For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm
BROADBAND
Why Policies Must Change
A Life-Saving Technology
Federal Rights-of-Way Website for Telecommunications Projects
On the Road to a Gigabit Broadband: Are we there yet?
MEDIA
NAB Seeking Cable-Carriage Confab
Senate Committee Votes on Public Broadcasting and other Media Reforms
Cable Wants FCC to Acknowledge Competitive Marketplace
CDT Urges FCC to Protect Internet Uses in TiVo Broadcast Flag Decision
Cutting Slasher Ads
BROADBAND
WHY POLICIES MUST CHANGE
Both President Bush and Sen Kerry have made broadband access a part of the=
=20
campaign for President, but what will the next Administration do? Federal=20
communications policy is a highly politicized and impossibly complicated=20
mess, with regional phone companies and cable networks locked in mortal=20
combat. Landmark telecommunications regulations, passed in 1996, when=20
broadband was largely theoretical, are likely to be reopened in Congress=20
next year--ensuring a new round of Washington infighting and=20
multimillion-dollar lobbying efforts. "When you look at the trends, it's=20
not chaos yet--but, if everything continues, it will be chaos in a couple=20
years," said Blair Levin, a Legg Mason analyst and former high-ranking=20
official at the FCC. "I don't think the trains will collide. But sometimes=
=20
it takes the trains being within earshot of each other before people do=20
anything." Experts increasingly say United States needs a more cohesive=20
national broadband policy and CNET News has some suggestions based on three=
=20
key points: incentives to spur competition, authority for municipalities to=
=20
build their own high-speed networks, and changes to communications laws=20
that predate the modern Internet.
There's much more at the URL below.
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: John Borland]
http://news.com.com/Broadband%3A+Why+policies+must+change/2009-1034_3-52...
5.html?tag=3Dnl
A LIFE-SAVING TECHNOLOGY
Once thought of as a luxury, high-speed Internet access is viewed=20
increasingly as a necessity. Broadband is being used in projects that could=
=20
revolutionize such critical areas as education, health care and public=20
safety while creating enormous opportunities in business and entertainment.=
=20
Policymakers are recognizing that fast Internet connections are as=20
essential to the future of the economy now as railroads and highways were=20
in the last two centuries. So important is the technology that it has been=
=20
elevated to a national campaign issue this election year. President Bush=20
and Democratic challenger John Kerry have each outlined plans to increase=20
investment in the technology as part of their platform agendas, and=20
policymakers of all stripes cite it as an important driver of future=20
economic growth. Critical uses for broadband technology are multiplying=20
every day in a wide range of fields: 1) Public Safety. Emergency=20
services--including firefighters, police forces and medical crews--see=20
wireless broadband as a vital addition to their tools, and are lobbying=20
Congress to help improve these capabilities. 2) Health Care. Diagnoses and=
=20
consulting can be done with the help of high-quality audio and video and of=
=20
real-time data connections between central and remote facilities. 3)=20
Education. Schools at all levels are already using high-speed Internet=20
connections in teaching and research, and many see the networks as ways to=
=20
help smooth out the radically unequal distribution of resources between=20
different regions and institutions.
There's much more at the URL below.
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: John Borland and Jim Hu]
http://news.com.com/Broadband%3A+A+life-saving+technology/2009-1034_3-52...
1.html?tag=3Dnl=20
FEDERAL RIGHTS-OF-WAY WEBSITE FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS PROJECTS
To promote the deployment of broadband, NTIA has established a new=20
interagency website to provide information about the different federal=20
agencies' rights-of-way processes and contacts. The site is intended to=20
improve access to information about obtaining rights-of-way for projects=20
over federal land or property otherwise controlled by the federal=
government.
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/frowsite/index.html
ON THE ROAD TO A GIGABIT BROADBAND: ARE WE THERE YET?
A Self-Assessment Guide for Communities
This guide is designed to provide a benchmark of your community=92s current=
=20
readiness to participate in the enormous economic, social, governmental and=
=20
personal changes that high-speed communications entail. More important,=20
this guide provides a vision of specific steps and actions your=20
community=97government, businesses, schools, community groups and=20
citizens=97can take to benefit from these changes.
CENIC is a not-for-profit corporation serving the California Institute of=20
Technology, California State University, Stanford University, University of=
=20
California, University of Southern California, California Community=20
Colleges and the statewide K-12 school system. CENIC=92s mission is to=20
facilitate and coordinate the development, deployment and operation of a=20
set of robust multi-tiered advanced network services for this research and=
=20
education community.
[SOURCE: The Corporation for Education Network Initiatives in California=20
(CENIC)]
http://www.cenic.org/guide/
MEDIA
NAB SEEKING CABLE-CARRIAGE CONFAB
National Association of Broadcasters President Eddie Fritts sent National=20
Cable & Telecommunications Association President Robert Sachs a letter=20
requesting that broadcasting and cable leaders should meet soon to=20
negotiate outstanding digital-carriage issues. =93Our goal should be simple:=
=20
to set aside past policy differences while doing what=92s best for the=20
viewing public,=94 the letter reads. Mr. Fritts said his idea for a=20
conference came at the suggestion of Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-LA) at a private=
=20
meeting among industry players last week on Capitol Hill. NCTA spokesman=20
Brian Dietz said Sachs would respond directly to Fritts and looked forward=
=20
to meeting with him. Mr. Dietz noted that cable-broadcasting digital-TV=20
talks occurred a few years ago, but the NAB stopped attending. =93The NCTA=
=20
does not regard dual must-carry of all broadcast stations as a way to=20
advance the digital transition or jump-start discussions, which the NAB=20
abandoned two years ago,=94 Mr. Dietz said. =93Hopefully, the NAB has more=
=20
constructive ideas than asking cable systems to carry every commercial=20
station twice.=94 TVWeek reports that Dennis Wharton, an NAB spokesman, said=
=20
the previous round of discussions with NCTA resulted in no progress. But=20
Mr. Wharton said NCTA's claim that broadcasters had scuttled the talks was=
=20
"absolute hogwash."
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA438865?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
Broadcast-Cable Talks on Carriage Proposed
[SOURCE: TVWeek, AUTHOR: Doug Halonen]
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=3D5970
(requires registration)
See full text of NAB letter at
http://www.nab.org/Newsroom/PressRel/072604lettertoSachs.asp
SENATE COMMITTEE VOTES ON PUBLIC BROADCASTING AND OTHER MEDIA REFORMS
The Senate Commerce Committee, meeting on Thursday, July 22nd, supported=20
media reform on several fronts. The committee approved Chairman John=20
McCain=92s (R-AZ) bill to reauthorize the Corporation for Public=
Broadcasting=20
(=93CPB=94). The McCain bill contains no language that would threaten the=20
editorial independence of public broadcasting. However, the committee was=20
not able to offer any proposals to increase funding for public=20
broadcasting, and to increase the number of local public broadcasters on=20
the CPB board, because of a legislative controversy over an unrelated issue=
=20
that halted its work in mid-session. These proposals could be added to=20
the CPB reauthorization bill if and when it comes up for a vote by the=20
entire Senate this year. However, it is also possible that amendments=20
harmful to public broadcasting=92s editorial integrity and that give the CPB=
=20
board greater authority to intervene in public broadcasting programs could=
=20
be offered at a later date, so Common Cause activists will continue to=20
monitor the legislation.
[SOURCE: Common Cause Press Release]
http://www.commoncause.org/news/default.cfm?ArtID=3D371
Additional statements about this legislation:
CPB: http://www.cpb.org/programs/pr.php?prn=3D361
APTS: http://www.apts.org/
CABLE WANTS FCC TO ACKNOWLEDGE COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE
In 1995, cable had a 91% share of the pay TV market; that share has=20
dwindled to 73% and the cable industry would like the FCC to acknowledge=20
that that means there is "vigorous rivalry" between cable and DBS. A=20
declaration by the FCC that the market is highly competitive could have an=
=20
impact on how cable is regulated. The information is sent to Congress each=
=20
year by the FCC in a report and a highly competitive market could=20
potentially face a looser regulatory environment. In comments filed at the=
=20
FCC, the National Association of Telecom Officers & Advisors (NATOA) and=20
the Alliance for Community Media said incumbent cable operators are=20
=93engaging in a range of anti-competitive practices to thwart competition,=
=94=20
including =93predatory pricing, targeted rate discrimination, denial of=20
access to content, denial of access to customers, refusal to deal with=20
contractors and suppliers, destruction of property, and an assortment of=20
other unfair practices.=94 NATOA said cable operators deploying digital TV=
=20
are =93routinely violating Cable Act rules on charging equipment fees=
without=20
regard to actual costs and are ignoring the Commission=92s tier=20
buy-through-regulations.=94 The FCC
should curb these practices, NATOA said.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Brigitte Greenberg, Jeanene=
Timberlake]
(Not available online)
CDT URGES FCC TO PROTECT INTERNET IN TIVO BROADCAST FLAG DECISION
A new CDT paper urges the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to=20
approve secure Internet technologies under its broadcast content protection=
=20
rules. The FCC is deciding which technologies will be permitted to access=20
digital TV programs, and is reviewing a system--opposed by some content=20
companies--that would allow a TiVo user to watch recorded shows on up to 9=
=20
different TiVo devices they register. At stake is whether the FCC will=20
stand by its commitment to allow secure Internet uses under the new rules.
"All Eyes on TiVo: The Broadcast Flag and the Internet"
http://www.cdt.org/copyright/20040726tivoflag.pdf
CDT's Broadcast Flag Introduction
http://www.cdt.org/copyright/broadcastflag/introduction.shtml
"Implications of the Broadcast Flag: A Public Interest Primer"
http://www.cdt.org/copyright/031216broadcastflag.pdf
[SOURCE: Center for Democracy and Technology]
(http://www.cdt.org)
CUTTING SLASHER ADS
Earlier this month the Federal Trade Commission praised the entertainment=20
industry for honoring pledges not to advertise violent movies, music and=20
games when kids make up 35% or more of the audience. But the Commission=20
wants the industry to do more. the FTC wants to stop marketing violent=20
entertainment during all of prime time, regardless of the percentage of=20
children watching. That=92s because most prime time shows draw large raw=20
numbers of kids even when the audience is mostly adults. The FTC complained=
=20
that 59 ads for seven films rated R for violence ran during an eight-week=20
period in programs popular with teens. For instance, The Matrix Reloaded=20
was advertised on WWE Smackdown21 and BET=92s Rap City. So far, the industry=
=20
appears to be avoiding the FTC=92s latest request. Neither the Motion=
Picture=20
Association of America nor The Director=92s Guild would comment on the new=
=20
entreaty. Industry watchdogs are taking notice, however, and are asking=20
movie studios and others to rethink their advertising strategies. =93A great=
=20
deal more needs to be done=94 says Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS).
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA438265?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------