The FCC's Localism Task Force meets in Monterey (CA) tomorrow. For this and=
=20
other upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm
BROADCASTING
Copps Pushes for Political Speech
Corporate Media and Local Interests
NASA Decision Needs Work
Moonves Vows to Fight Proposed FCC Fine Against Viacom
Chicago Tonight: Elites, Affluence and Advertising
QUICKLY
Liberals Step Up Political Assault Against Fox News
FCC Seeks to Document eRate Best Practices
Sony and BMG Get Permission in Europe for Big Merger
BROADCASTING
COPPS PUSHES FOR POLITICAL SPEECH
The Community-by-Community Campaign was launched on Monday by media=20
activists who aim to mobilizing citizens themselves to make demands on=20
their local TV stations to provide more political and public-interest=20
programming. "I read the other day that many Americans likely saw more=20
prime-time entertainment on a single night than they saw election coverage=
=20
during an entire campaign!" said FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, speaking=20
at National Press Club kick-off to the campaign. "We need America=92s=20
broadcasters to step up to the plate and correct this deplorable mess." The=
=20
campaign is organized by the Public Interest, Public Airwaves=20
Coalition, comprising the United Church of Christ Office of=20
Communications, the Alliance for Better Campaigns, Common Cause,=20
MediaChannel.org and many other groups including the Benton Foundation.=20
"Wouldn't it be nice to see every broadcaster in this country step up to=20
the plate," said Commissioner Copps, "and designate the rest of this=20
election year as the 'Campaign for America' and devote some truly=20
meaningful time to it. And I don't mean just a few minutes here and there,=
=20
but time commensurate with the tough challenges that confront every citizen=
=20
in 2004. The issues are war and jobs and health care and deficits and=20
consumer well-being=85 yet those charged with using the public airwaves for=
=20
the public good can't get serious about covering what's at stake."
Campaign organizers want local citizens groups to push station managers=20
into signing pledges to air a minimum of two hours per week of=20
candidate-centered or electoral programming during prime time in the six=20
weeks leading up to the November 2 elections. Citizens will be asked to=20
monitor whether the pledges are honored. Learn more about the campaign at=20
http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/mfd/local
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA437461?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
Full text of Commissioner Copps' remarks
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-249769A1.doc
See Press Releases from participating organizations:
FCC Commissioners Support Community-by-Community Campaign for Better Local=
=20
Broadcasting
[SOURCE: Alliance for Better Campaigns]
http://www.ourairwaves.org/press/release.php?ReleaseID=3D57
Common Cause Asks for Real Campaign Coverage Promoting Political Discourse
http://www.commoncause.org/news/default.cfm?ArtID=3D367
Common Cause Statement on the Launch of the Grassroots Public Interest=20
Obligations Campaign
http://www.commoncause.org/news/default.cfm?ArtID=3D368
Benton Foundation Chair Calls for Reality-Based Television Policy
http://www.benton.org/press/2004/pr040719.pdf
CORPORATE MEDIA AND LOCAL INTERESTS
Just over a year ago, the Federal Communications Commission voted to=20
unleash an unprecedented wave of media consolidation, allowing one company=
=20
to dominate a community's access to information by controlling up to three=
=20
TV stations, eight radio stations, the major daily newspaper (already a=20
monopoly in most places), the cable system, an unlimited number of cable=20
channels and even the dominant Internet provider. The FCC's decision=20
sparked nationwide outrage across the country and across the political=20
spectrum. Congress, the courts and 2.3 American citizens have rejected the=
=20
FCC rule change. The FCC has a second chance to do the right thing. This=20
time we must include the American people in the process instead of shutting=
=20
them out. Commissioner Copps concludes, "We need your input. If you have=20
not been involved in these issues, I urge you to get involved. Only=20
sustained grassroots action can put the brakes on consolidation. Even then,=
=20
the battle is uphill against strong entrenched interests. Unchecked, the=20
commissioners could come back with rules that are almost as bad for media=20
democracy as the ones that Congress and the courts have rejected."
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: FCC Commissioner Michael Copps]
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2004...
19/EDGD56NASS1.DTL
See also:
COMMISSIONERS, UNIONS PUSH FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS
Democratic FCC members Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein are joining the=
=20
Writers Guild of America, National Association of Broadcast Employees and=20
Technicians, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and=20
others at a Capitol Hill press conference Tuesday calling for "full public=
=20
hearings" before any new media ownership rules are written. The unions will=
=20
also release a study they say illustrates the "decline in quality and=20
diversity of news coverage" in the wake of industry consolidation.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA437350?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
NASA DECISION NEEDS WORK
After years of inaction, the National Affiliated Stations Alliance's=20
long-standing list of complaints was apparently on a fast-track to=20
completion, but the order has been sent back to the FCC's Media Bureau for=
=20
redrafting. The Media Bureau had sent its recommendations to the=20
commissioners for action a couple of weeks ago, but a flurry of new=20
information from both sides included enough new changes--many, though not=
=20
all, of the complaints had been resolved between the affiliates and=20
networks--that the bureau basically took it back to work on it some more.=20
There's no word on how long it will take for the order to be voted on.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA437463?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
MOONVES VOWS TO FIGHT PROPOSED FCC FINE AGAINST VIACOM
Viacom Co-President Les Moonves told TV critics on Sunday that the company=
=20
will fight in court any fines the FCC levies against Viacom-owned CBS=20
stations for the Super Bowl half time show. =93While we share the public=92s=
=20
outrage over the Super Bowl incident... media free of government censorship=
=20
is essential to our democracy and our business. Some of the developments to=
=20
come out of Washington are coming dangerously close to infringing on First=
=20
Amendment rights... We=92re always keeping the public=92s standards in mind,=
=20
but we will vigorously defend our right to produce such content as some may=
=20
deem too controversial. We believe the viewing and listening public will=20
not tolerate government censorship, and we=92re going to stand very strong=
on=20
that.=94 He noted that Viacom-owned CBS is taking precautions so such an=20
incident is never broadcasted again, but that any fines over the Super Bowl=
=20
are inappropriate because "We obviously had no control about it." Her said=
=20
CBS is not asking producers to change story lines because of crackdowns on=
=20
indecency, but that producers were being asked to be "smart" about=20
including content that could be controversial.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Valerie Milano]
(Not available online)
CHICAGO TONIGHT: ELITES, AFFLUENCE AND ADVERTISING
According to a study released today by media watchdog Chicago Media Action,=
=20
the topics, sources and views aired on Chicago PBS affiliate WTTW's=20
flagship public affairs program, Chicago Tonight, consistently cater to the=
=20
interests of advertisers and white affluent Chicagoans while ignoring news=
=20
and perspectives of interest to other constituencies. James Owens,=20
principal author of Chicago Media Action's research effort, said "Over 40%=
=20
of the Chicago area is made up of people of color - 58% in the City - but=20
79% of the guests on Chicago Tonight are white. During our study, Chicago=20
Tonight presented only white guests in stories on business and economy. In=
=20
addition, on stories of business and economy during our study, corporate=20
representatives made up over 47% of the guests, while labor representatives=
=20
made up less than 5% of the guests and no public interest representatives=20
appeared." "Public television is supposed to provide us with an=20
alternative to commercial broadcasting. Yet CMA's study demonstrates that=20
WTTW's signature news and public affairs program showcases the same white,=
=20
male, professional voices that already dominate commercial TV news,"=20
explained Stephen Macek, PhD., Assistant Professor of Speech Communication=
=20
at North Central College.
[SOURCE: Chicago Media Action Press Release]
http://www.chicagomediaaction.org/news.php?id=3D213
See the full report at:
http://www.chicagomediaaction.org/pdffiles/CMA_WTTW.pdf
QUICKLY
LIBERALS STEP UP POLITICAL ASSAULT AGAINST FOX NEWS
Cable TV channel Fox News, which bills itself as "Fair and Balanced," is=20
under fire from liberal groups that believe the outlet is biased to the=20
Republican Party. On July 8, a report from media watchdog group Fairness=20
and Accuracy in Reporting found that in the six months through December 19,=
=20
2003, 57% of guests on Fox News's popular evening news show, "Special=20
Report with Brit Hume" were conservatives. A week later, MoveOn.Org and=20
Center for American Progress sponsored the release of a documentary=20
"Outfoxed: Rupert Murdoch's War on Journalism," which uses clips from the=20
cable channel to show what the filmmakers claim is a pattern of right-wing=
=20
bias and support for the Republican agenda. And most recently, MoveOn.Org=20
and Common Cause have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission=20
claiming that Fox News Channel's slogan "fair and balanced" violates the=20
federal agency's prohibition against deceptive advertising. At the same=20
time, the Independent Media Institute, an advocacy group for alternative=20
journalism, announced it had filed a challenge against Fox News' trademark=
=20
on the term "fair and balanced." Paul Maslin, a Democratic pollster who was=
=20
an adviser to former presidential candidate Howard Dean, says that=20
progressives are finally capitalizing on the fact that "people don't like=20
the media in general." Mr. Maslin says that when Mr. Dean criticized the=20
media conglomerates that control much of the nation's news outlets, his=20
standing in the polls soared.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Julia Angwin at julia.angwin( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109027556196467837,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_marketplace
(requires subscription)
FCC SEEKS TO DOCUMENT ERATE BEST PRACTICES
The FCC is planning an October 6 symposium to highlight success stories=20
from school and library eRate recipients nationwide including examples of=20
how schools and libraries are using a variety of broadband technologies to=
=20
enhance teaching and learning as a result of their eRate discounts. The FCC=
=20
is looking for school or library officials who would like to tell their=20
story at the symposium. Best practices of particular interest to the agency=
=20
would include ways that states have leveraged eRate discounts to take=20
advantage of other funding sources and how broadband infrastructure, paid=20
for with eRate discounts, has spurred regional broadband deployment. Anyone=
=20
interested in presenting at the symposium can eMail Sarah Whitesell, the=20
FCC's associate chief of strategic planning and policy analysis, at=20
edsymposium( at )fcc.gov
[SOURCE: eSchool News, AUTHOR: Cara Branigan]
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=3D5185
SONY AND BMG GET PERMISSION IN EUROPE FOR BIG MERGER
The European Commission yesterday approved a merger of the recorded-music=20
units of the Sony Corporation and Bertelsmann, removing the biggest=20
obstacle to the creation of a global music power. Sony BMG will claim an=20
estimated 23 percent of worldwide music sales. In the United States, the=20
world's biggest music market, the company will account for more than one=20
out of every three new releases, making it the nation's biggest music=20
company. The combined company was expected to cut roughly 2,000 jobs in the=
=20
months ahead as part of an effort to cut $350 million in costs. The=20
venture, which does not include the companies' music publishing or=20
distribution divisions, is expected to generate more than $6 billion in=20
revenue.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jeff Leeds]
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/20/business/worldbusiness/20music.html
(requires registration)
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------