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  2. September 2014

September 2014

How politicians change voters' minds

University of California - Berkeley's David Broockman and Washington University's Daniel Butler enlisted state legislators in an experiment. They had the legislators randomly alert their constituents of opinions that the constituents likely didn't share, and then watched to see how the constituents' views changed.

They found that opinion change was no more likely when an extensive argument was included in the letter; the legislators aren't persuading people with reason and evidence, but with the bare fact that they're the ones holding the positions in question. And legislators didn't suffer a loss in support from constituents they didn't convince: "citizens who received letters from their legislators taking positions they had disagreed with previously evaluated their legislators no less favorably." And while responses to the letters varied for different issue areas, they didn't differ so much that the results were "driven by a small set of atypical issues."

C Spire's Meena: Collapse of Sprint/T-Mobile deal set back US wireless competition

The fact that Sprint abandoned a merger with T-Mobile US in the face of opposition from regulators, especially at the Federal Communications Commission, has set back the cause for competition in the US wireless market, according to C Spire Wireless CEO Hu Meena.

Speaking at the Competitive Carriers Association conference in conjunction with CTIA's Super Mobility Week, Meena said that "Sprint should have been able to move down the path toward acquiring T-Mobile" and that a combined company "would have provided an entity that wasn't a legacy Bell company, with enough scale, enough size and enough clout." He said working with that combined company would have allowed smaller carriers "to bring true competition to the marketplace as opposed to walking up to the FCC with a laundry list of items that we need to be competitive again."

Verizon's McAdam: We set a high bar for further FiOS expansions

Verizon Communications is holding fast to its thesis that while it is on track to complete the buildout of FiOS to about 21 million premises, it will need a compelling reason to expand into new markets.

Verizon's CEO and Chairman Lowell McAdam said that it is not dismissing the idea of possible expansions, but they would have to provide a compelling return on investment. "Expansion into other areas I wouldn't rule out, but it would have a very high bar," McAdam said. "If you look at some of the things that Google is doing around fiber, I think that's opened up a new model for us." McAdam added that broadband data is more profitable than its linear TV service, so offering more fiber-based broadband services is a possibility.

Verizon CEO Says Its Internet TV Service Will Be Up By Mid-2015 And Will Include “Custom Channels”

Verizon plans to offer a TV-like service over the Internet by mid-2015 and will offer mobile users a “bundle with major broadcast providers” plus a collection of “custom channels.”

“It’s the Big 4 for sure,” said Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam, “and I would tell you that the very exciting part of this is some of the digital media out of the West Coast” including DreamWorks Annimation’s AwesomenessTV “that really goes after the millennials. It’s targeted content.” He also noted that Verizon Wireless offers fast speeds for those who want to upload content. “When you get more and more to user generated content, that’s a competitive advantage.” McAdam says Verizon’s still talking to big content providers, including some that once feared a virtual pay TV system might jeopardize their ability to require cable and satellite subscribers to pay for channels they don’t watch. “There’s no doubt in my mind we can make it a win-win….Over the last six months to a year that dialogue has changed dramatically.”

Members of Congress seek flexibility in FCC's rural broadband requirements

Over 40 members of Congress have asked the Federal Communications Commission to give service providers the flexibility they need to deploy high-speed broadband connections to more hard-to-reach communities under the upcoming Connect America Funding II (CAF II) program.

The call for action was a bipartisan effort that included members of both the Republican and Democratic parties -- including eight US Senators representing 18 states in rural and urban areas. One of the key issues amongst lawmakers and potential beneficiaries of the CAF II program funds is the FCC's proposal to change the threshold of what is broadband from 4 to 10 Mbps. These groups, while seeing the utility in 10 Mbps and higher speeds, are concerned that they won't have enough time to build network facilities that will support such speeds.

Scientists used smartphones to test morality in the real world

A new study published in Science has taken morality research out of the lab and into the streets, which means that we finally have an idea of how often humans encounter morally relevant situations and dilemmas in their everyday lives. And, as it turns out, there's a lot more moral overlap between various groups -- religious or nonreligious, for instance -- than researchers previously thought.

In the study, 1252 American and Canadian adults answered surveys about their experiences with morality for a period of three days. The surveys were initiated by text message five times a day at random intervals, and each provided a link to a survey that asked participants if they had experienced, witnessed, performed or learned of a moral or immoral act in the last hour. If they had, they were asked to describe that event. And each time they submitted a survey, they were entered in a contest to win a prize.

Libraries may digitize books without permission, EU top court rules

European libraries may digitize books and make them available at electronic reading points without first gaining consent of the copyright holder, the highest European Union court ruled.

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) ruled in a case in which the Technical University of Darmstadt digitized a book published by German publishing house Eugen Ulmer in order to make it available at its electronic reading posts, but refused to license the publisher’s electronic textbooks. Eugen Ulmer sought to prevent the university from digitizing the book and also wanted to prevent users of the library from printing out the book or copying it to a USB stick for use outside the library.

September 11, 2014 (FCC hits new record)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2014

Regulating the evolving broadband ecosystem at the FCC http://benton.org/calendar/2014-09-11/

INTERNET/BROADBAND
   FCC hits new record
   Tech companies rally against Web fast lanes
   Chairman Wheeler's Response to Senator Leahy Regarding Open Internet Outreach [links to web]
   Chairman Wheeler's Response to Rep. Eshoo Regarding GAO Report on Data Caps [links to web]
   Rep Eshoo: FCC Can Find Title II-Lite Solution
   Google’s studied silence on network neutrality has finally broken
    See also: Google silent on support for group opposing net neutrality and muni broadband (Sept 5) [links to web]
   Tumblr Backs Title II [links to web]
   Comcast Supports Net Neutrality - Comcast press release [links to web]
   Want a Real Internet Slowdown Day? Regulate it Like a Public Utility - NCTA editorial [links to web]
   Net Neutrality, Civil Rights, and Big Telecom Dollars - op-ed
   I live in the US and I can't get home Internet - op-ed

TELEVISION
   LA Noncommercial Stations Signal Plan to Channel Share
   Sorry to Disappoint, But NAB Is Playing It Straight Up - NAB press release [links to web]
   Senate panel drops controversial TV overhaul
   Senators Press CBS’s Moonves on Not Running Local Choice Ads
   Moonves: LIN Made Mistake in Indianapolis
   Here’s one reason for why the cable bundle offers so many channels you don’t want [links to web]
   Viacom Agrees to Offer 22 Networks on Internet-Enabled Sony Devices Later This Year

WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
   Between Google and Apple, the smartwatch wars are over before they've even begun - analysis [links to web]
   FCC Announces the Approval of Google's TV Bands Database System for Operation - public notice [links to web]

CHILDREN AND MEDIA
   Younger Americans and Public Libraries - research

HEALTH
   Study: Patients optimistic about telehealth video appointments [links to web]

ADVERTISING
   How Having Higher Income Affects How Men Spend and Consume Media [links to web]

ELECTIONS AND MEDIA
   Mobile campaign websites need some TLC [links to web]
   On Facebook, Nobody Knows You’re a Voter. Well, Almost Nobody. [links to web]

CONTENT
   FCC's Wheeler: 'Redskins' Name Is Offensive, Should Go [links to web]
   Fox News Suffers Major Legal Defeat to TVEyes [links to web]
   In Minecraft, Tech Giants Like Microsoft See More Than Fun [links to web]

PRIVACY/SECURITY
   Five million Gmail addresses and passwords dumped online [links to web]
   Tech giants demand vote on e-mail privacy bill [links to web]
   With Apple Pay and Smartwatch, a Privacy Challenge [links to web]

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
   ISIS' Sinister Media Strategy, and How the West Is Fighting Back [links to web]
   What Apple's Big Announcement Means for Government [links to web]
   Online Petitions Proposed to Offer New Yorkers a New Way to Speak Out [links to web]

POLICYMAKERS
   Jay Carney joins CNN [links to web]

STORIES FROM ABROAD
   German, French Pressure Led to EU's About-Face on Google
   Meet the new European commissioners who will have the biggest impact on the tech world [links to web]
   China Internet Regulator to Qualcomm: 'We Should Make Money Together' [links to web]
   G7 broadband dynamics: What have we learned? - op-ed [links to web]

MORE ONLINE
   Progressive Policy Institute Releases Third Annual Report Ranking US Companies Investing in America’s Future - press release [links to web]

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INTERNET/BROADBAND

FCC HITS NEW RECORD
[SOURCE: Politico, AUTHOR: Brooks Boliek]
The network neutrality debate has generated a record 1,477,301 public comments to the Federal Communications Commission, the agency said, surpassing the 1.4 million complaints sparked by Janet Jackson’s wardrobe malfunction at the 2004 Super Bowl. The comment total is likely to climb as a result of the symbolic “Internet slowdown” protest going on Sept 10. Netflix, Reddit and other websites are featuring an image of a loading symbol -- the spinning wheel of death -- to illustrate the dangers of Internet slow lanes and make the case for more robust net neutrality rules. The images link to a site that lets people send comments to the Federal Communications Commission, Congress and the White House.
benton.org/headlines/fcc-hits-new-record | Politico | The Hill
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INTERNET SLOWDOWN DAY
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Christine Mai-Duc]
The Internet wasn't slowing down, but a special version of that dreaded "spinning wheel of death" popped up on numerous online sites as pages were being loaded. The loading symbol on Netflix, Reddit, Kickstarter, Etsy and dozens of other sites urged users to protest possible new federal rules that would allow faster, more reliable streaming speeds for companies willing and able to pay extra. Critics argue that such rules would severely crimp or kill the long-time principle of network neutrality, which calls on Internet service providers, or ISPs, to treat all legal content online equally. On what was dubbed Internet Slowdown Day, the online firms urged users to contact lawmakers and the Federal Communications Commission, which is considering the proposed rule changes.
benton.org/headlines/tech-companies-rally-against-web-fast-lanes | Los Angeles Times | NY Times
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TITLE II LITE?
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Rep Anna Eshoo (D-CA), who represents Silicon Valley (Google, Facebook), said that the Federal Communications Commission should focus in on Sec. 202 of Title II as a way to take a light-tough approach to reclassifying Internet service providers under those common carrier regulations, so light as to essentially forbear all but six sentences. She said that for the sake of certainty for consumers and those innovators, there is a Title II "light touch" solution. That is the argument that the FCC can forbear many of the 46 elements in Title II and focus on sec. 202. That section says it "shall be unlawful for any common carrier to make any unjust or unreasonable discrimination in charges, practices, classifications, regulations, facilities, or services for or in connection with like communication service, directly or indirectly, by any means or device, or to make or give any undue or unreasonable preference or advantage to any particular person, class of persons, or locality, or to subject any particular person, class of persons, or locality to any undue or unreasonable prejudice or disadvantage."
benton.org/headlines/rep-eshoo-fcc-can-find-title-ii-lite-solution | Multichannel News
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GOOGLE SUPPORTS NET NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Fung]
Google said it would oppose efforts by large Internet providers to speed up, slow down or manipulate Internet traffic that their customers request. Although Google has recently spoken out on network neutrality through industry groups and think tanks, this marks the first time since 2010 that Google has staked out an explicit position of its own on the policy. "If Internet access providers can block some services and cut special deals that prioritize some companies’ content over others, that would threaten the innovation that makes the Internet awesome," wrote Google in a message to Internet activists. "No Internet access provider should block or degrade Internet traffic, nor should they sell ‘fast lanes’ that prioritize particular Internet services over others." While Google stopped short of endorsing a particular policy prescription — some Internet activists, for example, are calling for the Federal Communications Commission to begin regulating broadband providers under a part of the communications law known as Title II; others argue such a step isn't needed — the company's strongly worded statement envisions a far-reaching policy that would touch not only providers of fixed broadband like cable companies, but also wireless carriers.
benton.org/headlines/googles-studied-silence-network-neutrality-has-finally-broken | Washington Post | Google
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NET NEUTRALITY AND TELECOM DOLLARS
[SOURCE: Huffington Post, AUTHOR: James Rucker]
[Commentary] David Honig is the man behind the curtain when it comes to civil rights organizations lining up behind telecom-friendly positions. Honig, and the organizations he has organized, are again advocating for fast and slow lanes on the Internet, a position that puts them in line with the interest of the large Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and in opposition to the communities they claim to serve. While most of you have probably never heard of Honig, there is no more significant player in DC when it comes to telecom policy and the major civil rights organizations in this country. And Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, who is leading the FCC in determining the fate of the Internet, has treated Honig and his organization as legitimate. As reporters recently began calling out the connections between his organization, Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC), civil rights groups, the telecom money they all receive, and their surprising policy positions, Honig responded by calling the reporting outrageous, insulting, and racist -- calling those pointing out the relationships a "digital lynch mob." It is to shine a light on the greater dynamics in play around the deployment of our civil rights organizations in support of a corporate agenda that is not in line with the interests of our community.
benton.org/headlines/net-neutrality-civil-rights-and-big-telecom-dollars | Huffington Post
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HOME INTERNET ACCESS
[SOURCE: The Verge, AUTHOR: Daryl Myers]
[Commentary] In some parts of the country, there is only one choice for home internet. In others, there are none. Myers is a resident of Whatcom County, Washington. He decided to go public with his story after nearly two years of frustrating negotiations for internet with local providers and officials.
benton.org/headlines/i-live-us-and-i-cant-get-home-internet | Verge, The
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TELEVISION

LA CHANNELS TO SHARE SPECTRUM
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Los Angeles noncommercial stations KLCS and KCET have signaled they want to share channels and give up spectrum to the broadcast incentive auction. KLCS had been conducting a channel-sharing test with KJLA, the flagship station for the LATV Network, but will actually do the sharing with the iconic KCET, which has been going it alone since giving up its PBS affiliation in January 2011 to avoid the multi-million dollar dues. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler, who had said their FCC-approved sharing test made a compelling case for sharing, welcomed the news which means broadcasters will be giving up spectrum in at least one of the top markets the FCC is eyeing in its incentive auction. ““I’m pleased Los Angeles stations KLCS and KCET have reached an agreement to share spectrum following the first-ever incentive auction. When I visited KLCS last spring, I was impressed that channel sharing worked so seamlessly and opened the door to new business models for broadcasters. It’s a compelling opportunity for broadcasters to continue their existing business on a shared channel, and take home a check for the spectrum they relinquish in the incentive auction. It is my hope that other broadcasters give it careful consideration as well.”
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/la-noncoms-signal-plan-...
Statement from FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler on KCLS and KCET Incentive Auction Channel Sharing Partnership (FCC)
benton.org/headlines/la-noncommercial-stations-signal-plan-channel-share | Broadcasting&Cable | FCC
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LOCAL CHOICE
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Julian Hattem]
The Senate Commerce Committee seems to be abandoning its plans to overhaul the way that people buy broadcast TV channels like NBC and ABC. A committee spokesperson said that the panel’s “Local Choice” proposal likely won’t be included in its reauthorization of an otherwise uncontroversial satellite TV law. “Because it is a big and bold idea, Local Choice deserves more discussion and a full consideration by policymakers, and the committee may not have time to include it as part of [the satellite law],” the spokesperson said. "[The National Association of Broadcasters] is thankful for the consideration Senate Commerce Committee members gave the 'Local Choice' proposal and for recognizing the unintended negative consequences this measure would have had on localism, broadcasters and our millions of viewers," said NAB President Gordon Smith.
benton.org/headlines/senate-panel-drops-controversial-tv-overhaul | Hill, The | B&C | TVNewsCheck
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LOCAL CHOICE ADS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Sens. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Deb Fischer (R-NE) wrote a letter to CBS President Leslie Moonves asking why CBS refused to run ads for the cable-backed "Local Choice" proposal. They said that they recognized CBS had the right to "exercise appropriate discretion over its advertising practices," they said they needed answers related to the blocking of commercial ads "in this instance." Given CBS' obligation to operate in the public interest -- which they suggest includes allowing an "open and honest debate" about the future of the video marketplace -- the senators say they want Moonves to explain some things: why the ads did not meet advertising standards, whether CBS recognized the ads were to run on other platforms, whether CBS provided a reason for not airing the ads, whether CBS has refused to air ads related to communications policies in the past and would it ever consider denying ads to political committees which CBS disagrees with. They also wanted a response to this observation: "Quoting from Justice Brandeis, in cases where CBS has an editorial or commercial position contrary to a prospective advertiser seeking to espouse a reasonable though different view, isn't the best remedy more speech, rather than enforced speech?"
benton.org/headlines/senators-press-cbss-moonves-not-running-local-choice-ads | Broadcasting&Cable
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CBS AND LIN
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Jon Lafayette]
CBS CEO Les Moonves said he thinks LIN Media made a mistake by losing the CBS affiliation at its station in Indianapolis. He said CBS and LIN had different ideas about how much reverse compensation the network was entitled to in the market. Tribune agreed with CBS’ valuation and the affiliation moved after 46 years. “The amount we were asking wasn’t extraordinary,” Moonves said, particularly considering that CBS carries games of the Indianapolis Colts and the NCAA Basketball Tournament. “I think LIN made a mistake. Tribune came in and paid the right price.” Moonves also noted that after the Indianapolis affiliation moved, “every other station we were negotiating with fell into place,” and the value of CBS content was established.
benton.org/headlines/moonves-lin-made-mistake-indianapolis | Broadcasting&Cable
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VIACOM AND SONY
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Emily Steel]
Viacom -- the parent of MTV, Nickelodeon and Comedy Central -- has reached a deal with Sony to make 22 of its networks available via a new Internet-based television service. Scheduled to start later this year, the service is expected to bring live TV and on-demand programming to Sony’s network of 75 million Internet-enabled Sony devices in the United States, including PlayStation game consoles and web-connected televisions. The deal is the first time that Viacom has made its networks available to an Internet-based live and video on-demand television service. One television executive estimated the price for the Sony service at about $15 to $30 a month — a major discount on the average $88.67 households pay each month for cable or satellite service, according to SNL Financial.
benton.org/headlines/viacom-agrees-offer-22-networks-internet-enabled-sony-devices-later-year | New York Times | WSJ | FT
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CHILDREN AND MEDIA

YOUNGER AMERICANS AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES
[SOURCE: Pew Internet and American Life Project, AUTHOR: Kathryn Zickuhr, Lee Raine]
Younger Americans -- those ages 16-29 -- especially fascinate researchers and organizations because of their advanced technology habits, their racial and ethnic diversity, their looser relationships to institutions such as political parties and organized religion, and the ways in which their social attitudes differ from their elders. This report pulls together several years of research into the role of libraries in the lives of Americans and their communities with a special focus on Millennials, a key stakeholder group affecting the future of communities, libraries, book publishers and media makers of all kinds, as well as the tone of the broader culture. Following are some of the noteworthy insights from this research.
There are actually three different “generations” of younger Americans with distinct book reading habits, library usage patterns, and attitudes about libraries.
Millennials’ lives are full of technology, but they are more likely than their elders to say that important information is not available on the Internet.
Millennials are quite similar to their elders when it comes to the amount of book reading they do, but young adults are more likely to have read a book in the past 12 months.
The community and general media-use activities of younger adults are different from older adults.
As a group, Millennials are as likely as older adults to have used a library in the past 12 months, and more likely to have used a library website.
As with the general population, most younger Americans know where their local library is, but many say they are unfamiliar with all the services it may offer.
benton.org/headlines/younger-americans-and-public-libraries | Pew Internet and American Life Project | Demographics | reading habits | relationships with public libraries
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STORIES FROM ABROAD

EU’S ABOUT-FACE ON GOOGLE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Tom Fairless, Sam Schechner]
Google’s hard-fought settlement with European Union antitrust authorities over its search practices generated strong political opposition in France and Germany after which the deal was put back on the drawing board, EU officials and antitrust experts said. Antitrust experts and EU officials said the real battle may have been fought within the commission itself, whose 28 members -- one for each of the bloc's member states -- must approve big EU antitrust decisions. The commission is by its nature highly political. Several key commissioners, including energy czar Günther Oettinger of Germany and financial-services chief Michel Barnier of France, have expressed strong displeasure with the current settlement.
benton.org/headlines/german-french-pressure-led-eus-about-face-google | Wall Street Journal | Financial Times
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Tech companies rally against Web fast lanes

The Internet wasn't slowing down, but a special version of that dreaded "spinning wheel of death" popped up on numerous online sites as pages were being loaded.

The loading symbol on Netflix, Reddit, Kickstarter, Etsy and dozens of other sites urged users to protest possible new federal rules that would allow faster, more reliable streaming speeds for companies willing and able to pay extra. Critics argue that such rules would severely crimp or kill the long-time principle of network neutrality, which calls on Internet service providers, or ISPs, to treat all legal content online equally. On what was dubbed Internet Slowdown Day, the online firms urged users to contact lawmakers and the Federal Communications Commission, which is considering the proposed rule changes.

With Apple Pay and Smartwatch, a Privacy Challenge

No one has considered Apple a serious data company, until now.

For years, Apple has offered Internet services like e-mail and online calendars. But with the introduction of health-monitoring technology and a new service that will allow people to buy things wirelessly with some Apple devices, the company positioned itself as a caretaker of valuable personal information, like credit card numbers and heart rates. Apple faces two threats to its new services: one from hackers always looking for clever ways to steal financial information, and another from regulators increasingly interested in ensuring that information gleaned from health monitoring devices stays private.

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