallocate up to half the usable broadcast TV spectrum for broadband is that the market value of the spectrum would be much greater if it's used for broadband rather than for broadcasting. If the price AT&T is paying for Qualcomm's prime FLO spectrum is any indication, the Federal Communications Commission may have a hard time convincing broadcasters to voluntarily give up their spectrum. AT&T is set to pay $1.925 billion for spectrum currently used for Qualcomm's FLO TV operation. While that may sound like a large amount, consider that, according to the TWICE article on the shutdown, FLO was operational in 107 markets. Dividing 107 into $1.925 billion gives an average price per market of only $18 million. The price per channel would be less, as Qualcomm also owns Block E spectrum in some markets. How many TV stations would be willing to give up their TV channel for $18 million? In reality, they would receive much less, as the government would want its cut for deficit reduction. One possible reason for the lower price is this is "unpaired" spectrum -- there isn't a separate block of frequencies to be used for two-way communications. This doesn't appear to be a problem for AT&T, however.
benton.org/node/47281 | TVTechnology
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APPLE SUED OVER MOBILE APP PRIVACY
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Yukari Iwatani Kane]
Apple and four app developers have been hit with a lawsuit that alleges violations of computer fraud and privacy laws by allowing ad networks to access users’ personal information. The suit was filed on Dec 23 by the law firm KamberLaw on behalf of Jonathan Lalo, a Los Angeles County resident, in federal court in San Jose, California. It seeks class-action status. The complaint names app developers Pandora, Dictionary.com, The Weather Channel and Backflip Studios, the maker of the Paper Toss app, as well as Apple. The complaint accuses Apple of allowing ad networks to track users’ app activity based on a unique identification number. It also charged that apps were selling other information to ad networks including “users’ location, age, gender, income, ethnicity, sexual orientation and political views.”
benton.org/node/47269 | Wall Street Journal
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New America Foundation and Foreign Policy
Thursday, January 13, 2011
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

A spirited conversation with Evgeny Morozov and Susan Glasser, Editor-in-Chief of Foreign Policy, to be followed by a cocktail hour to celebrate the publication of Net Delusion.

Who really benefits from the internet and social media technology? Evgeny Morozov delves into this question in his new book, Net Delusion: The Dark Side of the Internet. He argues that, contrary to common belief, this new technology often empowers Big Brother far more than the individual. It is not the young protestors and dissidents but rather the regimes in Teheran and Beijing that are the Web's greatest beneficiaries.

Discussants
Evgeny Morozov

Author, The Net Delusion
Schwartz Fellow, New America Foundation
Contributing Editor, Foreign Policy

Susan Glasser
Editor-in-Chief, Foreign Policy

To RSVP for the event:
http://www.newamerica.net/events/2010/net_delusion

For questions, contact Stephanie Gunter at (202) 596-3367 or gunter@newamerica.net


Benton's Headlines will return Monday, January 3, 2011

Headlines is off to, like every year, go help the Macy's elves with clean-up. Hope you have a safe and happy break. We'll see you MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2011.

December 23, 2010 (Budget passed, time to leave town)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2011

Headlines is off to, like every year, go help the Macy's elves with clean-up. Hope you have a safe and happy break. We'll see you MONDAY, JANUARY 3, 2010


BUDGET
   President Obama signs bill to fund government until March

POLICYMAKERS
   Stormy 111th Congress was still the most productive in decades
   Electronic info dominates George W. Bush's archive
   McLaughlin, Obama's deputy CTO, leaves to launch start-ups

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
   Coalition Cautions Against Action That Undermines Net Freedoms
   CIA launches task force to assess impact of U.S. cables' exposure by WikiLeaks
   NITRD Seeks Comment on Designing a Digital Future
   Electronic info dominates George W. Bush's archive

NETWORK NEUTRALITY
   New FCC rules take slow route on net neutrality
   On the Waterfront With The FCC
   Was It Google And Verizon Or The FCC That Just Screwed Us On Mobile Net Neutrality?
   Network Neutrality Rules May Signal A Change in Wireless Pricing
   Europe seen needing regulation on Internet access

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
   Approval Talks Delay Comcast-NBC Deal
   Comcast/NBCU: ACA Says Baseball-Style Arbitration Condition Is No Help
   Will Google follow Microsoft in EU probe?
   The Men and No Women of Web 2.0 Boards

TELEVISION
   2010: What a Difference a Year Makes in Broadcasting
   Most US Households Now Have An HDTV
   Big Cable Operators Deployed Just 5,000 Standalone CableCards In Last Three Months
   FCC Reverses Decision On MASN's Time Warner Cable Complaint
   Cable TV's ratings put networks on notice
   How Uncle Sam invented television

TELECOM/WIRELESS
   Over half of late-20s crowd own cell phones only

CONTENT
   Computers That Trade on the News
   Newspapers Top Broadcasters In Web Video Streaming
   Internet Marketing Predictions for 2011
   Electronic info dominates George W. Bush's archive

PRIVACY
   FTC’s New Chief Technologist Lays Out The Limits Of ‘Do Not Track’
   US responds to EU comments on data protection

CYBERSECURITY/PUBLIC SAFETY
   Lawmakers say cybersecurity is a top priority in 2011
   Critical Infrastructure Protection Month
   State Department Creates Cyber Coordinator Post

ELECTIONS AND MEDIA
   Politics goes mobile

MORE ON INTERNET/BROADBAND
   Is Your Internet Disaster Plan in Place?

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POLICYMAKERS

MOST PRODUCTIVE CONGRESS IN DECADES
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: David Fahrenthold, Philip Rucker, Felicia Sonmez]
The House and Senate adjourned for the year on Wednesday evening, closing a two-year term that holds the odd distinction of being both historically busy and epically unpopular. A Congress that was dominated by Democrats passed more landmark legislation than any since the era of Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society." Congress approved an $814 billion economic stimulus, a massive health-care overhaul, and new regulations on Wall Street trading and consumer credit cards. The list grew longer during this month's frenetic lame-duck session: tax cuts, a nuclear arms treaty and a repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military. But the 111th Congress will also be remembered for endless filibuster threats, volcanic town hall meetings, and the rise of the tea party. All were symbols of a dissatisfaction that peaked on Nov. 2, with a Republican rout in the midterm elections.
benton.org/node/47079 | Washington Post
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ELECTRONIC ARCHIVE
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Jamie Stengle]
Archivists responsible for putting together the presidential library of former President George W. Bush are tasked with processing 80 terabytes of electronic information - 20 times the Clinton administration's four terabytes. Bush's electronic archives contain more than 200 million e-mails, compared with about 20 million in former President Bill Clinton's. Bush's archives also include share drives, hard drives, scheduling systems and digital photography, which his administration switched to about halfway through his tenure. The average size of a quality digital photo is about three megabytes, meaning just one terabyte can store more than 300,000 such pictures. The Bush administration e-mails alone would take up an estimated 600 million printed pages, said Alan Lowe, director of Bush's presidential library and museum. Combined with 70 million paper documents, the haul far eclipses the 550 to 580 million printed pages Lowe estimates are in all other National Archives' presidential libraries.
benton.org/node/47077 | Associated Press
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MCLAUGHLIN LEAVES WHITE HOUSE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
Andrew McLaughlin, the nation's deputy chief technology officer, said Wednesday he is resigning his post to launch two start-ups aimed at technology development in communities in the United States and abroad. McLaughlin, who previously worked as a Google executive, oversaw many of the White House's Internet policy initiatives including Internet access regulations, the expansion of broadband connections and global cybersecurity. He said was ready to rejoin the private sector after two years in the White House. He will remain in Washington as he launches his start-up ventures. His last day at the White House is Thursday. McLaughlin gained special scrutiny from Rep Darryl Issa (R-CA) and some privacy advocates critical of the search giant after it was discovered he corresponded by e-mail to Google employees, which breaks his ethics pledge.
benton.org/node/47075 | Washington Post
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GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

SUPPORTING NET FREEDOM
[SOURCE: National Journal, AUTHOR: Juliana Gruenwald]
A coalition of public interest, privacy and civil liberties groups released an open letter to the Obama Administration and lawmakers urging them not to push legislation that might weaken free expression or hamper online freedoms in response to the release of classified documents by WikiLeaks. In the letter, the groups noted that some critics of the whistleblower website have suggested that the Espionage Act be extended to WikiLeaks for releasing sensitive government documents to the public, which most recently included a batch of U.S. diplomatic cables. "We urge caution against any legislation that could weaken the principles of free expression vital to a democratic society or hamper online freedoms," according to the letter signed by the American Civil Liberties Union, American Library Association, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Center for Democracy and Technology and others.
benton.org/node/47056 | National Journal
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WIKILEAKS TASK FORCE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Greg Miller]
The Central intelligence Agency (CIA) has launched a task force to assess the impact of the exposure of thousands of US diplomatic cables and military files by WikiLeaks. Officially, the panel is called the WikiLeaks Task Force. But at CIA headquarters, it's mainly known by its all-too-apt acronym: WTF. The irreverence is perhaps understandable for an agency that has been relatively unscathed by WikiLeaks. Only a handful of CIA files have surfaced on the WikiLeaks Web site, and records from other agencies posted online reveal remarkably little about CIA employees or operations. Even so, CIA officials said the agency is conducting an extensive inventory of the classified information, which is routinely distributed on a dozen or more networks that connect agency employees around the world. And the task force is focused on the immediate impact of the most recently released files. One issue is whether the agency's ability to recruit informants could be damaged by declining confidence in the U.S. government's ability to keep secrets.
benton.org/node/47054 | Washington Post
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NETWORK NEUTRALITY

SLOW ROUTE TO NETWORK NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary]
This has been a big week for the Internet - and we're not talking about online shopping. After years of agitation from public interest groups, companies that build Web applications (including Google, Netflix and Skype), and Internet service providers, the Federal Communications Commission has approved rules designed to preserve open traffic flow online. "Net neutrality" is an effort to ensure that the public has open access to websites and services. The FCC's new guidelines will shape the Web for years, and maybe decades, to come. As such, the FCC took the mildest possible approach to regulation. The order instructs network carriers (such as Comcast) not to block any sites, applications or devices, even if such content is in direct economic competition with the network carrier. But the carriers are allowed to experiment with measures like differential pricing for content providers that have heavy usage, or controls on the traffic of said content providers. There's also an enormous loophole for carriers to tinker with access to mobile Internet services, which are newer, more competitive, and projected for huge growth. No one is happy with the new guidelines.
benton.org/node/47073 | San Francisco Chronicle | Huffington Post
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ON THE WATERFRONT WITH THE FCC
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Art Brodsky]
[Commentary] For all the sturm und drang surrounding the Federal Communications Commission’s actions on network neutrality ­ they could end up being toothless. For all of the overheated rhetoric about a “government takeover” of the Internet, and for all of the news stories about regulating Internet traffic, the situation at the end of the day is much less clear. There is much less than meets the eye. That’s because of the dichotomy of what is a rule, and what is a discussion of a rule. For example, if the FCC had said, it is a violation of our rules to offer a “pay for priority” service or to offer “specialized” services outside of the Internet that might siphon off bandwidth from the Internet everyone uses. At that point, carriers would know what is allowed and what is not. They could challenge it, of course, but the rule would be clear. That’s not what the FCC did. Instead, the text of the FCC order as part of the discussion of Net Neutrality simply says, in essence, “We don't think pay for priority is a good idea,” and might be considered “unreasonable discrimination.” Is that informal opinion that’s not a part of the central rule enforceable? If you think that’s a court case waiting to happen, you’re right. If it was that important, why didn't the FCC simply ban the practice? Because of loopholes like this, the future of any number of companies that exist now is in jeopardy because the rules will allow giant telephone and cable companies to create their own version of the same service as one that already exists, to offer it on different terms and conditions that would put a competitor at a disadvantage ­ say a better video streaming experience that the in-house service can get but which others don't have.
benton.org/node/47032 | Public Knowledge
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WHO SCREWED US?
[SOURCE: TechCrunch, AUTHOR: MG Siegler]
In the Federal Communications Commission's release about the network neutrality order adopted Dec 21 is a section on Measured Steps for Mobile Broadband. It reads, in part, "Further, we recognize that there have been meaningful recent moves toward openness, including the introduction of open operating systems like Android. In addition, we anticipate soon seeing the effects on the market of the openness conditions we imposed on mobile providers that operate on upper 700 MHz C-Block spectrum, which includes Verizon Wireless, one of the largest mobile wireless carriers in the US. In light of these considerations, we conclude it is appropriate to take measured steps at this time to protect the openness of the Internet when accessed through mobile broadband." The entire section reads much like the joint network neutrality proposal offered by Google and Verizon. But what the hell does an open operating system have anything to do with network access?
benton.org/node/47031 | TechCrunch
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NET NEUTRALITY AND WIRELESS PRICING
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Stacey Higginbotham]
[Commentary] The Federal Communications Commission implementation of rules around network neutrality may open up a change in the way carriers price mobile broadband -- and it’s not going to get cheaper. For U.S. operators the question of whether or not charging someone for a Facebook plan, or for prioritized access to online video would run afoul of FCC regulations was always an issue. So while I don't expect Verizon to change its pricing tomorrow, the fact that there are a set of rules out (or almost out since the full text of the order still isn't available) will make it far easier for operators to plan for pricing changes that won't run afoul of the FCC or will intentionally run afoul of the FCC in order to test its authority.
benton.org/node/47053 | GigaOm
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DOES EUROPE NEED NET NEUTRALITY?
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: David Hulmes, David Cowell]
Europe's confidence that it need not follow the United States in adopting rules to ensure fair Internet access may be short-lived, as competition between mobile operators and service providers like Skype intensifies. A debate over network neutrality -- the principle that all Internet traffic be treated equally -- has been heating up in the United States for years but has so far generated little public concern in Europe. At stake is the ability of Internet service providers (ISPs) to ration access to their networks, allowing them to manage congestion but running the risk they will favor their own services or those who pay more, restricting consumer choice. In Europe, telecoms operators such as Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom or Telefonica -- former state monopolies which typically have close relationships with national governments -- still have the upper hand. The European Commission has so far refrained from legislating to avert a looming conflict with the likes of Skype, Google or Facebook, which offer virtually free voice communications and messaging, striking at the heart of the carriers' business. But Internet service providers (ISPs) -- mainly telcos in Europe -- already actively manage traffic to make it more efficient, and the potential to do more to protect their own services or earn extra revenues may be too much to resist.
benton.org/node/47051 | Reuters
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MEDIA OWNERSHIP

COMCAST-NBC DELAY
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bill Carter, Brian Stelter]
The long-awaited completion of the takeover of NBC Universal by Comcast will have to wait until 2011. NBC Universal CEO Jeffrey Zucker sent a memo to staff members Dec 22 explaining that regulatory approval of the deal, under which Comcast will acquire 51 percent of NBC Universal from the General Electric Company, will not be finalized by the end of December, as Comcast executives had hoped. The delays have to do with some lingering issues involving what concessions Comcast will be asked to accept in order to win acceptance by the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC is preparing to circulate its order for the deal, perhaps as early as Dec 23. The order will include unspecified conditions to protect against consumer harm. Regulatory approval could come in early January.
benton.org/node/47050 | New York Times | National Journal | paidContent.org | WashPost
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ACA SAYS NO TO ARBITRATION
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Amid talk at the Federal Communications Commission that Chairman Julius Genachowski could be circulating the Comcast/NBCU decision -- approval with conditions -- to the other commissioners as early as Dec 22, the American Cable Association was pushing against what it understands to be one of the conditions -- baseball-style arbitration -- that the cable group says does not help its members. In an ex parte filing on a Dec 20 meeting with John Flynn, senior counsel to the chairman for transactions, ACA executives said they understood the FCC was proposing requiring outside arbitration on programming disputes, but one that would not make it a "usable remedy" for smaller operators. ACA said its understanding was that Comcast-NBCU would be required by the FCC to reimburse smaller MVPDs for arbitration fees if Comcast lost, but not if it won. In any event, ACA has argued that baseball-style arbitration does not help its members, who are smaller and mid-sized operators without the deep pockets of the larger players.
benton.org/node/47049 | Multichannel News
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GOOGLE-MICROSOFT
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Alexei Oreskovic, Foo Yun Chee]
Google's Internet search algorithm is the technology world's equivalent of the Coca-Cola formula: a top-secret corporate crown jewel. But pressure is growing on Google to lift the veil on some of its inner workings as European regulators investigate complaints that Google's search engine unfairly discriminates against certain websites. The case underscores the increased scrutiny over Google's influence in the Internet industry and could set the stage for the kind of long-running regulatory battle fought in the past by technology giants like Microsoft. Odds are that the world's No. 1 search engine will seek to keep prying eyes -- even those of the European Commission, known in many circles globally as the toughest watchdog -- away from the ranking algorithms that are the core of its business.
benton.org/node/47047 | Reuters
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TELEVISION

2010 FOR BROADCASTERS
[SOURCE: TVNewsCheck, AUTHOR: Harry Jessell, Mark Miller]
Coming into 2010, broadcasters were expecting a flood of political advertising dollars to fill coffers depleted by two years of recession. They were not disappointed. Candidates, parties and others attempting to influence elections, congressional votes and ballot initiatives spent some $3 billion on advertising this year, and most of that, perhaps $2.4 billion, went directly to TV stations, still seen as the best way by far to target likely voters, according to political ad tracker Evan Tracey. So fast did the dollars come, that stations' biggest challenge was managing regular advertisers who were being pushed aside of the campaigners. The political money, along with the return of auto advertising, which had practically disappeared in 2009, fattened the top and bottom lines of most full-service stations and took some of the pressure off the cost lines.
benton.org/node/47025 | TVNewsCheck
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FEW CABLECARDS
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Todd Spangler]
The 10 largest US cable operators have deployed only 536,000 standalone CableCards to date -- and only 5,000 in the last three months -- compared with more than 25 million CableCard-enabled set-tops since July 2007, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association said in a filing with the Federal Communications Commission. The FCC has acknowledged the CableCard rule, which forces cable operators to use the cards in their own set-tops, hasn't achieved the aim of fostering a competitive market in cable TV navigation devices at retail. In October, the agency voted unanimously to change the CableCard rules in the hopes of improving their adoption, including requiring the option of consumer self-installation of the cards and giving consumers information on the cost of retail vs. leased boxes.
benton.org/node/47024 | Multichannel News
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MASN-TIME WARNER
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission has reversed a two-year-old bureau-level decision and concluded that Time Warner Cable (TWC ) did not discriminate against MASN (Mid-Atlantic Sports Network), which means the cable operator won't have to deliver the network and its Washington Nationals and Baltimore Orioles games to its subs in North Carolina. That comes over two years after Time Warner challenged an FCC Media Bureau decision to uphold an outside arbiter's finding that Time Warner Cable had discriminated against the regional sports net by not agreeing to carry it on a widely viewed analog tier.
benton.org/node/47026 | Broadcasting&Cable
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UNCLE SAM AND TV
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
The first in a four part series exploring the major transition that television is currently undergoing. Broadcast TV station owners can sit on their licenses and discuss "current marketplace realities" with the Federal Communications Commission because, seventy years ago, Congress created that marketplace for them. To be sure, the United States didn't "invent" TV itself. That honor goes to John Logie Baird, Philo Farnsworth, and Vladimir Zworykin, among other innovators. But the government literally created the business model and framework in which broadcast TV flourished. In fact, for a crucial period of time, politicians protected over-the-air broadcasters from other business models, most notably the telephone company and cable TV. Now, regulators face the challenge of uninventing that framework. Here's a history of what they built -- the story of the government invention of television up to the present, one that begins even before television really got underway.
benton.org/node/47046 | Ars Technica
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CONTENT

COMPUTERS THAT TRADE ON NEWS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Graham Bowley]
The number-crunchers on Wall Street are starting to crunch something else: the news. Math-loving traders are using powerful computers to speed-read news reports, editorials, company Web sites, blog posts and even Twitter messages — and then letting the machines decide what it all means for the markets. The development goes far beyond standard digital fare like most-read and e-mailed lists. In some cases, the computers are actually parsing writers’ words, sentence structure, even the odd emoticon. A wink and a smile — ;) — for instance, just might mean things are looking up for the markets. Then, often without human intervention, the programs are interpreting that news and trading on it. Given the volatility in the markets and concern that computerized trading exaggerates the ups and downs, the notion that Wall Street is engineering news-bots might sound like an investor’s nightmare. But the development, years in the making, is part of the technological revolution that is reshaping Wall Street. In a business where information is the most valuable commodity, traders with the smartest, fastest computers can outfox and outmaneuver rivals.
benton.org/node/47078 | New York Times
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TELECOM/WIRELESS

CDC REPORT ON CELL-ONLY HOMES
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Lance Whitney]
Fifty-one percent of 25- to 29-year-olds live in households that have kicked the landline habit, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is the first time that wireless-only households have surpassed landline households among any age group, according to the CDC's report released yesterday. The report, which surveyed 17,619 households over the six months that ended in June, also showed a 2 point rise of cell-phone-only households among late-twentysomethings compared with the previous six months. Looking at other age groups, around 40 percent of people 18 to 24 and 30 to 34 live in cell phone-only households. After the age of 35, that figures drops off until age 65 when only 5 percent of the people are in households with cell phones only. Meanwhile, almost 40 percent of households with children under 3 rely on cell phones alone. Overall, the CDC found that 26 percent of U.S. homes used only wireless phones, while another 16 percent received all or almost all their calls on a cell phone even though they still have landlines.
benton.org/node/47045 | C-Net|News.com | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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PRIVACY

DATA PROTECTION
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Hayley Tsukayama]
William Kennard, US Ambassador to the European Union, responded to an EU official's comments that the United States did not seem ready to move forward on a data protection agreement with the EU. According to an article from Information Age, Kennard told reporters in Brussels Dec 20 that he disagrees with European commissioner for justice and fundamental rights Viviane Reding's criticism that while the U.S. is interested in negotiating individual data sharing agreements with the EU, it's dragging its heels on data protection. The ambassador and former FCC chairman rejected that idea, telling reporters, “I disagree -- we're moving ahead.”
benton.org/node/47027 | Washington Post
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CYBERSECURITY/PUBLIC SAFETY

CYBERSECURITY A PRIORITY IN 2011
[SOURCE: nextgov, AUTHOR: Aliya Sternstein]
Cybersecurity will be a top priority for the Republican-led House in 2011, but it is unknown when Congress will act on legislation to revamp an outdated federal cyber law, say aides to incoming GOP leaders. Details likely will emerge when Rep Mac Thornberry (R-TX), the new vice chairman of the Armed Services Committee, speaks early in the next Congress about defending cyberspace, say information security experts. On Dec. 15, Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-OH) tapped Rep Thornberry "to lead an initiative on cybersecurity that cuts across committee lines." Thornberry aides declined to comment on his agenda this week.
benton.org/node/47068 | nextgov
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CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MONTH
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Jamie Barnett]
On December 3 of this year, the President issued a Proclamation that December is Critical Infrastructure Protection Month. In the Proclamation, President Barack Obama said, "[M]y Administration is committed to delivering the necessary information, tools, and resources to areas where critical infrastructure exists in order to maintain and enhance its security and resilience." This effort is a central focus for the Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau. The Bureau’s mission is to ensure public safety and homeland security by advancing state-of-the-art communications that are accessible, reliable, resilient, and secure, in coordination with public and private partners. As part of the nation’s national security protection programs, the Bureau is a key contributor in protecting communications facilities that are a critical component of the nation’s infrastructure. There are several critical infrastructure sectors and each sector has an Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC). As part of our responsibilities in critical infrastructure protection, we support the Communications ISAC by providing subject matter expert liaison staff. The mission of the Communications ISAC is to facilitate voluntary collaboration and information sharing among government and industry in support of Executive Order 12472 and the national critical infrastructure protection goals of Presidential Decision Directive 63. The intent is to gather information on vulnerabilities, threats, intrusions, and anomalies from multiple sources in order to perform analysis with the goal of averting or mitigating impact upon the telecommunications infrastructure.
benton.org/node/47041 | Federal Communications Commission
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ELECTIONS AND MEDIA

POLITICS GOES MOBILE
[SOURCE: Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, AUTHOR: Aaron Smith, Lee Rainie]
More than a quarter of American adults – 26% – used their cell phones to learn about or participate in the 2010 mid-term election campaign. In a post-election nationwide survey of adults, the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project found that 82% of adults have cell phones. Of those cell owners, 71% use their phone for texting and 39% use the phone for accessing the Internet. With that as context, the Pew Internet survey found that:
14% of all American adults used their cell phones to tell others that they had voted.
12% of adults used their cell phones to keep up with news about the election or politics.
10% of adults sent text messages relating to the election to friends, family members and others.
6% of adults used their cells to let others know about conditions at their local voting stations on election day, including insights about delays, long lines, low turnout, or other issues.
4% of adults used their phones to monitor results of the election as they occurred.
3% of adults used their cells to shoot and share photos or videos related to the election.
1% of adults used a cell-phone app that provided updates from a candidate or group about election news.
1% of adults contributed money by text message to a candidate or group connected to the election like a party or interest group.
benton.org/node/47067 | Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project | MediaPost | Associated Press | San Francisco Chronicle
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MORE ON INTERNET/BROADBAND

IS YOUR INTERNET DISASTER PLAN IN PLACE?
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Ryan Kim]
[Commentary] On Dec 22, both Skype and Twitter were down for periods of time. The incidents may be unrelated, but they highlight our growing reliance on web communication tools to keep in touch. As we move our exchanges to the cloud, we are increasingly vulnerable to these kinds of outages. The lesson here isn't that we should abandon online communications tools. Those are here to stay. We need to just keep our options open and be prepared to roll with the punches. Outages are going to be with us for many years to come, especially as these services scale up. The key thing is to have multiple channels ready if and when the next Skypefail or Twitter outage occurs. Think of it like an emergency back-up plan, much like families have rally points to meet up in case of disaster. For example: Meet on Twitter if Gmail fails. It may sound extreme, but with more and more companies and start-ups relying on these tools, it doesn't hurt to prepare for the worst.
benton.org/node/47071 | GigaOm
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... and to all a good-night!

Stormy 111th Congress was still the most productive in decades

The House and Senate adjourned for the year on Wednesday evening, closing a two-year term that holds the odd distinction of being both historically busy and epically unpopular.

A Congress that was dominated by Democrats passed more landmark legislation than any since the era of Lyndon B. Johnson's "Great Society." Congress approved an $814 billion economic stimulus, a massive health-care overhaul, and new regulations on Wall Street trading and consumer credit cards. The list grew longer during this month's frenetic lame-duck session: tax cuts, a nuclear arms treaty and a repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military. But the 111th Congress will also be remembered for endless filibuster threats, volcanic town hall meetings, and the rise of the tea party. All were symbols of a dissatisfaction that peaked on Nov. 2, with a Republican rout in the midterm elections.

Computers That Trade on the News

The number-crunchers on Wall Street are starting to crunch something else: the news.

Math-loving traders are using powerful computers to speed-read news reports, editorials, company Web sites, blog posts and even Twitter messages — and then letting the machines decide what it all means for the markets. The development goes far beyond standard digital fare like most-read and e-mailed lists. In some cases, the computers are actually parsing writers’ words, sentence structure, even the odd emoticon. A wink and a smile — ;) — for instance, just might mean things are looking up for the markets. Then, often without human intervention, the programs are interpreting that news and trading on it.

Given the volatility in the markets and concern that computerized trading exaggerates the ups and downs, the notion that Wall Street is engineering news-bots might sound like an investor’s nightmare. But the development, years in the making, is part of the technological revolution that is reshaping Wall Street. In a business where information is the most valuable commodity, traders with the smartest, fastest computers can outfox and outmaneuver rivals.

Electronic info dominates George W. Bush's archive

Archivists responsible for putting together the presidential library of former President George W. Bush are tasked with processing 80 terabytes of electronic information - 20 times the Clinton administration's four terabytes.

Bush's electronic archives contain more than 200 million e-mails, compared with about 20 million in former President Bill Clinton's. Bush's archives also include share drives, hard drives, scheduling systems and digital photography, which his administration switched to about halfway through his tenure. The average size of a quality digital photo is about three megabytes, meaning just one terabyte can store more than 300,000 such pictures. The Bush administration e-mails alone would take up an estimated 600 million printed pages, said Alan Lowe, director of Bush's presidential library and museum. Combined with 70 million paper documents, the haul far eclipses the 550 to 580 million printed pages Lowe estimates are in all other National Archives' presidential libraries.

McLaughlin, Obama's deputy CTO, leaves to launch start-ups

Andrew McLaughlin, the nation's deputy chief technology officer, said he is resigning his post to launch two start-ups aimed at technology development in communities in the United States and abroad.

McLaughlin, who previously worked as a Google executive, oversaw many of the White House's Internet policy initiatives including Internet access regulations, the expansion of broadband connections and global cybersecurity. He said was ready to rejoin the private sector after two years in the White House. He will remain in Washington as he launches his start-up ventures. His last day at the White House is Dec 23.

McLaughlin gained special scrutiny from Rep Darryl Issa (R-CA) and some privacy advocates critical of the search giant after it was discovered he corresponded by e-mail to Google employees, which breaks his ethics pledge.

Cable TV's ratings put networks on notice

Cable networks have been challenging broadcasters' hold on TV viewers for years, but the big networks' lackluster fall is proof of a new parity.

Nielsen figures show the Big 4 and basic cable gained 1% in 2010 as overall viewing continues to rise to a record 34 hours a week. But the fall season has been less kind: Fox is down 15% and ABC is off 5%, offsetting smaller gains by CBS and NBC. Few cable series outpace broadcast hits, but increasingly the strongest are beating many of their big-network rivals.

Among the biggest gainers this year: No. 8 History, up 34% and riding high on unhistorical series such as Pawn Stars and American Pickers. Jersey Shore, MTV's biggest hit, propelled it 22%; Keeping Up With the Kardashians helped E! grow 16%. Sitcom Hot in Cleveland fueled a 15% gain for TV Land, and tiny Investigation Discovery grew a big 63%.

Conversely, CNN continued to plummet, down 34%. Hitless VH1 is off 31%, and Hallmark fell 24%. Even top-rated USA is down 4% from a stellar 2009, while Fox News fell 7%.

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