To view Benton's Headlines feed in your RSS=20
Aggregator, paste=20
http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/6/all/feed into your read=
er.
For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org
TELECOM REFORM/INTERNET
House Schedules Telecom Reform Bill Hearing
The Next Broadband Battleground
Debate over =91net neutrality=92 is misplaced
Annenberg Center Releases Principles for Network Neutrality
NY Civic Groups Protest FiOS TV Franchise
Cable Regulations May Be Ripe for Renovation
Wi-Fi Fight Brews in Big Easy
Think the Internet will replace TV? Think again
Who owns the Internet? A map that shows you
New FEC rules would regulate paid Web ads
Hughes Looking At Rural Internet
Survey offers a =91sneak peek' into Net surfers' brains
BROADCASTING
Children's Television Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters
Out of Thin Air
Indiana TV Says FCC Fine Was Misplaced
Iowa Public Radio rides single wave
Cable Negotiates to Offer Instant Reruns (for a Fee)
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Publishers Wanted
Guild Complains: McClatchy Not Giving It Fair Shake on Buy Offer
Norway plans to tighten media ownership rules
Kenya plans new media ownership rules
The Freedom to Describe Dictatorship
QUICKLY -- CDT Urges Lawmakers To Withdraw ".xxx"=20
Legislation; Blogs are changing education; Sony=20
to boost marketing spending to push HDTV; New=20
Cellphone Services Put God on the Line
TELECOM REFORM/INTERNET
HOUSE SCHEDULES VIDEO FRANCHISE HEARING BILL
[SOURCE: House Commerce Committee]
The House Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on=20
Telecommunications and the Internet has scheduled=20
a hearing Thursday morning to consider a=20
committee print on the Communications=20
Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act of=20
2006, a yet to be introduced bill. The bill would=20
make it easier for telephone companies like=20
Verizon and AT&T to offer video and broadband=20
Internet service in competition to cable and=20
satellite by helping them bypass=20
often-contentious local franchise negotiations.
http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/03302006hearing1823/hearing...
* Bipartisan Franchise Bill Gets Partisan
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6318762?display=3DBreaking+News
* Bipartisan Telecom Deal Unravels; Barton To Push GOP-Backed Bill
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-ZMKJ1143232909756.html
THE NEXT BROADBAND BATTLEGROUND
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Mark Del Bianco, attorney]
[Commentary] Net neutrality in broadband networks=20
has become a major public-policy debate. Every=20
industry whose products or services can be=20
digitized will be affected by the outcome, as=20
tens of billions of dollars are at stake. Net=20
neutrality, also called network neutrality, has=20
three components. First, users should have access=20
to any content they choose while being able to=20
attach any device to the network--so long as it=20
will not harm the network. Secondly, there's the=20
issue of the management of the broadband network.=20
This involves practices such as shaping traffic,=20
reserving capacity or spectrum, or blocking=20
viruses and harmful programs. The third component=20
involves initiatives designed to convince=20
applications and content providers to make new=20
types of payments for premium services, such as=20
faster delivery or caching content closer to the=20
edge of the network. The initial federal policies=20
on these components are clear. Consumers have=20
already won on the first component -- the FCC or=20
Congress will step in if incumbent networks are=20
blocking or discriminating in ways that consumers=20
can observe. But network owners will initially=20
prevail on the rest. Until there is demonstrated=20
competitive harm, the government is unlikely to=20
limit network owners' flexibility to manage their=20
networks or strike private deals for faster or=20
different services. The policy debate is=20
effectively over on the federal level. But the=20
battle is not over. Proponents of open=20
networks--where all three of the Net neutrality=20
components are implemented in ways favorable to=20
the consumer or application provider -- should=20
adopt a market-based strategy of strategic bypass.
http://news.com.com/The+next+broadband+battleground/2010-1034_3-6052980....
l?tag=3Dfd_carsl
* Telecom Execs Battle Net Neutrality Demands
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DtechnologyNews&sto...
D=3D2006-03-24T193911Z_01_N24313129_RTRUKOC_0_US-TELECOMS-NEUTRALITY.xml&ar=
chived=3DFalse
DEBATE OVER 'NET NEUTRALITY' IS MISPLACED
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Robert Hahn=20
and Scott Wallsten, AEI-Brookings Joint Center for Regulatory Studies]
[Commentary] Rather than mandating someone=92s=20
notion of an ideal Internet architecture,=20
policymakers should consider whether some factors=20
are blocking competition and consumer choice. Two=20
barriers currently reduce choice. The first=20
restricts the use of spectrum =96 the airwaves that=20
carry wireless signals. Outdated regulations=20
prevent much spectrum from going to its=20
highest-valued use. Lawmakers could give the=20
economy a boost of at least $100bn (=8083.1bn) by=20
making more spectrum available and allowing=20
spectrum rights to be traded. One attractive use=20
could be more wireless broadband options. Second,=20
local governments block competition by limiting=20
entry and services that can be provided over=20
broadband lines. New entrants often must obtain=20
local approval and pay fees. Congress should=20
eliminate most of these wasteful, anti-consumer=20
rules. Both these suggestions would improve=20
competition, but a government role is still=20
important. Say a monopoly broadband provider=20
favours itself when providing Internet telephone=20
services by charging a competitor a fortune for=20
access. The government should police such=20
behavior, as it has done, through antitrust laws.=20
The dynamic nature of Internet technologies makes=20
it difficult to know what is best for consumers=20
today and in the future. Companies should be able=20
to experiment with different pricing methods. If=20
government regulates who can be charged and how=20
much, it risks snuffing out new competitors who=20
could usher in the next Internet revolution.=20
=93Hands off the Internet=94 was good policy when it=20
was a new phenomenon; it is good policy now.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/54b0ec16-bcf0-11da-bdf6-0000779e2340.html
(requires subscription)
ANNENBERG CENTER RELEASES PRINCIPLES FOR NETWORK NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: Annenberg Center for Communication at=20
the University of Southern California]
The goal of the Annenberg Center Principles for=20
Network Neutrality is to provide a simple, clear=20
set of guidelines addressing the public Internet=20
markets for broadband access. 1. Operators and=20
Customers Both Should Win: It is important to=20
encourage network infrastructure investment by=20
enabling operators to benefit from their=20
investments. It also is important to ensure that=20
customers have the option of unrestricted access=20
to services and content on the global public=20
Internet. 2. Light Touch Regulation: Any=20
regulation should be defined and administered on=20
a nationally uniform basis with a light touch.=20
Regulations should be aimed primarily at markets=20
in which it has been demonstrated that operators=20
possess significant market power. The emphasis=20
should be on prompt enforcement of general=20
principles of competition policy, not detailed=20
regulation of conduct in telecommunications=20
markets. 3. Basic Access Broadband: Broadband=20
network operators should provide "Basic Access=20
Broadband," a meaningful, neutral Internet=20
connectivity service.* Beyond providing this=20
level of service, operators would be free to=20
determine all service parameters, including=20
performance, pricing, and the prioritization of=20
3rd party traffic. 4. Transparency: Customers=20
should receive clear, understandable terms and=20
conditions of service explaining how any network=20
operator, Internet service provider or Internet=20
content provider will use their personal=20
information and prioritize or otherwise control=20
content that reaches them. 5. Encouraging=20
Competitive Entry: Government policy should=20
encourage competitive entry and technological=20
innovation in broadband access markets in order=20
to help achieve effective network competition and=20
make available high speed Internet access to the largest number of customer=
s.
http://www.annenberg.edu/news/news.php?id=3D13
CIVIC GROUPS PROTEST FIOS TV FRANCHISE
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Karen Brown]
Verizon's bid to land a cable franchise agreement=20
in Hempstead (NY) is raising some static among a=20
group of civic and social-services groups in the=20
Long Island community. A coalition representing a=20
half-dozen service organizations delivered a=20
letter to the Hempstead Town Board Friday in=20
which they stated "serious concerns" about the=20
FiOS TV franchise proposal, which is set for a=20
town board hearing April 4. At issue is the fact=20
that the regional Bell operating company=92s=20
fiber-optic network will not reach all parts of=20
the town and provide TV service to all of its=20
residents. The coalition is demanding that the=20
town board review the franchise application and=20
its impact not only on the communities within=20
Hempstead, but also on the 22 independent villages within its town borders.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6318879.html?display=3DBreaking+News
CABLE REGULATION MAY BE RIPE FOR RENOVATION
[SOURCE: TechWorldNews, AUTHOR: Gene Koprowski]
Based on a study by the Mercatus Center at George=20
Mason University, it is time to completely=20
replace cable regulation. The study identifies=20
$8.4 billion in annual costs passed directly to=20
consumers in the form of higher rates for=20
service, as well as fees, and equipment, because=20
of stale video franchise regulations. The study=20
also pinpoints $1.7 billion in "loss of value"=20
that consumers incur annually, due to higher=20
prices induce some consumers to go without cable.=20
Researchers also found that the "natural=20
monopoly" rationale that the government advocates=20
for preventing competition is contradicted by=20
twenty years of data collected by federal=20
agencies and independent scholars. This data=20
consistently finds that cable TV rates are lower=20
with wireline video competition. According to a=20
Government Accountability Office (GAO) study,=20
cable rates in markets with wireline video=20
competition are nearly 17 percent lower than they=20
would be without this competition. It's clear=20
that competition favors consumers, said Jerry=20
Ellig, a co-author of the report for George=20
Mason. This argument that "entry regulation"=20
lowers rates by reducing the cable operators'=20
risks and costs is also unconvincing, experts=20
said. When cable debuted in urban and suburban=20
areas, jurisdictions with competing cable=20
companies had rates equal to or lower than rates=20
in monopoly jurisdictions, the study shows. Ellig=20
said local governments' need to manage public=20
rights-of-way may justify some regulation of=20
construction and a cost-based fee to prevent=20
congestion and reimburse the public for=20
inconvenience when video providers use the public rights-of-way.
http://www.technewsworld.com/rsstory/49353.html
WI-FI FIGHT BREWS IN BIG EASY
[SOURCE: Red Herring]
After Katrina ravaged the Big Easy six months=20
ago, Greg Meffert, the city=92s chief information=20
officer, got downtown businesses back online by=20
opening the city=92s wireless mesh=20
network=97originally deployed to link surveillance=20
cameras=97to anyone who needed it. For free. Now=20
telecommunication lobbyists are trying to shut=20
down the network, and Mr. Meffert says it looks=20
like the state legislature will agree. State law=20
prohibits cities from providing more than a=20
relatively sluggish 128-kbps network, but New=20
Orleans offered its faster network as an=20
emergency relief effort. =93The vendors, the=20
BellSouths of this world, are not only going to=20
force us back, making our existing Wi-Fi illegal,=20
but also they want to close a loophole for=20
emergencies so that we would not do this again,=94 said Mr. Meffert.
http://www.redherring.com/article.aspx?a=3D16232
* Google's Wi-Fi Privacy Ploy
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060410/chester
THINK THE INTERNET WILL REPLACE TV? THINK AGAIN
[SOURCE: Blog Maverick, AUTHOR: Mark Cuban]
[Commentary] Cuban quotes Craig Moffet of=20
Bernstein Research to counter anyone who believes=20
that the Internet as alternative to TV is just=20
around the corner, or will happen this decade for=20
that matter. Moffet recently testified before the=20
Senate Commerce Committee saying, "despite a=20
great deal of arm waving from 'visionaries,' our=20
telecommunications infrastructure is woefully=20
unprepared for widespread delivery of advanced=20
services, especially video, over the Internet.=20
Downloading a single half hour TV show on the web=20
consumes more bandwidth than does receiving 200=20
emails a day for a full year. Downloading a=20
single high definition movie consumes more=20
bandwidth than does the downloading of 35,000 web=20
pages; it=92s the equivalent of downloading 2,300=20
songs over Apple=92s iTunes web site. Today=92s=20
networks simply aren't scaled for that. In a=20
series of recent research reports, The Dumb pipe=20
Paradox, I tried to address the expectation that=20
the telcos are rapidly rushing in to meet this=20
need and to provide competition for cable=20
incumbents. In fact, by their own best estimates,=20
they'll be able to reach no more than 40% or so=20
of American households with fiber over the next=20
seven years. In 60% of the country, there are=20
simply no new networks on the horizon, and the=20
existing infrastructure from the telcos =AD DSL=20
running at speeds of just 1.5Mbs or so =AD simply=20
won't be adequate to be considered 'broadband' in five years or so."
http://www.blogmaverick.com/entry/1234000173073592
WHO OWNS THE INTERNET? A MAP THAT SHOWS YOU
[SOURCE: CIO Blogs, AUTHOR: Ben Worthen]
A graphical look at corporate ownership of Internet routes.
http://blogs.cio.com/node/209
NEW FCC RULES WOULD REGULATE PAID WEB ADS
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: ]
The Federal Election Commission proposed new=20
rules Friday that would leave almost all Internet=20
political activity unregulated. The proposal=20
would, however, require paid advertisements for=20
federal candidates on the Internet to be paid for=20
with money regulated by federal campaign law. In=20
a summary of the proposal, the FEC said the rules=20
"are intended to ensure that political committees=20
properly finance and disclose their Internet=20
communications, without impeding individual=20
citizens from using the Internet to speak freely=20
regarding candidates and elections." The revised=20
definition includes paid Internet advertising=20
placed on another person's web site, but does not=20
encompass any other form of Internet communications.
http://www.nola.com/newsflash/technology/index.ssf?/base/washington-0/11...
6882397710.xml&storylist=3Dtechnology
* Election commission takes light touch with Net regs
http://news.com.com/Election+commission+takes+light+touch+with+Net+regs/...
0-1028_3-6053986.html?tag=3Dhtml.alert
HUGHES LOOKING AT RURAL INTERNET
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Ellen McCarthy]
Hughes Network Systems, a Maryland satellite=20
service company trying to reposition itself after=20
the sale of its DirecTV satellite television=20
business, plans to announce a campaign today=20
aimed at selling Internet access to small=20
businesses and consumers in rural parts of the=20
country. The Hughes Communications subsidiary,=20
which has 1,500 employees, already has about=20
275,000 customers in what it considers=20
"underserved" parts of the country. But after a=20
recent restructuring, Hughes officials say they=20
see the company's future more tightly tied to=20
providing Internet access, Web sites and other=20
services to the estimated 10 million to 15=20
million households without access to a high-speed=20
broadband connection.Hughes's main business today=20
is managing satellite networks for companies with=20
disparate locations around the country, such as=20
hotels, retailers, restaurants and gas stations.=20
That business took off in the mid-1980s when=20
Wal-Mart Stores hired Hughes to connect its=20
stores. But in recent years that business has=20
been "relatively flat." To add new customers, the=20
company is concentrating on sales to businesses=20
and individuals in regions where traditional=20
broadband is unavailable. Today the firm will=20
roll out its new brand, HughesNet, along with a=20
new line of managed services for small=20
businesses. According to Northern Sky Research,=20
there are as many as 15 million households without access to broadband serv=
ice.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/26/AR200603...
0638.html
(requires registration)
SURVEY OFFERS A 'SNEAK PEAK' INTO NET SURFERS' BRAINS
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Edward C. Baig]
Nielsen Norman Group is releasing a study today=20
on how people read web pages. As more business=20
shifts to the Internet, the study findings show=20
companies still have much to learn about how best=20
to present an online image. Findings include: 1)=20
Individuals read Web pages in an =93F=94 pattern.=20
They're more inclined to read longer sentences at=20
the top of a page and less and less as they=20
scroll down. That makes the first two words of a=20
sentence very important. =93People are extremely=20
good at screening out things and focusing in on a=20
small number of salient page elements,=94 says=20
Jakob Nielsen, a principal at the firm. 2)=20
Surfers connect well with images of people=20
looking directly at them. It helps if the person=20
in the photo is attractive, but not too good=20
looking. Photos of people who are clearly=20
professional models are a turnoff. =93The person=20
has to be approachable,=94 Pernice Coyne says. 3)=20
Images in the middle of a page can present an=20
obstacle course. 4) People respond to pictures=20
that provide useful information, not just=20
decoration. 5) Consumers will peek at ads in=20
search engines as a =93secondary thing,=94 Nielsen=20
says, since they usually have specific product targets in mind.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20060327/web_use27.art.htm
BROADCASTING
CHILDREN'S TELEVISION OBLIGATIONS OF DIGITAL TELEVISION BROADCASTERS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The FCC has released a Notice of Proposed=20
Rulemaking on its children's educational=20
programming rules for digital television=20
broadcasters. An industry-children's advocate=20
compromise proposal on new rules were also=20
released for comment. Comments are due April 24,=20
2006; reply comments due May 8, 2006.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-33A1.doc
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-33A2.pdf
OUT OF THIN AIR
[SOURCE: Columbia Journalism Review, AUTHOR: Daniel Schulman]
Starting in the early 1990s, translators, or=20
repeaters as they=92re sometimes known, began to=20
take on a new purpose. For noncommercial=20
broadcasters, whom the FCC allows to feed certain=20
repeaters via satellite, they have proved a=20
low-cost way (no staff, minimal equipment and=20
overhead) to rapidly establish a broad radio=20
presence. A translator setup typically runs=20
between $4,000 and $10,000 (not including the=20
cost of leasing space on a radio tower, on which=20
the device=92s antenna is situated), and, with a=20
satellite uplink, a broadcaster can beam its=20
programming to any number of translators=20
simultaneously. Evangelical Christian=20
organizations in particular have seized on this=20
model as a means of spreading the gospel. And=20
they have prospered. The Rev. Donald Wildmon=92s=20
American Family Association is an organization=20
that was recently in the news when it spearheaded=20
a campaign to stop Ford, the automobile=20
manufacturer, from advertising its products in=20
gay and lesbian magazines. Wildmon first learned=20
of the FCC=92s decision to allow noncommercial=20
broadcasters to beam programming via satellite to=20
translators in the late 1980s. He immediately=20
grasped how this could benefit his organization=92s=20
broadcast ambitions and, by extension, advance=20
the group=92s conservative agenda. Within four=20
years, between 1993 and 1997, the American Family=20
Association was broadcasting on 156 stations in=20
twenty-seven states. Its broadcast arm, American=20
Family Radio, boasts on its Web site that=20
translators allowed the organization to build=20
=93more stations in a shorter period of time than=20
any other broadcaster in the history of=20
broadcasting.=94 Relying heavily on translators,=20
Christian organizations such as the Educational=20
Media Foundation and Calvary Satellite Network=20
International (CSN) have enjoyed equally=20
impressive growth. =93You can do this dirt-cheap=20
and the fact is you avoid any ownership limits,=94=20
said Harold Feld, the senior vice president of=20
the Media Access Project, a nonprofit,=20
public-interest law firm that specializes in=20
telecommunications. The FCC has long been warned=20
that this loophole could be exploited to create=20
national radio networks, according to Feld, but=20
the Commission has dismissed those concerns as=20
=93speculative and alarmist.=94 He added, =93The sad=20
truth is that the agency is not very imaginative=20
about these sorts of things.=94 But even now that=20
the practice has moved well beyond the realm of=20
imagination, with broadcasters employing hundreds=20
of translators to forge nationwide footprints,=20
the FCC, seemingly unperturbed, has taken no action to discourage it.
http://www.cjr.org/issues/2006/2/Schulman.asp?printerfriendly=3Dyes
INDIANA TV SAYS FCC FINE WAS MISPLACED
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John M.Higgins]
WSBT South Bend, Ind., was one of more than 100=20
CBS affiliates fined $32,500 apiece for airing an=20
episode of crime drama Without a Trace that=20
depicted hormone-crazed teens writhing in various=20
stages of undress for a casual afternoon orgy.=20
The episode, which aired Dec. 31, 2004, was=20
perfectly decent for East Coast stations-Trace's=20
10 p.m. time slot is within the FCC's "safe=20
harbor" for indecency (10 p.m. to 6 a.m.). But it=20
was a prime time no-no for stations in Midwest=20
and Mountain states that air the show at 9 p.m.=20
But much of Indiana defies the switch to daylight=20
savings time and stays on Central Time only half=20
the year. In a letter sent to the commission last=20
Thursday, an attorney representing WSBT owner=20
Schurz Communications, explained that on the date=20
in question, "most of Indiana - including South=20
Bend - was not in the Central Time Zone, but=20
instead followed Eastern Time." Indeed, the=20
WSBT's log shows that the Trace episode aired at 10 p.m., not 9 p.m.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6318896?display=3DBreaking+News
IOWA PUBLIC RADIO RIDES SINGLE WAVE
[SOURCE: Des Moines Register, AUTHOR: Kyle Munson]
Each of the public radio stations at Iowa's three=20
major universities =97 WSUI at the University of=20
Iowa in Iowa City, WOI at Iowa State University=20
and KUNI at the University of Northern Iowa =97 is=20
cherished by its fans. Now, the three separate=20
stations are on the road to becoming a single=20
statewide network =97 Iowa Public Radio. Cindy=20
Browne, whose resume includes a stint as=20
executive vice president of the Corporation for=20
Public Broadcasting, was hired last year as the=20
first executive director of IPR. Merging these=20
three public radio stations, she said, is "a=20
little bit like the potato sack race three ways."=20
In one sense, there's never been a better time=20
for Iowa's public broadcasters to raise their=20
profile by banding together. The 36-year-old=20
National Public Radio has doubled its audience in=20
the last decade and serves more than 25 million=20
Americans on more than 800 stations nationwide. A=20
$230 million donation in 2003 by Joan B. Kroc,=20
widow of McDonald's founder Ray Kroc, helped NPR=20
expand its news coverage =97 showcased on the=20
popular programs "Morning Edition" and "All=20
Things Considered" =97 as other media companies=20
have trimmed or even slashed budgets. Under=20
Browne's guidance, the idea for Iowa Public Radio=20
has methodically moved ahead with input from=20
staff and focus groups. A broader and more=20
philosophical "listening project" this spring and=20
summer will ask listeners around the state this=20
question: "What role can public radio play in=20
assisting communities?" The eventual result could=20
be an IPR similar to Minnesota Public Radio =97 a=20
network of 37 stations founded in 1967 that now=20
boasts an operating budget of $60 million and membership of nearly 88,000.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=3D/20060326/E...
4/603260325/1047/ENT01
See also --
* TELEVISION/RADIO; Money Changes Everything
[SOURCE: New York Times 3/16, AUTHOR: Jacques Steinberg]
http://select.nytimes.com/search/restricted/article?res=3DF10E12FE3A550C...
DDDAA0894DE404482
(requires subscription)
CABLE NEGOTIATES TO OFFER INSTANT RERUNS (FOR A FEE)
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: ]
In another creative attempt to get people to buy=20
something they already can get for free, Time=20
Warner Cable, the nation's second-largest cable=20
operator, has initiated talks with the four=20
biggest broadcast networks -- CBS, ABC, Fox and=20
NBC -- about testing a service that would give=20
viewers access to top programs, as rated by=20
Nielsen Media Research, soon after their=20
broadcast. A video-on-demand service based on the=20
shifting whims of TV viewers would represent the=20
first effort to package and sell television=20
programs in a way that mimics the "wisdom of=20
crowds" approach, which has become common on the=20
Internet and underpins the way search engines like Google rank results.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/business/media/27warner.html?pagewanted=
=3Dall
(requires registration)
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
PUBLISHERS WANTED
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Robert G. Kaiser]
[Commentary] Anyone want to buy a paper? Consider=20
the rewards of being a newspaper proprietor. A=20
newspaper with smart reporters and editors and a=20
public-spirited owner can improve its community,=20
raise the quality of its public and private=20
institutions and enhance the lives of its=20
citizens in countless ways. A good newspaper=20
holds powerful people accountable for the way=20
they use their power. The paper can unify a=20
community, helping its residents understand how=20
different segments of the population live, work, entertain themselves and m=
ore.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/26/AR200603...
0877.html
(requires registration)
GUILD COMPLAINS: MCCLATCHY NOT GIVING IT FAIR SHAKE ON BUY OFFER
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: ]
The Newspaper Guild-CWA complained Friday that it=20
was not receiving full access to financial=20
information from The McClatchy Co. that it needs=20
to make a bid on 12 newspapers that McClatchy=20
wants to sell. The union said it was told by=20
McClatchy that the union could not have full=20
access to financial information about the 12=20
papers since it wasn't part of the original=20
bidding process for all of Knight Ridder, which=20
began last fall. Nonetheless, Jeff Miller, a=20
spokesman for the Communications Workers of=20
America, of which the guild is an affiliate, said=20
the union-backed group still planned to submit a=20
bid by the Tuesday deadline based on the partial=20
financial information that it did receive.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
t_id=3D1002236448
* News union says denied access to McClatchy data
http://today.reuters.com/business/newsarticle.aspx?type=3Dmedia&storyID=...
N24282837&imageid=3D&cap=3D
* Players Big and Small Are Sifting Through Pieces of Knight Ridder
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/business/media/27mcclatchy.html?pagewa...
d=3Dall
(requires registration)
NORWAY PLANS TO TIGHTEN MEDIA OWNERSHIP RULES
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Norway's government said on Friday that it=20
planned to tighten media ownership limits, which=20
would curb growth opportunities at home for=20
Norway's top media group, Schibsted. Culture=20
Minister Trond Giske said that companies could=20
not have more than a third of the total daily=20
circulation of all newspapers, a third of total=20
television viewers or a third of the total radio=20
audience. The current limit is 40 percent.
http://today.reuters.com/business/newsarticle.aspx?type=3Dmedia&storyID=...
L24641753&imageid=3D&cap
KENYA PLANS NEW RULES
[SOURCE: journalism.co.za]
The Kenyan government will regulate cross-media=20
ownership, training and remuneration of=20
journalists. Information and Communications=20
minister Mutahi Kagwe on Wednesday said=20
cross-ownership would be addressed to ensure that=20
Kenyans got a variety of voices. Kagwe said=20
control of ownership was necessary considering=20
that frequencies were an expensive public=20
resource that should benefit all. He said the=20
public had a right to choose from a multiplicity=20
of voices in a free market of ideas.
http://www.journalism.co.za/modules.php?op=3Dmodload&name=3DNews&file=3D...
icle&sid=3D3821&CAMSSID=3D6a1ae8deeaa67c85425e0e9af4343ad2
THE FREEDOM TO DESCRIBE DICTATORSHIP
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jackson Diehl]
[Commentary] A look at the importance of the=20
newspaper al-Masri al-Yom, or the Daily Egyptian, a new voice in the countr=
y.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/26/AR200603...
0879.html
(requires registration)
QUICKLY
CDT URGES LAWMAKERS TO WITHDRAW ".XXX" LEGISLATION
[SOURCE: Center for Democracy & Technology]
CDT is urging Sens. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Mark=20
Pryor (D-Ark.) to withdraw a bill that would=20
force Internet authorities to create a ".xxx"=20
domain for adult content. In a letter sent this=20
week to the Senators, who co-sponsored S. 2426,=20
the Cyber Safety for Kids Act of 2006, CDT warns=20
that the bill will provide ammunition for those=20
seeking to bring the Internet under the control=20
of a multi-governmental bureaucracy. If passed,=20
the bill would also violate the First Amendment=20
rights of Web site operators and would do little=20
to protect children from harmful material online, CDT wrote.
CDT Letter: http://www.cdt.org/speech/20060324cdtletter.pdf
S. 2426: http://www.cdt.org/legislation/109/2#S.2426
BLOGS ARE CHANGING EDUCATION
[SOURCE: eSchool News, AUTHOR: Dennis Pierce]
At a ceremony to honor excellence in education=20
blogging, winners of the first-ever eSchool News=20
"Best of the Education Blog" Awards talked about=20
the significance of blogging in education during=20
a panel discussion. All agreed: The impact that=20
blogging is having on teaching and learning is profound.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=3D6208
SONY TO BOOST MARKETING SPENDING TO PUSH HDTV
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Franklin Paul]
Sony plans to push marketing spending to record=20
levels this year to fuel sales of high-definition=20
electronics such as televisions, camcorders and=20
DVD players. Cheaper TVs, more broadcast=20
channels, and the launch of next-generation=20
Blu-ray DVD players that will allow consumers to=20
make their own high-definition viewing choices=20
are all expected to spur demand for HD components.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DtechnologyNews&sto...
D=3D2006-03-25T013419Z_01_N24367085_RTRUKOC_0_US-SONY-MARKETING.xml
NEW CELLPHONE SERVICES PUT GOD ON THE LINE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sarmad Ali sarmad.ali( at )wsj.com]
In late 2004, an ultra-Orthodox rabbi asked=20
Abrasha Burstyn, the chief executive of a small=20
Israeli cellphone company, for a phone that could=20
put the secular world on hold. Cellphone=20
companies, at the time, had started to load their=20
products with entertainment features, and the=20
rabbi wanted none of it. He was in search of a=20
phone without Internet capabilities or text=20
messaging. He didn't want cameras, music=20
downloading, or anything else that could=20
"distract" the pious. He was looking for a device=20
that could make and receive calls. Period. Mr.=20
Burstyn, 58 years old, soon found that many other=20
Jews were hunting for similar, simpler=20
cellphones. "They are listening to the rabbis,"=20
Mr. Burstyn says. Last March his company, MIRS=20
Communications Ltd., rolled out its first batch=20
of "kosher" phones stripped down of all features=20
but basic voice service. The company's phones,=20
which are available only in Israel, have=20
attracted 20,000 subscribers. It is just one sign=20
that the global cellphone market has found God.=20
At a time when consumers are being inundated with=20
offers to receive wireless sports updates,=20
interactive games and more, Mr. Burstyn and other=20
entrepreneurs are catering to customers looking=20
for cellphones and related services that satisfy=20
spiritual, rather than entertainment needs.=20
Companies are selling devices and services such=20
as Christian ringtones and phones with timers=20
that remind Muslims of prayer time. A Pittsburgh=20
company named Jireh Business Development has even=20
introduced a service called JirehMobile that=20
sells what it calls "holy hip-hop" ring tones.=20
That cellphones -- despite their tiny screens --=20
should be a window into the soul should come as=20
no surprise, experts say. Along with all their=20
practical functions, experts say cellphones and=20
the services that go with them are increasingly=20
being used by consumers to assert their=20
identities. Users customize their units with ring=20
tones, covers and wallpaper to reflect their individual tastes.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114342358113508709.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online=20
news summary service provided by the Benton=20
Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday=20
through Friday, this service provides updates on=20
important industry developments, policy issues,=20
and other related news events. While the=20
summaries are factually accurate, their often=20
informal tone does not always represent the tone=20
of the original articles. Headlines are compiled=20
by Kevin Taglang headlines( at )benton.org -- we welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------