June 2011

AT&T/T-MOBILE

AT&T RESPONDS TO CRITICS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
AT&T says it’s still on track to get its merger with T-Mobile approved by March 2012, even as state utilities, business partners and consumer interest groups express concern about the deal. In a meeting with reporters in Washington, AT&T General Counsel Wayne Watts said the company has provided a second round of information requested by the Justice Department. He said meetings with the Federal Communications Commission are also going as scheduled. “The number one question I get from investors is can we get (the deal) done,” Watt said. “I think we can.” He rejected arguments that merger approval should include a stipulation that AT&T stop exclusive contracts with handset makers. It’s two-year exclusive contract with Apple was the main reason behind its smartphone success, the company has said.
Watts launched into an unbidden defense of his company, which has come under fire over the support it has gotten for the merger from groups to which it has donated thousands of dollars. "We contribute to organizations because we are a socially responsible company," Watts said. A spokeswoman said many of the organizations involved have received money from AT&T for more than a decade. And Watts named other groups and corporations, including several big technology companies, that he says haven't gotten money from AT&T.
benton.org/node/79101 | Washington Post | AdWeek
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NEW YORK CONCERNS ABOUT AT&T/T-MOBILE
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Kent German]
The New York State Public Service Commission has warned the Federal Communications Commission that AT&T's proposed acquisition of T-Mobile could significantly harm public interest and stifle competition for wireless services. In its filing, the NYPSC stops short of calling on the FCC to deny the $39 billion merger, but it urged the federal agency to closely evaluate on a market-by-market basis how it could impact wireless concentration. Though it plays no official role in the approval process, New York can influence the transaction by successfully arguing that state residents, particularly those in New York City, will be "disproportionally" affected. "Wireless infrastructure and services are critically important to the citizens, and economy, of New York State," the letter said. "It is critically important that New York State consumers be protected against potential harm caused by further consolidation in wireless voice and broadband markets...We also urge the FCC to allow additional process, including opportunities for further review and comment, as the FCC moves forward in its review."
benton.org/node/79062 | C-Net|News.com
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BOUCHER ON WIRELESS COMPETITION
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Gautham Nagesh]
AT&T's $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA wouldn't adversely impact competition in the wireless market, according to former-Rep Rick Boucher (D-VA). Critics argue the transaction would leave AT&T and Verizon Wireless in dominant positions with Sprint a distant third. Boucher said that even if the merger is approved by the government there would still be ample competition in the nation's largest metro areas. "Clearly there are two dominant carriers, but after this merger is complete in 18 of the 20 largest cities there will still be five or more wireless providers," Boucher argued. "So there will be ample choice for everyone that decides they want a carrier other than Verizon or AT&T." Boucher joined the AT&T-backed advocacy group the Internet Innovation Alliance last month, adding his respected voice on telecom policy to the small army of lobbyists and advocates pushing the government to approve the merger, arguing it would accelerate the deployment of next generation wireless coverage. "[The merger] is simply a step that will allow the private sector to bring broadband to 97 percent of the population," Boucher said. "One company would meet the Obama administration's goal." The Congressman said in his new role he is pushing for reform of the Universal Service Fund so firms can receive funds for building out broadband networks in rural areas.
benton.org/node/79061 | Hill, The
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T-MOBILE'S RESPONSE
[SOURCE: Boy Genius Report, AUTHOR: Todd Haselton]
T-Mobile’s senior vice president of government affairs, Tom Sugure, has issued a formal statement to those who oppose AT&T's acquisition of his company:
“The opponents of the AT&T-T-Mobile merger have had their final say as part of the FCC’s formal pleading cycle and, not surprisingly, they have failed to offer any credible arguments to support their view that the Commission should deny the transaction." Sprint, which has lashed back at the acquisition from the get-go has said the purchase will stifle innovation. ”What is surprising, however, is their repeated head-in-the-sand insistence that no spectrum crisis exists,” Sugrue added. “As part of their application, AT&T and T-Mobile provided a compelling showing of their need for more spectrum to continue to provide quality service to customers and roll out new technologies in the future. And the two companies have demonstrated that a combination of their networks and spectrum holdings is by far the best way to solve this problem and ensure improved service and enhanced innovation. The FCC has long acknowledged the harmful consequences of ignoring the spectrum crunch, and we are confident it will approve our proposed market-based solution.”
benton.org/node/79160 | Boy Genius Report
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WIRELESS/SPECTRUM

NEXT GENERATION WIRELESS DISCLOSURE ACT
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: Casey Newton]
With the meaning of "4G" seemingly different for every wireless carrier, Rep Anna Eshoo (D-CA) will introduce a bill to force companies to disclose the speeds of their next-generation networks in stores and on customer bills. The Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act would require carriers to inform consumers of minimum data speeds, network reliability and coverage, and the technology used to provide "4G" service. Consumer groups issued statements of support for disclosure rules around 4G. Sascha Meinrath, director of the New America Foundation's Open Technology Initiative, criticized "Orwellian doublespeak advertising" among wireless carriers that tout "lightning-fast" or "supercharged" speeds without elaborating. "Transparency rules that provide consumers with basic information regarding the actual price, minimum speed, and plain-language terms of service are desperately needed," Meinrath said. Once Eshoo's legislation is introduced, it will be up to Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR) as to whether the bill will get a hearing. Walden is the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's subcommittee on communications and technology.
benton.org/node/79169 | San Francisco Chronicle | Washington Post
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VERIZON DATA PLANS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Ina Fried]
Verizon Wireless, which has said it plans to move away from unlimited data plans for new subscribers, confirms that new tiered options will be the norm starting next month. Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney said that the company is making changes to its data plans, including those for new smartphone customers. “We will move to a more usage based model in July,” Raney said. “We'll share more later.” Enthusiast site Droid Life reported that Verizon will offer plans ranging from $30 a month for 2GB of data to $80 a month for 10GB of data, with tethering to other devices available for an additional $20, including a further 2GB of data. The site says the new plans will go into effect July 7. Verizon declined to comment on specifics of its new plans. Verizon has been offering unlimited data as a $30-per-month option for several months for 3G smartphones, including the iPhone 4, but has always said that it was offering the plan for a limited time only.
benton.org/node/79048 | Wall Street Journal
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INTERNET/BROADBAND

RURAL HEALTH PROJECT
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
The Federal Communications Commission adopted an Order permitting health care providers that are located in a “rural area” and that have received a funding commitment from the rural health care program prior to July 1, 2005, to continue to be treated as if they are located in “rural” areas for purposes of determining eligibility for all universal service rural health care programs.
In the accompanying Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice), the FCC seeks comment on whether to make these “grandfathered” providers permanently eligible for discounted services under the rural health care program. Grandfathered providers do not currently qualify as “rural,” but play a key role in delivering health care services to surrounding regions that do qualify as “rural” today. Thus, the FCC takes these actions to ensure that health care providers located in rural areas can continue to benefit from connecting with grandfathered providers, and thereby provide health care to patients in rural areas
benton.org/node/79164 | Federal Communications Commission
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INTERNET CENTER FOR THE HOMELESS
[SOURCE: Center for Urban and Regional Affairs, AUTHOR: Rebecca Orrick]
The goal of this project was to research the feasibility and logistics of creating an Internet center for homeless individuals. The author was asked to identify 1) where individuals could currently access the Internet for free in the Twin Cities, 2) what the homeless population currently thinks about their access to the Internet, 3) whether there were any current projects that had similar characteristics to the vision that the Internet Café Working Group developed for the center, and 4) best practices for developing and managing free Internet centers.
benton.org/node/79158 | Center for Urban and Regional Affairs
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AMAZON PROPOSES DEAL
[SOURCE: Dallas Morning News, AUTHOR: Maria Halkias]
Amazon.com wants to make a deal with the state of Texas. The proposed offer circulating around Austin would let Amazon off the hook for collecting sales taxes from its Texas customers over the next 4 ½ years and would bring 5,000 jobs to the state. The company also is promising to spend $300 million to open distribution centers where those employees would work. Finally, it wants the Texas comptroller's office to set up a website where its customers can send sales tax owed on Amazon purchases to the state. Historically, voluntary sales-tax payments haven't been reliable. South Carolina recently accepted a similar offer from Amazon.
benton.org/node/79157 | Dallas Morning News
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FCC REFORM

FCC REFORM BILL CRITIQUES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
House Communications Subcommittee Democrats say the Republicans are off base with their proposed FCC reform bill, arguing that it is "inconsistent" with the reasoning behind the Administrative Procedures Act and could undermine the commission, not help, it by imposing requirements that could reduce regulatory flexibility or merger conditions restrictions that could lead the FCC to deny mergers it might otherwise approve. Among the bill provisions they take issue with -- which is most of them -- are the bill's requirement that each notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) be preceded by a notice of inquiry (NOI), saying that in the fast-moving communications sector, that could, in some instances, add unnecessary delay to the process. The Dems also say that including specific proposed rule language in each NPRM would be too strict a requirement, and that requiring rules to be a "logical outgrowth" of that specific language might then require a new NPRM whenever comments identified a "better way of tackling the problem" that the FCC had proposed. As for the Republican's proposal that the FCC identify the market failure or actual consumer harm being addressed for every rule it imposes "may be contrary to the FCC's statutory mandate to serve the public interest." For instance, they argue, rules ensuring effective 9-1-1 service might put a burden on networks that was not directly related to a market failure.
benton.org/node/79097 | Broadcasting&Cable
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FCC REFORMS LIFELINE PROGRAM TO ELIMINATE WASTE & ENSURE FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Press release]
The Federal Communications Commission strengthened protections in its Lifeline program to eliminate and prevent waste by ensuring that multiple carriers do not get support for serving the same consumer. The purpose of the Lifeline program is to help low-income Americans access affordable phone service. After determining through enhanced oversight that some subscribers have Lifeline-subsidized phone service from multiple carriers, the FCC today clarified its rules to expressly bar more than one benefit per subscriber, and will notify consumers with multiple subsidies that they are only allowed to have one. The action will save potentially millions of dollars per year, helping ensure that Lifeline can reach as many low-income consumers as possible.
Under the FCC's action:
The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) must notify consumers receiving multiple Lifeline benefits that they are allowed to have only one Lifeline-subsidized phone service
Consumers have 30 days to choose which subsidized phone service to keep
The company or companies not chosen by the consumer must de-enroll the consumer from Lifeline within five days after notification by USAC of the consumer’s choice
At the end of the process, consumers will have no more than one Lifeline phone service
benton.org/node/79064 | Federal Communications Commission | Consumer Tip Sheet | read the Report and Order | Chairman Genachowski | Commissioner Copps | Commissioner McDowell | Commissioner Clyburn
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FCC DORMANT PROCEEDINGS
[SOURCE: CommLawBlog, AUTHOR: Harry Cole]
[Commentary] In February, 2010, the Federal Communications Commission issued a low-profile Notice of Proposed Rulemaking addressing a number of procedural issues of seemingly minor interest. In a section titled “Management of Dockets”, the FCC observed that it has more than 3,000 open dockets on its books, many of which “have seen little or no activity in years.” The FCC proposed to authorize its Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) to “review all open dockets”, identify “candidate[s] for termination”, consult with the relevant Bureaus and then, WHACK, pull the plug on dockets in which, for example, “no further action is required or contemplated.” After the FCC adopted that proposal, the CGB has released for comment its initial list of “dormant proceedings” which, absent objection, will be summarily flushed down the tubes in a couple of months. That list is set out in a 97-page table containing more than 1,000 separate line entries. When you dig into them (see below for how you can do this – the process is not as simple as you might think), you find that a fair number of those individual line entries in turn contain as many as 30 or 40 separate and distinct items. From a casual back-of-the-hand calculation, we'd say that CGB is proposing to dump somewhere close to 1,500 separate and distinct proceedings. So the FCC could be relieving itself of up to half of its open dockets with little more than a single perfunctory notice.
It’s possible, of course, that all of the proceedings on CGB’s Goner List have been abandoned by their proponents and can, therefore, be put out of their misery. But without considerable effort, it would be impossible to confirm that. Bottom line: if you filed a petition for rulemaking at any time between, say, 1991 and 2004, and you think you might like to keep it alive, you'd do well to spend some time with CGB’s list.
benton.org/node/79041 | CommLawBlog
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JOURNALISM/COMMUNITY MEDIA

WALDMAN Q&A
[SOURCE: Columbia Journalism Review, AUTHOR: Joel Meares]
The Federal Communications Commission released its long-awaited, 365-page report, “The Information Needs of Communities.” The report’s chief writer, Steve Waldman -- co-founder of News Corp.’s Beliefnet and a former Newsweek and U.S. News & World Report staffer -- has been doing the rounds this week, sounding alarms about the precipitous drop in local accountability reporting outlined in his tome, and selling and defending recommendations some have called “disappointing.” Among those recommendations: the creation of state C-SPANs in every state; doing away with the localism proceeding and enhanced disclosure; funneling federal government advertising, for things like military recruitment, to local media; and, requiring local TV stations to put disclosures, such as pay-as-you pay, online. Conspicuously absent: A hefty government-signed check. Meares met with Waldman in midtown Manhattan to discuss the reaction to his report, the enormous task of putting it together, and specific criticisms of its recommendations.
benton.org/node/79038 | Columbia Journalism Review | Part 2
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E-BOOKS AND WI-FI AND THE LIBRARY
[SOURCE: Government Technology, AUTHOR: ]
Public libraries in the U.S. are facing more demand for e-books and Wi-Fi just as many municipalities are cutting budget and reducing hours of operation, according to an annual study released Tuesday, June 21. Findings in the 2011 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study continue to reflect how libraries have become community hubs for publicly available computers and Internet connectivity. More Americans are relying on technology in libraries to hunt for jobs, to fill out government forms, and to simply browse the Web. In fact, 64 percent of library locations said they are the only provider of free public computer and Internet access in their communities.
Technology is becoming integral to the American public library. Compared to last year’s survey:
Almost 70 percent of libraries reported an increased use of public access workstations.
Seventy-five percent re¬ported an increased use of Wi-Fi.
Almost half re¬ported an increased use of electron¬ic resources.
benton.org/node/79091 | Government Technology | read the report
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PUBLIC RADIO AND FEDERAL FUNDING
[SOURCE: Government Accountability Office, AUTHOR: Mark Goldstein]
This report documents information that GAO presented to Congress on March 31, 2011, in response to a congressional request that we examine the extent to which federal funding is used to support public radio. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) was established pursuant to the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 and receives federal payments through the annual appropriations process. CPB distributes the federal payments it receives in accordance with a statutory formula. Under this formula, the majority of each annual federal payment must be distributed to public broadcasting television and radio stations and program producers, such as National Public Radio (NPR), typically in the form of grants. This report addresses the following questions: (1) What are the missions of CPB, NPR, and local public radio stations? (2) What are the processes through which CPB receives federal payments and disburses them to grantees? and (3) What are NPR's sources of revenue, both federal and nonfederal? (GAO-11-669R, May 19)
benton.org/node/79074 | Government Accountability Office
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ELECTIONS AND MEDIA

2012 POLITICAL AD REVENUES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Lindsay Rubino]
Moody's Investors Service released a report predicting record-breaking political ad revenues for the 2012 presidential election, beating out records set by the 2010 midterm election contests. The "U.S. Broadcasters Get Ready for Record-Breaking Political Ad Spending in 2012" report estimates a 9%-18% revenue growth from 2010's $2.3 billion, according to the agency's base-case scenario for the U.S. pure-play broadcast industry. The presidential election will not be constrained by campaign spending limits due to the Supreme Court's 2010 decision to end spending caps on political advertising; just as the decision benefited the broadcast industry during the 2010 midterm elections, the industry is looking at even bigger increases. "Virtually all US broadcasters will benefit from spending on political ads in 2012 but especially those speculative-grade operators that saw the biggest percentage increases in total revenues from political ads in 2010," said Carl Salas, VP and senior analyst, Moody's.
benton.org/node/79095 | Broadcasting&Cable
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CONTENT

THEFLYONTHEWALL
[SOURCE: New York Law Journal, AUTHOR: Brendan Pierson]
In a decision that could have broad implications for news aggregation services, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled that financial news service Theflyonthewall.com can report on securities brokerages' stock recommendations as soon as it learns of them, as long as it does not violate federal copyright law. The opinion in Barclays Capital v. Theflyonthewall.com, 10-1372, said that the brokerages' claims against Fly under New York's "hot news" misappropriation law were preempted by the Copyright Act. The unanimous panel consisted of Judge Robert D. Sack, who wrote the opinion, and Judges Rosemary S. Pooler and Reena Raggi. The ruling overturned a decision by Southern District Judge Denise L. Cote, who had enjoined Flyonthewall.com from publishing information about the brokerages' reports for a limited time after it was released by the brokerages to their customers.
benton.org/node/79056 | New York Law Journal
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ADVERTISING

CIGARETTE WARNING LABELS
[SOURCE: AdWeek, AUTHOR: Katy Bachman]
The Food and Drug Administration unveiled new mandatory health warnings for cigarette packages; the warnings are the boldest seen thus far in the US, designed to scare the pants off kids who are even thinking about smoking and help adults make the decision to quit. There are nine different warnings, each of which include a graphic picture -- horrific images of blackened lungs, stained teeth, cadavers, and open wounds. Together, they make up the most significant change to cigarette labels in more than 25 years. By September 2012, all cigarette packs, cartons, and advertising must display the labels, which include a warning accompanied by a phone number: 1-800-QUIT-NOW. Advertisers, represented by the Association of National Advertisers, have charged that the new labels run afoul of the First Amendment, and are considering steps, including a lawsuit, to push back against the FDA's action. (Tobacco companies filed suit in federal court in 2009 over a range of new regulations, including the then-proposed warnings; they lost on a similar First Amendment claim. The case is now on appeal.)
benton.org/node/79053 | AdWeek
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LABOR

IT WORKERS AND UNIONS
[SOURCE: The Atlantic, AUTHOR: Llewellyn Hinkes-Jones]
[Commentary] The dream of the Internet as a libertarian oasis is firmly planted in the eyes of a million computer programmers. The mantra that "information wants to be free" is the gateway to utopia. When information is free, then power is wrested from the gatekeepers of knowledge. Anyone can become enlightened. All the tools are there and readily available. And, you can become rich in the process. With a firm grasp on rationality and a computer, anyone can enter into the information technology industry. Access to jobs is not decided by bureaucracies and old-boy networks, but is instead grounded in a true merit-based society. To a certain extent this depiction is accurate. Many people have made fortunes in the computer industry. But there is a dark side. For every dot-com millionaire, there are most likely a thousand IT employees that will never see an IPO. These are the workers that struggle as contractors and freelancers, often without benefits or job security. While a highly sought dream job designing video games might offer an employee the chance to create something of worth, it might also involve incredibly stressful, hundred-hour work weeks hunched over a cathode ray tube without overtime pay. Certainly, the gross salary for information technology positions can be generous, but that salary can be heavily garnished -- sometimes up to 50 percent of the total paycheck -- by staffing firms and headhunters that many companies rely on for HR needs. Then there are the other miscellaneous pitfalls of the less-than-ideal information technology job: non-compete clauses, few long-term career paths and demands to stay current on new technologies or risk being replaced by someone significantly younger. In other professions, issues like pay, career trajectory and job security were addressed by forming unions, but those drawn to the IT sector have been resistant to this approach. Unions are often seen as emblematic of the bureaucracies of the past. The idea that some complex process could stand in the way of independent accomplishment is anathema to the fundamentals of the libertarian, self-made, DIY, hacker culture.
benton.org/node/79080 | Atlantic, The
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CYBERSECURITY

ISPs AND CYBERSECURITY
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Gautham Nagesh]
A top Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity official told lawmakers that Internet Service Providers (ISPs) would likely be among the private sector firms that would be subject to federal oversight under the White House's proposed cybersecurity legislation. At a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism hearing, DHS acting deputy under secretary Greg Schaffer acknowledged that under the White House's plan, ISPs would likely be among the private firms deemed critical infrastructure and therefore subject to federal security standards. Schaffer emphasized that the administration's legislative proposal doesn't explicitly lay out which industries would be deemed critical and core critical infrastructure, but witnesses at Tuesday's hearing mentioned transportation, financial services, utilities and healthcare providers as among those sectors that could be included. Subpanel chairman Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) noted that ISPs are in a unique position to know when consumers' computers are under attack or have been enslaved by malicious botnets. He suggested ISPs should take action against infected devices in the event consumers are not aware of the breach.
benton.org/node/79100 | Hill, The
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GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

DOMAIN NAME CHANGES
[SOURCE: Government Technology, AUTHOR: Brian Heaton]
The rule changes set forth earlier this week by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) that will allow new generic top-level domain (gTLD) names could end up costing governments quite a bit of money, whether they apply to own one of the extensions or not.
Instead of the traditional .gov, .org or .com gTLDs currently in use, starting on Jan. 12, 2012, various city and state names and almost any word can be applied for and purchased. That cost is an estimated $185,000 fee, plus a $25,000 annual price-tag to operate the gTLD. But the legal fees associated with protecting a government entity’s name may ultimately be pricier, according to Scott Bain, chief litigation counsel of the Software & Information Industry Association, a trade association representing the software and digital content industries. Governments without the funds to apply for their own gTLD face the possibility of someone else buying the extension and being forced to tangle with that purchaser in court in order to block it, Bain said. Although the high cost and yearly fee theoretically would curtail most common cyber-squatters from actually buying a gTLD and fully exploiting it, Bain maintained the real worry is the thousands of domains that could spawn from each new extension.
benton.org/node/79086 | Government Technology
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POLICYMAKERS/AGENDA

MICHAEL COPPS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Katrina vanden Heuvel]
[Commentary] Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps -- tenacious advocate for a public-interest approach to regulating the media. In his two terms on the FCC, Commissioner Copps has become the 21st-century embodiment of that old-fashioned creature: a public servant of deep integrity and courage who uses his position to speak for those whose voices are rarely heard. He has done so at a time when press freedoms have been challenged as never before, not just by technology but by corporate interests that seek to dominate the flow of information — and the profits derived from it. Copps’s term on the commission ends this year. His departure will create a vacuum. He hopes that citizens will carry on the cause of media reform. “So much comes down to the grass-roots, to helping people understand what’s really going on,” he said. He has pledged to continue to drum up media attention to the issues he has been devoted to during his time on the FCC and to encourage people and organizations to keep up the fight. “No matter what your first issue is,” he says, “media reform needs to be your second issue.”
benton.org/node/79175 | Washington Post
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BRYSON NOMINATION HEARING
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Jim Puzzanghera]
John Bryson, the former Southern California utility executive nominated to be Commerce secretary, promised senators that he would have a "relentless focus" on job creation as he tried to ease concerns that his environmental views were too liberal. Bryson, 67, faced some tough criticism during his confirmation hearing Tuesday for favorable comments he made in 2009 about legislation to limit carbon emissions. The concerns were largely from Republicans but also came from Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John D. Rockefeller IV (D-WV). Although he lauded Bryson's 18 years as chief executive of Edison International and service on some high-powered corporate boards, Rockefeller said he wanted assurances that the coal industry in his state had nothing to fear should the nomination be confirmed. "They will be worrying … 'Is this person going to be one of those people who tries to crush our existence?' " Chairman Rockefeller said. Bryson told the chairman that he supported the use of coal as part of a diversified portfolio of energy sources at Edison. And he tried to assure Chairman Rockefeller and others on the committee that environmental issues would not be his priority as Commerce secretary. "I will be focused … on jobs," Bryson said. As part of that, he said, he would work to simplify the tax code and eliminate unnecessary regulation.
benton.org/node/79172 | Los Angeles Times | Chairman Rockefeller
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NOMINEE DESERVES COMMERCE POST
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] John Bryson's nomination to be President Obama's next secretary of Commerce has been met with the predictable combination of delusion and obstructionism that characterizes the modern confirmation process. Some Senate Republicans vow to hold him hostage to the passage of several long-sought free-trade agreements; others insist they will reject him based on his presumed politics, which they wish were more like theirs. None has advanced an argument worthy of defeating this nomination, and though sensible people will withhold a final judgment until after Bryson is questioned, his credentials are encouraging, as are the endorsements of those who know him.
benton.org/node/79171 | Los Angeles Times
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FCC RELEASES AGENDA FOR JULY MEETING
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Press release]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced that the following items will be on the tentative agenda for the next open meeting scheduled for Tuesday, July 12, 2011:
Low Power FM and FM Translator Stations Third Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: A Notice of Proposed Rule Making seeking comment on the impact of the Local Community Radio Act on the future licensing of low power FM and FM translator stations.
Cramming Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: A Notice of Proposed Rulemaking designed to empower consumers to prevent and detect unauthorized telephone bill charges (“mystery fees” or “cramming”) by improving the disclosure of third-party charges on wireline telephone bills.
E911 Location Accuracy Third Report and Order, Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking: A Report and Order enabling a more effective emergency response system by ensuring that 911 call centers continue to receive precise wireless E911 location information, and a Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking to improve E911 location accuracy and reliability for existing and new voice communications technologies, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).
benton.org/node/79166 | Federal Communications Commission
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Analysis

June 2011

Creating a Public Square in a Challenging Media Age

Retransmission Revenue Sharing Holding Back TV Station Sales

Strengthening community information experiments at MIT's Center for Civic Media

Why Core Standards Must Embrace Media Literacy

New LightSquared GPS plan faces attack, uncertainty

Sen Menendez: New Cybersecurity Regulations Needed for Banks

Pentagon gets cyberwar guidelines

June 22, 2011 (AT&T says merger on track)

Michael Copps, the FCC’s voice for media democracy