1. Monthly archive
  2. January 2017

January 2017

American Cable Association to FCC: Keep Local Ownership Caps

The American Cable Association has filed an opposition to broadcasters' request that the Federal Communications Commission reconsider its decision in the Quadrennial ownership rule review to retain local ownership limits on broadcast stations, saying broadcasters are rehashing arguments that the agency has already rejected. The deadline for filing was Jan 24. After the FCC, in a politically divided vote, decided to leave most media ownership rules intact, the National Association of Broadcasters, Nexstar and Connoisseur Media petitioned the FCC to reconsider that decision. The NAB initially challenged the decision in court, but after Donald Trump won the presidency and a Republican FCC was taking over, it decided to shift the challenge to the FCC (it could not simultaneously pursue a court challenge). The ACA suggested that shift or not, broadcasters don't have a case.

Why President Trump should keep Obama’s digital privacy protections

[Commentary] As the new administration takes office, we will start to see just how literally to take Donald Trump’s pronouncements and the promised targeting of his predecessor’s executive orders for immediate destruction. Trade policy appointments signal that statements about being aggressive against barriers to trade should be taken very literally. Below we make the case that the Obama executive order extending certain privacy protections to ordinary foreign citizens should not be on the chopping block because it is vital to transatlantic digital trade and ecommerce.

A keystone underlying support for the Privacy Shield is President Obama’s 2014 Presidential Policy Directive 28 (PPD-28) declaring that “all persons should be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their nationality or wherever they might reside, and all persons have legitimate privacy interests in the handling of their personal information.” This order extended to citizens of foreign countries safeguards that require that surveillance of Americans be targeted carefully for defined and legitimate purposes. These safeguards essentially protect the privacy interests of innocent foreigners whose electronic communications are scooped up by the NSA merely as incidental collections to the agency’s actual targeting of malicious individuals. The President-elect, his transition team, and his incoming national security and economic teams would be wise to heed these bipartisan recommendations by keeping PPD-28 and upholding the Privacy Shield.

[Cameron Kerry is Senior Counsel at Sidley Austin, LLP in Boston and Washington, DC, and a Visiting Scholar the MIT Media Lab.
Alan Raul is a partner at Sidley Austin LLP]

Association of National Advertisers Expects Pai To Revisit Privacy

It's "highly likely" that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai will grant the ad industry's request to revisit tough broadband privacy rules, the Association of National Advertisers predicted. "Chairman Pai is a very thoughtful leader who understands the critical role advertising plays as a financial foundation for the online and media marketplace," the ANA said in hailing Pai's appointment. "Commissioner Michael O’Rielly and Chairman Pai have stated forcefully that they intend to take, in Pai’s words, a 'weed-whacker' to much of the Commission’s recent regulatory actions. Therefore, as they both voted against the sweeping privacy rule, it is highly likely they will respond positively to the request ... for a full reconsideration of this recent proposal."

Why Relying on Cellphones is a Terrible Idea in a Crisis

[Commentary] Cellphone technology is amazing, but it has its limitations. While the Women’s March on Washington brought up vitally important issues, it also incidentally demonstrated the need for FirstNet to be a success. Our first responders need to be able to communicate, with each other and outside agencies, regardless of the conditions or the number of people also in the area, especially if those people need help. I can’t think of any other technology where its upgrading is so vitally needed, or which could have such a positive and immediate effect on our nation.

[John Breeden II is currently the CEO of the Tech Writers Bureau.]

Cecilia Muñoz to Lead New Public Interest Technology Work at New America

New America is pleased to announce the appointment of former White House Domestic Policy Council Director Cecilia Muñoz to direct a major new initiative in public interest technology and to lead the New America National Network, starting April 1, 2017. The emerging field of public interest technology allows professionals to use their technology expertise in service of the common good. But opportunities to deploy these skills across sectors remain rare, and the career path is often uncertain. With a major five-year grant from the Ford Foundation and Reid Hoffman, New America seeks to become a unifying hub for these professionals. The initiative—which is expected to grow with additional funders—will apply research, fellowships, interdisciplinary programming, and encourage cross-sector collaboration among different civic organizations, the private sector, and academic institutions. Muñoz will serve as Vice President for Policy and Technology and Director of the New America National Network. New America is building hubs across the country, beginning with New York, California, and Chicago, to support, connect, and publicize successful efforts to tackle important public problems from the bottom up.

New America
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
12:15 AM – 1:45 PM EST
http://newamerica.cvent.com/events/how-america-lost-its-secrets/event-su...

In 2013, Edward Snowden leaked documents containing details of American government surveillance. Was he a hero or a traitor, a whistle-blower or a spy? In his new book How America Lost Its Secrets: Edward Snowden, The Man, And the Theft, Edward Jay Epstein, delves into how Snowden managed to take America’s closely guarded secrets, who Snowden is, and how government policy enabled him.

Participant:

Edward Jay Epstein @edwardepstein
Author, How America Lost Its Secrets: Edward Snowden, The Man, and the Theft

Moderator:

Peter Bergen @peterbergencnn
Vice President, New America

Follow the discussion online using #LostSecrets and following @NewAmericaISP

Light snacks will be provided.

Live streaming of this event will be available on the New America website.


Broadcasting Board of Governors and Gallup
Wednesday, February 08, 2017
9:00 - 10:00 AM

When
Wednesday, February 08, 2017
9:00 - 10:00 AM
Where
Gallup World Headquarters,
901 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20004
*Please note that the entrance is on 9th Street
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/media-consumption-in-turkey-tickets-2965038...

Despite the crackdown on opposition media over the past few years, most adults in Turkey (71.8%) say they are at least somewhat satisfied with the information provided by the country's media. However, far fewer - 19.5% - are very satisfied with media coverage in the country.

The widespread adoption of broadband connections and smartphones in Turkey has made the internet a major source of news for many residents. About two-thirds of adults (65.0%) currently say they go online for news at least weekly in Turkey, up from half (49.7%) in 2013. Among Kurdish speakers in Turkey, the rise has been even sharper, from 49.8% in 2013 to 70.8% in the current study. In conjunction with the growing use of online news, weekly audiences for TV and radio news have tapered slightly.

The speakers will share data on these and other media trends in the country, and review attitudinal data from the Gallup World Poll.

Speakers include:

  • Chris Stewart, Partner, Gallup
  • Ben Ryan, Research Consultant, Gallup
  • William Bell, Research Director, Voice of America

A question and answer period will follow. This event is on the record and will be live-streamed on bbg.gov.

This event is free, but registration is required.

For more information, please contact the BBG's Office of Public Affairs at (202) 203-4400 or publicaffairs@bbg.gov


© 1994-2024 Benton Institute for Broadband & Society. All Rights Reserved.