MEDIA & SOCIETY
The White House Stages Its 'Daily Show'
Schieffer Brothers' New Jobs Won't Strain Bonds, They Say
Sinclair Broadcast: The Puppetmasters
Kids Say the Darndest, Most Stalinist Things
Obey Asks Why Government Should Still Fund Public Broadcasters
PBS Under Fire for Editing Iraq War Documentary
Postcard from Buster: 'Send Money'
DIGITAL TELEVISION
Hard Questions on DTV Hard Date
Digital Broadcast Television Transition: Estimated Cost of
Supporting Set-Top Boxes
TELEVISION
A la Carte Reframed as 'Cable Choice' in Market Test
Sinclair Goes Digital and Multiples
QUICKLY -- Philadelphia's Big Dig; Qwest Plans to Revise Bid For MCI;
Newspapers Embrace the Net; NY Times to buy About.com; Praise for Fritts;
New Publication: Peer-to-Peer Networking and Digital Rights Management
MEDIA & SOCIETY
THE WHITE HOUSE STAGES ITS 'DAILY SHOW'
For Sunday's NY Times, Rich takes a long look at the Jeff Gannon story: "A
real newsman borrowed a technique from fake news to deliver real news about
fake news in prime time." At least six "journalists" have now been found to
be propagandists on the payroll of either the Bush Administration or a
barely arms-length ally while simultaneously appearing in print or
broadcast forums that purport to be real news. Even now, we know that the
fake news generated by the six known shills is only a small piece of the
Administration's overall propaganda effort. And we know that the
President's public events -- including press conferences -- are scripted.
It is a brilliant strategy. When the Bush administration isn't using
taxpayers' money to buy its own fake news, it does everything it can to
shut out and pillory real reporters who might tell Americans what is
happening in what is, at least in theory, their own government. Paul Farhi
of The Washington Post discovered that even at an inaugural ball he was
assigned "minders" -- attractive women who wouldn't give him their full
names -- to let the revelers know that Big Brother was watching should they
be tempted to say anything remotely off message. The inability of real
journalists to penetrate this White House is not all the White House's
fault. The errors of real news organizations have played perfectly into the
administration's insidious efforts to blur the boundaries between the fake
and the real and thereby demolish the whole notion that there could
possibly be an objective and accurate free press.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Frank Rich]
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/20/arts/20rich.html
(requires registration)
SCHIEFFER BROTHERS' NEW JOBS WON'T STRAIN BONDS, THEY SAY
Tom Schieffer was recently nominated by President Bush - his friend and
former business partner in the Texas Rangers baseball team - to be
ambassador to Japan, and Bob Schieffer, the longtime host of "Face the
Nation" on CBS, will soon become interim anchor of "CBS Evening News." Will
this affect CBS News coverage of Japan-US relations? No problem, the
brothers say. CBS News executives say Bob's connections to the Bush
administration through his brother -- including the fact that Bob got to
know the future president well during "dozens" of baseball games that he
attended with him, before Mr. Bush was even governor of Texas -- played no
role in his being tapped to succeed Dan Rather.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jacques Steinberg & David Sanger]
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/18/business/media/18CBS.html
(requires registration)
SINCLAIR BROADCAST: THE PUPPETMASTERS
What's driving the Sinclair news cycle? Some employees say the company is
pulling strings based on its -- and its executives' -- financial and
political interests.
[SOURCE: Alternet.org, AUTHOR: Paul Schmelzer]
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/21278/
KIDS SAY THE DARNDEST, MOST STALINIST THINGS
[Commentary] A new survey found that a majority of high schoolers think
newspapers should not be allowed to publish without government approval.
And almost one in five said that Americans should be prohibited from
expressing unpopular opinions. Maher looks into the face of the post-9/11
generation and fears he'll be out of work soon.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR:Bill Maher, entertainer]
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-maher18feb18,1,59...
(requires registration)
OBEY ASKS WHY GOVERNMENT SHOULD STILL FUND PUBLIC BROADCASTERS
At a House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education hearing Thursday, Ranking Democrat David Obey (WI) criticized
public broadcasters' programming as losing its uniqueness and its sharp
edge. "I really wonder why we should continue to support funding for you. I
don't see much more good that's happening with public broadcasting. I think
years from now you will look a hell of a lot more like commercial TV." The
Corporation for Public Broadcasting requested a $430 million advance
appropriation for FY 2008, a $30 million increase over FY 2007. The
increase is "critical" for stations challenged by new technologies and
related fiscal demands, CPB President Kathleen Cox said. PBS President
Pat Mitchell said that without more funds PBS wouldn't be able to provide
one-hour news programs and
shows such as Frontline. But Rep Obey cut Mitchell off before she could
finish her statement, saying, "Broadcasters are providing less substance
and more fluff." The hearing comes after the Bush Administration sought no
advance appropriation for CPB. The CPB is forward funded two years. The
budget proposed cutting $10 million from the FY 2006 appropriation, thus
funding CPB at its FY 2005 level of $390 million. The budget recommended
that the CPB be allowed to use up to $30 million for the digital transition
and up to $52 million for public TV's interconnection from the general
appropriation.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Tania Panczyk-Collins]
(Not available online)
PBS UNDER FIRE FOR EDITING IRAQ WAR DOCUMENTARY
Another day, another criticism of PBS editorial decisions. The producers of
a "Frontline" documentary about U.S. combat troops in Iraq on Thursday
criticized a PBS decision to send member stations an edited satellite feed
of the program that cut out profanity used by soldiers. Boston station
WGBH, which produced "A Company of Soldiers," says PBS is overreacting to
the FCC's indecency crackdown. PBS, a private nonprofit media enterprise,
has also taken the highly unusual step of demanding that stations showing
an unedited version of the program sign a legal waiver indemnifying PBS and
the producers in the event of any fines or legal actions. While mindful of
local pressures, the "Frontline" producers argue that PBS is missing an
opportunity to stand up for an important principle. The public broadcaster
should "stand firm" for the "principle of editorial independence," the
producers wrote in a statement to general managers, program directors and
communication directors. "Editorial decisions should be free of influence
by the government."
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR:Scott Collins]
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-pbs18feb18,1,219...
(requires registration)
See also --
NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/18/business/media/18pbs.html
POSTCARD FROM BUSTER: 'SEND MONEY'
Since no press is bad press (if they spell your name right), the producers
of "Buster" are trying to capitalize on the cartoon's newfound notoriety
renewing their call for national corporate sponsorships for the show. (Hey,
maybe the WNBA?) National sponsors will get two 15-second spots in each
show ( a total of 1,040 on-air spots per year). But wait, there's more!
They also will get series artwork and promotional items, the right to use
the series' logos in their ads and tune-in promos, corporate logos on the
shows' web sites, spots and logos on home video releases and a chance to
insert coupons into the boxes, and even Arthur and Buster costumes for
company events. Buster is majority funded through a DOE Ready to Learn
grant, though DOE appeared ready to rethink that funding after getting wind
of a Buster episode that featured a pair of lesbian-headed families. PBS
chose not to distribute that episode, but WGBH aired it anyway, as did a
number of other stations. WGBH applied for a second season of Buster
funding from DOE, but it has yet to hear back.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA505042?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* On FOX News Channel's The O'Reilly Factor, host Bill O'Reilly compared
Buster's visit to the Vermont families with lesbian parents to visiting "a
bigamy situation in Utah" or "an S&M [sadism and masochism] thing in the
East Village [of New York City]." O'Reilly also stated that PBS President
Pat Mitchell "washed her hands like Pontius Pilate" regarding PBS' decision
to not distribute the episode.
[SOURCE: Media Matters for America]
http://mediamatters.org/items/200502170007
DIGITAL TELEVISION
HARD QUESTIONS ON DTV HARD DATE
The House Telecommunications Subcommittee (Commerce) Thursday held a
hearing on what it would take to limit the costs and political damage of
setting a hard date for the cut-off of analog television signals. The
committee is considering legislating a hard date for the giveback of analog
spectrum. Currently, the date is Dec. 31, 2006, or when 85% of houses in a
market are equipped to receive a digital signal, whichever is later. The
FCC has recommended allowing cable and satellite to convert digital signals
to analog and count those homes as digital-ready so that that 85% trigger
could be reached sooner. Otherwise, it argues, the conversion could take
decades. Broadcasters are concerned that downconverting to analog would
deny viewers the super-fine pictures that are the value-added of DTV and
for which they have spent big bucks to deliver. Commerce Committee
Chairman Barton pledged Thursday to "in the near future" introduce his bill
establishing a hard date, which he would prefer to be the current soft date
of Dec. 31, 2006. The ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee, Rep Ed Markey
(MA), asked each of the four hearing witnesses whether a Dec. 31, 2006,
hard deadline was even possible. A representative from the General
Accounting Office said "yes," as did an executive of Korean equipment
manufacturer LG Electronics, who said they could make the equipment
"available and affordable." The TV broadcaster on the panel said "no way"
while a rep from cable said "yes."
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA504905?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
See testimony of Jim Yager, Chief Executive Officer, Barrington
Broadcasting On Behalf of the National Association of Broadcasters & The
Association for Maximum Service Television
http://www.nab.org/Newsroom/PressRel/speeches/021705DTVHouseTestimony.htm
Watch the hearing on your computer:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/ram/02172005_tele.ram
DIGITAL BROADCAST TELEVISION TRANSITION: ESTIMATED COST OF SUPPORTING
SET-TOP BOXES
To spur the digital television transition, some industry participants and
experts have suggested that the government may choose to provide a subsidy
for settop boxes, which can receive digital broadcast television signals
and convert them into analog signals so that they can be displayed on
existing television sets. The three primary means through which Americans
view television signals are over the air (19% or 21 American households
receive TV this way), cable (57% or 64 million households), and direct
broadcast satellite (19%/22 million households). On average, over-the-air
households are more likely to have lower incomes compared to cable and DBS
households. While 48% of over-the-air households have incomes under
$30,000, roughly 29% of cable and DBS households have incomes less than
that level. Also, 6% of over-the-air households have incomes over $100,000,
while about 13% of cable and DBS households have incomes exceeding
$100,000. If a subsidy for set-top boxes is only needed for over-the-air
households, the General Accounting Office estimates that its cost could
range from about $460 million to about $2 billion, depending on the price
of the set-top boxes and whether a means test -- which would limit
eligibility to only those households with incomes lower than some specified
limit -- is employed. If cable and satellite subscribers also need new
equipment , the cost of providing the subsidy could range from about $1.8
billion to approximately $10.6 billion. (GAO-05-258T)
[SOURCE: General Accounting Office, AUTHOR: Mark L. Goldstein, Director,
Physical Infrastructure Issues]
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-258T
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d05258thigh.pdf
Additional coverage --
TVWeek http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=7329
(requires free registration)
TELEVISION
A LA CARTE REFRAMED AS 'CABLE CHOICE' IN MARKET TEST
RCN and PrairieWave are test marketing a plan to allow subscribers more
choice in cable channels, in an effort to satisfy consumer demand for "a la
carte." But the companies are calling the experiment "cable choice" in a
deliberate shift away from the term "a la carte" to separate it from the
debate that fueled failed legislative efforts last year. The companies are
taking advantage of their digital systems and, if successful, could be a
model for voluntary "a la carte." Consumer groups, which mounted a strong
lobbying campaign for mandatory a la carte during the last Congress, view
this effort as a good start. The Parents TV Council is mounting a coalition
to draw together both conservative and liberal voices on the issue and is
expected to launch its nationwide campaign at the end of this month or
early in March
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Anne Veigle]
(Not available online)
SINCLAIR GOES DIGITAL AND MULTIPLIES
Sinclair Broadcast Group, the company that has repeatedly tried to force
its conservative political agenda into the homes of millions of television
viewers, is now forging a deal with the nation's largest cable company that
would allow Sinclair to increase -- by over 500 percent -- the number of
channels on which it can broadcast its "news" content.
[SOURCE: MediaChannel.org, AUTHOR: Tim Karr]
http://www.mediachannel.org/views/dissector/affalert325.shtml
QUICKLY
PHILADELPHIA'S BIG DIG
[Commentary] Rizzo compares Philadelphia's vision of building a city-wide
Wi-Fi hotspot to Boston's "Big Dig," the "most expensive public works
project in U.S. history" which is $13 billion over budget and 6 years
overdue. Up-front costs for Wi-Fi networks are deceptively low, he writes,
making it easy to get a municipal government on the budgetary hook at
first. But once so hooked, the costs mount. Sheer maintenance will cost
annually a minimum of 10 percent of the initial up-front costs, according
to most experts. Further, many engineers estimate that an astounding 60
percent of the equipment requires replacement or upgrading every three to
five years. He thinks officials are underestimating build-out costs as well
as much-needed network redundancy, customer service, antihacking security
measures, billing and other administrative costs. For universal access to
broadband, Rizzo favors reform of the universal service fund: "Rather than
subsidizing old-school narrow-band technologies with fees imposed on all
carriers, we should modernize our policy to ensure universal and affordable
broadband with a host of marketplace incentives and by promoting
competition among carriers."
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Frank Rizzo, Councilman, City of Philadelphia]
http://news.com.com/Philadelphias+Big+Dig/2010-1071_3-5579848.html?tag=n...
QWEST PLANS TO REVISE BID FOR MCI
The Verizon purchase of MCI is far from a done deal. Qwest Communications
said yesterday it plans to make a revised bid for MCI. Qwest last bid beat
Verizon's by more than $1 billion, but MCI voted to go with Verizon
instead. Qwest is now appealing to MCI's board asking them to reconsider
the vote. Under the MCI-Verizon agreement, Qwest would have to pay a $200
million breakup fee if it supplanted Verizon.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Yuki Noguchi and Ben White]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32801-2005Feb17.html
(requires registration)
See also --
WSJ:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB110867754654058148,00.html?mod=todays...
USAToday: http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20050218/qwest18.art.htm
LA Times:
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-qwest18feb18,1,485116...
NEWSPAPERS' NET CORRECTION
[Commentary] The model for online news sites is to get a scoop and publish
it on the Internet ASAP. Readers like it, and the print competitors hate
it. Many print media executives largely ignored the Internet, apparently
hoping it would just go away. Despite the opportunity to make their
businesses more profitable, the brass worried about cannibalizing their own
print model. Although many companies invested in the Internet, it
definitely was a sidelight business. Now the print media giants are
changing their tune--albeit it more from a defensive than offensive
posture. Stuck with stagnant growth and under pressure from Wall Street,
these companies are taking their biggest plunge yet into the Internet pool.
This year will no doubt go down as a time when Internet and print media
companies danced like never before.
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Jeff Pelline]
http://news.com.com/Newspapers+Net+correction/2010-1071_3-5581727.html?t...
NY TIMES TO BUY ABOUT.COM FOR $410 MILLION
The New York Times Co. on Thursday said it will buy online information
portal About.com for $410 million from publisher Primedia as it looks for
new ways to advertise itself online. About.com provides consumers who
search its database with information on topics including health, finances,
food and travel. Primedia bought About.com for $690 million in stock in
late 2000, as it worked to meld its traditional publishing business with
online media. But the publisher struggled to steer About.com through the
Internet downturn.
[SOURCE: Reuters]
http://news.com.com/N.Y.+Times+to+buy+About.com+for+410+million/2100-103...
PRAISE FOR FRITTS
I come to praise Caesar, not bury him. But in DC, its hard to tell the two
apart. Consumer Electronics Association President and CEO Gary Shapiro
Thursday credited outgoing National Association of Broadcasters president
Eddie Fritts with turning the NAB into one of the town's most powerful
lobbies. But he also pointed out that NAB had failed to secure digital
multicast must-carry, and to chide broadcasters for not standing up to the
FCC on indecency. House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) also
spoke well of Fritts saying that although he may not have won all his
battles, he had fought them in a way that "left doors open on both sides of
the aisle."
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton ]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA504995?display=Breaking+News&...
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA504916?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
PEER-TO-PEER NETWORKING AND DIGITAL RIGHTS MANAGEMENT: HOW MARKET TOOLS CAN
SOLVE COPYRIGHT PROBLEMS
[SOURCE: Cato Institute, AUTHOR: Michael A. Einhorn and Bill Rosenblatt]
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=3670http://www.cato.org/pub_d...
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...and we're outta here. Have a great weekend.
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Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary service
provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday through
Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments,
policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are
factually accurate, their often informal tone does not always represent the
tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang
(headlines( at )benton.org) -- we welcome your comments.
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