For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm.
Today's events include a hearing wireless directory assistance services and
a public forum with the board of directors of CPB. The Free Press town
meeting on the future of media in Miami, Florida has been postponed.
MEDIA & ELECTIONS
Federal Judge Remands FEC Rules on Broadcast Ads, Internet
Nets Line Up For Debates
BROADCASTING
McCain Pushes for 2009 Digital Deadline
DTV Transition Distant, Says Group
'Make Violence Indecent,' Barks Watchdog
QUICKLY
Cable Working to Reach Diversity Goals
Nextel Wants Better FCC Deal
Corner Office Shift: Telecommuting Rises In Executive Ranks
Nepalese Man Honored for Connecting Villages
MEDIA & ELECTIONS
FEDERAL JUDGE REMANDS FEC RULES ON BROADCAST ADS, INTERNET
U.S. District Judge in Washington DC Colleen Kollar-Kotelly remanded 15 of
19 Federal Election Commission rulemakings implementing the Bipartisan
Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), saying that the Commission ignored Congress's
will in exempting regulation imposed in the final days of an
election. Judge Kollar-Kotelly ruled that FEC exemptions of all Internet
communications, ads aired without payment, and broadcast ads by 501(c)(3)
groups, which under the IRS code are forbidden from participating in
political campaigns, ran "completely afoul" of settled law and undercut the
agency's "statutory purpose of regulating campaign finance and preventing
circumvention of the campaign finance rules." The FEC is essentially
trusting the IRS to police the 501(c)(3) groups, Kollar-Kotelly wrote. But
she said that "is troubling" given the fact "that the IRS in the past has
not viewed Section 501(c)(3)'s ban on political activities to encompass
activities" defined in the FEC rulemaking. Because it's not clear whether
the IRS will regulate a 501(c)(3) according to the definition used in the
FEC exemption, she wrote, the rulemaking can't be allowed to stand.
Sponsors of the legislation in the House and the Senate led the fight to
challenge the FEC ruling and applauded the court's decision.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Patrick Ross]
(Not available online)
See additional coverage --
* NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/21/politics/campaign/21donate.html?hp
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/21/opinion/21tue2.html
*
WSJ:
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109569142503022330,00.html?mod=todays...
*
WP: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35257-2004Sep20.html
* USAToday:
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20040921/a_campaignfinance21.a...
NETS LINE UP FOR DEBATES
President Bush and Sen Kerry apparently will debate three times and Vice
President Cheney and Sen Edwards will debate once before the November
election. After an official announcement is made, CBS, ABC and NBC are
likely to announce they will air the debates live. Fox may air just the
first debate. The presidential debates will be Sept. 30, Oct. 8, and Oct.
13, with the VP debate Oct. 5.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA454485?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
See NYTimes for more information about the now scheduled debates.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/21/politics/campaign/21agreement.html
BROADCASTING
MCCAIN PUSHES FOR 2009 DIGITAL DEADLINE
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) has tentatively
scheduled Wednesday for a vote on legislation that would set a hard date
for the conversion to digital-only TV broadcasting and provide $1 billion
in subsidies for digital-to-analog converters to ensure that some of the 73
million analog-only TV sets in the United States that aren't connected to
cable or satellite don't go dark when broadcasters are forced to pull the
plug on analog operations. Low-income households and other households that
rely exclusively on over-the-air reception would get first crack at the
subsidies. In addition, the bill would require analog-only TV sets sold
after Sept. 30, 2005, to include labels warning that they won't be able to
receive broadcast signals after Dec. 31, 2008, "without the purchase of
additional equipment." The National Association of Broadcasters opposes the
legislation.
[SOURCE: TVWeek, AUTHOR: Doug Halonen]
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=6330
See also:
* McCain Bill Would End DTV Transition by 2009
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA454474?display=Breaking+News
(requires subscription)
* LATimes:
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-rup21.7sep21,1,685395...
DTV TRANSITION DISTANT, SAYS GROUP
The Digital Transition Coalition is concerned the transition to digital TV
might not be reaching everyone and especially households in thinly
populated states. In Alaska, for instance, the DTV programming of ABC and
FOX are not available over the air to anyone. CBS and NBC digital programs
reach 98.9% and 87.7% of the public, respectively. Statewide 86.6% of
households cannot receive a broadcast digital signal. DTV reach also lags
the nation in Vermont, South Dakota, Montana, Hawaii and Utah. The
coalition wants Congress to let DBS providers beam digital network
programming from out-of-town markets to households that can't get the net's
digital programming from a local affiliate. DBS providers are already
allowed to deliver analog network signals to unserved areas. Broadcasters
so far have successfully fought the idea, arguing the DBS providers will
continue to import programming illegally after stations begin serving those
customers with digital.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA454481?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
'MAKE VIOLENCE INDECENT,' BARKS WATCHDOG
The FCC is requesting comments by October 15 on violent broadcast content
and Morality in Media has filed early in an attempt to kick off the debate.
The group argues that violent scenes have no more constitutional protection
than do the depictions of sexual or excretory activities the FCC already
restricts. "The Supreme Court did not modify its definition [of indecency]
to restrict the phrase to 'in sexual connotations,'" it said. The group
also argued that, unlike a safe harbor allowing sexual and excretory
depictions between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., there should be no safe harbor when
indecent violence would be permitted. Morality in Media's suggested
definition of indecency would restrict "outrageously offensive or
outrageously disgusting" violence as determined by contemporary, community
standards.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA454486?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
QUICKLY
CABLE WORKING TO REACH DIVERSITY GOALS
Speaking Monday at the opening session of the National Association of
Multi-Ethnicity in Communications' conference, cable executives expressed
their commitment to diversity. Executives agreed that companies have to
employ disciplined plans to affect diversity within their companies, as
well as to hold executives accountable for employing and advancing people
of color and women into the upper echelon of management positions. And once
minorities are hired, the work environment has to be accepting of new ideas
and potential complaints if companies are to retain talented women and
people of color.
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR:R. Thomas Umstead]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA454463?display=Breaking+News
(requires subscription)
NEXTEL WANTS BETTER FCC DEAL
Nextel Communications is pressing the FCC to revamp its controversial
decision giving the cellular company new airwaves, seeking changes that
according to some estimates could save Nextel as much as $700 million.
Although this summer's rebanding plan was seen as a major victory for
Nextel, the company has not accepted the deal yet. Nextel executives have
asked to be given more credit for the airwaves that the company would give
back. That, in turn, would require Nextel to pay less in cash to underwrite
the costs to move fire and police communications to new spectrum and
compensate the government.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Yuki Noguchi]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A36904-2004Sep20.html
(requires registration)
CORNER OFFICE SHIFT: TELECOMMUTING RISES IN EXECUTIVE RANKS
Telecommuting, once primarily the domain of lower-level and technical
employees [like Headlines editors], increasingly is moving into the senior
management ranks. The reasons driving the trend are diverse: Faster
broadband Internet connections between home and office; the Sept. 11, 2001
terror attacks, which made companies recognize the value of placing
executives apart geographically to help reduce disruptions; and managers'
increasing comfort with the idea of working remotely. The number of
Americans employed by a company -- and who work from home at least one day
per month -- rose to 24.1 million this year from 23.5 million in 2003,
according to a recent study. At the same time, the number of people
telecommuting full-time shot up 41% from last year, to 12.4 million from
8.8 million.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Kris Maher kris.maher( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109571616113022806,00.html?mod=todays...
(requires subscription)
NEPALESE MAN HONORED FOR CONNECTING VILLAGES
While technology from the Silicon Valley and elsewhere can help change
lives, it often requires human effort to close the deal. Cassidy relates
the story of Mahabir Pun who helped connect his remote village in Nepal to
the Internet even though it was not connected to electricity or the phone
network. This month a British non-profit honored him with the 2004 Overall
Social Innovations Award for his efforts.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Mike Cassidy]
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/9719460.htm
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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. While the summaries are
factually accurate, their often informal tone does not always represent the
tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang
(headlines( at )benton.org) -- we welcome your comments.
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