The New Millennium Research Council is hosting a breakfast discussion on=20
Wednesday on telecommunication policy reform. For more info see=20
www.newmillenniumresearch.org. Learn about additional upcoming media policy=
=20
events at http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm
POLITICS
Sinclair Chief Denies Political Agenda
Valley Media Mogul Donates Airtime to GOP Hopefuls
Bush, Kerry Lagging on High-Tech Policy
TOOLS FOR MEDIA ADVOCATES
Video Voter
Localism in Broadcasting
Tell the FCC What You Think
TELECOM
Cellular Merger Approved
Cellular Merger To Alter Service For Millions
Twilight for Traditional Telecom Regulation?
INTERNET
Broadband in Suburbia
Voice Over Internet Revolution Will Be Big but Quiet,
Prominent Booster Says
Microsoft Regains AOL's Support For Anti-Spam Technology
POLITICS
SINCLAIR CHIEF DENIES POLITICAL AGENDA
In an interview Friday, Sinclair CEO David Smith portrayed himself as a=20
free speech advocate -- not a Republican activist. He reported spending=20
most of his TV time watching golf and never meddles with his company's news=
=20
operation. "People describe me as a right-wing loony-tune conservative,"=20
Smith said. "The news on the [Sinclair] Sacramento CBS affiliate could be=20
the most liberal left-wing loony-tune ever invented, but I couldn't tell=20
you. . . . I don't watch my Sacramento news. The fact that we're in control=
=20
supposedly of all the TV stations -- I'm not in control of anything. That=20
news organization has 100 people in it and they've all got their own view."=
=20
Although Smith apparently planned to air "Stolen Honor" in its entirety=20
initially, public pressure moved Sinclair to air a more balanced program.=20
The controversy nevertheless stoked debate about the ability of large media=
=20
companies to influence public affairs. Sinclair's tactics frequently have=20
drawn fire from public interest groups that fear media concentration and=20
abuse of the public airwaves, a criticism that does not trouble Smith.=20
"They just do what public interest groups do, which is make noise that=20
suits their agenda," Smith said, noting that his acquisitions have received=
=20
approval from the federal authorities. "If the public interest groups have=
=20
a problem, it's not with me. It's with the FCC and [the Department of]=20
Justice." Smith has given many of his peers the impression that he may as=20
well be making widgets instead of running a business that has special=20
obligations to serve the public interest, an impression Smith does little=20
to dispel.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Frank Ahrens]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62667-2004Oct25.html
(requires registration)
TVWeek reports that "A POW Story" drew a "modest audience." Data from=20
Nielsen Media Research estimated the hour-long program was seen in an=20
average 25,000 homes in 15 metered markets. The highest household rating, a=
=20
5.5, was registered in the 35th-largest market in the country, the=20
Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville area, population 813,210. The lowest=20
rating, a 1.9, was in the 61st-largest market, Richmond, Va., population=20
509,860.
[SOURCE: TVWeek, AUTHOR: Michele Greppi]
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=3D6591
VALLEY MEDIA MOGUL DONATES AIRTIME TO GOP HOPEFULS
Harry J. Pappas, the owner of a chain of Central Valley (CA) television and=
=20
radio stations, has donated $325,000 in airtime for GOP candidates in many=
=20
of the state's hottest legislative elections.Critics say the contribution=20
is a clear attempt to sway close elections, is likely to raise new=20
questions of media bias, and violates federal law requiring broadcasting=20
companies to provide equal time to political candidates. "They're the=20
public's airwaves," said attorney Karen Getman, who represents the Assembly=
=20
Democratic Caucus and formerly served as chairwoman of the state's Fair=20
Political Practices Commission. "You're not free to give them to one side=20
in a partisan debate." Rather than give away free airtime, which is illegal=
=20
under federal law, Pappas Telecasting essentially is footing the bill for=20
broadcasting minutes it is setting aside for GOP candidates, a company=20
spokesperson said. "We're not denying (Democrats) any opportunity," he=20
said. "They have the opportunity to purchase an equivalent amount of=20
airtime." Tracy Westen, an elections law attorney and chief executive=20
officer of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, said the=20
federal government's "equal time" provisions were crafted decades ago to=20
cover such situations. "I'm amazed if they think they can give it to one=20
side and not the other," Westen said. "The problem with giving it to one=20
side is it distorts the outcome of the election."
[SOURCE: Sacramento Bee, AUTHOR: Jim Sanders]
http://www.sacbee.com/content/politics/story/11220115p-12135910c.html
BUSH, KERRY LAGGING ON HIGH-TECH POLICY
A major new study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce warns of a potential=20
decline in competitiveness that threatens U.S. innovation and "could=20
eventually lead to the nation being displaced as the world's leading=20
economic power." Many think the problems started with implementation of the=
=20
Telecommunications Act of 1996. Litigation has led to courts throwing out=20
FCC rules three times. "Rather than get engaged, the White House let the=20
Republicans battle it out at the FCC," said Tom Hazlett, a former chief=20
economist for the FCC under President George H.W. Bush and an author of the=
=20
chamber's recent report. "It led to paralysis of the agency, and here we=20
are, 31/2 years after the Bush administration came to town, with the same=20
policy we had then, except that the courts have thrown it out and nobody=20
knows what's coming next." Telecom issues are not central in the=20
presidential campaign and industry executives and analysts have not seem=20
much leadership in this area from the leading candidates. See the high tech=
=20
records of President Bush and Sen Kerry at the URL below.
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: Carolyn Lochhead=20
clochhead( at )sfchronicle.com]
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/c/a/2004/10/25/MNGED9F...
.DTL&type=3Dprintable
TOOLS FOR MEDIA ADVOCATES
VIDEO VOTER
Candidates, elected officials and informed citizens have for decades=20
expressed alarm over the escalating costs of TV time, the lack of easily=20
available candidate information and the steady decrease in voter turnout.=20
While most Americans cite local television newscasts as their leading=20
source of political information, most local TV newscasts provide virtually=
=20
no coverage of local elections. On Monday, the Center for Governmental=20
Studies (CGS) launched a new national campaign to improve voter information=
=20
with the release of "Video Voter: Producing Election Coverage for Your=20
Community" and its companion website, www.videovoter.org. The publication=
=20
and website offer government access cable TV channels, public access=20
producers, cable TV local origination and Video-on-Demand systems, digital=
=20
TV stations and others step-by-step guidelines on how to create and=20
distribute unedited video coverage of candidates and ballot measure=20
campaigns in their own communities (full text of the guide is available at=
=20
www.videovoter.org and www.cgs.org). The Video Voter Guide helps=20
producers to code their election programming for capture by Digital Video=20
Recorders (e.g., TiVo), negotiate carriage by Video-on-Demand cable TV=20
systems, and create their own websites to archive on-demand election=20
programming for Internet viewing in homes. The website=20
(www.VideoVoter.org) provides up-to-date programming and legal information=
=20
together with downloadable forms (releases, candidate instructions, etc.).
[SOURCE: Center for Governmental Studies Press Release]
http://www.cgs.org/
LOCALISM IN BROADCASTING
On July 1, 2004, the FCC issued a =93Notice of Inquiry=94 (NOI) on localism=
in=20
broadcasting. Since issuing this document, the FCC has been collecting=20
comments from stakeholders and members of the public on localism in radio=20
and television. It=92s essential that musicians, performers and citizens=20
weigh on this topic by submitting a written comment to the FCC. To help=20
musicians, recording artists, performers and citizens file comments that=20
address the issues that are on the table, the Future of Music Coalition=20
(FMC) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)=20
have built this web tool that will help anyone to submit comments that help=
=20
the FCC create regulatory policies that match musicians' and citizens'=20
expectations. The FCC's NOI asks for comments on a sizable range of topics=
=20
associated with localism =AD everything from license renewal, to political=
=20
speech, to TV network affiliation rules, to serving under-represented=20
communities, to payola and voicetracking. FMC suggests that anyone who=20
wants to understand and comment on the full scope of this proceeding to=20
download and read the actual NOI (http://www.fcc.gov/localism/) and file a=
=20
comment directly through the FCC's online comment filing system=20
(http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi). For those who would=20
like some help filing a comment on the radio-specific parts of this=20
proceeding, follow FMC's guided tour that will give you: 1) a consise=20
background on the FCC's history with localism, and the reasons why they=20
launched this proceeding and 2) a guided tour of the sections of the NOI=20
that are most closely related to musicians, recording artists, performers,=
=20
on-air talent and songwriters. Along with each issues we provide you with=20
text boxes to craft your comments. When you get to the end of the tour, hit=
=20
submit and you'll see your typed replies combined into one comment. After=20
you've reviewed it, FMC will help you file it as a public comment at the=
FCC.
[SOURCE: Future of Music Coalition]
http://www.futureofmusic.org/research/localism.cfm
TELL THE FCC WHAT YOU THINK
The Media Access Project, a public interest law firm in Washington, DC also=
=20
has a short guide to help you file comments in the localism proceeding. See=
=20
it at the URL below.
[SOURCE: Media Access Project]
http://www.mediaaccess.org/programs/diversity/TELLTHEFCCWHATYOUTHINK.pdf
TELECOM
CELLULAR MERGER APPROVED
The Justice Department yesterday approved the $41 billion merger of=20
Cingular Wireless and AT&T Wireless Services, requiring the combined=20
company to sell off some assets in 11 states in order to satisfy antitrust=
=20
concerns. The FCC approved the deal late last week and is expected to issue=
=20
its detailed decision as early as today, removing the final regulatory=20
obstacle to the deal. The combination of Cingular and AT&T Wireless will=20
create a giant with more than 47 million customers in 49 states, surpassing=
=20
Verizon Wireless as the nation's largest cellular provider. The company=20
will be a major player in all of the nation's 100 largest cellular markets.=
=20
But consumer groups opposed to the deal criticized the Justice Department=20
settlement, saying it is a bad deal for wireless users who will have fewer=
=20
choices of wireless carriers and face potentially higher prices in the long=
=20
run. "They're allowing Cingular to control so much of the spectrum that it=
=20
could only sustain two or three major players around the country," said=20
Gene Kimmelman, director of Consumers Union in Washington. "But what's of=20
greater concern is that two of the three biggest wireless firms are virtual=
=20
monopolies in local telephone companies," and that concentrates too much=20
market power, he said. "This is an enormous retreat from past antitrust=20
policies that promoted competition in the wireless market." Regulators did=
=20
not require much of Cingular, some analysts said. "The divestitures seem=20
quite light-handed," said Rebecca Arbogast, an analyst with Legg Mason Wood=
=20
Walker. The markets Cingular is selling are small, and regulators are=20
allowing it to control a large share of spectrum, she said, which could be=
=20
encouraging news to other wireless carriers considering merging.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Yuki Noguchi]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62521-2004Oct25.html
(requires registration)
=16
CELLULAR MERGER TO ALTER SERVICE FOR MILLIONS
Some additional concerns raised by Cingular's purchase of AT&T Wireless. 1)=
=20
Cingular customers in key markets including New York City and California=20
could actually see worse coverage, at least in the short term. 2) Some=20
consumer groups also contend it could mean higher prices in some regions=20
where Cingular's corporate parents, SBC Communications and BellSouth,=20
dominate local telephone service. 3) AT&T customers who want to switch to=20
Cingular plans will have to switch phones too. 4) Consumer advocates=20
caution subscribers to check their bills carefully. The eventual=20
convergence of billing systems could lead to problems. 5) The eventual=20
likely layoff of thousands of employees at the new company -- although not=
=20
until next year -- could also mean long customer-service wait times for=20
consumers, says Janee Briesemeister, a senior policy analyst at Consumers=20
Union. See more reaction from Consumers Union at=20
http://www.consumersunion.org/pub/core_telecom_and_utilities/001462.html...
e
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Jesse Drucker jesse.drucker( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109873151893254889,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_personal_journal
(requires subscription)
USAToday:
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20041026/cingular26.art.htm
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20041026/1b_forehead26.art.htm
San Jose Merc:
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/10012471.htm
NYTimes:
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/26/business/26cingular.html
TWILIGHT FOR TRADITIONAL TELECOM REGULATION?
(Commentary) The traditional public utility, litigation-oriented regulatory=
=20
regime is dead! Long live the free market! Thierer sees signs in recent FCC=
=20
decisions that the days of traditional telecommunication regulation are=20
numbered. The development deserves a party he thinks -- he's hosting a=20
kegger on Friday.
[SOURCE: Cato Institute, AUTHOR: Adam Thierer]
http://www.cato.org/tech/tk/041025-tk.html
INTERNET
BROADBAND IN SUBURBIA
See how high-speed Internet access can be a selling point for new housing=20
developments. The service can be bundled together with other=20
telecommunications services, but the offerings in select areas are raising=
=20
concerns. Gene Kimmelman, director of the Washington office of Consumers=20
Union, said most all-inclusive packages of television, telephone and=20
Internet cost more than $100 a month, a total that is beyond the means of=20
many. "There is a new digital divide. In a world where it is important to=20
have a speedy connection to the Internet, 40% of the nation doesn't have=20
access and is falling behind," Kimmelman said. A Verizon spokesman said=20
yesterday that current plans for its advanced networks are focused on=20
suburban neighborhoods but that the company is working on new technologies=
=20
that will lead to investment in urban and rural neighborhoods. "We believe=
=20
America's broadband future should include everyone: rural and urban, rich=20
and poor, established communities and new. Multiple technologies and=20
multiple competing service providers will be involved in making it happen,"=
=20
Verizon spokesman Lawrence D. Plumb said.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Christopher Stern]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62590-2004Oct25.html
(requires registration)
VOICE OVER INTERNET REVOLUTION WILL BE BIG BUT QUIET, PROMINENT BOOSTER SAYS
An interview with Jeff Pulver who has been promoting VOIP for more than a=20
decade, longer than most of the companies offering VOIP service have=20
existed. About regulatory hurdles he says, "from a political perspective,=20
people are going to always scream about universal service, they're going to=
=20
make noise about access fees, they're going to make noise about regulatory=
=20
issues on a state or federal level. This is what they do. It's about=20
government revenue. It's about where the money is and where the tax base is=
=20
and who should tax and when and where. These are not technology-driven=20
issues. It's all politics."
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: James S. Granelli]
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-pulver26oct26,1,85236...
ory?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)
MICROSOFT REGAINS AOL'S SUPPORT FOR ANTI-SPAM TECHNOLOGY
America Online said yesterday it is once again supporting a Microsoft plan=
=20
to combat unwanted bulk e-mail by verifying senders of messages, a move=20
that could rekindle industry adoption of a new system for attacking spam.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A62443-2004Oct25.html
(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.
--------------------------------------------------------------