For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm
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.
MEDIA
LPFMs Could Get Big-City Addresses
Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age
The Squeeze Play
Move to Stiffen Decency Rules Is Losing Steam in Washington
Kerry Opposes Cable Indecency Crackdown
To Watch These Programs on Cable, You Have to Find Them First
BROADBAND
NTIA Files Comments with FCC on Broadband Over Power Line Systems
MEDIA
LPFMs COULD GET BIG-CITY ADDRESSES
Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) are sponsoring=20
legislation that will expand the FCC's low power FM service into urban=20
markets. Their bill would remove tight interference restrictions imposed by=
=20
Congress that largely limit the service to rural and mid-sized markets. The=
=20
restrictions currently require a low power station to have at least two=20
vacant channels between it and a full power station. That spacing has=20
prevented low power stations from operating in most big markets, where=20
radio dials are crowded. Advocates for the fledgling FM service said=20
passing the legislation would allow the ranks of LPFM stations to increase=
=20
from more than 700 authorized today to more than 1,000.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA423579?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
Reactions to the legislation:
Media Access Project http://www.mediaaccess.org/press/LPFMSenatePR6-4-04.pdf
Free Press http://www.freepress.net/news/release.php?id=3D19
National Assoc. of Broadcasters=20
http://www.nab.org/Newsroom/PressRel/statements/S1004.htm
Prometheus Radio=20
Project http://www.prometheusradio.org/release_june_4th_mccain_lpfm.doc
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSITY FOR COMMUNICATIONS IN THE DIGITAL AGE
The Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age=20
was formed by FCC Chairman Michael Powell in the summer of 2003. Its=20
mission is to provide guidance to the Commission on policies and practices=
=20
that could increase the diversity of ownership and could create=20
opportunities for minorities and women to advance to managerial positions=20
in the communications sector as well as other related sectors of the=20
economy. The Committee's 3rd meeting will be Monday, June 14. The=20
meeting's agenda will include interim reports from the Diversity=20
Committee's four subcommittees regarding progress towards the final report=
=20
to the Commission: Career Advancement, New Technologies, Financial Issues=
=20
and Transactional Transparency. The reports will be followed by group=20
discussion and public comment. Further details about the Committee are=20
posted on the FCC website at: http://www.fcc.gov/DiversityFAC/ or contact=20
Jane E. Mago (202) 418-2030.
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-248000A1.doc
THE SQUEEZE PLAY
Broadcasters are feeling the political heat to return the spectrum licenses=
=20
the use to deliver analog TV. House Commerce Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX)=20
came out in favor of a quick return of the spectrum during a hearing last=20
week and Sen John McCain has scheduled a hearing on the FCC's proposed=20
transition plan for Wednesday. Sen McCain may also endorse the FCC plan=20
which would count all cable subscribers as digitally served by local=20
broadcasters=97even if subscribers don't have a digital set. Satellite=20
subscribers would also count, provided they buy local-channel packages. FCC=
=20
Media Bureau Chief Ken Ferree predicts the spectrum giveback could be=20
January 1, 2009, if the plan is adopted.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA423586?display=3DWashington
(requires subscription)
MOVE TO STIFFEN DECENCY RULES IS LOSING STEAM IN WASHINGTON
Although the House passed legislation that would greatly increase the=20
financial penalties on broadcasters found to have violated standards of=20
decency, similar legislation in the Senate is being held up in part because=
=20
the majority has had trouble passing and major bills and in part because of=
=20
controversial provisions in the Senate bill including curbing violent=20
content on television and rolling back the FCC's media ownership rules=20
adopted last year. The House bill, by contrast, focused just on raising the=
=20
financial penalties of broadcasters, fees that have not been raised in=20
decades. "These are the public airwaves,'' said Rep Fred Upton (R-MI) who=20
introduced the House bill. "Every FCC commissioner, regardless of whether=20
Republican or Democrat, has called for higher fines, as over-the-air=20
broadcasters have clearly skirted the line on decency.'' If the Senate and=
=20
House are able to forge common ground, the result is likely to involve some=
=20
attempt - probably in a broader, unrelated bill, - to raise the penalties=20
on broadcasters - though by how much is unclear.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jacques Steinberg]
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/07/business/media/07decency.html
(requires registration)
KERRY OPPOSES CABLE INDECENCY CRACKDOWN
In an interview with C-SPAN over the weekend, Sen John Kerry (D-MA) said he=
=20
does not think broadcast indecency rules should be applied to pay-TV=20
services. "I think there is a distinction between public broadcast and the=
=20
notions we've had historically about family time, family hour=97and what you=
=20
buy privately and personally," Sen Kerry said. "I am not in favor of=20
government interference and censorship and restriction of what an=20
individual privately can decide to do in their home, in their own space, so=
=20
to speak," he said, but he did seem to be OK with broadcast indecency=20
regulation "where you have children involved, where you have a broader=20
cross-section of the public, where there is sort of a sense of family time=
=20
or hour." He also spoke in opposition to the FCC's new media ownership=20
rules. "I think that too much media in the hands of one powerful entity or=
=20
one individual is a mistake. I think it runs counter to the foundation of=
=20
our country. I think it runs counter to the need for Americans to know=20
that they are getting news and information from multiple sources that are=20
not singularly controlled."
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA423410?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
TO WATCH THESE PROGRAMS ON CABLE, YOU HAVE TO FIND THEM FIRST
In the increasingly cluttered world of cable television, the new frontier=20
for start-up channels is video on demand where they will have to attract=20
viewers without having a designated channel number. Viewers have to seek=20
out this programming. "Their concerns about 'no one will find us' are well=
=20
founded," said Stephen Hasker, an analyst at McKinsey & Company. For=20
viewers to seek out on-demand channels, he added, "there is a mind shift=20
that is required." For cable companies, the move is imperative because of=20
new demands on bandwidth -- digital channels, scores of little-watched=20
channels and telephony.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Ken Belson]
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/07/business/media/07cable.html
(requires registration)
BROADBAND
NTIA FILES COMMENTS WITH FCC ON BROADBAND OVER POWER LINE SYSTEMS
The Commerce Department=92s National Telecommunications and Information=20
Administration on Friday filed comments with the FCC providing technical=20
guidance for the responsible deployment of broadband over power line (BPL)=
=20
systems and urging the Commission to complete its BPL rulemaking proceeding=
=20
without delay. On April 26, President Bush called for the establishment of=
=20
technical standards to make possible new broadband technologies such as the=
=20
use of high speed communications directly over power lines. On April 27,=20
NTIA released a Phase One study that examined the potential interference to=
=20
federal government radio systems that could result from the deployment of=20
BPL, and identified appropriate techniques that will mitigate this=20
interference. The comments filed Friday build upon the results of NTIA=92s=
=20
Phase One study by providing technical analysis of the issues raised in the=
=20
FCC=92s BPL Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM). NTIA=92s comments,=
together=20
with the rules proposed in the FCC=92s NPRM will reduce the risk of=20
interference to critical federal radiocommunication systems, and provide a=
=20
firm technical foundation for the responsible deployment of BPL. NTIA=92s=20
comments endorse the Commission=92s proposed field strength limits and=20
provide recommendations for reducing the risk of interference to authorized=
=20
radiocommunication systems. Specifically, NTIA recommends the use of=20
mandatory power control, adoption of limited coordination areas and=20
exclusion of critical frequency bands. NTIA also made recommendations=20
regarding refinements to the FCC=92s proposed compliance measurement=20
procedures for BPL systems. NTIA expects to complete its Phase Two study=20
later this year. However, in order to quickly address issues that have an=20
immediate impact on the FCC=92s rulemaking, the most significant issues=20
considered in the comprehensive Phase Two study are provided in a technical=
=20
appendix of today=92s filing. NTIA expects its Phase Two study to complement=
=20
any conclusions reached by the Commission and, therefore, recommends that=20
the Commission=92s rulemaking proceed without delay.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/2004/bpl_06042004.htm
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