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.
DIGITAL TELEVISION
It's Digital Decision Time Say Public Interest Advocates
Millions may miss digital TV deadline
Britt: Cable Needs DTV Flexibility
OWNERSHIP
FCC agrees to changed AT&T/BellSouth condition
FCC Approves Univision Sale
Tribune Close to Accepting Zell's $8 Billion Offer
A Digital Copyright Demo Turns Into a Fair-Use Volley
MLB: We=92ll Meet Face-to-Face with Cable
MORE NEWS FROM THE FCC
Martin: Broadband Wireless Must Be on =91Same Footing=92
FCC Split Over TV Violence Report
FCC Probe: Net Neutrality Goose Chase?
FUTURE OF MEDIA
How Radio Listeners Will Fare in a Merger Of Sirius and XM
Internet Video Still Faces Big Revenue Challenges
Live, From Station KFYI in ...Well, That=92s Complicated
Network fear of the Net as copilot
QUICKLY -- Percentage of minorities at newspapers=20
declines; The Media Know Best; FCC Revolving Door=20
for Well-Connected Media Biz =93Super Lawyers=94;=20
Valenti suffers stroke; E-mail users want more=20
control of inboxes; Cellphone services add up for kids
DIGITAL TELEVISION
IT'S DECISION TIME SAY PUBLIC INTEREST ADVOCATES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
On the eve of a House Telecommunications=20
Subcommittee hearing on the DTV transition, the=20
Campaign Legal Center, the Benton Foundation and=20
the Center for American Progress have written key=20
Congressional leaders to push the FCC to finish=20
its inquiry into DTV public interest obligations.=20
At a March 14 FCC oversight hearing, FCC Chairman=20
Kevin Martin said that the commission had already=20
dealt with some of those issues stemming from a=20
1999 notice of inquiry. The letter-writers,=20
longtime advocates for quantifiable public=20
interest obligations in the digital age including=20
minimum amounts of campaign centered speech,=20
begged to differ, including the date. They told=20
Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA) and=20
Commerce Chairman John Dingell (D-MI) that the=20
FCC had been considering new DTV public interest=20
rules since 1995 without any resolution of the=20
issue, and suggested that broadcasters should be=20
required to meet guidelines on "Local Civic and=20
Electoral Affairs Programming; Independently=20
Produced Programming; Reporting/Disclosure; and=20
Excessive Commercialization," as a minimum for getting license approvals.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6428581?display=3DBreaking+News
* Read the letter
http://www.benton.org/benton_files/outstandingPIOs32707.doc
* Status of the Digital Television Transition (Hearing Witness List)
http://energycommerce.house.gov/cmte_mtgs/110-ti-hrg.032807.Witness.List...
MILLIONS MAY MISS DIGITAL TV DEADLINE
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Jim Puzzanghera]
For millions of Americans, the digital revolution=20
might not be televised. One in 5 U.S. households=20
=97 more than a million in the Los Angeles area =97=20
depends on rabbit ears or a rooftop antenna to=20
watch TV. Without converter boxes, most of their=20
sets will go blank the day in 2009 that federal=20
law requires broadcast stations to turn off=20
analog signals and transmit only in digital. The=20
shift is being hailed as broadcast television's=20
most dramatic upgrade since it bloomed to color=20
from black and white half a century ago. The=20
technology gives free TV viewers vastly sharper=20
pictures and enables networks such as ABC and PBS=20
to offer a wider range of channels. The 80% of=20
Americans with cable or satellite service won't=20
be affected by the change. Neither will those who=20
have newer, digital TV sets. If you do have an=20
old analog TV hooked up to an antenna, you need=20
only buy a converter box, which will probably=20
cost about $50. The federal government is going=20
to hand out subsidies to help pay for it, and you=20
have two years to get ready. Civil rights leaders=20
and lawmakers are uneasy anyway. A recent poll=20
found that 61% of people who rely on broadcast TV=20
aren't aware of the digital shift. What's more,=20
households without cable or satellite service=20
tend to have lower incomes, and blacks and=20
Latinos are more likely to receive only=20
over-the-air TV than whites. The worry isn't that=20
people will miss vital episodes of "American=20
Idol." It's all about staying connected. Even=20
today, with news a 24/7 affair on the Internet=20
and pay TV, nearly two-thirds of viewers say=20
broadcast news is the main way they find out what's going on in the world.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-digital28mar28,1,5900...
.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)
BRITT: CABLE NEEDS DTV FLEXIBILITY
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
Cable operators need the flexibility to convert=20
digital local TV signals to analog to help keep=20
consumer bills in check after analog local TV=20
signals are turned off in early 2009, Time Warner=20
Cable CEO Glenn Britt will say in testimony to be=20
delivered Wednesday before a House subcommittee.=20
If cable operators can't downconvert digital=20
signals at the headend or central office, they=20
would need to lease set-top boxes to millions=20
consumers. The National Cable &=20
Telecommunications Association estimated that=20
cable homes currently have 134 million TV sets=20
that would need set-tops to receive digital=20
signals from cable operators. Comcast, the=20
largest U.S. cable company, charges $3.50 per=20
month for digital set-tops. =93A cable operator may=20
decide to convert the digital-broadcast signal to=20
analog format at the headend. Under this option,=20
cable customers who receive service on an analog=20
television without the use a set-top box will=20
receive the same high-quality service the day=20
after the transition as they did the day before=20
with no requirement for new equipment and at no=20
additional cost to the consumer,=94 Britt said,=20
according to copy of his testimony obtained by=20
Multichannel News. Britt, along with broadcasting=20
and consumer-electronics representatives, is=20
scheduled to appear before the House Subcommittee=20
on Telecommunications and the Internet regarding=20
the government-mandated analog-TV cutoff Feb. 17, 2009.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6428579.html?display=3DBreaking+News
OWNERSHIP
FCC AGREES TO CHANGED AT&T/BELLSOUTH CONDITION
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Releasing its approval of AT&T's acquisition of=20
BellSouth, the Federal Communications Commission=20
made a merger condition revision that benefits=20
rivals Verizon and Qwest. AT&T is required to=20
offer a reduced rate to other phone companies=20
that use its networks to connect calls. That=20
means former Bell phone companies Verizon and=20
Qwest, which use AT&T networks in some U.S.=20
regions, would also pay the lower rate. AT&T had=20
previously agreed to cut the rate on the=20
condition that Verizon and Qwest do the same,=20
incurring the wrath of Verizon and Qwest and=20
raising questions among some lawmakers. Since=20
then, AT&T offered to modify the condition, even=20
though it believes the original is "lawful and=20
fully justified by market conditions." As part of=20
the order, the FCC said AT&T will only have to=20
offer the reduced rate for 39 months instead of=20
48 months. Stifel Nicolaus analysts noted the=20
order "is modest good news for Verizon and Qwest,=20
as they will no longer be subjected to the=20
reciprocity requirement in order to benefit from=20
the AT&T commitment to cut certain special-access rates."
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2720792220070327
* AT&T Revises Pact with FCC
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117505091786751415.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
FCC APPROVES UNIVISION SALE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The FCC has approved the sale of Univision's TV=20
stations to Broadcast Media Partners, an investor=20
group led by TV kids programming veteran Haim=20
Saban. As expected, Univision agreed to pay $24=20
million (the commission's largest fine ever,=20
according to Commissioner Michael Copps) in a=20
consent decree with the commission to settle=20
outstanding complaints about violations of the=20
FCC's kids programming rules . Licenses generally=20
cannot be transferred while there are complaints=20
pending against them. Commenting on the $24=20
million payment, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said,=20
"It reflects the seriousness with which the=20
commission takes its public-interest obligations.=20
These requirements are not optional, and we=20
expect broadcasters to comply with them. With=20
these commitments by Univision, I believe this=20
transaction is in the public interest."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6428343.html?display=3DBreaki...
News
* FCC press release:=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-271810A1.doc
* Order: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-24A1.doc
* Chairman Martin:=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-24A2.doc
* Commissioner Copps: "Today's item will most=20
likely be remembered because it imposes a $24=20
million fine, far and away the Commission's=20
largest ever. And indeed this amount is entirely=20
appropriate; it makes clear that violating the=20
Commission's media regulations cannot simply be=20
dismissed as just another cost of doing=20
business." But he continues to explain that the=20
Order fails to address two critical aspects of=20
the transaction: 1) the Commission has never=20
formally decided whether Spanish-language=20
programming constitutes a separate market segment=20
that must be analyzed in isolation from=20
English-speaking programming and 2) the transfer=20
of 114 stations to five private equity firms.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-24A3.doc
* Commissioner Adelstein: "It is my hope and=20
expectation that today's approval will mark the=20
beginning of an enhanced commitment by=20
Univision's new management to better serve the=20
public interest and the needs of the Hispanic American community."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-24A4.doc
* Commissioner Tate:=20
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-24A5.doc
* Univision's new owners start with tough program
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-univision28mar28,1,30...
77.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
TRIBUNE CLOSE TO ACCEPTING ZELL'S $8 BILLION OFFER
[SOURCE: Bloomberg.com, AUTHOR: Justin Baer and Leon Lazaroff]
Tribune Co., owner of the Los Angeles Times and=20
Chicago Cubs, will probably accept real estate=20
billionaire Sam Zell's $8 billion takeover offer=20
by the end of the week, according to people=20
familiar with the matter. An agreement is likely=20
by Tribune's self-imposed deadline of March 31,=20
said the people, who declined to be named because=20
no decision has been made. Zell's offer of $33 a=20
share is 6.8 percent above yesterday's=20
close. Zell's offer was competing with the=20
company's plan to reorganize, as well as=20
less-attractive bids from the company's largest=20
shareholder, the Chandler family, and California=20
billionaires Ron Burkle and Eli Broad. The=20
auction dragged on for six months amid waning=20
interest from buyers and an 8.4 percent drop in the stock.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=3D20601103&sid=3DajSktN34d6.k&refer=
=3Dus
A DIGITAL COPYRIGHT DEMO TURNS INTO A FAIR-USE=20
VOLLEY
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR:=20
Peter Lattman peter.lattman( at )wsj.com]
In the continuing copyright kerfuffle around=20
YouTube, one law professor bent on proving her=20
point is taking on none other than the National=20
Football League. Wendy Seltzer, a visiting=20
professor at Brooklyn Law School, picked the NFL,=20
a hyper-vigilant protector of intellectual=20
property, to highlight what she sees as the=20
clumsiness of the Digital Millennium Copyright=20
Act's "notice-and-takedown" provisions. Google=20
Inc., YouTube's owner, has argued that the DMCA=20
immunizes YouTube from liability for its users'=20
copyright infringement if it takes down video=20
when notified of copyright claims. To make her=20
case, Ms. Seltzer posted a video clip of an NFL=20
game during which announcers read the NFL's=20
copyright notice -- "Any rebroadcast,=20
retransmission or other use of this telecast=20
without express written consent..." What ensued=20
was more akin to a tennis match than a football=20
game. The NFL sent YouTube a takedown notice.=20
YouTube removed the clip. Ms. Seltzer sent=20
YouTube a counter-notice, asserting that the clip=20
fell within the "fair use" provisions of the=20
copyright law because she was using it for=20
educational purposes. YouTube re-posted the clip.=20
The NFL sent YouTube another takedown notice.=20
YouTube again yanked the clip. Ms. Seltzer finds=20
this "DMCA dance" absurd. "If...YouTube is=20
threatened with takedown notices every time my=20
speech includes fairly used copyrighted=20
material," says Ms. Seltzer, "pretty soon I find=20
my ability to engage in fair use shut down."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117505274825851496.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)
MLB: WE'LL MEET FACE-TO-FACE WITH CABLE
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Steve Donohue]
Under pressure from Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), Major=20
League Baseball president and chief operating=20
officer Bob DuPuy agreed to meet with In Demand=20
Networks to discuss a possible deal that could=20
provide the cable-backed program supplier with=20
the league=92s Extra Innings package. The chances=20
of the league cutting a deal with cable operators=20
before Monday -- opening day of the 2007 season=20
-- are slim. But MLB and DirecTV are facing heat=20
from regulators for their seven-year, $700=20
million deal that will restrict the league=92s=20
Extra Inning=92s package to DirecTV customers.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6428250.html?display=3DBreaking+News
MORE NEWS FROM THE FCC
MARTIN: BROADBAND WIRELESS MUST BE ON 'SAME FOOTING'
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Todd Spangler]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin=20
Martin, speaking at the CTIA Wireless 2007=20
conference in Orlando, said broadband-wireless=20
services need to be "on the same footing" as=20
wired high-speed-Internet services from cable and=20
telephone companies. "It=92s going to be important=20
for consumers to develop that third broadband=20
pipe as a competitor to DSL [digital subscriber=20
line] and cable," he added. Chairman Martin=20
pointed to the FCC=92s ruling issued last week,=20
which declared that wireless-broadband=20
Internet-access service will be treated as an=20
information service under the Communications Act=20
of 1934. The ruling, released March 23, means=20
broadband-wireless services will be regulated the=20
same way cable=92s high-speed services are, rather=20
than as traditional telecommunications services.=20
Chairman Martin said it was "critical" that=20
broadband-wireless services receive "the same=20
lighter regulatory treatment as other information=20
services. It was important to put broadband=20
wireless on the same footing as cable and DSL."=20
That=92s especially key, he added, as the FCC=20
prepares for the auction later this year of a=20
huge chunk of wireless spectrum, reclaimed from=20
TV broadcasters as they move to government-mandated digital transmissions.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6428126.html?display=3DBreaking+News
* FCC chief: Wireless key to universal access
Martin wants wireless Internet access to be=20
included in efforts to ensure universal communications for all U.S. residen=
ts.
http://www.iphone2die4.com/post/1506/
FCC SPLIT OVER TV VIOLENCE REPORT
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
An upcoming FCC report recommending steps that=20
Congress can take to regulate television violence=20
has sharply divided the agency's five members.=20
Multiple sources said Chairman Kevin Martin and=20
Commissioner Michael Copps, who are spearheading=20
the crackdown on graphic scenes, had approved the=20
latest version of the report. But Commissioner=20
Robert McDowell and Commissioner Jonathan=20
Adelstein are apprehensive about intervening in=20
this area, and it is unclear whether they are=20
onboard, sources said. Commissioner Deborah=20
Taylor Tate is expected to approve the findings,=20
although her office did not return telephone=20
calls seeking comment. Further complicating=20
matters, minority groups recently complained=20
about language in the report endorsing per=20
channel cable pricing, known as a la carte. The=20
discord may explain why the document, requested=20
by 39 House lawmakers in 2004 and the subject of=20
speculation for weeks, is not ready - although some observers expect it soo=
n.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-DRNO1175018645253.html
FCC PROBE: NET NEUTRALITY GOOSE CHASE?
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Catherine Holahan]
After months of vehement debate over the need=97or=20
lack thereof=97for legislation to preserve=20
competition on the Web, the Federal=20
Communications Commission has decided to=20
investigate whether broadband providers are doing=20
anything to stifle it. As well intentioned as the=20
fact-finding mission may be, the FCC isn't likely=20
to turn up much, say both sides of the debate.=20
Broadband providers have consistently stated that=20
they do not give preferential treatment to some=20
services, nor do they plan to block competing=20
services. Comcast's Vice-President of External=20
Affairs, Joseph Waz Jr., summed up the position=20
at the Broadband Policy Summit in May, 2006, when=20
he said calls for legislation barring=20
preferential pricing were "a solution in search=20
of a problem." Without Net Neutrality, advocates=20
argue, a broadband provider will reserve fastest=20
passage for its own services or those willing to=20
pay a premium for such access, and relegating=20
competing services or small Internet startups to=20
relatively slow connections. The result would be=20
to put those companies at a disadvantage, potentially stifling innovation
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/mar2007/tc20070327_164895...
m?chan=3Dtechnology_technology+index+page_more+of+today%27s+top+stories
* Why is FCC quiet on AT&T=92s Call-Blocking?
Is AT&T=92s decision to block some of its=20
customers=92 wireless calls a violation of the=20
so-called net neutrality principles? If it is,=20
the FCC isn't saying so yet, at least not=20
publicly. While both sides of the =93free-calling=94=20
debate expect the commission to weigh in at some=20
point, neither has filed a formal statement=20
there, which may in some part have to do with the=20
FCC=92s silence on the matter so far.
http://gigaom.com/2007/03/26/why-is-fcc-silent-on-atts-call-blocking/
FUTURE OF MEDIA
HOW RADIO LISTENERS WILL FARE IN A MERGER OF SIRIUS AND XM
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Lee Gomes]
[Commentary] Many consumer groups oppose the=20
proposed merger of XM and Sirius, saying that in=20
addition to the anticompetitive nature of any=20
monopoly, this will be yet another instance of=20
media consolidation. A few groups say it ought to=20
be allowed, on the condition that the two agree=20
in writing to certain restrictions, such as=20
pricing and programming. Consumers themselves=20
should be forgiven for being suspicious. The=20
current merger request is the best evidence that=20
a new "times have changed" rationale might be put=20
forward three or five years hence, when the=20
company wants to do something it was forced to=20
promise never to do. But this argument is from=20
the possessors of one of Washington's most potent=20
lobbying forces. If any group is skilled in the=20
ways of governmental largess, it's broadcasters.=20
If you fret about diminished choices with a=20
joined Sirius and XM, think for a second about=20
commercial radio in the U.S. Its ownership is=20
highly concentrated, its programming is most=20
commonly described as "soulless" and it is=20
missing most of the public-interest programming=20
we used to take for granted. A radio station,=20
after all, is but a state-approved monopoly on=20
the public's airwaves. Remember when radio=20
stations turned out news programs? It is said=20
that one test of how much competition will exist=20
after a merger is the extent to which a=20
competitor squawks; the more complaining, the=20
more there will be a thriving market. Judging by=20
the decibels from the broadcasters, satellite and=20
broadcast radio would soon be at each others'=20
throats. What's not to like about that?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117504198011851139.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)
* Bad reception for Sirius and XM
Shares of the two satellite radio firms have=20
taken a hit since their merger plans were=20
announced in February as Wall Street bets that a deal will not get approved.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/26/news/companies/sirius_xm/index.htm?postv...
ion=3D2007032612
INTERNET VIDEO STILL FACES BIG REVENUE CHALLENGES
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Ellen Sheng ellen.sheng( at )dowjones.com]
Online video is getting a lot of hype these days,=20
but it is not clear how companies will make money=20
off such sites, a new study from Convergence=20
Consulting finds. "As it was a decade ago, the=20
Internet is once again being positioned as taking=20
over the content universe ... but there are a=20
number of cold, hard realities" that prevent=20
broadcasters and cable networks from moving away=20
from TV, the report states. One such reality is=20
advertising. Online advertising rates can command=20
high prices, but online viewership is still=20
considerably smaller than TV. Broadcasters that=20
put their TV shows online have seen about 5% of=20
their TV base watching the online streams; cable=20
networks such as MTV see about 15% of their=20
audiences watching shows online. Given the=20
audience size, there is no assurance of similar=20
advertising returns from online video. The report=20
from the Toronto-based research and consulting=20
firm calculates that average U.S. households=20
spend about 20 cents an hour to watch TV, but=20
broadcasters would have to charge a lot per=20
download in order to compensate for what they get=20
in advertising revenue for an average TV episode.=20
For cable networks, there is an added=20
disincentive to move to online distribution=20
because the networks get about half their revenue=20
from carriage deals with cable and satellite=20
companies. One exception -- where online=20
distribution could work better -- is with movie=20
studios. The report points out that selling=20
movies online helps studios save on distribution=20
costs of DVDs. Studios also aren't dependent on=20
advertising the way TV broadcasters and cable networks are.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117505059839651390.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)
* The Battle for the North American Couch Potato:=20
Bundling, Internet, TV, Telephone, April 2007 Edition
http://www.convergenceonline.com/reportA.html
LIVE FROM STATION KFYI IN... WELL, THAT'S COMPLICATED
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jennifer Steinhauer]
Nationally syndicated hosts, =E0 la Howard Stern,=20
have long upended the local radio geography with=20
their generic commuter broadcasts. But a growing=20
number of local radio hosts do their work miles=20
from their broadcasting station, helped by=20
advances in technology. =93Remote broadcasting is=20
far easier in 2007 with digital phone lines than=20
it was years go,=94 said Michael Harrison, the=20
publisher of Talkers magazine. He estimates that=20
about 5 percent of talk show hosts do this. =93It=20
allows the radio station to get the best possible=20
talent without having to move them to the city they are in.=94
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/28/us/28host.html
(requires registration)
NETWORK FEAR OF THE NET AS COPILOT
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Patrick Goldstein]
The Internet is giving Hollywood a nervous=20
breakdown. Way, way back in prehistory =97 let's=20
say, 2004 =97 if you made a TV pilot and the=20
network didn't pick it up, the judge's decision=20
was final. But now you have a savior, an ally, a=20
friend with millions of other friends. You have YouTube.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/business/la-et-goldstein27mar2...
,1184650.story
(requires registration)
QUICKLY
PERCENTAGE OF MINORITIES AT NEWSPAPERS DECLINES
[SOURCE: American Society of Newspaper Editors, AUTHOR: Tiffany Hsu]
The percentage of minority staffing in daily=20
newsrooms fell slightly last year for only the=20
second time since ASNE began tracking minority=20
employment in its annual Newsroom Census,=20
according to editors briefed about the report=20
that is to be released Tuesday. =93The pressure on=20
the industry is too great,=94 said ASNE President=20
David A. Zeeck, executive editor of The News=20
Tribune in Tacoma, Wash. =93When jobs went=20
unfilled in years past, people would hire diverse=20
staff at a greater rate to fill a diversity=20
hole,=94 Zeeck said. =93Papers are not really hiring,=20
so when people leave, the percentages go down.=94=20
The 2007 census is expected to show that the=20
percentage of minority journalists slipped 0.25=20
percentage point over the past year, Zeeck said.
http://www.asne.org/index.cfm?id=3D6497
THE MEDIA KNOW BEST
[SOURCE: Center for American Progress, AUTHOR:=20
Faiz Shakir, Nico Pitney, Amanda Terkel,
Payson Schwin, and Satyam Khanna]
[Commentary] For six years, conservative=20
domination of Washington created a drought of=20
oversight and accountability. Now, as Congress=20
finally begins to take action and shed light on=20
the executive branch, establishment media figures=20
are aghast. In recent weeks, reporters and=20
editorial boards have repeatedly criticized=20
members of Congress for investigating the White=20
House or acting as counterweights to President=20
Bush. As Salon.com's Glenn Greenwald noted,=20
"Journalists are supposed to be, by definition,=20
eager for investigations of government=20
misconduct. That is supposed to be their purpose,=20
embedded in their DNA." Yet time and again, media=20
figures have ignored public opinion data and=20
claimed that members of Congress risk severe=20
political damage by carrying out their=20
constitutional oversight responsibilities.=20
Journalists have a critical responsibility to not=20
be complicit in corruption, government=20
malfeasance, and possible criminality. They=20
shouldn't be mocking or criticizing efforts to=20
hold the White House accountable; they should be furthering them.
http://www.americanprogressaction.org/progressreport/
FCC REVOLVING DOOR FOR WELL-CONNECTED MEDIA BIZ "SUPER LAWYERS"
[SOURCE: Digital Destiny, AUTHOR: Jeff Chester]
[Commentary] Last Sunday,included with the New=20
York Times, was the special ad supplement=20
=93Washington DC Super Lawyers 2007.=94 Listed were=20
the =93Top Attorneys in the Washington, D.C., metro=20
area.=94 An ad supported homage to some of the key=20
power brokers, the supplement included a listing=20
of communications attorneys. Chester provides a=20
list of =93Communications=94 Super Lawyers, and, in=20
many cases, their former roles in Congress or the FCC.
http://www.democraticmedia.org/jcblog/?p=3D222
VALENTI SUFFERS STROKE
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Former Motion Picture Association of America head=20
Jack Valenti has been hospitalized after=20
suffering a stroke last week. Valenti served as=20
an aide to Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon=20
Johnson, and was aboard Air Force One by=20
Johnson's side when he was sworn in after Kennedy=20
was assassinated in Dallas. A Texas native,=20
Valenti ran an advertising agency in Houston=20
before heading to Washington to work for Johnson,=20
then majority leader of the U.S. Senate. Valenti,=20
85, spent 38 years as the top lobbyist for MPAA,=20
where he helped develop a voluntary ratings=20
system for movies and fending off government=20
attempts to curb explicit sex and violence on=20
film. After leaving the MPAA in 2004, he worked=20
with the television industry to fight tougher=20
regulations to address concerns by parents'=20
groups and regulators about profanity and sexual=20
content on broadcast television.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2739855320070327
* Valenti Suffers Stroke
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6428443.html?display=3DBreaki...
News
* Jack Valenti Hospitalized Following Stroke (Associated Press)
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/03/27/daily.7/
* Valenti recovering from stroke
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-valenti28mar28,1,6350...
.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
E-MAIL USERS WANT MORE CONTROL OF INBOXES
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Rachelle Younglai]
Bombarded by spam, e-mail users are eager for=20
tools like a "report fraud" button that would=20
help weed out unwanted messages that litter=20
inboxes, according to a survey by the Email=20
Sender and Provider Coalition released on=20
Tuesday. More than 80 percent of e-mailers=20
already use tools such as "report spam" and the=20
"unsubscribe" button to manage their in-boxes, the survey found.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2635299820070327
* FCC Releases Order on AT&T/Bell South Merger
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6428011?display=3DBreaking+News
* Read the Order over Spring Break!
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-06-189A1.pdf
CELLPHONE SERVICES ADD UP FOR KIDS
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Matt Friedman]
About 13.5 million kids ages 13 to 17 own a=20
cellphone, according to M:Metrics, an industry=20
researcher, and text-messaging =97 using=20
abbreviated sentences punched in from the keypad=20
that appear on the cellphone screen =97 is wildly=20
popular. Billing disputes over premium text=20
services have spawned several class-action lawsuits.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070328/cellkidscams.art.htm
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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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