For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm
NEWS FROM CONGRESS
Media-Ownership Duel in D.C.
McCain Pushes Public Safety Spectrum Deadline in 9/11 Bill
Senator Blasts Film, TV Ratings
House Passes Bill Aimed at Piracy in Theaters
Barton Wants To Investigate TV News
QUICKLY
Cellphone Disconnect: Carriers Offer More, Customers Want Less
No Escape From E-Mail
Proposed Rules Pit =91Hams' vs. Broadband Net Users
Consumer Education Initiative on Transition to Digital Television
Locking the Door Against Internet Trespass: Are New Laws Needed?
Court Says EU Erred On MCI-Sprint Merger Bid
NEWS FROM CONGRESS
MEDIA-OWNERSHIP DUEL IN D.C.
The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on media ownership rules on=20
Tuesday. C. Edwin Baker, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania,=
=20
argued that legal restrictions on the media are "vitally important to=20
democracy." Pointing out that the media business is a high-profit industry,=
=20
Prof Baker said the government's policy goal should be to "place ownership=
=20
in the hands of people most likely to put those profits toward better=20
journalism rather than income," which he says is generally not big media=20
companies. Geneva Oberholser, a longtime newspaperwoman currently a=20
professor at the Missouri School of Journalism, said the country is=20
"starving" for journalistic content serving the public interest. She=20
pointed to what she suggested was the deliberate undercoverage of the media=
=20
ownership debate by big media companies with a stake in the outcome. Baker=
=20
argued that Congress could help the FCC recraft its rules by 1) passing a=20
resolution that the public interest requires the commission to prevent=20
excessive power and to promote the maximum diversity of ownership and 2)=20
finding that newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership creates unacceptable power=
=20
"within local media systems," and should not be allowed except where=20
necessary to continued economic viability. Independent media researcher and=
=20
author Ben Compaine and Cato's Adam Thierer argued that the rise of cable,=
=20
satellite and the Internet provide plenty of alternative news and=20
entertainment outlets. Compaine said that the FCC has sufficient expertise=
=20
and that Congress shouldn't "micro-manage" the ownership issue.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA456548?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
See testimony at:
http://commerce.senate.gov/hearings/witnesslist.cfm?id=3D1321
MCCAIN PUSHES PUBLIC SAFETY SPECTRUM DEADLINE IN 9/11 BILL
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) said Tuesday he would=
=20
try to move a public safety spectrum amendment to legislation on=20
intelligence reform being debated by the Senate this week. The National=20
Intelligence Reform Act (S-2845) from Senate Government Affairs Chairman=20
Collins (R-ME) would enact many provisions from the 9/11 Commission report,=
=20
but not the report=92s recommendation that analog spectrum be cleared for=20
public safety interoperability. Withholding details, Sen McCain said he=20
would try to add an amendment to the bill that would give some spectrum=20
back to public safety.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Terry Lane]
(Not available online)
See Also --
Spectrum Return Plan Regains Interest
After the Senate Commerce Committee approved a water-down version of=20
legislation to set a hard date for the end of the transition to digital=20
broadcasting, Now is the time for Congress and other interested parties to=
=20
reconsider the Digital-Only Broadcasting blueprint APTS offered to=20
accomplish the triple goals of returning a significant amount of spectrum=20
to the government in the next four years, providing a market-based boost=20
for the transition and =AD most important =AD delivering new digital=
services,=20
in the truest sense of the word, to consumers. The APTS DOB plan builds on=
=20
ideas raised by the FCC, such as full post-transition carriage rights,=20
including multicasting, and goes a couple of steps further. APTS believes a=
=20
voluntary, market-based solution will free up large blocks of spectrum much=
=20
earlier than would otherwise be the case with minimal consumer disruption.
[SOURCE: Association of Public Television Stations]
http://www.apts.org/
SENATOR BLASTS FILM, TV RATINGS
During a Senate Science, Technology and Space subcommittee (Commerce)=20
hearing, Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) blasted the movie and broadcast=20
industries' separate rating systems. Sen Brownback said they failed to help=
=20
parents shield children from inappropriate content. He reiterated at the=20
hearing that House and Senate lawmakers had agreed to boost fines on=20
broadcasters that air indecent material. He said legislators were aiming to=
=20
include the measure as an amendment to a defense bill. Yesterday the House=
=20
passed the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act [see story below] which, in=
=20
part, would offer some copyright protection for new movie-filtering=20
software that helps parents prevent children from watching movie scenes=20
depicting sex, violence or foul language.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Jube Shiver Jr.]
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-ratings29sep29,1,4510...
story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)
For links to testimony delivered at the hearing, see:
http://commerce.senate.gov/hearings/witnesslist.cfm?id=3D1322
HOUSE PASSES BILL AIMED AT PIRACY IN THEATERS
The House passed the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act Tuesday, making=20
videotaping films in theaters a federal crime while making it easier for=20
the Justice Department to prosecute Internet users who illegally distribute=
=20
large amounts of music and other copyrighted works. The bill encourages the=
=20
FBI to use Internet providers to forward warning letters to subscribers=20
whose accounts are being used for illegally downloading music and movies.=20
That provision is aimed largely at parents who may be unaware of their=20
children's activities. Consumer groups, conservative groups and libraries=20
say the bill would radically broaden copyright law and drag the government=
=20
into a battle that should be handled by the entertainment industry.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times]
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-piracy29sep29,1,28931...
tory?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)
See also --
Reuters:=20
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=3DDZ40YDTQXZ1KGCRBAE...
A?type=3DinternetNews&storyID=3D6358345
News.com:=20
http://news.com.com/House+votes+to+target+P2P+pirates/2100-1028_3-538768...
ml?tag=3Dnefd.top
BARTON WANTS TO INVESTIGATE TV NEWS
House Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) is planning a hearing after the=
=20
election to see if TV news operations "need to have safeguards to prevent=20
reporters from infusing their opinions into news reports." He suggested the=
=20
problem may be changing standards and implied that TV news was less=20
reliable than print.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA456614?display=3DBreaking+New...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
See also --
TVWeek: http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=3D6395
QUICKLY
CELLPHONE DISCONNECT: CARRIERS OFFER MORE, CUSTOMERS WANT LESS
Can a cell phone be just...well...a phone? "There is a big gap between what=
=20
operators think adds value and what customers really value," says Ari=20
Iso-Rautio, a consultant at Capgemini. Consumers want cheap, unlimited=20
phone service in a wide network area. Instead, carriers add features like=20
data services and cameras that many people don't use.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Christopher Rhoads at=20
christopher.rhoads( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109640898421430540,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_personal_journal
(requires subscription)
See a related story, "School Cellphone Bans Topple (You Can't Suspend=20
Everyone):
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/09/29/national/29cellphone.html?hp
NO ESCAPE FROM E-MAIL
Portable e-mail devises have created a borderless world of new=20
opportunities for multitasking. BlackBerry -- and a growing number of cell=
=20
phones like them that come with tiny keyboards -- have made it easier and=20
more tempting than ever to sneak in work during personal time, and personal=
=20
messaging at work. But as instant e-mail devices accelerate the cadence of=
=20
work life, there are increasing complaints that they whittle away at time=20
that people once used to give undivided attention to family or co-workers,=
=20
or to find solitude on the beach or during the daily commute.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Yuki Noguchi]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58256-2004Sep28.html
(requires registration)
PROPOSED RULES PIT 'HAMS' VS BROADBAND NEW USERS
The FCC is set to pass new rules to limit radio interference by emerging=20
services that offer broadband over electric power lines, but the curbs are=
=20
not likely to appease ham radio operators. The =93hams=94 say widespread=20
rollout of power-line broadband could be a virtual death knell for their=20
beloved hobby because the service often emits radio waves on the same=20
channels they use. The problem is that electric wires are not shielded and=
=20
data, which travel in energy waves, can easily disrupt other services.
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR:Paul Davidson]
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20040929/broadpower29.art.htm
CONSUMER EDUCATION INITIATIVE ON TRANSITION TO DIGITAL TELEVISION
FCC Chairman Michael Powell will hold a press conference on Monday, October=
=20
4, 2004, to kick off an education campaign to highlight the importance of=20
the transition to digital television (DTV). At the event, Powell will=20
announce a major initiative headed by the FCC that will bring all corners=20
of the television industry together to educate the public on the importance=
=20
of the digital television (DTV) transition and how it will affect them in=20
the coming years. Following the press conference, two panels made up of=20
senior executives of the television industry will discuss the present and=20
future of digital and high-definition television. The first panel will=20
focus on what high-definition content is available to Americans now, and=20
will be available in the future. The second panel will focus on how=20
Americans are able to take advantage of this content-whether through=20
broadcast television, cable, satellite, and other services.
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-252592A1.doc
LOCKING THE DOOR AGAINST INTERNET TRESPASS: ARE NEW LAWS NEEDED?
[Commentary] Many web surfers may find unwanted guests resetting home=20
pages, adding new toolbars, =93hijacking=94 browsers to unwanted websites,=
and=20
sometimes even mining PCs for personal information. Although the problem=20
may hinder growth of the Internet, Gattuse suggests that no new legislation=
=20
is needed -- just enforcement of current laws. The most effective defense=20
for Web surfers, he writes, will almost certainly come not from Washington,=
=20
but from private sector technologies and services that help consumers to=20
protect themselves.
[SOURCE: Heritage Foundation, AUTHOR: James L. Gattuso]
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Regulation/wm575.cfm
COURT SAYS EU ERRED ON MCI-SPRINT MERGER BID
The Court of First Instance in Brussels ruled that the European Union=20
Commission erred when it blocked the merger of MCI and Sprint saying that=20
MCI WorldCom had a dominant position in networks for global Internet=20
traffic. The ruling turned on a legal technicality, and the EU court didn't=
=20
examine whether regulators were wrong to find the merged companies dominant=
=20
in markets for "top-level Internet connectivity" and global=20
telecommunications services for multinational corporations. U.S. antitrust=
=20
authorities also blocked the deal on the same grounds.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: James Kanter=20
james.kanter( at )dowjones.com & Shawn Young shawn.young( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109636087068429894,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_page_one
(requires subscription)
In a related story, Neelie Kroes, a 63-year-old Dutch politician, narrowly=
=20
won the approval of the European Parliament to become Europe's antitrust=20
chief. There are concerns about strong ties to business and her=20
preparedness to become the European Union's most important regulator.
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB109640436789930410,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
s_page_one
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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.
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