For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm
CORRECTION: The first line in the summary of The Big Chill should have
read, "In this commentary, Wright writes that NO further broadcast content
regulation
is necessary and suggests..."[emphasis added]. The misrepresentation of
Mr. Wright's stance was unintentional.
NEWS FROM LAS VEGAS
Fritts to Cable: Tear Down Digital Wall
Lights, Camera, Technology
Upton: SHVIA Markup April 28
Barton Predicts Cable, Satellite Indecency Rules
CENSORSHIP
Media Groups Ask F.C.C. to Reconsider NBC Ruling
China Lets Cheney Speak on TV but Censors Remarks Afterward
Freedom, a Call Away?
PRIVACY
Privacy Group Files Google Gmail Complaints
FCC
Local Telephone Competition and Broadband Reporting
FCC Establishes New Office of Intergovernmental Affairs
NEWS FROM LAS VEGAS
FRITTS TO CABLE: TEAR DOWN DIGITAL WALL
Modern day freedom fighter Edward Fritts stood bravely in front of his
compatriots in the air conditioned halls of Las Vegas and challenged the
monopoly powers of cable to "Tear down that wall" that separates
digitally-starved US television viewers from the pretty pictures and better
sound of HDTV. "Stop blocking consumer access to the best picture the world
has ever seen," Mr. Fritts told the National Association of Broadcasters
convention. "Our DTV and high-definition signals are all dressed up with no
place to go," he added. "I call on the [Federal Communications Commission]
to break down the cable industry's digital dam and let the free broadcast
signals flow." Not a single eye in the convention center was dry as the
NAB's president continued, "The cable monopoly is frightened of potential
competition that would be created by hundreds of new channels offered free
by broadcasters." Our children are likely to learn these heroic words in
television school: Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, if you seek peace, if you
seek prosperity for the broadcasters and the cable operators, if you seek
liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Roberts, open this gate! Mr.
Roberts, tear down this wall!
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA411404?display=Breaking+News
(requires subscription)
LIGHTS, CAMERA, TECHNOLOGY
At the National Association of Broadcasters conference in Las Vegas,
Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina says there is "no question" that digital
technology is shaping the capabilities of broadcasting. Apple unveils five
new software packages for broadcasters and digital video editors, including
new visual effects and editing tools for high-definition video.
Hewlett-Packard is tightening its partnership with DreamWorks SKG and
beginning a new one with Warner Bros. Studios, part of HP's efforts in
utility computing and digital entertainment. And Microsoft says its
high-definition Windows Media 9 technology is being used in a variety of
new places.
News.com has expanded coverage at the URL below.
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com]
http://news.com.com/2009-1025_3-5195031.html?tag=nefd.lede
UPTON: SHIVA MARKUP APRIL 28
House Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton
(R-MI) said at the National Association of Broadcasters convention that his
committee will vote on a reauthorization of the Satellite Home Viewer
Improvement Act of 1999 on Wednesday April 28. The House bill would give
EchoStar Communications one year to stop the use of two dishes to receive
all local TV signals in a market. House Judiciary Committee chairman James
Sensenbrenner (R-WI.) indicated concern that "should a controversial bill
leave the House," the Senate would block in it favor of a simpler bill that
extended for five years the right of satellite carriers to provide
distant-network signals to subscribers who can't receive the same
programming from local network stations with off-air antennas.
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA411463?display=Breaking+News
(requires subscription)
BARTON PREDICTS CABLE, SATELLITE INDECENCY RULES
House Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) told a audience at the
NAB that he expects Congress will extend indecency rules to cable and
satellite television systems. But legislation to do so is still three or
four years away, he predicted. Rep Barton suggested that adopting a ratings
system for cable and satellite, or tiering services so that consumers can
create their own buffet-style programming menu, are two possible routes to
self-regulation that could prevent Congressional mandates. House
Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI)
predicts that the broadcast indecency bill will be voted on in the next
several weeks.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Steve McClellan]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA411390?display=Breaking+News
(requires subscription)
CENSORSHIP
MEDIA GROUPS ASK FCC TO RECONSIDER NBC RULING
As the WSJ reported yesterday, a group representing 24 media organizations
and individual performers filed a petition yesterday asking the FCC to
reconsider its ruling against NBC for violating decency standards.
Executives involved in the petitions claimed that the "political climate"
was responsible for what they labeled a broad and hopelessly vague standard
for decency in programming, which has driven broadcasters to take drastic
steps to limit the content of programs they broadcast. Robert Corn-Revere,
the First Amendment lawyer who filed the petition, said the FCC decision
had moved the policing of offensive speech away from what previous court
decisions had intended. "It was meant to be cautious; now it's become
expansive and Draconian." The petition is seen as just a first step in a
court challenge to FCC decency enforcement.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bill Carter]
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/20/business/media/20tube.html
(requires registration)
WP: TV, Radio Groups Want FCC Ruling Reversed
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25605-2004Apr19.html
LATimes: Coalition Takes On FCC View of Indecency
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-fcc20apr20,1,2026133....
See also coalition's Press Release
http://www.mediaaccess.org/GoldenGlobesRelease.pdf
The 71 page petition is also available online at
http://www.mediaaccess.org/GoldenGlobesPFR.pdf
CHINA LETS CHENEY SPEAK ON TV BUT CENSORS REMARKS AFTERWARD
Vice President Dick Cheney was allowed to speak live and uncensored on
China's all-news television channel last week. But the broadcast received
no advance promotion or even a listing in the Chinese news media and was
not repeated. The authorities promptly provided leading Web sites with a
"full text" of the vice president's remarks, including his answers to
questions after the speech, that struck out references to political
freedom, Taiwan, North Korea and other issues that propaganda officials
considered sensitive. Officials sought to convey a relaxed attitude about
what Mr. Cheney might say in public but worked to alter the record. "What
they do to control the media is sometimes surreal," said Yu Maochun, a
China expert at the United States Naval Academy who noticed discrepancies
between Mr. Cheney's speech and the Chinese transcript. "Censorship is a
habit they can't kick."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Joseph Kahn]
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/20/international/asia/20CHEN.html
(requires registration)
FREEDOM, A CALL AWAY?
Life without a cell phone? Eritrea is the only country in Africa where
mobile phones have not become a staple of life. The government opened the
application process for the country's first cell phones three weeks ago,
but the notice indicated that only government ministers, diplomats and
selected humanitarian organizations would be considered. In many places in
Africa, where scratchy land lines function sporadically, cell phones have
become not just a standard amenity but an indispensable tool of freedom,
democracy and safety in war. "The significance of the mobile handset as a
political tool lies in the fact that Africa today has more mobile
subscribers than the number of connected fixed lines," said Christopher
Wambua, public and media liaison for the Communications Commission of
Kenya, a nongovernmental group. "It's revolutionary for democracy because
it gives people real connections with the outside world."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Emily Wax]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25560-2004Apr19.html
(requires registration)
PRIVACY
PRIVACY GROUP FILES GOOGLE GMAIL COMPLAINTS
Privacy International has filed complaints with privacy and data-protection
regulators in 17 countries in Europe, Canada and Australia. Google's Gmail
"violates privacy law, both in Europe and in other countries. The complaint
identifies a wide range of possible breaches of European Union law," said
director Simon Davies. Privacy International filed the complaints in
France, Germany, the Netherlands, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Czech
Republic, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Poland, Austria, Australia
and Canada, and also with the European Commission and the Article 29 Data
Protection Working Group.
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Lucas van Grinsven and Bernhard Warner]
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=internetNews&storyID=48661...
LATimes: More Criticism of Gmail Plan
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-google20apr20,1,57859...
FCC
LOCAL TELEPHONE COMPETITION AND BROADBAND REPORTING
In this Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (Notice), the FCC seeks comment about
specific proposals to improve its local competition and broadband data
gathering program,
including gathering more granular data from broadband service providers and
extending the program for five years beyond its currently designated sunset
in March 2005. The information collected in this program helps the
Commission and the public understand the extent of local telephone
competition and broadband deployment, which is important to the nation's
economic, educational, and social well-being. The proposals on which the
Commission seeks comment attempt to further that goal while minimizing
burdens on marketplace competitors and innovators. The proposed broadband
reporting revisions include: more detailed reporting about the deployment
of technologies to serve mass market broadband end users, particularly
cable modem and DSL connections; more detailed tracking, over time, of
marketplace adoption of increasingly fast broadband connections; and more
detailed tracking of marketplace adoption of new broadband technologies.
Comments due 30 days from publication in the Federal Register.
For further information regarding this proceeding, contact Ellen Burton,
Assistant Chief, James Eisner, Senior Economist, or Thomas J. Beers, Deputy
Chief, Industry Analysis and Technology Division, Wireline Competition
Bureau, at (202) 418-0940.
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-04-81A1.doc
Copps Statement:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-04-81A2.doc
One month ago, the Commission embarked on its fourth Section 706 inquiry
into the reasonable and timely availability of advanced services, or
broadband, for all Americans. Today, we release a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking seeking comment about how to improve our broadband data
gathering program. I fully support both of these efforts. But our
approach here is backwards. Our statutory inquiry under Section 706 will
be complete before we improve our data collection. This is putting the
cart before the horse at a time when we cannot afford to be waylaid by
broadband data that tells less than the full deployment story.
Adelstein Statement:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-04-81A3.doc
I am disappointed...that any additional data that we collect through this
program will not be available in time for our current Section 706 inquiry
and the report on broadband deployment that we must issue this fall. With
this timing, we miss a golden opportunity to contribute to the public
dialogue over how best to speed broadband deployment. In the absence of a
more granular data collection, I hope that parties and this Commission will
cast our nets broadly as we investigate where companies have deployed
broadband and the choices available to consumers. Having a comprehensive,
reliable, and accurate understanding about the state of broadband
deployment is a critical step in our efforts to promote the availability of
broadband services to all Americans.
FCC ESTABLISHES NEW OFFICE OF INTERGOVERNMENTAL AFFAIRS
The FCC has established an Office of Intergovernmental Affairs (IGA) in the
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB). IGA will be a liaison to
state, local, and tribal governments, and other federal regulatory
agencies. It will foster a better understanding of FCC programs, policies,
rules and decisions, facilitate a two-way exchange of information and
communications on telecommunications issues and promote cooperation and
coordination in areas of overlapping jurisdiction. In addition to ongoing
intergovernmental affairs outreach, IGA will be responsible for overseeing
the work and activities of the Commission's Intergovernmental Advisory
Committee, designing and implementing the Commission's Indian
Telecommunications Initiatives (ITI) and providing staff support to the
Federal/State Joint Conference on Advanced Telecommunications
Services. Previously, the intergovernmental affairs function had been
handled informally in the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau's front
office.
Sue McNeil, currently CGB's Special Counsel for Intergovernmental Affairs,
has been named to head the new office.
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-246218A1.doc
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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. Headlines are compiled by
Kevin Taglang (ktaglang( at )etpost.net) -- we welcome your comments.
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