Anyone else suffering from baseball-induced sleep deprivation?
MEDIA
White House: No Digital TV Subsidy
Sinclair Shares Surge
Michael Copps: An FCC Commissioner Taking on Big Media
MMTC Wins Dispute Over FCC FM Auction Rules
ACA: Big-Media Bundling Raises Rates
CPB Grants Help More Local Public Radio Stations Move Toward Digital=
Services
ED TECH
Schools Lose Net Over E-rate Freeze
Schools Dial Up Cell-Phone Content
QUICKLY
U.S. Elections Are to Set Record For Spending at $3.9 Billion
A Global Assault On Anonymity
No News Is Good News For Russia's CTC TV
They Can Hear You Now
MEDIA
WHITE HOUSE: NO DIGITAL SUBSIDY
In a letter to House Intelligence Committee Chairman Hoekstra (R-MI) and=20
Senate Government Affairs Chairman Collins (R-ME) the White House said a=20
proposal for a $1 billion subsidy for digital converter boxes isn't=20
necessary to speed the transition to digital TV. "Creating a billion dollar=
=20
fund to subsidize consumer electronics such as digital converter boxes,=20
high-definition televisions, and the installation of cable and satellite=20
services is not necessary to achieve the 9/11 Commission=92s=
recommendations,=94
the letter said. Instead, the Bush Administration is pushing its idea of an=
=20
analog spectrum fee on broadcasters to =93encourage faster return of analog=
=20
TV spectrum.=94
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Terry Lane]
(Not available online)
SINCLAIR SHARES SURGE
Wall Street speaks and Sinclair smiles. The company's stock rose 12% after=
=20
Sinclair said it is not planning to air in its entirety "Stolen Honor:=20
Wounds That Never Heal," a documentary critical of Mr. Kerry's Vietnam War=
=20
record, but instead will include excerpts of the film as part of a broader=
=20
discussion about attempts to influence voting via the media and=
documentaries.
[SOURCE: TVWeek, AUTHOR: Jay Sherman]
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=3D6568
See also --
NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/21/politics/campaign/21sinclair.html
Includes a review of "Stolen Honor":=20
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/21/arts/television/21stan.html
MICHAEL COPPS: AN FCC COMMISSIONER TAKING ON BIG MEDIA
With the FCC's media ownership rules overturned by Congress or thrown out=20
by the courts, is FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, who opposed the rules=20
changes, happy? "The rules were sent back to the same Commission that=20
dreamed them up in the first place," he says. "So it's still conceivable=20
that we could come out with rules every bit as bad, or worse, than the ones=
=20
that were sent back." He sees media ownership as a grassroots issue and=20
that's why he has tried so hard to include the public in the process. He=20
also thinks media ownership concentration is a concern that crosses=20
partisan boundaries. Media ownership concentration, he says, "does not take=
=20
care of protecting the public interest, or enhancing our democratic=20
dialogue, or giving us diversity and localism in our media." Although the=20
issue is not getting much mention during the campaign, Commissioner Copps=20
believes it tops the domestic agenda.
[SOURCE: AP, AUTHOR: Frazier Moore]
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/news/archive/2004/10/1...
tertainment1701EDT0243.DTL&type=3Dtvradio
MMTC WINS DISPUTE OVER FCC AUCTION RULES
The Minority Media & Telecom Council (MMTC) won its 3-year battle with the=
=20
FCC over FM auction rules. MMTC had claimed the old rules promoted fraud=20
and undermined the integrity of auction bidding credits, the Commission=92s=
=20
only significant policy aimed at fostering minority broadcast ownership.=20
The FCC on Monday identified 456 applicants who qualified to bid in the=20
upcoming auction for 288 FM broadcast construction permits (Auction 37).=20
The auction will begin Nov. 3. The auction is =93the last best=94 chance=20
offered by the FCC for minorities to acquire a significant number of new FM=
=20
facilities, mostly in rural areas, MMTC's David Honig said.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Tania Panczyk-Collins]
(Not available online)
ACA: BIG-MEDIA BUNDLING RAISES RATES
The American Cable Association (ACA), which represents 1,000 cable=20
companies with more than 8 million subscribers, is telling the FCC that=20
media conglomerates -- Time Warner, Viacom, GE/NBC, Disney and Fox -- are=20
using their leverage to reach programming-carriage deals that squeeze out=20
independent programmers and cause cable rates to rise. The media giants=20
often allow channels to be purchased individually by small operators, but=20
are priced to make large bundles more affordable. =93For smaller cable=20
companies, this presents no meaningful choice. They must buy the bundle,=94=
=20
ACA told the FCC in a letter. The ACA told the FCC that these wholesale=20
offerings meant that small cable companies were forced to buy more=20
programming than they wanted, and having to do so raised cable rates.=20
Carriage of big bundles, the trade group added, also took up capacity that=
=20
small operators wanted to earmark for independent programmers.
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA473988.html?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
CPB GRANTS HELP MORE LOCAL PUBLIC RADIO STATIONS MOVE TOWARD DIGITAL=
SERVICES
On Wednesday, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) announced=20
grants totaling more than $9 million to help 133 local public radio=20
stations, including 71 serving rural and minority audiences, purchase the=20
equipment needed to transition to digital radio. The announcement marks the=
=20
third round of grants to bring digital radio technology to public local=20
stations. Digital technology will enhance significantly the quality and=20
scope of program services, as well as provide richer quality sound than is=
=20
currently available. CPB is encouraging and supporting the early adoption=20
of this promising new technology by providing matching funds to eligible=20
stations. CPB has awarded grants to 285 public radio stations and 170=20
public television stations to begin their digital transition. Additional=20
awards for public television to convert to digital also will be announced=20
this fall. These funds are part of the nearly $150 million in funding that=
=20
Congress has provided to CPB over the last four years to assist both public=
=20
radio and public television stations to convert from analog transmission to=
=20
digital.
[SOURCE: Corporation for Public Broadcasting Press Release]
http://www.cpb.org/programs/pr.php?prn=3D382
ED TECH
SCHOOLS LOSE NET OVER E-RATE FREEZE
A long article on the effects of the E-Rate funding freeze. Some school=20
districts, notably in remote Alaska in this piece, are shutting down their=
=20
Internet access until E-Rate funding commitment letters arrive. Without the=
=20
commitment letters, schools and libraries have no guarantee that their=20
services and projects have been approved. Even after funding is restarted,=
=20
delays will likely persist indefinitely. Because the fund's administrator=20
can send out letters only after it has collected money from service=20
providers, it will be able to allocate only a portion of the remaining $1.7=
=20
billion. Schools and libraries will undoubtedly continue to feel the=20
crunch, but so will the service providers and vendors supplying them.=20
Because some schools and libraries depend on the previous year's E-Rate=20
reimbursement to front the cost of continuing their services, a delay in=20
the process could impact carriers. Some carriers have announced they will=20
continue to offer service until funds start flowing again. But continued=20
delays could put these carriers in precarious financial situations of their=
=20
own.
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Marguerite Reardon]
http://news.com.com/Schools+lose+Net+over+E-rate+freeze/2100-1038_3-5419...
html?tag=3Dst.num
SCHOOLS DIAL UP CELL-PHONE CONTENT
Cell phones are one of most ubiquitous portable technology devices=20
available to students. According to NetDay's "Speak Up Day for Students=20
2003" survey, 70% of students in grades 6-12 and 61% of students in grades=
=20
3-6 said they use a cell phone either in school or during their free time.=
=20
A small number of schools are making the most of the devices' popularity by=
=20
finding legitimate educational and instructional uses for them. "It allows=
=20
cell phones to be viewed more as educational tools than simply for=20
recreational use," said Nick Rago, director of HomeWorkNow.com, a=20
homework-management web site that recently began allowing students to=20
access its content via web-enabled cell phones and personal digital=20
assistants (PDAs).
[SOURCE: eSchool News, AUTHOR: Cara Branigan]
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=3D5326
QUICKLY
U.S. ELECTIONS ARE TO SET RECORD FOR SPENDING AT $3.9 BILLION
How's campaign finance reform doing? This year's presidential and=20
congressional campaigns will cost a record $3.9 billion, 30% more than the=
=20
$3 billion spent four years ago, according to the Center for Responsive=20
Politics. The bulk of the money -- $2.5 billion -- came from individuals'=20
donations to federal candidates and political parties. The presidential=20
race alone will cost an estimated $1.2 billion, fueled by massive spending=
=20
from a host of partisan groups called 527s. Overall, 527 groups have poured=
=20
$386 million into federal elections. Political-action committees have also=
=20
raked in $384 million for this year's elections. The significant increase=20
in overall fund raising suggests that the McCain-Feingold campaign-finance=
=20
law hasn't stemmed the flow of political contributions, just changed the=20
channels for giving. McCain-Feingold, which was passed in 2002, banned=20
corporations and unions from giving "soft money" to national political=20
parties while also raising the limit individuals can donate.
[Maybe we should try another election when the law is actually enforced?=20
Just an idea.]
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Nicholas Zamiska=20
nicholas.zamiska( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109831453875951304,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_page_one
(requires subscription)
A GLOBAL ASSAULT ON ANONYMITY
Headlines may not be your one-stop for privacy issues, but News.com is=20
running a series on domestic security this week including this piece on=20
balancing security and privacy. For more on the intersection of technology,=
=20
security and privacy visit EPIC (www.epic.org) or the Center for Democracy=
=20
and Technology (www.cdt.org).
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: John Borland]
http://news.com.com/2009-1009_3-5405947.html?tag=3Ddasec
NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS FOR RUSSIA'S CTC TV
Hampered by a Kremlin crackdown, Russia's independent media outlets are=20
searching for ways to survive. CTC, a television channel based in the=20
suburbs here, has a novel strategy: no news, no pundits, no pissing off=20
President Putin. [Say that five times fast.] Who needs government=20
censorship when you can do it yourself?
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Guy Chazan at guy.chazan( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109830242371150889,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_marketplace
(requires subscription)
THEY CAN HEAR YOU NOW
Today, the world's fastest-growing cellphone markets are in places like=20
Iquitos in rural South America and in sub-Saharan Africa, despite=20
widespread poverty. For millions of people living in countries where=20
getting a fixed phone line remains a bureaucratic impossibility, the=20
cellphone revolution has allowed them to leapfrog from archaic forms of=20
communication straight into the digital era -- and that is changing the=20
fabric of their daily lives.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR:H=E9ctor Tobar]
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fg-cellular21oct21,1,2...
17.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-frontpage
(requires registration)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary service=20
provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday through=20
Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments,=20
policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are=20
factually accurate, their often informal tone does not always represent the=
=20
tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang=20
(headlines( at )benton.org) -- we welcome your comments.
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