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
McCain Threatens to Mandate Free Time for Political Spots
INTERNET
Waste and Fraud Besiege U.S. Program to Link Poor Schools to Internet
Broadband Market is About to Heat Up
TELECOM
White House Urges FCC to Keep Rein on Wholesale Phone Rates
Wiretaps Should Apply to Net Calls -- Justice Dept
Cell-Tower Detectives Fight Static
Lawmakers Move to Cut Junk Faxes, Save Small Business
MEDIA
MCCAIN THREATENS TO MANDATE FREE TIME FOR POLITICAL SPOTS
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and FCC Michael Powell have sent letters to the=20
nation's broadcasters asking them what their plans are for educating =
voters=20
during this election year. But at a Capitol Hill press briefing on=20
Wednesday organized by The Campaign Legal Center, Chairman Powell said=20
there is little the government can do about the lack of coverage other =
than=20
considering it as a factor during a station's license renewal =
proceedings.=20
Sen. McCain said, however, that if broadcasters fail communities during=20
this election cycle, it could very well give new life to legislation=20
calling for free time for political candidates. [Currently, the only =
people=20
who receive free time are the broadcasters themselves.]
[SOURCE: TVWeek.com, AUTHOR: Doug Halonen]
(http://www.businessweek.com/technology/index.html/)
INTERNET
WASTE AND FRAUD BESIEGE US PROGRAM TO LINK POOR SCHOOLS TO INTERNET
On Thursday, Congress is to open hearings on waste and fraud in the =
E-Rate=20
program designed to connect schools and libraries to the Internet. The=20
hearings will be held by the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on=20
Oversight and Investigations, whose chairman, Rep James Greenwood =
(R-PA),=20
says the FCC's supervision was weak. Rep Greenwood said that since =
schools=20
often must pay only 10% of the cost of equipment and services while =
E-rate=20
picks up the rest, "contractors have mastered the art of coming into =
these=20
districts, recommending gold-plated architecture, and school officials,=20
buying at 10 cents on the dollar, take everything they recommend. You=20
couldn't invent a way to throw money down the drain that would work any=20
better than this," he added. The program still has its supporters, =
however.=20
"Every mammoth government program has problems," said Gregg Downey, =
editor=20
of eSchool News, a paper that covers educational technology. "The sloth, =
the waste and the cases of outright fraud shouldn't be a reason to get =
rid=20
of a program that's doing a lot of good. This is a program that helps=20
schools serve students better through technology."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Sam Dillon]
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/17/politics/17computer.html
(requires registration)
BROADBAND MARKET IS ABOUT TO HEAT UP
About 80% of the nation's Internet users still connect through dial-up. =
But=20
with more high-speed choices and competitive pricing, Shiver writes, =
"This=20
may be the summer of broadband." In a study released this spring, 71% of =
those surveyed by Yankee Group said they would switch to a faster =
broadband=20
service if it were priced at the level of dial-up service - about $10 to =
$25 a month. By contrast, only 17% said they would pay $45 or more for=20
broadband
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Jube Shiver, Jr]
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-dsl17jun17,1,4966096.s=
tory?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)
TELECOM
WHITE HOUSE URGES FCC TO KEEP REIN ON WHOLESALE PRICES
Michael D. Gallagher, head of the National Telecommunications and=20
Information Administration at the Department of Commerce, has written =
FCC=20
Chairman Michael Powell asking him to use "all methods at your disposal =
to=20
protect consumers and ensure appropriate competitive access to local=20
networks" [at least until the November election passes]. The FCC should=20
rapidly adopt interim rules that would last for 12 months and any =
permanent=20
rules adopted before then should hold rates at the same level for the =
full=20
year, wrote Assist. Secretary Gallagher. He wrote that any rules also=20
should include the "maximum legally sustainable transition period =
without=20
wholesale rate increases" for network parts involved in the U.S. Circuit =
Court of Appeals decision March 2 to throw out the FCC's local phone=20
competition rules.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR:James S. Granelli]
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-phones17jun17,1,584229=
5.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)
See the text of the letter at=20
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fccfilings/2004/gallagherletter_06162004=
.htm
WIRETAPS SHOULD APPLY TO NET CALLS -- JUSTICE DEPT
The Senate Commerce Committee help a hearing on Internet telephony =
(known=20
as VoIP) Wednesday and heard warnings from the US Justice Department =
that=20
terrorists could use the technology to plan attacks if law enforcement=20
officials are not allowed to apply existing wiretap laws to it. But =
members=20
of the Senate Commerce Committee said the Justice Department needed to =
show=20
that a problem exists before they impose new regulations that could=20
restrict the fast-growing communications technology. "You are looking =
for=20
a remedy for a problem that has not been documented," said Sen. Ron =
Wyden=20
(D-OR). Lawmakers and regulators must determine whether the new =
technology=20
should be subjected to traditional phone requirements, such as emergency =
911 service and access guarantees for the disabled and those living in=20
remote rural areas. A bill sponsored by Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) would=20
require the U.S. government rather than individual states to set =
standards,=20
and would subject VoIP carriers to the same wiretap rules that apply to=20
Internet providers
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Andy Sullivan]
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=3DOE2BFLGAEJEXUCRBAE0=
CFEY?type=3DinternetNews&storyID=3D5440380=20
For more on the Commerce Committee hearing, see=20
http://commerce.senate.gov/hearings/witnesslist.cfm?id=3D1230
Additional coverage in
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47882-2004Jun16.html
CELL-TOWER DETECTIVES FIGHT STATIC
The Post puts a human face on the Nextel spectrum, bringing new meaning =
to=20
"Can you hear me now?" Nextel and its competitors are feuding over =
rival=20
proposals before the Federal Communications Commission to rearrange=20
frequencies to separate Nextel from the emergency communications =
systems.=20
With billions of dollars in costs and airwave rights at stake, platoons =
of=20
lawyers and lobbyists are working the issue in Washington. But this =
story=20
focuses on what it is like now for emergency teams in the field.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Yuki Noguchi]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47852-2004Jun16.html
(requires registration)
LAWMAKERS MOVE TO CUT JUNK FAXES, SAVE SMALL BUSINESS
The Federal Communications Commission has proposed to require that=20
businesses, charities and even parent-teacher associations get written=20
consent before sending a fax, a requirement that could shut down =
legitimate=20
communication without denting the problem of junk faxes. Unsolicited=20
advertising delivered by phone line to a facsimile machine -- the junk =
fax=20
-- was banned in 1991, with mixed results. Following a recent=20
reinterpretation of its regulations, however, the FCC held that faxes =
may=20
not be delivered without written permission, and then stayed that order=20
until next January. Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the House Energy =
and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, is=20
leading a bipartisan effort to assert an "existing business =
relationship"=20
test for faxing. Under the proposed FCC rules, he pointed out, "every=20
business, small large or home-based, every association, every non-profit =
organization, and every charity would be required to obtain prior =
written=20
approval from each individual before it sends a commercial fax." Added=20
Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX), "For instance, =
school associations will be forced to initiate the tedious process of=20
collecting written permission slips from thousands of members just to =
send=20
a fax." The Upton legislation, Rep Barton also noted, establishes in law =
both the right and the mechanism to stop any faxes, junk or otherwise. =
In=20
effect, he said, the fax recipient will have the ability to decide what =
is=20
useful and what is intrusive, and will have the right to say no to=20
additional faxes sent by any source.
For more on the hearing, see=20
http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/06152004hearing1301/hearing.=
htm
[SOURCE: House Commerce Committee Press Release]
http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/News/06162004_1318.htm
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