POLICYMAKERS
Markey's Mark
A Rush To Frame Views on Congress
Karl Rove, Insider With an Outsize Reputation
NEWS AT THE FCC
FCC sets Jan 16 for big wireless auction
Assessing the 700 MHz Order: Parts I & II
Windstream Gets FCC Nod For CT Comms Buy
Late Effort to Have FCC Re-examine the DTV Transition Plan
Nader Wants FCC To Look Into GM's Gifts To Radio Hosts
OWNERSHIP
Who Controls Media Today and How the People Can Take it Back
How Solid Is the Deal for Tribune Company?
INTERNET/BROADBAND
Broadband Talk From Wisconsin To Florida
Regulate the Internet!
Policy Straw Poll: Infrastructure
KIDS & MEDIA
Move Over Mickey: A New Franchise at Disney
Hamas's approach to jihad: Start 'em young
The false choice of a la carte TV
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATION
Wiretap Correction
BBC's FM Broadcasts in Russia Are Removed by Distributor
POLICYMAKERS
MARKEY'S MARK
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
After a dozen years watching Republicans control the gavel and much
of the debate, Ed Markey (D-MA) is now chairman of the House
Telecommunications & Internet Subcommittee. He is most concerned now
with digital television's D-day, when the nation switches from analog
to digital TV -- a deadline that's now just 18 months away. Worried
that many Americans will be left without TV, Chairman Markey pledges
tight oversight of the switch. That means working doggedly with the
industry to educate consumers about Feb. 17, 2009, the date for the
turn-off of analog TV service. His top worry: that educating viewers
about the switch will cost more than the $7 million that the
government has so far ponied up. That's hardly the only open file on
what is an ambitious agenda. Read what he's thinking about in this Q&A.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6470000.html
* Cartoon Network Joins Fight Against Childhood Obesity
Rep Ed Markey: "I want to commend the Cartoon Network for taking this
positive step forward today. The childhood obesity epidemic is a
pressing public health issue, one that in my view requires concerted
action by entities in the food and beverage industry, as well as by
media companies providing children's television fare. Children's
television should ideally be an environment for learning and
education, not a vehicle for promoting unhealthy dietary choices
through marketing to young kids."
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3051&I...
A RUSH TO FRAME VIEWS ON CONGRESS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jonathan Weisman]
Democrats and Republicans are mounting a fierce battle to shape voter
impressions of Congress during August's political lull, convinced
that they must define the story line of the 2008 congressional
election before voters are swamped by the presidential campaign. The
opening salvo of television and radio advertisements, automated calls
and fundraising appeals is unusually intense this early in the
election cycle, and it comes just seven months after the Democrats
took control of Congress. With the presidential campaign sure to
dominate news coverage in the coming months, party officials and
proxy groups have become convinced that now is the time to frame
public opinion and lock up political donors in ways that will carry
the parties into the fall.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/19/AR200708...
(requires registration)
KARL ROVE, INSIDER WITH OUTSIZE REPUTATION
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Howard Kurtz]
[Commentary] What if journalists are part of an unspoken conspiracy
to inflate departed White House aide Karl Rove's importance -- not
for ideological reasons but because it makes for a better narrative?
What if they are the architects, using well-placed aides to build a
stage for inside-dope stories involving Rove and his colleagues? Or
perhaps there's a cruder explanation: that some journalists believe
Bush lacks the intellectual heft to achieve big things on his own, so
they attribute his most consequential decisions to a powerful
Svengali at his side. Journalists, having little access to
presidents, must piece together the story behind the story by relying
on the White House inner circle. That makes political advisers
valuable in two respects -- as sources and as subjects. He was
depicted instead as the man behind the curtain -- the Bush
consigliere responsible for the man's greatest triumphs and deepest
failures, depending on who was doing the writing. Jay Rosen, a New
York University journalism professor and blogger, writes that
reporters hailed Rove for his shrewdness: "In politics, they believe,
it's better to be savvy than it is to be honest or correct on the
facts. It's better to be savvy than it is to be just, good, fair,
decent, strictly lawful, civilized, sincere or humane. . . . And it
was this cult that Karl Rove understood and exploited for political gain."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/19/AR200708...
(requires registration)
NEWS AT THE FCC
FCC SETS JAN 16 FOR BIG WIRELESS AUCTION
[SOURCE: Reuters]
The Federal Communications Commission will hold a major auction of
airwaves in the 700 megahertz band beginning on Jan. 16, 2008, the
agency announced on Friday. The auction is expected to raise at least
$10 billion for airwaves being returned by television broadcasters as
they move to digital from analog signals in early 2009. The FCC
issued a public notice late Friday, asking for public comment on its
proposed auction procedures for anonymous bidding, block-specific
aggregate reserve prices, and allow package bidding for certain
licenses in the auction. The deadline for the first round of comments
on the FCC's plan is August 31, with a final round of reply comments
due Sept. 7
http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSN1722442920070817
* FCC Public Notice
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-3415A1.doc
ASSESSING THE 700 MHZ ORDER: PARTS I & II
[SOURCE: Tales from the Sausage Factory, AUTHOR: Harold Feld]
[Commentary] Just like Ray Charles, Harold Feld does his best work in
two parts. This time, he looks at the mammoth 350 page FCC decision
on the 700 MHz auction rules. He thinks the order "has the potential
to seriously revolutionize wireless and broadband policy in the
United States." Using his "Red Sox scale" of success, the order looks
a lot like the 1975 World Series. Looking back as an adult, you can
see that it was one of the finest moments in professional baseball,
with the Sox losing by a single run in the 7th game. But at the time,
it felt like a Hell of a loss, precisely because Boston came so close
to winning it all.
http://www.wetmachine.com/totsf/item/851
Part II:
http://www.wetmachine.com/totsf/item/873
-- See also --
* Open Devices, Not Just Handsets in Swath of 700 MHz
http://wifinetnews.com/archives/007848.html
WINDSTREAM GETS FCC NOT FOR CT COMMS BUY
[SOURCE: TelecomWeb]
Following in the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) footsteps, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has blessed Windstream
Corp.'s $585 million acquisition of rural telecommunications provider
CT Communications.
http://www.telecomweb.com/tnd/24838.html
LATE EFFORT TO HAVE FCC RE-EXAMINE THE DTV TRANSITION PLAN
[SOURCE: BetaNews, AUTHOR: Scott M. Fulton, III]
It is a mere eighteen months away: American terrestrial television
transmitters will vacate the VHF and UHF spectra that dominated the
broadcast industry for most of the 20th century, and move to a new
set of frequencies with the broader bandwidth required for digital
television. While lawmakers complain that not enough people are aware
their analog TVs won't pick up over-the-air signals after February
17, 2009, a collection of interest groups is now telling the FCC that
it's neglected to enact critical ethical standards for the use of
that spectrum. The Benton Foundation's complaint deals with
multicasting, which is something owners of new DTVs may have already
discovered: Many relocated channels are capable of broadcasting three
other sub-channels concurrently. The Benton group document details a
12-year history of the FCC deferring the matter of regulating DTV
broadcasting in the public interest, to unspecified future dates. In
fact, a majority of the document's text consists of citations of the
FCC's own words, including requests for commentaries and guidance on
the matter of how to regulate multicast channels in the public
interest. For instance, it cited a 1999 Notice of Inquiry (NOI),
posted in response to concerns raised by some of the groups joining
with Benton. By neglecting to even discuss the matter of the public
interest, their argument proposes, the FCC may actually be violating the law.
http://www.betanews.com/article/Late_Effort_to_Have_FCC_Reexamine_the_DT...
NADER WANTS FCC TO LOOK INTO GM's GIFTS TO RADIO HOSTS
[SOURCE: Bloomberg News]
Consumer advocate Ralph Nader has asked the Federal Communications
Commission to look into whether Rush Limbaugh and other radio hosts
are receiving payment or gifts from General Motors in exchange for
praising the company on air. Nader's letter to the FCC cited a report
in the Aug. 6 edition of Automotive News that said GM was buying ads,
loaning cars and offering other incentives to national and local
radio hosts in exchange for the promotions. FCC rules require
broadcasters to say if content has been aired in exchange for money
or other considerations. Automotive News, a Detroit-based trade
publication, also said GM was soliciting endorsements from Bill
O'Reilly, Laura Schlessinger, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Hannity, Ed
Schultz, Bill Press and Ryan Seacrest.
http://www.tbo.com/news/money/MGBJ1PNEH5F.html
OWNERSHIP
WHO CONTROLS MEDIA TODAY AND HOW THE PEOPLE CAN TAKE IT BACK
[SOURCE: Toward Freedom, AUTHOR: Megan Tady]
[Commentary] The five corporations own all of the world's media"
routine is getting a little tired. It's about time we beefed up our
knowledge about how our Internet is threatened, how print magazines
are bowing under postal rate hikes, who's slapping the hands of
communities reaching for radio stations, and who's kissing whom on
the CEO playground. As we face what could be the most important years
for the future of media, it's vital that we embrace a comprehensive
understanding of this wonky talk. Here are the basics so we can storm
boardrooms and scare haughty Hill interns with more than a "Hey, Hey,
Ho, Ho, Big Media has got to go!"
http://towardfreedom.com/home/content/view/1102/1/
HOW SOLID IS THE DEAL FOR TRIBUNE COMPANY?
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Richard Perez-Pena]
When Tribune Company shareholders gather tomorrow in Chicago to
approve an $8.2 billion plan to take the company private, an
uncomfortable question is sure to be on many of their minds: Will
this deal fall apart? The people involved say no, but the market
seems to have its doubts. A lot has changed since April 2, when
Tribune and Sam Zell, the real estate billionaire, announced the
complex takeover. What looked then like a moderate slump in stock
prices in the newspaper industry has turned into something worse,
with Tribune suffering more than most, and the credit markets the
company will rely on to shoulder its debt having gone from easy to
tight. If the deal dissolves as its stands now, half-realized,
Tribune would still be deep in debt, though somewhat less so.
Furthermore, it would not reap the significant tax benefits it was
counting on to help make the package work.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/20/business/media/20tribune.html?ref=toda...
(requires registration)
* Speculators not betting on Tribune buyout
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-tribune20aug20,1,9063...
INTERNET/BROADBAND
BROADBAND TALK FROM WISCONSIN TO FLORIDA
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Michael Martinez]
A look at state plans to speed broadband deployment in Wisconsin,
Massachusetts and Florida. 1) Gov. Jim Doyle (D-WI) unveiled a plan
to offer millions of dollars in tax incentives to companies that can
enhance his state's high-speed Internet infrastructure. The $7.5
million in tax credits would be made available to companies that
provide broadband and cellular telephone service. He said the tax
breaks will help attract more than $80 million in broadband-related
investments. The credits and exemptions are designed to encourage
businesses to expand their services to parts of the state where
broadband and cellular access is limited. 2) Massachusetts
Telecommunications and Cable Department Sharon Gillett said that
improving broadband access in the Bay State is one of her top
priorities. She said the $25 million incentive plan recently released
by Gov Deval Patrick (D) will play an integral role in making that
happen. Under Patrick's plan, public bonds will be used to purchase
broadband infrastructure, such as wireless towers. The Patrick
administration said it will select private partners to implement
parts of the project, and the initiative also will make it more
cost-effective for companies to enter underserved markets. 3) A
spokeswoman for Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Alvarez told the Miami
Herald that he is considering scaling back the city's wireless
broadband project to only cover the most densely populated areas. The
Herald reported that county officials hit a roadblock in deploying
the network when they recently discovered that sign posts were too
short to be equipped with transmitters.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/2007/08/broadband_talk_from_wis_to_fla.html
REGULATE THE INTERNET!
[SOURCE: American Chronicle, AUTHOR: Sam Vaknin]
[Commentary] With the advent of Web 2.0 and user-generated content,
the Internet has completed its transformation into a mass medium and
like all media it must be regulated. The laws that apply offline must
and, in due time, as legislators are exposed to the less savory
aspects of the Web, will apply online. What kind of regulation is
Vaknin talking about? 1) Slander, Libel, and Defamation vs. Free
Speech. 2) Privacy. 3) Copyright and Intellectual Property. 4)
Anonymity. 5) Licensing and Anti-trust. 6) Truth in Advertising and
Misrepresentations.
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=34976
POLICY STRAW POLL: INFRASTRUCTURE
[SOURCE: Blue Hampshire, AUTHOR: Mike Caulfield]
What are the Dems running for President saying about investing in
infrastructure?
http://www.bluehampshire.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1649
KIDS & MEDIA
MOVE OVER MICKEY: A NEW FRANCHISE AT DISNEY
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Dave Itzkoff]
Disney Channel's "High School Musical 2," which debuted on Friday,
drew an audience of 17.2 million viewers -- most staying up after
their bed time to see it. The success of "High School Musical 2" is
an indication of Disney's long-term efforts to reposition its cable
channel to appeal to the underserved 9-to-14 age group and to rope in
youngsters for whom Mickey Mouse seems too babyish. For the time
being at least, the movie has made a trio of fictional high school
students named Troy, Gabriella and Sharpay as recognizably Disney as
that 79-year-old mouse. sustaining interest in "High School Musical"
required Disney and its promotional partners to bombard capricious
young viewers with a relentless stream of merchandise and marketing
in the 18 months between the first and second movies. And now some
analysts wonder if Disney is risking the health of this budding
franchise by expanding it too quickly.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/20/business/media/20disney.html?_r=1&ref=...
(requires registration)
HAMAS'A APPROACH TO JIHAD: START 'EM YOUNG
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Dan Murphy]
As a weapon in its struggle with Israel, Nahool the Bee doesn't look
like a particularly threatening addition to the Hamas arsenal. He
doesn't even have a stinger. But what the bright yellow star of
"Tomorrow's Pioneers" on Hamas-owned Al Aqsa television lacks in
muscle he makes up for in fervor. Speaking in a recent episode,
Nahool vowed to help take back Jerusalem from the "criminal Jews" and
expressed his hope that he and all of his listeners would grow up to
become holy warriors. The show, along with paramilitary-style summer
camps for Gazan boys, reveal a key element in Hamas's long-term
strategy. The Nahool puppet replaced a Mickey Mouse-like character
named Farfur, who, in an episode several months ago, was shown being
killed by an Israeli official after he refused to sell his land to
Israelis. Director Mohsen says the show killed off Farfur because of
complaints they were infringing on Disney's copyright.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0820/p01s03-wome.html
THE FALSE CHOICE OF A LA CARTE TV
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Peter Suderman, FreedomWorks]
[Commentary] Anyone who's taken even a brief glance at their video
provider's channel offerings knows that the number of networks
currently available is staggering. At a recent communications forum
in Aspen, Colo., Kevin Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications
Commission, once again announced his support for imposing federal
authority over how your video programming company packages its
lineup. Martin would force providers to offer channels on an "a la
carte," or per-channel basis, replacing the current system in which
subscribers buy bundled packages. He claims that such a rule would
aid parents in fighting objectionable content, and that it would
allow consumers to pay only for the channels they want, ostensibly
saving them money. Sounds nice, right? Too bad enacting such a law
would be counterproductive on all fronts.
http://news.com.com/The+false+choice+of+a+la+carte+TV/2010-1033_3-620326...
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATION
WIRETAP CORRECTION
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] The current Congress has done little to brag about,
but in the case of its recent wiretapping legislation we sold it
short in one key respect. As part of the bill authorizing the
executive branch to wiretap al Qaeda suspects, Congress did give
_prospective_ liability protection to telephone companies that
cooperate with U.S. intelligence agencies. Democratic leaders still
refused to allow _retrospective_ liability protection, which means
the companies remain vulnerable to lawsuits for having cooperated in
the months after 9/11. Worse, the legislation lasts for only six
months, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi is already saying Democrats will try
to rewrite the rules to restrict this crucial war-fighting power.
This is one debate the White House should be willing to have
publicly, so Americans can appreciate that many Democrats think it is
appropriate to unleash the trial bar on U.S. companies merely for
helping our military prevent future terrorist attacks.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118757298439002514.html?mod=todays_us_op...
(requires subscription)
* Today the clock runs out on the latest deadline for the White House
to turn over materials regarding the National Security Agency's
eavesdropping program to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/19/AR200708...
BBC'S FM BROADCASTS IN RUSSIA ARE REMOVED BY DISTRIBUTOR
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
The British Broadcasting Corp. says its Russian-language FM
broadcasts have been taken off the air by its Moscow distributor,
which says its programs are "foreign propaganda." The decision by
Bolshoye Radio, and similar moves by two other radio stations in the
past year, leaves the BBC's Russian-language services available only
on medium- and shortwave broadcasts, the BBC says. Bolshoye Radio's
parent, financial group Finam, said the station's license didn't
allow it to retransmit BBC's programs, and the station will instead
focus on originally produced material. Critics say President Vladimir
Putin's government has stifled media freedoms and quashed political
opposition as the country heads into a parliamentary election in
December and presidential elections in March.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118757667731402594.html?mod=todays_us_pa...
(requires subscription)
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While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone
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