The FCC open meeting today (9:30 eastern) will be available on the web at
http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio/
For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm
AT THE FCC
FCC Noms Still No-Show
Debate Still Brewing Over FCC Broadband Proposal
Public Disclosure of Broadcast License Transfers
FCC's E/I Bug Lands
NAB Petitions FCC to Deny XM's Application to Acquire WCS
BROADCASTING
In Television Today, The Studio Audience Can't Just Sit There
Springer to Buy Broadcaster ProSieben For $3.01 Billion
QUICKLY -- CPB Board of Directors Meeting; Measuring the Blogosphere;
Darknets Rising to Expand File Sharing; Iraqis Connect to Cellular Age; If
We Buy it, it Will Come
AT THE FCC
FCC NOMS STILL NO-SHOW
If everyone in Washington knows that President Bush will nominate telecom
policy adviser Richard Russell and Tennessee utility commissioner Deborah
Taylor for two open FCC seats, why hasn't he actually done it? One theory
says the Administration is waiting to make an announcement when the Press
will be a bit more distracted -- why give reporters the month of August to
dig up any dirt on these people. Another, perhaps more likely theory, is
that the Administration is still deciding who to nominate for the seat of
Commissioner Copps whose term has expired. Copps has bipartisan support on
the Hill, but his outspoken views on media ownership and other issues may
make him to unpalatable for President Bush.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA632463?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* Russell Didn't Torpedo Comstock's Nomination, Committee Says
Speaking of theory #1, the Senate Commerce Committee denied rumors that
potential FCC nominee Richard Russell argued against Earl Comstock's
nomination to the post, upsetting Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) when
Russell emerged as a candidate, a spokeswoman said. CompTel Pres. Earl
Comstock, backed by Sen Stevens for an FCC seat, withdrew from
consideration in April after difficulties arose concerning his nanny's
employment status. CommDaily reports that the nominations of White House
aide Richard Russell and Tennessee utility commissioner Deborah Taylor are
expected in a week or two -- after paperwork and vetting are completed.
Russell may face some opposition from competitive local phone companies
because he was one of the officials who argued against appealing the
Triennial Review Order.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Anne Veigle]
(Not available online)
DEBATE STILL BREWING OVER FCC BROADBAND PROPOSAL
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is proposing to reclassify broadband delivered
over digital subscriber lines from a heavily regulated "telecommunications"
offering to a lightly regulated "information service." The reclassification
push was prompted by a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in a case that
held that broadband via cable modems should be regulated as an information
service. Chairman Martin appears to be seeking parity between telephone-
and cable-delivered broadband. But controversy has erupted because
reclassifying DSL means that phone companies providing the service no
longer would have to contribute to the Universal Service Fund. Reducing
contributions to that fund could draw fire from Capitol Hill. Meanwhile,
FCC Commissioner Michael Copps is seeking to modify the item by adding
"network neutrality" provisions that would require DSL providers not to
block or degrade competing services carried over their pipes. Several major
companies, including Amazon.com, eBay, Google, Microsoft and Yahoo, are
lobbying for neutrality as well.
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-UYOF1123186104210.html
PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF BROADCAST LICENSE TRANSFERS
The Campaign Legal Center joined the Institute of Public Representation,
the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, the National
Hispanic Media Coalition, Media Access Project, the Benton Foundation,
Chicago Media Action, and Free Press in filing comments calling on the
Federal Communications Commission to strengthen the rules governing the
public notice station owners must give when they apply to transfer their
broadcast station license. The comments recommend that the FCC create a
specific website where listeners and viewers can access information about
proposed station sales, and submit comments or objections. The groups urged
the FCC to ensure that the rules maximize public participation in the
broadcast licensing process.
[SOURCE: Campaign Legal Center]
http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/FCC-199.html
Full text of comments: http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/attachments/1419.pdf
FCC'S E/I BUG LANDS
The Office of Management and Budget has approved the FCC's plan to require
television broadcasters, commercial and noncommercial alike, to display an
on-screen "E/I" (educational/informational) bug throughout the entirety of
an FCC-friendly kids show, if they want to get credit toward their
FCC-mandated three-hour weekly minimum of educational children's
programming. The FCC adopted the new on-screen obligation as part of its
larger kids rule rewrite last November, including making noncoms have to ID
their educational kids shows. But, because the bug requirement is
considered an information collection obligation, it first had to be
approved by OMB per the Paperwork Reduction Act.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA632472?display=Breaking+News&...
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
NAB PETITIONS FCC TO DENY XM'S APPLICATION TO ACQUIRE WCS
Stop! In the name of localism, before you cost us money. Think it over
(FCC). Think it over (FCC). Satellite radio provider XM wants to buy more
radio spectrum enabling the company to expand into multimedia subscription
services, such as video. But the National Association of Broadcasters would
like the FCC to block the deal -- find out why at the URL below.
[SOURCE: National Association of Broadcasters]
http://www.nab.org/newsroom/pressrel/Filings/XMWCSPetition8305.pdf
BROADCASTING
IN TELEVISION TODAY, THE STUDIO AUDIENCE CAN'T JUST SIT THERE
More on the state of shill-o-vision. From daytime to prime time, television
is asking studio audiences to play a bigger part in selling programs to
viewers. Just sitting there laughing and heeding flashing "Applause" signs
is no longer enough. Nor is having an engaging host -- partly because there
are an awful lot of engaging hosts out there. Rob Dauber, co-executive
producer of Martha Stewart's new daytime "how-to" show, sees this new
emphasis on the audience as an extension of popular reality shows. Viewers
like to see ordinary folks acting spontaneously. "Seeing someone like you
on a show makes you want to watch," says Susan Lyne, chief executive of
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. "On a subliminal level, it suggests the
show is for you."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Brooks Barnes brooks.barnes( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112319944041705585,00.html?mod=todays...
(requires subscription)
SPRINGER TO BUY BROADCASTER PROSIEBEN FOR $3.01 BILLION
Newspaper giant Axel Springer AG said Friday it will buy broadcaster
ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG from a U.S. investor group for $3.01 billion. The
deal unites Germany's leading newspaper and television companies, and would
reshape Europe's largest media market. The deal will likely face intense
regulatory scrutiny and political resistance in Germany. Springer, a
staunchly conservative publisher based in Berlin, is widely considered
Germany's most partisan media outlet and the prospect that it could extend
its reach to television has created disquiet in some quarters. Despite the
likely political opposition to marrying the two companies, regulators will
likely approve the deal because German antitrust law places few controls on
cross-sector ownership in the media.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Matthew Karnitschnig
matthew.karnitschnig( at )wsj.com and Jason Singer jason.singer( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112317585704805142,00.html?mod=todays...
(requires subscription)
QUICKLY
CPB BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
The CPB Board of Directors will meet telephonically on Tuesday, August 9,
2005, 2:30 - 3:00 pm ET. The subject of the meeting is the Next Generation
Interconnection System for the public television system. The public may
attend and listen to this meeting in the Blair-Killian Board Room,
Corporation for Public Broadcasting, 401 Ninth Street, NW, Washington, D.C.
to the extent that space and occupancy regulations permit, unless otherwise
specified.
[SOURCE: Corporation for Public Broadcasting]
http://www.cpb.org/pressroom/release.php?prn=479
And just a reminder... Free Press and a nine other groups have asked for
increased openness and transparency in the way the CPB board operates and
conducts its meetings. Find out more at the URL below.
http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=84
MEASURING THE BLOGOSPHERE
Earlier this week, Technorati, a Web site that indexes blogs, released its
semiannual "State of the Blogosphere" report. It records a steady, and
astonishing, growth. Nearly 80,000 new blogs are created every day, and
there are some 14.2 million in existence already, 55 percent of which
remain active. Some 900,000 new blog postings are added every day - a
steady increase marked by extraordinary spikes in new postings after
incidents like the London bombing. The blogosphere - that is, the virtual
realm of blogdom as a whole - doubles in size every five and a half months.
If the blogosphere continues to expand at this rate, every person who has
Internet access will be a blogger before long, if not an actual reader of
blogs. ("The point at issue is not whether Maine and Texas may now talk to
one another, but rather whether they have anything significant to say.")
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Editorial Staff]
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/05/opinion/05fri4.html
(requires registration)
DARKNETS RISING TO EXPAND FILE SHARING
Fresh from its victory in the Supreme Court Grokster case, Hollywood faces
a new Internet threat -- the rise of ``darknets,'' or private, encrypted
networks that allow the anonymous exchange of music, movies and other
digital files. The entertainment industry has dismissed these hidden
networks as a risk because they lack the massive reach of a file-swapping
service like Kazaa, which has been downloaded 378 million times and enables
the exchange of billions of songs, movies and software. But a new search
technique, unveiled at a hacker's convention in Las Vegas last week, could
dramatically expand the reach of these darknets beyond small groups of
trusted friends to potentially millions of people.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Dawn C. Chmielewski]
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/12309492.htm
OUT OF NECESSITY AND IN STYLE, IRAQIS CONNECT TO CELLULAR AGE
Banned during Saddam Hussein's reign and introduced only last year,
cellphones are an obsession in this country. Iraqis give them nicknames and
spend inordinate amounts of money on the latest models, accessories and
ring tones. Cellphones have become an indispensable part of everyday life,
crucial for families negotiating commutes to school and work amid bombings
and bloodshed. They also have a status function. In Iraq, they are a
fashion symbol nonpareil.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Louise Roug]
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-cellphones5aug05...
(requires registration)
IF WE BUY IT, IT WILL COME
[Commentary] Sometimes the only way to find out if a technology works is to
try it. And the only way to see if it is profitable is to try to sell it.
Using file-sharing software, you can now download high definition
television clips to your computer. Interested?
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Editorial Staff]
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-cuban5aug05,1,342...
(requires registration)
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...and we are outta here. Many thanks to The Supremes and Henry David
Thoreau helping out with backup vocals today. Have a great, safe, summer
weekend (except, of course, our friends in the Southern Hemisphere).
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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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