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.
LOBBYING
Corporate-funded research designed to influence public policy
Ex-NAB Head Fritts Hired by CBS, FOX, Vonage
DTV TRANSITION
Barton, Upton Seek DTV Answers from Martin
The Night The TVs Go Out
BROADCASTING/CABLE
FCC: Free, Noncontroversial VNRs Can Still Trigger Fines
Public Access TV Group Sues Florida County
White Spaces Debate More Heat Than Light
Radio industry gets a bad signal
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
100 Leading Media Companies
Belo Shares Surge After Spinoff News
Tribune gets tax refund in Matthew Bender case
TELECOM
Verizon's Big TV Bet Pays Off
Will A Google Phone Change The Game?
Court seeks govt's view on AT&T case
INTERNET/BROADBAND
Its Creators Call Internet Outdated, Offer Remedies
Sprint Presses for Cheaper Access to Broadband Lines
MEDIA & ELECTIONS/POLITICS
Anchor Out After Affair With L.A. Mayor
Clarence Thomas, Rupert Murdoch, And The Candidates
Cameras in the Courtroom
HISTORY LESSON
50 Years Ago, Launch of a New World
QUICKLY -- U.S. delays domestic satellite spying=20
program; Internet gambling regs exempt some=20
transfers; Google: Search and Data Seizure; An=20
Analysis of the Net Neutrality Debate of 2006;=20
Advertisers Push FEC on Nonpolitical Ads=20
Featuring Candidates; With continuing resolution passed, approps work begins
LOBBYING
CORPORATE-FUNDED RESEARCH DESIGNED TO INFLUENCE PUBLIC POLICY
[SOURCE: Nieman Watchdog, AUTHOR: Bruce Kushnick]
[Commentary] Reports by well-known think tanks=20
and individuals funded by telecoms are helping=20
quash competition, increase phone rates and set=20
up a corporate-oriented Internet system. Is there=20
any reason to trust these reports? Or to trust=20
experts who testify before regulators without=20
revealing the sources of their funding? It is=20
clear that we are in the age of "stink tanks,=94 in=20
which corporate-funded think tanks and well-paid,=20
credentialed academics are hired to make=20
corporate arguments and give the appearance of=20
being independent experts. What should happen=20
with these groups and individuals that pass as=20
independent think tanks or expert professors but=20
that are in part paid consultants working to help=20
big corporations achieve their goals? 1) The=20
Internal Revenue Service should remove their=20
non-profit status, with Congressional=20
authorization and direction if necessary. 2) The=20
IRS should consider imposing penalties for=20
violation of non-profit status. 3) The Justice=20
Department should investigate bringing criminal=20
and civil charges for defrauding the government.=20
4) Congress should require disclosure of all=20
related payments from all corporations,=20
associations, etc., by individuals seeking to=20
testify at any public hearing or other event=20
before the FTC, FCC, Congress, state and federal=20
regulatory and governmental agencies.
http://niemanwatchdog.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=3Dbackground.view&backgro...
id=3D00208
EX-NAB HEAD FRITTS HIRED BY CBS, FOX, VONAGE
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
Broadcaster CBS Corp. paid Fritts Group $160,000=20
to lobby the federal government in the first half=20
of 2007. The firm lobbied the Federal=20
Communications Commission as well as Congress on=20
legislation dealing with indecent programming and=20
an effort to prevent the return of the Fairness=20
Doctrine. News Corp., the media company=20
controlled by Rupert Murdoch, also paid Fritts=20
Group $160,000 to lobby the federal government in=20
the first half of 2007. The firm lobbied Congress=20
on an effort to prevent the return of the=20
Fairness Doctrine and legislation to protect=20
children from exploitation by online predators.=20
Internet phone company Vonage Holdings Corp. paid=20
Fritts Group $160,000 to lobby the federal=20
government in the first half of 2007. The firm=20
lobbied Congress on legislation to ensure that=20
users of Internet-based phones can access=20
emergency 911 service and legislation to make it=20
easier for consumers to keep their home phone=20
number when switching to an Internet provider=20
such as Vonage. (After 23 years as Chief=20
Executive Officer of the National Association of=20
Broadcasters (NAB), Edward O. Fritts launched The=20
Fritts Group to offer clients a personalized approach to government relatio=
ns.)
* CBS paid lobbyist $160,000
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8S0MHL00.htm
* News Corp. paid lobbyist $160,000
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8S0MJ800.htm
* Vonage paid lobbyist $160K in first half
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8S0MNA81.htm
* Fritts Group
http://www.frittsgroup.com/story.shtml
DTV TRANSITION
BARTON, UPTON SEEK DTV ANSWERS FROM MARTIN
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Republican leaders on the House Commerce=20
Committee have written to Federal Communications=20
Commission Chairman Kevin Martin asking if they=20
should start moving a bill that would give the=20
FCC express authority to mandate=20
digital-TV-transition education initiatives. Reps=20
Joe Barton (R-TX) and Fred Upton (R-MI) want to=20
know when the FCC plans to decide what steps, if=20
any, it needs to mandate, which could include=20
requiring broadcasters to air a certain number of=20
public-service announcements, on-screen crawls,=20
bill-stuffers in the case of cable and satellite=20
and periodic reporting requirements. Chairman=20
Martin has said that he wanted to see how the=20
voluntary efforts progressed first. But some=20
people worry nonetheless that voluntary industry=20
efforts may not be enough, Reps Barton and Upton=20
wrote, asking whether, if government outreach and=20
industry efforts weren't sufficient, the=20
legislators should start pushing a bill they=20
introduced in January that would mandate industry=20
education efforts similar to those the FCC has=20
proposed. They also want to know when the FCC=20
will release new figures on what percentage of=20
viewers are over-the-air only and will be most affected by the transition.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6485908.html?rssid=3D193
* See press release:=20
http://republicans.energycommerce.house.gov/News/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=3...
24
* See letter:=20
http://republicans.energycommerce.house.gov/Media/File/News/10.01.07_Let...
_to_Kevin_Martin.pdf
THE NIGHT THE TVs GO OUT
[SOURCE: Washington Post 9/29, AUTHOR: Kim Hart]
The industry has tried to get the word out, but=20
many consumers still aren't getting the message:=20
In a year and a half, millions of television=20
screens could go dark. Not the fancy=20
high-definition TVs or those connected to cable=20
or satellite. But the 70 million sets relying on=20
rooftop or "rabbit ears" antennas will end up=20
showing nothing but snow. Broadcasters will stop=20
sending analog signals and move to all-digital=20
programming on Feb. 17, 2009. After that, antenna=20
TV watchers will need a special converter box to=20
watch their sitcoms and newscasts. But many=20
consumers have no idea that this change is=20
coming, and members of Congress are voicing=20
concern over the lack of cooperation between=20
federal agencies and the entertainment industry.=20
The political static comes as broadcasters,=20
retailers, cable operators and regulators clash=20
over how to educate consumers about the change.=20
Sales of digital television sets have nearly=20
tripled since 2005, and the Consumer Electronics=20
Association expects annual sales to top $26=20
billion this year. With the holiday season=20
approaching, government officials in charge of=20
managing the transition to digital TV say that=20
they're severely underprepared and that they=20
worry that the biggest electronics retailers are misinformed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/09/28/AR200709...
1769.html
(requires registration)
BROADCASTING/CABLE
FCC: FREE, NONCONTROVERSIAL VNRs CAN STILL TRIGGER FINES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission's latest=20
proposed fines for unidentified video-news=20
releases clarified that just because a station=20
doesn't pay for a nonpolitical or issues-oriented=20
VNR doesn't mean that it can't get fined for=20
airing it without an on-screen identification.=20
That came in a decision in which the FCC's=20
enforcement bureau issued four more proposed=20
fines, totaling $16,000, against Comcast for=20
unidentified VNRs on noncontroversial issues that nobody paid it to run.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6485879.html?rssid=3D193
PUBLIC ACCESS TV GROUP SUES FLORIDA COUNTY
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Kent Gibbons]
The non-profit corporation that operates a=20
public-access channel called Speak Up Tampa Bay=20
is suing Florida=92s Hillsborough County for=20
cutting channel funds, saying the county used=20
budget woes as a pretext to censor constitutionally protected speech.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6485886.html
* Tampa Public Access Organization Files Lawsuit Against Hillsborough County
http://blogs.tampabay.com/media/2007/10/tampa-public-ac.html
* Speak Up Tampa Bay doesn't expect to ride into the sunset quietly
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2007/10/01/daily5.html
WHITE SPACES DEBATE MORE HEAT THAN LIGHT
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Harry A. Jessell]
[Commentary] Right now, nobody really knows what=20
impact unlicensed wireless devices in the=20
broadcast band would have on digital TV=20
reception. If Jessell were an FCC commissioner=20
and had to vote today, he would go with the=20
conclusion of the FCC engineers and vote no, but=20
with no certainty that he wasn't, as the white=20
spaces proponents claim, squandering many=20
megahertz of valuable spectrum. He writes, "What=20
kills me is the certainty with which groups like=20
the Media Access Project, Freepress.net and the=20
New America Foundation are backing the white=20
spaces proponents, blindly accepting the=20
high-tech industry data and treating the=20
proceeding like a political campaign." He=20
continues, "NAF, Freepress.net and MAP ought to=20
go to bed each night thinking about how they can=20
preserve FREE over-the-air TV, instead of=20
crawling into bed with a bunch of computer geeks=20
who want to sell more toys to the rich." His=20
advise to FCC Chairman Martin: Put the proceeding=20
on hold and ask the NTIA to test the white spaces=20
prototypes and the feasibility of broadcast=20
spectrum sharing at its well-respected Institute=20
for Telecommunications Sciences.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/10/01/daily.4/
* Broadcasting coalition calls unlicensed broadband devices "germs"
[SOURCE: Lasar's Letter on the FCC, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
The debate over "white space" just got a bit more colorful.
http://www.lasarletter.net/drupal/node/478
RADIO INDUSTRY GETS A BAD SIGNAL
[SOURCE: The Charlotte Observer, AUTHOR: Mark Washburn]
In an address that made the musings of=20
Nostradamus seem rosy by comparison, a respected=20
industry observer warned radio executives last=20
week that their industry would all but evaporate=20
within 20 years. Michael Harrison, publisher of=20
the talk-radio magazine Talkers, told a group at=20
the National Association of Broadcasters Radio=20
Show that competing technologies -- like=20
Internet, Wi-Fi, podcasts and cell phones --=20
would all but fill the niche they now occupy.=20
"These are dark times for terrestrial radio,"=20
Harrison said. "And most people in terrestrial radio are in denial of it."
http://www.charlotte.com/business/story/294878.html
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
100 LEADING MEDIA COMPANIES
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Bradley Johnson]
The nation's 100 Leading Media Companies over the=20
past year concocted more than a dozen major=20
mergers, acquisitions and spinoffs with a total=20
value topping $85 billion. Private equity gets=20
much of the credit (meaning a pile of debt and=20
lots of challenges ahead). Shareholders last week=20
approved media's most recent biggie, the $19.5=20
billion leveraged buyout of Clear Channel=20
Communications, No. 16 in this issue's media=20
ranking. Amid all the mergers and acquisitions,=20
the Media 100's U.S. media revenue jumped 8.1% to=20
a record $287 billion in 2006. The 10 largest=20
companies accounted for 55.6% of revenue=20
collected by the Media 100 in 2006, according to=20
the Ad Age DataCenter. Time Warner, which has=20
held the No. 1 spot each year since 1995,=20
collected 11.8% of Media 100 revenue -- nearly=20
one of every eight dollars spent by advertisers=20
and consumers on products and services from the=20
top 100. Time Warner is more than 100 times the=20
size of the smallest ranked entry, Schurz=20
Communications, a newspaper, broadcasting and=20
cable operation with estimated revenue of $301=20
million. But Schurz has scale in its own way:=20
This is the first year that media companies=20
needed more than $300 million to make Ad Age's=20
ranking. The entry point for the Media 100 topped=20
$200 million in 1999 and $100 million in 1986.
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=3D120726
BELO SHARES SURGE AFTER SPINOFF NEWS
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: David Koenig]
Belo Corp. said Monday it plans to spin off its=20
newspapers into a new company that will operate=20
separately from its 20 television stations.=20
Investors had pressed Belo to consider splitting=20
the TV and newspaper businesses, but Chairman and=20
Chief Executive Robert Decherd had resisted. In=20
February, he said the newspaper side of the=20
company was too small to stand on its own. He=20
will run the new newspaper business, A.H. Belo=20
Corp, which will include The Dallas Morning News,=20
The Providence Journal, The Press-Enterprise of=20
Riverside (CA), the newspapers' Web sites, direct=20
mail and commercial printing businesses. Belo=20
President and Chief Operating Officer Dunia Shive=20
will become president and CEO of the TV business.=20
By spinning off the newspapers instead of the TV=20
stations, Belo won't have to reapply for its TV=20
licenses, Decherd said. The spinoff would be made=20
through a tax-free distribution of A.H. Belo=20
shares to current Belo shareholders. The spinoff=20
is expected to be in the first quarter of 2008.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/10/01/daily.10/
* Belo announces spinoff of newspaper properties
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/100107...
usbelo.1295c515e.html
* Texas Media Firm to Spin Off Newspapers
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/01/AR200710...
1632.html
TRIBUNE GETS TAX REFUND IN MATTHEW BENDER CASE
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Tribune Company said on Monday it received a=20
refund of about $344 million in federal income=20
taxes and interest paid after settling a case=20
regarding Matthew Bender Publishing. Legal=20
publisher Matthew Bender was part of the Times=20
Mirror Co, which Tribune acquired in 2000. Prior=20
to the merger, the Times Mirror had carried out a=20
series of transactions that gave control of Matthew Bender to Reed Elsevier.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=3DindustryNews&storyID=
=3D2007-10-01T212924Z_01_WEN1402_RTRIDST_0_INDUSTRY-TRIBUNE-REFUND-DC.XML
TELECOM
VERIZON'S BIG TV BET PAYS OFF
[SOURCE: Business Week, AUTHOR: Steve Rosenbush]
Although much-criticized two years ago, Verizon's=20
push into the TV market is starting to pay off.=20
Revenues from the effort are surging, and=20
Verizon's TV service is helping to stem the loss=20
of telephone customers to cable rivals. Verizon=20
is adding nearly 2,000 television customers a=20
day, seven days a week. Even Comcast, Verizon's=20
largest cable competitor, is publicly=20
acknowledging that it's feeling the heat. At the=20
end of the second quarter, Verizon had laid=20
enough fiber cable to offer TV service to 3.9=20
million homes. But by the end of 2010, the=20
company expects to have fiber in at least 18=20
million households in its traditional East Coast=20
territory, more than four times the potential=20
customers it has today. If cable rivals such as=20
Comcast and Cablevision Systems are under=20
pressure now, it's only going to get worse. By=20
investing in fiber, Verizon has the ability to=20
offer essentially unlimited bandwidth. The=20
company has the capacity to offer consumers=20
Internet connections of 100 megabits (Mb) or more=20
should they demand it. And the fiber network,=20
called FiOS, allows Verizon to provide TV signals=20
without resorting to compression. Rivals from=20
AT&T to the cable companies typically compress=20
some of their channels because they have less bandwidth.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2007/tc20070928_484223...
m?chan=3Dtop+news_top+news+index_businessweek+exclusives
WILL A GOOGLE PHONE CHANGE THE GAME?
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Roger O. Crockett]
Could we soon see an ad-supported cell phone=20
service? It may be coming in the form of a Google=20
phone. Wireless industry consultants and=20
marketing executives with knowledge of Google's=20
plans say it has been showing prototypes of a new=20
phone to handset manufacturers and network=20
operators for a couple of months. Its plans have=20
been kept top secret, but Google is expected to=20
tap a company on the Pacific Rim that specializes=20
in mobile design and manufacturing to build a=20
handset to its specs. Google could then apply its=20
expertise in operating software and user=20
applications, says Paul Catalano, a partner at=20
consultancy RelevantC Business Group. Google=20
officials won't talk about phones, and industry=20
sources don't expect one before the second half=20
of 2008. Still, Google has made it clear it has=20
an interest in wireless. It is experimenting with=20
wireless broadband networks in a couple of U.S.=20
cities. In August, CEO Eric Schmidt announced his=20
intention to participate in a federal auction=20
early next year of the sort of radio spectrum=20
that would help pull off a phone service.
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_41/b4053084.htm?chan=3Dt...
nology_technology+index+page_top+stories
COURT SEEKS GOVT'S VIEW ON AT&T CASE
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
The Supreme Court asked the Bush administration=20
Monday to weigh in on AT&T Inc.'s appeal of a=20
class action case that resulted in a $31.2=20
million verdict against the company. The case=20
began in October 2001, when a class action was=20
filed against a pension plan administered by=20
local phone company Ameritech, which later became=20
part of AT&T. The suit alleges that a 1999=20
amendment to Ameritech's pension plan illegally=20
reduced the lump sum retirement benefits due to some employees,
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D8S0N6000.htm
INTERNET/BROADBAND
ITS CREATORS CALL INTERNET OUTDATED, OFFER REMEDIES
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Bobby White bobby.white( at )wsj.com]
There's a growing debate over whether the=20
Internet's current infrastructure is sufficient=20
to handle the explosion of bandwidth-hungry=20
services such as Internet telephony and video. In=20
a recent report, Cisco calculated that monthly=20
Internet traffic in North America will increase=20
264% by 2011 to more than 7.8 million terabytes,=20
or the equivalent of 40 trillion email messages.=20
If such Internet traffic continues increasing,=20
many believe networks could crash or at least=20
slow to a crawl. Today, information travels the=20
Web by being broken into tiny bits called=20
packets, which are routed through the least=20
congested pipes to their destination. Once the=20
packets arrive, they are reassembled into their=20
original form. The problem is that the increasing=20
size of files, such as video, has begun=20
overwhelming some equipment handling the traffic,=20
resulting in errant or lost packets. To tackle=20
the problem, a slew of start-ups are producing=20
gear and software to accelerate Internet traffic=20
or to increase the network's capacity.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119128309597345795.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)
* Our fraying Internet infrastructure (Commentary)
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/c/a/2007/10/01/EDGBSAN...
DTL
SPRINT PRESSES FOR CHEAPER ACCESS TO BROADBAND LINES
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Kim Hart]
Sprint Nextel is picking a fight with the=20
country's largest phone companies over the price=20
it pays for access to their fastest networks. The=20
industry skirmish has swelled into a political=20
battle that will find an audience in front of=20
members of Congress today. Sprint says it has=20
hundreds of millions of dollars riding on an=20
upcoming Federal Communications Commission=20
decision, which hinges on the unpredictable swing=20
vote of Republican Commissioner Robert M.=20
McDowell. The dispute centers on the=20
high-capacity fiber-optic lines that provide huge=20
volumes of phone and Internet connections to=20
businesses. The largest telecom companies --=20
AT&T, Verizon and Qwest Communications -- have=20
networks that reach most buildings, and=20
competitors such as XO Communications and Level 3=20
Communications often lease capacity on those=20
lines to serve their customers. Wireless=20
companies including Sprint and T-Mobile also use=20
the capacity to connect calls to their cellphone=20
towers. But these competitors, led by Sprint, say=20
the giants charge too much for access to the=20
high-capacity lines and want the FCC to more tightly regulate the prices.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/01/AR200710...
1655.html
(requires registration)
MEDIA & ELECTIONS/POLITICS
ANCHOR OUT AFTER AFFAIR WITH LA MAYOR
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
The Spanish-language newscaster who was suspended=20
for two months after having an affair with Mayor=20
Antonio Villaraigosa while reporting on him left=20
her job at the station on Monday. A KVEA-TV=20
spokesman declined to elaborate why Mirthala=20
Salinas did not show up to start her new=20
assignment after the unpaid suspension.=20
"Telemundo and Mirtha Salinas have mutually=20
agreed to end our employment relationship=20
effective October 1," station spokesman Victor M.=20
Franco said. Salinas, 35, worked at the station=20
for a decade. Her contract with Telemundo expires in December.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/01/AR200710...
1995.html
(requires registration)
CLARENCE THOMAS, RUPERT MURDOCH, AND THE CANDIDATES
[SOURCE: Off The Bus, AUTHOR: Jon Wiener]
[Commentary] The long-awaited publication of=20
Clarence Thomas's memoir, My Grandfather's Son,=20
out Monday, makes you wonder: how come none of=20
the presidential candidates have said a word=20
about the Supreme Court in any of their debates?=20
Three sitting justices are expected to resign in=20
the next four years--and they're all on the=20
liberal side: John Paul Stevens, David Souter,=20
and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The publication facts=20
behind Thomas's book ought to be discussed by all=20
the candidates: he received an advance of $1.5=20
million in 2003 from HarperCollins, which is=20
owned by Rupert Murdoch. If you thought the Court=20
dealt with any issues of relevance to Murdoch,=20
you might call it a conflict of interest for=20
Thomas to accept that payment--far more than any=20
sitting justice ever received from any single=20
source. At least you might mention the fabled=20
"appearance of impropriety." You might call the=20
$1.5 million a thank-you gift from Murdoch for=20
services rendered. You might even wonder if it=20
might be a subtle suggestion to other justices=20
who will be ruling on Murdoch-related issues in the future.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-wiener/clarence-thomas-rupert-m_b_6670...
tml
CAMERAS IN THE COURTROOM?
[SOURCE: USAToday]
[Commentary] It seems that you can see Supreme=20
Court justices on TV almost anywhere these days =97=20
except where they work. Justices say cameras=20
would threaten their 'collegial dynamic,' security.
* The first Monday in October brings another TV blackout
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20071002/edit02.art.htm
* 'Over my dead body'
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20071002/oppose02.art.htm
HISTORY LESSON
50 YEARS AGO, LAUNCH OF A NEW WORLD
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Joel Achenbach]
Sputnik and its aftermath are a familiar tale at=20
this point -- the story of a fat and happy=20
superpower suddenly finding itself in a=20
full-blown existential crisis but shaking free of=20
its torpor, revamping science and math education,=20
and winning the race to the moon. Fifty years=20
later, however, the standard narrative of=20
disaster, recovery and triumph is being=20
overhauled by historians. They're more likely to=20
speak of Sputnik's impact as a shock to the=20
system that incited political maneuverings and=20
media misinformation. Much that seemed certain in=20
October 1957 turned out to be misunderstood or=20
purely illusory. Humans have not set up space=20
colonies or left boot prints on Mars, as widely=20
predicted, but we have launched a stunning number=20
of new Sputniks -- thousands of satellites for=20
communications, navigation and surveillance that=20
have changed everything from how we fight wars to=20
how our rental cars guide us to our hotels. One=20
result of Sputnik had nothing to do with space.=20
It was the creation of the Pentagon's Defense=20
Advanced Research Projects Agency, a technology=20
think tank that went on to develop a computer=20
network called Arpanet. Arpanet evolved into the=20
Internet. More broadly, the Space Age, so=20
famously inaugurated by Sputnik, has taken on new=20
shadings in recent years. The "conquest of space"=20
has never played out according to script: Sputnik=20
signaled the moment when humankind escaped the=20
gravity well of the planet, but rather than=20
propelling us to the stars, space technology=20
keeps turning back toward terrestrial needs and desires.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/01/AR200710...
1678.html
(requires registration)
* How NASA helped invent Silicon Valley
http://www.news.com/How-NASA-helped-invent-Silicon-Valley/2009-11397_3-6...
034.html?tag=3Dnefd.lede
* The age of the satellite
The satellite industry has grown by leaps and=20
bounds in the 50 years since the Russian=20
government launched Sputnik, generating more than $100 billion annually.
http://www.news.com/The-age-of-the-satellite/2009-1033_3-6210986.html
QUICKLY
US DELAYS DOMESTIC SATELLITE SPYING PROGRAM
[SOURCE: Reuters]
The U.S. government has delayed the start of a=20
program that would use spy-satellite images for=20
domestic purposes including counterterrorism=20
efforts, according to Rep. Bennie Thompson=20
(D-Miss). The Department of Homeland Security=20
informed Rep Thompson that the program would not=20
be launched until it had addressed civil-liberties issues he raised in Augu=
st.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0133926820071001
* Privacy questions stall 'spy satellite' plans
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9788800-7.html
INTERNET GAMBLING REGS EXEMPT SOME TRANSFERS
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Internet gambling regulations proposed by U.S.=20
officials on Monday stopped short of requiring=20
U.S. banks to block checks their customers make=20
to online casinos while forcing banks to halt=20
debit and credit payments. The Treasury=20
Department and the Federal Reserve issued a plan=20
requiring bank policies and procedures that are=20
"reasonably designed to prevent payments being=20
made to gambling businesses in connection with=20
unlawful Internet gambling." The new U.S.=20
regulations would make the banks responsible for=20
blocking credit and debit card payments for=20
online gambling. It also bars bank customers such=20
as online casinos from receiving Internet=20
gambling proceeds. "I think that that's doable,"=20
an industry source said of the proposal.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN0143096420071001
GOOGLE: SEARCH AND DATA SEIZURE
[SOURCE: The Nation, AUTHOR: Jeff Chester]
Google is far more than the digital incarnation=20
of Madison Avenue in the twenty-first century. It=20
is the engine driving us into a new=20
communications era, in which interactive=20
marketing will significantly shape our lives. The=20
company is aggressively expanding its advertising=20
role, building out a sales team poised to partner=20
with the biggest brand advertisers on the planet.=20
Google is pitching its souped-up interactive=20
advertising system to global corporations so they=20
can better blend marketing messaged into the=20
news, information and entertainment we consume.=20
Google's message to Madison Avenue is that its=20
technology can leverage tremendous insights about=20
global consumers of products and information, and=20
can deliver the right interactive marketing=20
messages to consumers at precisely the right moment.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071015/chester
AN ANALYSIS OF THE NET NEUTRALITY DEBATE OF 2006
[SOURCE: Professor Jeffrey A. Hart, Indiana University]
In 2006, a major telecommunications bill failed=20
because it did not include guarantees for=20
something called =81\net neutrality.. The purpose=20
of this paper is to describe and explain the=20
politics behind the net neutrality debate of 2006=20
and to predict its likely future course.
http://www.indiana.edu/~globalm/pdf/apsa07.pdf
ADVERTISERS PUSH FEC ON NONPOLITICAL ADS FEATURING CANDIDATES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Advertisers have told the Federal Election=20
Commission that the Supreme Court's decision on=20
electioneering communications was a broad=20
assertion of First Amendment rights and should=20
not be narrowed by proposed FEC rules meant to=20
implement that decision. The Association of=20
National Advertisers, the American Association of=20
Advertising Agencies and the American Advertising=20
Federation told the FEC they are particularly=20
concerned that the FEC read the court's decision=20
as extending to commercial and business ads, as=20
well as ones with advocacy or grassroots lobbying.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6485947.html?rssid=3D193
WITH CONTINUING RESOLUTION PASSED, APPROPS WORK BEGINS
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Jim Snyder]
The fiscal year started Monday as it has since=20
1994: with annual spending bills still=20
unfinished. This week, lobbying efforts in the=20
Senate are focused on spending measures that fund=20
the Defense, Commerce and Justice departments. In=20
years passed, the CJS bill has been a=20
particularly difficult spending measure to get=20
through. Its jurisdiction included the Securities=20
and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Federal=20
Communications Commission (FCC), and the bill=20
would attract amendments related to everything=20
from stock options and media ownership. But the=20
Democrats realigned the appropriators=92=20
responsibilities, giving jurisdiction over SEC=20
and FCC to the Financial Services and General Government subcommittee.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/with-continuing-resolution-passed-ap...
ps-work-begins-2007-10-02.html
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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.
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