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
BROADCASTING
Public Expresses Frustration Over Broadcast Media
James Quello and the Broadcast Lobby
CDT, Coalition Outline Concerns With Proposed Broadcast Treaty
9/11 Miniseries Is Criticized as Inaccurate and Biased
INTERNET/BROADBAND
Digital Divide still Separates Students
The First YouTube Election
Frist still seeks Internet gambling bill
New FCC Pornography Laws Have Broad Implications=20
for Internet Services and Applications
Broadband Boom in China
Google to Offer News Archive
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
Judge Hears Arguments on Federal Spying Program
Republican Rift Over Wiretapping Widens
GAO Seeks Strategic Plan On Broadcasts to Arab World
PEOPLE
FCC Commissioner McDowell Announces Permanent Staff
Viacom ousts CEO Tom Freston
For the New Face of CBS News, a Subdued Beginning
QUICKLY -- Gov Urges Greater Info Security on=20
Cell Phones; Latest antiporn target: hotel-room=20
TV; Universal to buy BMG publishing arm; Silicon=20
Valley to Receive Free Wi-Fi; In Congress, a=20
Whole Lot of Half-Truths; I was just thinking about you
BROADCASTING
PUBLIC EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION OVER BROADCAST MEDIA
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times 9/4, AUTHOR: Meg James meg.james( at )latimes.com]
Deep frustration over the media's often frivolous=20
and occasionally insensitive broadcasts bubbled=20
over late last week in Los Angeles as a parade of=20
speakers spent 4 1/2 hours imploring two federal=20
regulators to enforce higher standards and halt=20
any further consolidation of radio and television=20
station ownership. Nearly 250 people showed up=20
for a hearing at the University of Southern=20
California, one of several across the country=20
that will be held as the Federal Communications=20
Commission embarks, yet again, on an overhaul of=20
media ownership rules. FCC Commissioners Michael=20
Copps and Jonathan Adelstein received an earful=20
from dozens of speakers, who asserted that the=20
consolidation of station ownership had led to a=20
pronounced decline in in-depth news reporting,=20
diversity of viewpoints and quality children's=20
programming. The hearing was the first of four=20
that Copps and Adelstein are planning to=20
specifically address the concerns of Latinos. Los=20
Angeles is home to the nation's largest Latino=20
population -- 1.8 million households, according=20
to Nielsen Media Research. The two FCC members=20
plan other such hearings this year in New York,=20
Chicago and Austin, Texas. The full FCC is=20
expected to vote on the media ownership rules=20
next year. The issue is considered a test for FCC=20
Chairman Kevin J. Martin, who took the helm last year
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fcc4sep04,1,3888365.story?coll=3Dl...
eadlines-business
(requires registration)
JAMES QUELLO AND THE BROADCAST LOBBY
[SOURCE: Digital Destiny, AUTHOR: Jeff Chester]
[Commentary] Former FCC Commissioner James Quello=20
has always been a key part of the broadcast=20
lobby=92s political support structure. The=20
long-serving (23 years) commissioner made sure=20
his votes aided his profession -- broadcasting.=20
Mr. Quello never stops working to help out his=20
media industry brethren -- including his latest=20
lobbying missive in this week=92s Broadcasting and=20
Cable magazine. Quello urges that broadcasters=20
should be freed from any regulation (what little=20
there=92s left, that is, thanks to Quello and=20
others). =93Let Broadcasters Be Free,=94 he=20
proclaims. No rules ensuring diversity of=20
ownership, children=92s educational programming, or=20
local accountability are needed. We have the=20
Internet, Quello assure us. Public interest=20
policies can now be jettisoned. But Mr. Quello=20
neglects to disclose in the piece that he is=20
working at the number one lobbying shop for=20
broadcasters: Wiley, Rein, and Fielding. In his=20
piece, he lists his affiliations as =93an=20
independent government relations consultant.=94 But=20
Quello=92s been at the Wiley shop since 2001. The=20
Wiley firm (headed by the former FCC chair and=20
super-lobbyist Dick Wiley) has represented such=20
broadcast heavyweights as Belo, Gannett, National=20
Association of Broadcasters, Time Warner, Clear=20
Channel, and CBS (and many others). Mr. Quello=92s=20
op-ed is especially meant for Chairman Kevin=20
Martin and the GOP majority. It=92s supposed to=20
convey that a person with such long FCC and=20
industry experience -- Mr. Quello -- is giving a=20
high sign to Martin=92s plan to scuttle media ownership rules.
http://www.democraticmedia.org/jcblog/?p=3D93
CDT, COALITION OUTLINE CONCERNS WITH PROPOSED BROADCAST TREATY
[SOURCE: Center for Democracy & Technology]
CDT and a diverse group of companies, trade=20
associations and public interest organizations=20
issued a joint statement raising serious concerns=20
with a proposed World Intellectual Property=20
Organization (WIPO) broadcast treaty. The=20
coalition outlined key problems posed by the=20
treaty, which would grant broad,=20
intellectual-property-like rights to broadcasters=20
and cable-casters. Members of the coalition=20
delivered the statement to the U.S. Government=20
officials involved in the treaty negotiations, as=20
well as to delegations from other WIPO countries.
Joint Statement :
http://www.cdt.org/copyright/20060905wipo.pdf
9/11 MINISERIES IS CRITICIZED AS INACCURATE AND BIASED
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jesse McKinley]
Days before its scheduled debut, the first major=20
television miniseries about the Sept. 11 attacks=20
was being criticized on Tuesday as biased and=20
inaccurate by bloggers, terrorism experts and a=20
member of the Sept. 11 commission, whose report=20
makes up much of the film=92s source material. The=20
six-hour miniseries, =93The Path to 9/11,=94 is to be=20
shown on ABC on Sunday and Monday. The network=20
has been advertising the program as a =93historic=20
broadcast=94 that uses the commission=92s report on=20
the 2001 attacks as its =93primary foundation.=94 On=20
Tuesday, several liberal blogs were questioning=20
whether ABC=92s version was overly critical of the=20
Clinton administration while letting the Bush administration off easy.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/06/us/06path.html
(requires registration)
* Controversy Over 9/11 Film Hits Press -- Here Is Sneak Preview
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
t_id=3D1003087654
INTERNET/BROADBAND
DIGITAL DIVIDE STILL SEPARATES STUDENTS
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Ben Feller]
Many more white children use the Internet than do=20
Hispanic and black students, a reminder that=20
going online is hardly a way of life for=20
everyone. Two of every three white students -- 67=20
percent -- use the Internet, but less than half=20
of blacks and Hispanics do, according to federal=20
data released Tuesday. For Hispanics the figure=20
is 44 percent; for blacks, it's 47 percent. "This=20
creates incredible barriers for minorities," said=20
Mark Lloyd, a senior fellow at the Center for=20
American Progress and an analyst on how=20
communications influence civil rights. Not using=20
the Internet "narrows their ability to even think=20
about the kind of work they can be doing," Lloyd=20
said. "It doesn't prepare them for a world in=20
which they're going to be expected to know how to=20
do these things." The new data come from the=20
National Center for Education Statistics, an arm=20
of the Education Department. They are based on a=20
national survey of households in 2003. Overall,=20
91 percent of students in nursery school through=20
12th grade use computers; 59 percent use the=20
Internet. Within those numbers, the digital=20
divide between groups is a national concern.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/15444856.htm
* Computer and Internet Use by Students in 2003
http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=3D2006065
THE FIRST YOUTUBE ELECTION
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Editorial Staff]
[Commentary] YouTube.com has become a magnet for=20
budding filmmakers, marketers and entertainment=20
industry executives looking for new ways to reach=20
viewers. Now, with the campaign season upon us,=20
political hatchet men are discovering the site=20
too. YouTube offers partisans a nearly=20
irresistible combination: It lets them post=20
videos under pseudonyms, and it stores and plays=20
them for free. In May, a video skewering Al=20
Gore's global warming movie, "An Inconvenient=20
Truth," provided a sample of political things to=20
come. More slick than the typical homemade video,=20
the two-minute bit was posted by someone claiming=20
to be a 29-year-old from Beverly Hills. But the=20
Wall Street Journal traced it to an employee at a=20
Washington lobbying firm whose clients include=20
ExxonMobil Corp. YouTube is also a tempting=20
launch pad for political mischief because it is=20
effectively unregulated by the Federal Election=20
Commission, whose Internet rules apply only to=20
paid political advertising. Videos on YouTube=20
don't have to disclose their source or include an=20
on-air approval from a candidate -- two=20
requirements for political TV and radio spots.=20
But YouTube, like the Internet in general, has a=20
self-correcting quality not found in the=20
broadcast media, where the high price of airtime=20
crimps the public's ability to participate in the=20
debate. Online, everyone's a critic -- and in=20
many cases, an investigator too. The Internet can=20
serve as an important memory bank for gaffes and=20
public lapses that candidates and officials would=20
rather citizens forget. But because it's hard to=20
tell real memories on the site from fake ones,=20
it's important for voters to take what they see=20
there with a grain of salt -- just like=20
everything else they see or hear during the campaign season.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-youtube06sep06,1,...
6630.story?coll=3Dla-news-comment
(requires registration)
FRIST STILL SEEKS INTERNET GAMBLING BILL
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Peter Kaplan]
Aides to Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist (TN)=20
said on Tuesday he is still trying to find a way=20
to pass a bill to outlaw most forms of Internet=20
gambling, but offered no guarantee a deal could=20
be struck before lawmakers recess at the end of=20
September. Sen Frist would like to bring up the=20
bill under unanimous consent, a process by which=20
leaders from both parties agree to bring a bill=20
to a vote on the Senate floor, the aides told=20
reporters. But outwardly there has been little=20
movement on the bill. A similar version has=20
already passed the U.S. House of Representatives,=20
but efforts to move the Senate bill ran into=20
opposition earlier in the summer from lobbyists=20
representing casino owners and horse- and=20
dog-racing interests. The bill would prohibit=20
most forms of Internet gambling and make it=20
illegal for banks and credit card companies to=20
make payments to online gambling sites.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DtechnologyNews&sto...
D=3D2006-09-05T222021Z_01_N05364376_RTRUKOC_0_US-LEISURE-CONGRESS-GAMBLING.=
xml&archived=3DFalse
NEW FCC PORNOGRAPHY LAWS HAVE BROAD IMPLICATIONS=20
FOR INTERNET SERVICES APPLICATIONS
[SOURCE: Gartner, AUTHOR: Ron Cowles and Alex Winogradoff]
[Commentary] On 31 August 2006, the U.S. Federal=20
Communications Commission (FCC) issued a ruling=20
stating that Section 222 of the 1996=20
Telecommunications Act does not prevent=20
telecommunications service providers from=20
complying with the legal obligation to report=20
violations of federal child pornography laws. In=20
its ruling (see Declaratory Ruling: Word |=20
Acrobat), the FCC said that, while Section 222=20
makes it clear that all carriers have a duty to=20
protect the privacy of customer proprietary=20
network information (CPNI), it does not waive the=20
responsibility of carriers or remote computing=20
services to report suspected child pornography=20
images to the National Center for Missing and=20
Exploited Children (NCMEC). The FCC stressed that=20
those who knowingly fail to report such images=20
can be fined up to $50,000 for an initial failure=20
to make such a report, and up to $100,000 for=20
subsequent failures. This has a broader impact=20
than just federal child pornography laws. First,=20
incumbent carriers operating in the U.S. -=20
including wireless carriers - are required to=20
comply with CPNI rules and with other federal=20
laws even if they are in conflict with each=20
other. Second, any providers or partners of=20
service providers with communications services=20
that make voice applications (and now potentially=20
Web-based applications and services) part of=20
their service offerings -- especially in an=20
open-source and nonstandard Web 2.0 environment=20
-- may be required to follow these rules.
http://blog.gartner.com/blog/index.php?blogid=3D12&itemid=3D1158
BROADBAND BOOM IN CHINA
[SOURCE: TelecommunicationsOnline, AUTHOR: Ken Wieland]
Buoyed by higher income levels in China=92s main=20
cities, the country=92s broadband market is on=20
course to be the largest in the world -- in terms=20
of subscribers -- in less than a year. According=20
to figures released by the Ovum consultancy firm,=20
there were 45 million broadband subscribers in=20
China by the end of June 2006, which represents a=20
CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 79 percent=20
over the last three years. The US, currently the=20
world=92s largest broadband market with 46 million=20
subscribers, is now within touching distance and=20
will soon be toppled from top spot. With a=20
broadband penetration of only 3.4 percent of the=20
population, fast-paced growth is set to continue=20
in China. Ovum calculates that China=92s broadband=20
market will grow by a CAGR of 75 percent through=20
to 2010 to reach 139 million subscribers (93 million using DSL connections).
http://telecommagazine.com/newsglobe/article.asp?HH_ID=3DAR_2356
GOOGLE TO OFFER NEWS ARCHIVE
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Michael Liedtke]
Google is expanding its online news index to=20
include stories published years ago, continuing=20
its efforts to create new sales channels for=20
long-established media and make its Web site more=20
useful. The archive, to be unveiled today,=20
includes articles from media outlets including=20
the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time=20
magazine and The Washington Post. Information=20
storehouses such as LexisNexis, Factiva and=20
HighBeam Research also have opened up sections of=20
their databases to Google's expanded index. Until=20
now, Google's four-year-old news-search service=20
has focused primarily on stories posted on the=20
Web in the past 30 days. The new feature will=20
share only excerpts from stories related to=20
users' requests. To see the full stories, users=20
will be sent to the Web sites that own the=20
content, which gives media outlets a chance to=20
charge for access to the full stories -- a common=20
practice in distributing historical information.=20
Google will not collect any commission for the=20
sales referrals, hoping instead to make money=20
indirectly from increased usage of its site. The=20
arrangement marks Google's latest attempt to=20
demonstrate the value of its search engine to the traditional media.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR200609...
1563.html
(requires registration)
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
JUDGE HEARS ARGUMENTS ON FEDERAL SPYING PROGRAM
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Adam Liptak]
In a lively oral argument lasting almost three=20
hours, a federal judge in Manhattan indicated=20
yesterday that he had serious reservations about=20
the legality of a National Security Agency=20
surveillance program that monitors the=20
international communications of people in the=20
United States. But the judge, Gerard E. Lynch,=20
also said preliminary issues might keep him from=20
ever deciding the question of whether the program=20
was lawful. In a sweeping decision last month,=20
Judge Anna Diggs Taylor of Federal District Court=20
in Detroit ruled that the program was=20
unconstitutional and ordered it shut down. The=20
government filed an appeal immediately, and Judge=20
Taylor has temporarily stayed her decision. At=20
the beginning of yesterday=92s argument, the second=20
to consider the legality of the program, Judge=20
Lynch said he would =93devote little time to the=20
First and Fourth Amendments.=94 Judge Taylor=92s=20
decision relied heavily on arguments based on=20
them. Judge Lynch confined himself, instead, to=20
questions about his ability to rule on the merits=20
and, if he can, on whether the program violates=20
the constitutional separation of powers. Judge=20
Lynch distinguished military action abroad from=20
domestic activity, and he indicated that Congress=20
might have the power to limit the president=92s=20
authority to act within the United States.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/06/washington/06nsa.html
(requires registration)
REPUBLICAN RIFT OVER WIRETAPPING WIDENS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jonathan Weisman]
Deepening Republican divisions over the future of=20
President Bush's warrantless wiretapping program=20
may jeopardize GOP leaders' hopes of making=20
terrorism surveillance legislation a centerpiece=20
of their final legislative push this month. House=20
and Senate Republican leaders plan to focus=20
congressional attention almost exclusively on=20
national security, hoping to draw clear=20
distinctions between Republicans and Democrats=20
ahead of the November elections. Topping the=20
to-do list is passing legislation officially=20
sanctioning the National Security Agency's secret=20
wiretapping of suspected terrorist=20
communications. The eavesdropping has been=20
carried out without warrants since the Sept. 11,=20
2001, attacks. A federal judge in Detroit recently ruled the program illega=
l.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR200609...
1136.html
(requires registration)
GAO SEEKS STRATEGIC PLAN ON BROADCASTS TO ARAB WORLD
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
Despite claims of success by the Bush=20
administration, radio broadcasts and satellite=20
telecasts by the U.S. government to the Arab=20
world lack reliable audience estimates and=20
accuracy checks. That is the conclusion of the=20
Government Accountability Office, Congress's=20
watchdog agency. The GAO also said, in a report=20
released yesterday, that the Broadcasting Board=20
of Governors, which oversees Radio Sawa and=20
Alhurra satellite television, has not established=20
a detailed strategic approach to compete with TV=20
networks funded by Arab governments. Radio Sawa=20
and Alhurra -- funded by the U.S. government --=20
are a major part of the public diplomacy effort=20
directed by the State Department and have been=20
cited by the administration as a key component in=20
the campaign against terrorism. Claims that Radio=20
Sawa and Alhurra TV each reached an audience of=20
about 21.6 million last year are questionable,=20
the GAO report said, because of limited survey=20
methods and documentation. To improve monitoring=20
of the broadcasts' effectiveness, the GAO=20
recommended development of a long-term strategic=20
plan. The report also called for improving=20
contractors' methods of audience research and=20
providing regular editorial training. Kenneth=20
Tomlinson, the former chairman of the Corporation=20
for Public Broadcasting, is the chairman of the BBG.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR200609...
1206.html
(requires registration)
See --
* MANAGEMENT OF MIDDLE EAST BROADCAST SERVICES COULD BE IMPROVED
[SOURCE: Government Accountability Office]
The Broadcasting Board of Governors=92 (BBG)=20
broadcasting services, Radio Sawa, and the=20
Alhurra satellite television networks --=20
collectively known as the Middle East=20
Broadcasting Networks, Inc. (MBN) -- currently=20
aim to reach Arabic speakers in 19 countries and=20
areas throughout the Middle East. Annual spending=20
for current activities amounts to about $78=20
million. GAO reviewed MBN=92s 1) strategic planning=20
to address competition in the Middle Eastern=20
media market, 2) implementation of internal=20
control, 3) procedures MBN has developed to=20
ensure compliance with its journalistic=20
standards, and 4) performance indicators and=20
whether targets have been met. GAO is making=20
several recommendations to the chairman of the=20
BBG to improve the efficiency and operations of=20
MBN. These include fully implementing strategic=20
planning, internal control, and regular program=20
reviews, as well as addressing weaknesses in the=20
conduct and reporting of its audience research. (GAO-06-762, August 4)
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-762
Highlights - http://www.gao.gov/highlights/d06762high.pdf
PEOPLE
COMMISSIONER McDOWELL ANNOUNCES PERMANENT STAFF
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
On Tuesday, FCC Commissioner Robert M. McDowell=20
announced the hiring of his permanent staff. 1)=20
John Hunter will serve as Chief of Staff and=20
Senior Legal Advisor on wireline issues. John=20
Hunter was most recently Counsel to the House of=20
Representatives Government Reform Committee,=20
appointed by Chairman Tom Davis=20
(R-VA). Previously, he was Of Counsel at Reed=20
Smith, McNair & Sanford, representing=20
telecommunications companies, including local=20
exchange, wireless, interexchange and=20
international carriers, broadcasters, cable=20
companies and equipment manufacturers. He was=20
also Senior Counsel of the United States Telecom=20
Association representing local exchange carriers=20
and served as Senior Attorney in the Washington=20
office of United Telecommunications. 2) Angela=20
Giancarlo will serve as Legal Advisor for=20
wireless and international issues. Previously,=20
she held the position of Associate Chief for=20
Spectrum Policy in the Public Safety and Critical=20
Infrastructure Division of the Wireless=20
Telecommunications Bureau. Prior to joining the=20
Commission, she worked in the Washington, DC=20
office of Hogan & Hartson L.L.P., where her=20
primary focus was advising clients on commercial=20
and private wireless regulation, auction-related=20
transactional matters and strategic planning on=20
spectrum allocations. Ms. Giancarlo has authored=20
several articles on spectrum and technology=20
matters. She began her career in the=20
congressional office of former U.S.=20
Representative Jack Kemp (R-NY). 3) Cristina=20
Pauz=E9 will continue as Legal Advisor to=20
Commissioner McDowell for media issues. Prior to=20
working in the McDowell office, she was an=20
Associate Bureau Chief in the FCC's Media=20
Bureau. Before joining the Commission, Ms. Pauz=E9=20
was Of Counsel at Morrison & Foerster's=20
Washington DC office, where her practice included=20
representing media clients in regulatory=20
compliance, licensing, rulemaking and=20
transactional matters. She has also held=20
positions as policy advisor to the Assistant=20
Secretary of Commerce for Communications and=20
Information at the National Telecommunications=20
and Information Administration and as senior=20
counsel for commercial transactions at Teleglobe=20
USA. 4) Brigid Calamis will serve as Deputy Chief=20
of Staff. Ms. Calamis joined Commissioner=20
McDowell's office as Confidential Assistant in=20
June 2006. Her prior experience includes=20
positions in the government relations and public=20
affairs departments of the National Association=20
of Broadcasters and CompTel, a trade association=20
representing telecommunications entrepreneurs,=20
and providing public affairs support for=20
technology and communications clients at Dittus Communications.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-267232A1.doc
* FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell Names Permanent Staff
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6368886.html?display=3DBreaki...
News
VIACOM OUSTS CEO TOM FRESTON
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Kenneth Li]
Viacom Inc. Chairman Sumner Redstone on Tuesday=20
ousted Chief Executive Tom Freston, in a surprise=20
move to exert more control over the company amid=20
a lagging stock price and a perception it has=20
fallen behind on the Internet. "We think this=20
move is likely to be regarded as an attempt by=20
Mr. Redstone to reassert himself in an operating=20
role, a development that is not likely to be=20
warmly received in the investment community,"=20
Merrill Lynch analyst Jessica Reif Cohen wrote in=20
a research note, downgrading her recommendation=20
on the stock to "neutral" from "buy." Redstone=20
told analysts on a conference call, "The board=20
felt not enough was being done. We were not=20
moving ahead as entrepreneurially and as=20
aggressively as we should. The communication with=20
Wall Street had been deficient." Freston, one of=20
the founding executives of MTV, had been praised=20
for his creative prowess but criticized by Wall=20
Street for Viacom's lackluster stock performance=20
since it split from broadcast division CBS Corp.=20
in January. Viacom named Philippe Dauman as the=20
new CEO and Thomas Dooley to a newly created post=20
of chief administrative officer. Both are board=20
members and close associates of Redstone, and=20
were at Viacom when its stock price tripled=20
between 1996 and 2000. They left Viacom in 2000,=20
after the company bought CBS, and founded DND=20
Capital Partners LLC, a private equity firm=20
specializing in media and telecommunication investments.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DindustryNews&storyID=
=3D2006-09-05T202314Z_01_N05317256_RTRIDST_0_INDUSTRY-MEDIA-VIACOM-CEO-DC.X=
ML
* Freston Ousted at Viacom
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6368501.html
* Street Shrugs at Freston's Departure
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: R. Thomas Umstead & Steve Donohue]
Viacom's stock dropped about 5% after news of Tom=20
Freston=92s exit. Investment company Citigroup=20
Investment Research dubbed the change =93mildly=20
positive=94 for the stock. It cited uncertainty=20
surrounding the management change on the various=20
Viacom-owned cable networks where =93employees=20
identify strongly with Mr. Freston.=94
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6368477.html?display=3DBreaking+News
FOR NEW FACE OF CBS NEWS, A SUBDUED BEGINNING
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Alessandra Stanley]
Walter Cronkite introduced Katie Couric's debut=20
as the first woman to serve as the official solo=20
anchor of a major network evening news=20
broadcast. Couric was subdued throughout the=20
broadcast, perhaps a little spooked by all the=20
fuss over her appointment. The network=92s=20
readiness campaign -- the focus groups, the=20
listening tour of America, the wardrobe questions=20
-- have prompted ample attention and some=20
snickering. She is the first true celebrity to=20
anchor a network news program. Tom Brokaw was=20
well known when he went from =93Today=94 to the =93NBC=20
Nightly News,=94 as is Charles Gibson, who recently=20
left =93Good Morning America=94 to be the=20
evening-news anchor on ABC. Neither is nearly as=20
high wattage. No other news figure, not even the=20
glamorous Diane Sawyer, appears as often in=20
People magazine or is stalked as relentlessly by=20
gossip columnists and entertainment shows. And=20
Ms. Couric revels in the show-business spotlight,=20
whether as the focus of an episode of =93E! True=20
Hollywood Story=94 or making cameos on =93Will and=20
Grace=94 and in =93Austin Powers in Goldmember.=94 CBS=20
is not paying her an estimated $15 million a year=20
for being a woman -- that is the cost of hiring=20
the biggest star. And that star factor affects=20
the =93CBS Evening News=94 far more than a new=20
format, new theme music or a redesigned set. The=20
woman who stood out most last night was CBS=92s=20
chief foreign-affairs reporter, Lara Logan, an=20
experienced and unusually pretty war=20
correspondent who took a daring trip into=20
Taliban-held territory in Afghanistan wrapped in a black chador.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/06/arts/television/06watch.html
(requires registration)
QUICKLY
GOV URGES GREATER INFO SECURITY ON CELL PHONES
[SOURCE: Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich (D)]
Responding to alarming reports about sensitive=20
personal and corporate information being easily=20
retrieved from discarded cell phones, Governor=20
Rod R. Blagojevich today sent a letter to two=20
federal regulatory bodies, urging them to require=20
cell phone companies to develop effective ways to=20
completely delete a customer=92s information.=20
=93Recent reports now indicate that when a cell=20
phone=92s memory is erased, sensitive information=20
that is supposed to have been deleted can be=20
easily restored,=94 wrote the Governor in a letter=20
to the chairperson of the Federal Trade=20
Commission (FTC), Deborah Platt Majoras, and the=20
chairman of the Federal Communications Commission=20
(FCC), Kevin J. Martin. =93Current federal laws=20
require cell phone companies to protect their=20
customer=92s personal information, but clearly=20
there=92s a gap. I urge both of your agencies to=20
require cell phone companies to develop more=20
effective methods to completely delete a customer=92s information.=94
http://illinoischannel.spaces.live.com/Blog/cns!B0DB128F5CD96151!1603.entry
LATEST ANTIPORN TARGET: HOTEL-ROOM TV
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Matt Bradley]
It's a business that has become quietly=20
entrenched in America's corporate culture:=20
pay-per-view pornography in hotel rooms. Most=20
large chains provide the service, along with=20
standard-issue films. The pay-per-view service=20
has brought hotels millions of dollars a year.=20
But these days, the US hotel business is also=20
attracting moral outrage and vitriol - on a scale=20
that pornography insiders say amounts to one of=20
the largest organized assaults on the skin=20
business in recent memory. A consortium of 13=20
conservative groups has created CleanHotels.com,=20
a website that provides listings and reservation=20
services for US hotels where travelers can rest=20
safe from taint or temptation. The conservative=20
groups have also run a series of full-page ads in=20
USA Today, urging authorities to prosecute=20
hoteliers under federal and local obscenity=20
statutes. While the financial extent of hotel=20
porn is hard to estimate - hotels keep statistics=20
to themselves or don't keep them at all - the=20
adult pay-per-view and video-on-demand=20
businesses, both in hotels and private=20
residences, will bring in an estimated $1.6=20
billion in 2006. In 1996, that number was $593=20
million, according to California-based Kagan Research.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0906/p03s03-ussc.html
UNIVERSAL TO BUY BMG PUBLISHING ARM
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Joshua Chaffin]
Vivendi=92s Universal Music Group has agreed to pay=20
$2.1 billion to buy Bertelsmann=92s BMG Music=20
Publishing in a deal that will make Universal=20
both the industry=92s largest record company and=20
music publisher. Universal will not take=20
possession of BMG until the deal clears=20
regulators in the US and Europe. Approval is by=20
no means assured following a European court=92s=20
decision this year to overturn the merger between=20
Sony and BMG. The sale price is 20 times ebitda for 2005.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/e814b384-3d24-11db-9b3d-0000779e2340.html
(requires subscription)
SILICON VALLEY TO RECEIVE FREE WI-FI
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Matt Richtel]
A consortium of technology companies, including=20
I.B.M. and Cisco Systems, announced plans Tuesday=20
for a vast wireless network that would provide=20
free Internet access to big portions of Silicon=20
Valley and the surrounding region as early as=20
next year. The project is the largest of a new=20
breed of wireless networks being built across the=20
country. They are taking advantage of the falling=20
cost of providing high-speed Internet access over=20
radio waves as opposed to cable or telephone=20
lines. The project will cover 1,500 square miles=20
in 38 cities in San Mateo, Santa Clara, Alameda=20
and Santa Cruz Counties, an area of 2.4 million=20
residents. Its builders, going by the name=20
Silicon Valley Metro Connect, said the service=20
would provide free basic wireless access at=20
speeds up to 1 megabit a second -- which is=20
roughly comparable to broadband speeds by=20
telephone -- in outdoor areas. Special equipment,=20
costing $80 to $120, will be needed to bolster=20
the signal enough to bring it inside homes or=20
offices. The consortium will also offer a=20
fee-based service, with higher speeds and=20
technical support, and will allow other companies=20
to sell premium services over the network as well.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/06/technology/06wireless.html
(requires registration)
IN CONGRESS, A WHOLE LOT OF HALF-TRUTHS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Richard Morin]
Members of Congress tell the truth -- the whole=20
truth -- only about a quarter of the time when=20
debating major legislation on the floor of the=20
House and Senate. Instead, legislators mostly=20
rely on half-truths, misleading exaggerations or=20
outright inaccuracies when debating the nation's=20
business, according to two political scientists=20
who have studied the quality of debate in Congress.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/05/AR200609...
1326.html
(requires registration)
I WAS JUST THINKING OF YOU
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Many people have experienced the phenomenon of=20
receiving a telephone call from someone shortly=20
after thinking about them -- now a scientist says=20
he has proof of what he calls telephone=20
telepathy. Rupert Sheldrake, whose research is=20
funded by the respected Trinity College,=20
Cambridge, said on Tuesday he had conducted=20
experiments that proved that such precognition=20
existed for telephone calls and even e-mails.=20
Sheldrake -- who believes in the=20
interconnectedness of all minds within a social=20
grouping -- said that he was extending his=20
experiments to see if the phenomenon also worked=20
for mobile phone text messages.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DtechnologyNews&sto...
D=3D2006-09-05T131947Z_01_L05488354_RTRUKOC_0_US-BRITAIN-TELEPATHY.xml
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------