DAY!
For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm
TELEVISION
Ferree TV: FCC Bureau Chief Defends Plan
Public TV, Cox Announce Carriage Agreement
Channels a la Carte
QUICK HITS
Monitoring Software on Your PC: Spyware, Adware, and Other Software
Berners-Lee Wins First Millennium Technology Prize
TELEVISION
FERREE TV: FCC BUREAU CHIEF DEFENDS PLAN
Are the country's television station owners spectrum hogs? "They would=20
rather eat their children than give up that spectrum," FCC Media Bureau=20
Chief Ken Ferree told reporters Wednesday. He was defending the Commission=
=20
plan to advance the day when enough consumers get digital TV so as to meet=
=20
the government's long-standing trigger for reclaiming analog channels and=20
auctioning them to wireless companies and others. The FCC is working on a=20
proposal that would count cable and satellite subscribers as receiving=20
digital signals even if all they are getting is down-resolutioned digital=20
signals. "We'd love for people to get pretty pictures, but this part of=20
the transition is not really about that," Mr. Ferree said. "It=92s just=
about=20
trying to make sure sets work" after analog channels go away. The main=20
problem may be that 15% of American do not pay for cable or satellite TV=20
services. Advancing the analog shutoff date, these people will have to buy=
=20
digital TV sets or convertor boxes. For people too poor to pay for=20
converters, Congress should consider subsidizing the $50-$100 the devices=20
might cost, Chief Ferree said. If the plan is approved by the FCC=20
commissioners, broadcasters would have to choose by Oct. 11, 2008, either=20
the analog "down conversion" or full digital carriage option, the latter=20
which would deliver high definition to whatever number of cable customers=20
have digital sets by then. The National Association of Broadcasters has=20
expressed concern that the initiative is "simply a spectrum reclamation=20
plan that would strand both consumers and broadcasters who have=20
collectively spent billions embracing the best television technology on the=
=20
planet."
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA410640?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
Multichannel News also covered the press event adding this quip from=20
Ferree: "They will hold on to this spectrum to their dying day, if they=
can."
Ferree: TV Has =91Death Grip=92 on Analog Spectrum
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA410685?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
In addition, the proposal the Association of Public Television Stations=20
will not go far unless commercial broadcasters join in, say public safety=20
officials and the wireless industry. The industry also sees auction=20
revenues being directed to a public broadcasting trust fund as "too self=20
serving," preferring a spectrum relocation fund (speaking of self serving).
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Dinesh Kumar]
(Not available online)
PUBLIC TV, COX ANNOUNCE CARRIAGE AGREEMENT
PBS, a longtime leader in digital content and technology, Cox=20
Communications, one of the largest cable television operators in the=20
nation, and the Association of Public Television Stations (APTS), a=20
membership organization that represents public television stations across=20
the country, have entered into an agreement in principle that allows for=20
the digital signals of public television stations in Cox markets to be=20
carried on Cox=92s local digital cable service. PBS and APTS negotiated on=
=20
behalf of stations in Cox markets to ensure carriage of digital signals as=
=20
stations make the transition to digital broadcasting. As part of the=20
accord, Cox has agreed to carry stations=92 digital signals, including high=
=20
definition programming and noncommercial multicast programming. The=20
agreement provides for carriage of stations=92 digital signals through the=
=20
period of transition from analog to digital broadcasting. Under the=20
agreement in principle, 70 public television stations are eligible for=20
carriage on Cox cable systems. Public television also has national digital=
=20
carriage agreements with Time Warner Cable and Insight, as well as local=20
arrangements with Comcast. "I am very pleased that we have reached this=20
agreement with Cox and the millions of Americans they serve. Agreements=20
like this are a critical part of public television=92s commitment to=20
universal service in the digital age, and ensuring that all viewers =AD=20
cable, satellite and over-the-air =AD can have access to digital broadcasts=
=20
is an essential part of any strategy to complete the digital transition,"=20
said John Lawson, President and CEO of APTS.
For more information contact Jan McNamara, PBS, 703/739-5028,=
jmcnamara( at )pbs.org
[SOURCE: Association of Public Television Stations Press Release]
http://www.apts.org/
CHANNELS A LA CARTE
Paying only for channels you want to watch is not a good idea... at least=20
not to satellite dish owners. No, not those cute pizza-size dish owners --=
=20
the 10' ones the require poured concrete and a team of gerbils to move=20
them. Once over 2 million strong, big-dish owners now number less than=20
380,000. But they can pick and choose the channels they want without=20
worrying about a cable or satellite company's tier system. And this old=20
idea is getting new life as some in Congress believe a la carte pricing=20
should be the future of cable. So pull up a chair, son, and listen to tales=
=20
of bygone days when the family's satellite dish was bigger than a garage...=
=20
and how that shrinking business could inform the future of TV.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Frank Ahrens]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13092-2004Apr14.html
(requires registration)
QUICK HITS
* The Federal Trade Commission will host a public workshop, =93Monitoring=20
Software on Your PC: Spyware, Adware, and Other Software,=94 on April 19,=20
2004, from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. The workshop will explore issues=20
associated with the distribution and effects of software that is loaded on=
=20
personal computers without users=92 consent and that gathers and sends=20
information about users to third parties or that adversely affects the=20
computers=92 functioning.
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2004/02/spyware.htm
* World Wide Web inventor Tim Berners-Lee has one the first Millennium=20
Technology Prize from the Finnish Technology Award Foundation. Al Gore is=20
disputing the election. [SOURCE: Reuters]
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=3DSQWATKUSMMS1YCRBAE...
A?type=3DtechnologyNews&storyID=3D4833667§ion=3Dnews=20
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