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TELEVISION
Violence =3D Indecency, FCC to Tell Congress
Dingell Applauds Industry=92s DTV Moves
Sinclair Eyes $48M in Retrans Fees
Rep. Markey Seeks Carriage Of Public TV Signals Via Satellite
Commitment to Change Needed Before Helping PBS
Qwest Backs State Franchise Bill
INTERNET/BROADBAND
FTC urged to boost Internet oversight
EarthLink is selected as Houston's WiFi provider
SF Board delays vote on free Wi-Fi
EFF takes Viacom to task over YouTube takedown
Is that really what your email meant to say?
MEDIA & ELECTIONS
Googlection 2008
Al Franken Enters Minnesota Senate Race=20=09
Senator wants to ban 'deceptive' video game ratings
JOURNALISM
Red All Over
HEALTH & MEDIA
Kaiser has aches, pains going digital
SPECTRUM
The global village and the madness of e-crowds
TELEVISION
VIOLENCE =3D INDECENCY, FCC TO TELL CONGRESS
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
According to industry and FCC sources, the agency=20
will soon issue a report concluding a two-year=20
inquiry into TV violence and what to do about it.=20
Apparently the findings are that the FCC should=20
be able to regulate violence just as it does=20
indecency and asks that Congress mandate =93other=20
forms of consumer choice=94 for cable subscribers=97a=20
la carte programming menus, family tiers and=20
channel blocking. The report finds "strong=20
evidence" that TV violence is harmful and a=20
correlation between TV violence and aggressive=20
behavior in children. Despite large First=20
Amendment obstacles, the FCC report contends that=20
Congress has =93the ability and authority=94 to craft=20
a sustainable regulatory regime for TV violence.=20
The report has bipartisan support at the FCC.=20
Republican Chairman Kevin Martin and Democratic=20
Commissioner Michael Copps are said to be working=20
closely in drafting the report. A likely third=20
vote -- all that is necessary at the five-person=20
Commission -- is Republican Deborah Taylor Tate,=20
a vocal proponent of cleaning up the airwaves. It=20
is unclear where Commissioners Robert McDowell=20
and Jonathan Adelstein stand, whether they will=20
want to go as far as their peers in trying to curb TV violence.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/02/14/daily.2/
DINGELL APPLAUDS INDUSTRY'S DTV MOVES
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
The cable, broadcasting and=20
equipment-manufacturing industries united=20
Wednesday behind a digital-TV consumer-education=20
campaign that won quick praise from House Energy=20
and Commerce Committee chairman John Dingell=20
(D-MI). The three industries promised to use=20
various communications strategies to inform=20
consumers about maintaining TV service when=20
analog-TV signals are terminated by law Feb. 17,=20
2009. Backing the consumer campaign were the=20
National Cable & Telecommunications Association,=20
the National Association of Broadcasters and the=20
Consumer Electronics Association. The presidents=20
of all three groups -- the NCTA=92s Kyle McSlarrow,=20
the NAB=92s David Rehr and the CEA=92s Gary Shapiro=20
-- sent a joint letter to Dingell and other=20
congressional leaders in telecommunications=20
policy Wednesday about their commitment to a=20
fully informed public leading up to the analog=20
cutoff. "Our goal is to ensure that no American=20
loses the ability to view over-the-air television=20
signals due to a lack of accurate information=20
about the transition," the trade groups=92 letter said.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6416632.html?display=3DBreaking+News
SINCLAIR EYES $48 MILLION IN RETRANS FEES
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Moss]
Sinclair Broadcast Group, on the heels of its=20
bitter battle with Mediacom Communications, this=20
year expects to generate nearly $48 million from=20
retransmission-consent agreements, nearly double=20
last year=92s figure, officials said Wednesday. The=20
expected $48 million will represent almost a 90%=20
increase from the $25.4 million in=20
retransmission-consent revenue that the=20
broadcaster secured in 2006, Sinclair officials=20
said during a conference call on fourth-quarter=20
results. Sinclair CEO David Smith urged his=20
fellow broadcasters to continue the quest for cash from cable companies.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6416344.html?display=3DBreaking+News
REP MARKEY SEEKS CARRIAGE OF PUBLIC TV SIGNALS VIA SATELLITE
[SOURCE: Technology Daily 2/13, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
House Telecom Subcommittee Chairman Ed markey=20
(D-MA), one of the strongest congressional=20
proponents of public television, on Tuesday=20
urged DirecTV and EchoStar Communications to=20
carry the multiple signals that public TV=20
stations will offer after converting to digital.=20
Neither company has committed to carrying the=20
channels, but major cable operators have agreed=20
do so. "There's no greater, higher priority than=20
protecting public broadcasting," said Rep Markey.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-ZLIL1171483507659.html
COMMITMENT TO CHANGE NEEDED BEFORE HELPING PBS
[SOURCE: Digital Destiny, AUTHOR: Jeff Chester]
[Commentary] Groups such as Moveon.org and others=20
have rightly responded to the proposed Bush=20
Administration budget slash to the Corporation=20
for Public Broadcasting. While reversing the cuts=20
is necessary, it is too early to support any=20
permanent funding plan. More money won't cure=20
PBS=92s problems. It will just enable the network=20
to display higher-priced collectibles on Antiques=20
Roadshow. The system needs to be restructured so=20
the public interest is better guaranteed via a=20
truly non-commercial approach. We also must think=20
beyond today=92s PBS and NPR to ensure there will=20
be funding to support a much more expansive and=20
diverse non-commercial digital environment.
http://www.democraticmedia.org/jcblog/?p=3D173
QWEST BACKS STATE FRANCHISE BILL
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Haugsted]
Just days after a Qwest Communications-backed=20
bill failed to escape committee in Colorado, a=20
similar bill to reform cable franchising surfaced=20
in Washington state, also backed by the telco.=20
The bill, introduced Tuesday by state Sen. Erik=20
Poulsen (D-Seattle), would strip local=20
authorities of their cable-franchising authority=20
and place that task in the hands of the state=20
Utilities and Transportation Commission. That=20
agency would have 30 calendar days to approve a=20
statewide franchise for a new provider. Incumbent=20
operators would be bound to the terms of their=20
local agreements until their stated expiration=20
dates. New providers would have to reserve space=20
for public, educational and government channels=20
and pay support for those channel equivalent to=20
that paid by incumbents. The content would be the=20
responsibility of the local governments. The bill=20
specifically excludes build-out demands by local=20
governments -- a point seized on by the Broadband=20
Communications Association of Washington. Current=20
rules, in place for 40 years, guarantee quality=20
service to all consumers, not just those in=20
affluent neighborhoods, the association said. It=20
has already rounded up bill opponents from among=20
the state=92s mayors and from organizations such as the Urban League.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6416372.html?display=3DBreaking+News
INTERNET/BROADBAND
FTC URGED TO BOOST INTERNET OVERSIGHT
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Christopher Rugaber]
Consumer advocates on Tuesday said federal=20
regulators need to increase oversight of=20
telephone and cable companies that offer Internet=20
access to ensure they aren't discriminating=20
against certain providers of video and other Web=20
content. Gigi B. Sohn, president of Public=20
Knowledge, a nonprofit group that focuses on=20
communications law, said the Federal Trade=20
Commission should also require more disclosure=20
from telephone and cable companies about the=20
Internet access speeds they promise to deliver to=20
consumers. Sohn spoke on the first of a two-day=20
workshop convened by the FTC to discuss "network=20
neutrality" issues. The phrase is shorthand for=20
the concept that all online traffic should be=20
treated equally by Internet service providers.
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8N93O980.htm
EARTHLINK IS SELECTED AS HOUSTON'S WIFI PROVIDER
[SOURCE: Houston Chronicle, AUTHOR: Alexis Grant & Matt Stiles]
Houston has chosen Atlanta-based EarthLink=20
Municipal Networks to provide a citywide,=20
wireless Internet network within the next two=20
years. While the agreement with EarthLink still=20
needs City Council approval, its terms put=20
Houston in line to have the largest such network=20
in North America, covering nearly all of the=20
city's 600 square miles by spring of 2009, White=20
told the Chronicle. Some low-income residents=20
could get subsidized access for as little as $10=20
a month, and most customers would pay less than=20
they do now. After announcing Tuesday that=20
Internet service provider EarthLink has been=20
selected to build the city's wireless network,=20
Mayor Bill White wasted no time moving toward the=20
next step -- City Council approval.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4552151.html
* No lags in city's plan to go wireless
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4552151.html
SF BOARD DELAYS VOTE ON FREE WI-FI
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: Heather Knight]
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors opted=20
Tuesday to delay a key vote on free, citywide=20
Internet access -- signaling what could be a=20
long, drawn-out battle over the issue to come.=20
Mayor Gavin Newsom proposed a free Wi-Fi system=20
two years ago, and his administration last month=20
revealed the outlines of a proposed contract=20
between the city and EarthLink and Google.=20
According to the contract, EarthLink would pay=20
the city $2 million over four years for the right=20
to build, own and maintain the network. Google=20
would provide free Internet access, while=20
EarthLink would offer a faster service that could=20
be accessed for a $22 monthly fee. The terms of=20
the deal haven't sat well with some members of=20
the Board of Supervisors who say it's not good=20
enough for the city. Board Budget Analyst Harvey=20
Rose has said the city could run its own Wi-Fi=20
system or contract with a nonprofit Internet=20
provider -- but left the merits of such a decision to the supervisors.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=3D/c/a/2007/02/14/BAGUGO4A0C1.DT...
mp;amp;type=3Dpolitics
EFF TAKES VIACOM TO TASK OVER YOUTUBE TAKEDOWN
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Greg Sandoval]
The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) is=20
encouraging those wrongly accused of posting=20
pirated Viacom material on YouTube to stand up to=20
the giant conglomerate--even if it means a court=20
fight. Two weeks ago, when Viacom demanded that=20
YouTube remove 100,000 videos featuring=20
unauthorized clips of its films or TV shows, some=20
innocent users got caught up in the sweep, said=20
EFF, an advocate for the rights of Internet=20
users. In a video posted to YouTube last week,=20
EFF said it wanted to hear from anyone who may=20
have been unfairly blamed. EFF compared Viacom's=20
actions to fishermen who cast a wide net and=20
mistakenly trap a porpoise. The group suggested=20
in a note on its Web site that some of those=20
accused of copyright violations may need legal help.
http://news.com.com/EFF+takes+Viacom+to+task+over+YouTube+takedown/2100-...
6_3-6159548.html?tag=3Dnefd.lede
IS THAT REALLY WHAT YOUR EMAIL MEANT TO SAY?
[SOURCE: Reuters]
You know, some people have a way with e-mail and=20
some people not have way... Billions of emails=20
are sent around the globe each day but are their=20
true meanings getting across? Maybe not. Although=20
emails are quick and easy to send, their lack of=20
facial cues, body language and emotional feedback=20
mean they can be easily misinterpreted. Kristin=20
Byron, of the Whitman School of Management at=20
Syracuse University in New York, believes that=20
many email users could be sending and getting=20
mixed messages in emails. "A first step toward=20
improving accuracy in emails is to recognize the=20
possibility that we are fallible as both email=20
senders and receivers," said Byron who is an=20
assistant professor of management at the university.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSL1451809620070214
MEDIA & ELECTIONS
GOOGLECTION 2008
[SOURCE: techPresident, AUTHOR: Michael Bassik]
[Commentary] As more and more candidates declare=20
their intention to run for president in 2008,=20
more and more Americans will turn to search=20
engines like Google and Yahoo! to find their=20
websites. So, at a minimum, I expected all 17 of=20
the presumed candidates to have purchased=20
keywords on Google and Yahoo!. For between $.10=20
and $.25 per click, candidates can make sure=20
they=92re directing traffic from potential=20
supporters to the proper website. To my surprise,=20
only six of the 17 presumed candidates have=20
purchased keywords on search engines. And if you=20
take a closer look, it=92s the Republicans who are=20
doing a significantly better job of using search=20
to communicate with the electorate. That said, no=20
candidate seems to be using search to reach=20
voters searching for information on specific=20
issues. For example, no candidate website appears=20
in the top results when searching for terms like=20
=93global warming=94 or =93war in Iraq=94 or =93energy=20
independence.=94 It=92s time all candidates=20
recognize the power of search to drive=20
highly-targeted traffic to their fledgling websites.
http://www.techpresident.com/node/42
AL FRANKEN ENTERS MINNESOTA SENATE RACE
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Patrick Condon]
Al Franken announced Wednesday that he will run=20
for the Senate in 2008, making it clear that the=20
radio host, comedian and author of "Rush Limbaugh=20
Is A Big Fat Idiot" wants to be taken seriously=20
as a political figure. Franken's announcement=20
came on the final day of his show on the liberal=20
radio network Air America. His decision instantly=20
makes him a serious contender and brings national attention to the race.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SENATE_FRANKEN?SITE=3DRIPAW&SECTION=
=3DHOME&TEMPLATE=3DDEFAULT
* No Joke, Al Franken Is Running for Senate
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/14/AR200702...
1599.html
SENATOR WANTS TO BAN 'DECEPTIVE' VIDEO GAME RATINGS
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Anne Broache]
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) on Tuesday=20
reintroduced the Truth in Video Game Rating Act,=20
first proposed last September. It calls for=20
requiring video game rating organizations to play=20
all games "in their entirety" before issuing=20
labels and prohibiting game developers from=20
withholding any "hidden" game content from=20
raters. It would also punish ratings groups that=20
"grossly mischaracterize" any game's content.
http://news.com.com/Senator+wants+to+ban+deceptive+video+game+ratings/21...
1028_3-6159413.html?tag=3Dnefd.top
JOURNALISM
RED ALL OVER
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Steven Rattner]
[Commentary] Newspapers face more complex, deeper=20
and considerably more intractable challenges than=20
these theories suggest. The time that Americans=20
spend reading newspapers has been dropping=20
steadily (now down to 15 hours a month), with=20
scant evidence that quality Internet time is=20
taking its place. In September, the average=20
visitor to newspaper Web sites spent only 41.5=20
minutes per month on those sites, up 10% from the=20
previous year but not nearly enough to make up=20
the loss. And while the use of newspaper Web=20
sites is growing, the vast preponderance of=20
Americans get their online news through the big=20
portals (AOL, Yahoo, etc.), which means that they=20
are mostly consuming a bland porridge of wire=20
service stories. Most fundamental is whether the=20
public is still interested in news (as opposed to=20
entertainment, gossip or lifestyle info). More=20
than fearing the death of newspapers -- they will=20
struggle on -- we ought to fear what changing=20
reading and viewing habits are forcing newspapers=20
to think of as news. We shouldn't fault the=20
papers for this, however, any more than we should=20
fault the evening news for going soft or the=20
newsweeklies for their endless lifestyle covers=20
or CNN for its hyperventilating over every=20
weather blip. They're merely providing what their=20
customers are demanding. We can't expect the=20
objectives of enterprises that were organized=20
around a for-profit interest to necessarily=20
intersect with the societal value of quality=20
journalism. So perhaps it's time to think about=20
new models for the news business. Not-for-profit=20
status might be one possibility. Instead of=20
having billionaire moguls as proprietors, we=20
could try to turn them into philanthropists who=20
found nonprofit organizations to buy and operate their local papers.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117150996245409526.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
nion
(requires subscription)
HEALTH & MEDIA
KAISER HAS ACHES, PAINS GOING DIGITAL
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Daniel Costello]
Kaiser Permanente's $4-billion effort to=20
computerize the medical records of its 8.6=20
million members has encountered repeated=20
technical problems, leading to potentially=20
dangerous incidents such as patients listed in=20
the wrong beds. At times, doctors and medical=20
staff at the nation's largest nonprofit health=20
maintenance organization haven't had access to=20
crucial patient information, and system outages=20
have led to delays in emergency room care. Other=20
problems have included malfunctioning bedside=20
scanners meant to ensure that patients receive=20
the correct medication. The HMO's problems come=20
as it plans to expand the computerized system=20
over the next two years to nearly three dozen=20
more hospitals =97 most in California =97 where the=20
sickest patients are treated and ensuring patient=20
safety is most difficult. Kaiser's effort, one of=20
the largest and most ambitious electronic medical=20
records projects in the country, is seen as a=20
possible national model. With evidence suggesting=20
that digitized recordkeeping can lower health=20
costs and save lives, President Bush is pushing=20
for every American to have an electronic medical=20
record by 2014. But the glitches illustrate the=20
difficulties a massive healthcare provider might=20
encounter trying to implement a complex computerized system.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fi-kaiser15feb15,1,501...
6.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-frontpage
(requires registration)
SPECTRUM
THE GLOBAL VILLAGE AND THE MADNESS OF THE E-CROWDS
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Thomas W. Hazlett]
[Commenary] Today=92s buzz is You, whom Time=20
Magazine honored as =93Person of the Year=94 for=20
igniting =93community and collaboration on a scale=20
never seen before.=94 Your blog entries and social=20
networking posts rock. Meanwhile, you=92re=20
revolutionizing Information Technology markets=20
with far-flung innovations in open-source=20
hardware and software. Soon governments will=20
tumble and the meek shall inherit every entry in=20
Wikipedia, A-Z. Overhype about the emerging=20
markets is good clean fun when confined to=20
mindless text-messaging. There is an undeniable=20
=93wow=94 factor. But there is also a madness to the=20
e-crowd. Whenever a trend is spotted that=20
captures the fancy of the zeitgeist, it is=20
formulated as a linear trajectory, and shot into=20
orbit. All cross traffic is banned. Call it=20
=93asymmetric triumphalism.=94 Yes, the dramatic=20
lowering of distribution costs allows information=20
to travel on a budget. That is an oomph for=20
markets, and perhaps a double-oomph for=20
democracy. But there=92s more. Never have so many,=20
owed so much, for so few user names and=20
passwords. Our buzz-colored shades block out key=20
drivers of innovation. Take wireless. While 2.5bn=20
people were subscribing to mobile networks, the=20
tech spotlight was on =85 WiFi. While a handy way=20
to make a DSL connection cordless, the disruptive=20
technology claims =96 that the exclusive rights=20
used for wide area cellular networks were now=20
eclipsed by unlicensed spectrum governed by power=20
limits and regulatory standards =96 were wrong. Not=20
many folks dropping their mobile subscription to=20
talk from their =93hotspot.=94 Yet US regulators,=20
focusing on the WiFi =93commons,=94 let most of a=20
decade slip away before auctioning 3G licenses in=20
2006. Not only did this stunt the growth of=20
wireless networks, it now sets the stage for vast=20
bandwidth to be wasted in the TV Band. There=20
policymakers are pushing to expand unlicensed=20
spectrum allocations, when the evidence is=20
compelling that opportunity costs far outweigh=20
benefits. The point is not that =93closed=94 beats=20
=93open,=94 but that capitalism accommodates both.=20
Rules need not be changed to embrace the=20
revolution. Markets thrust revolutions upon us,=20
boldly and magnificently, far more often than we care to remember.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ee544356-b522-11db-a5a5-0000779e2340.html
(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.
--------------------------------------------------------------