MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Deregulation: Why Michael Powell is Wrong
Clear Channel Cuts Ties With Independent Music Promoters
INTERNATIONAL
Al Jazeera Newscasts Land on U.S. Cable Television
Afghan Women Usher in IT Age
EVENTS
Capitol Hill: Neurobiological Research and the Impact of Media
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
DEREGULATION: WHY MICHAEL POWELL IS WRONG
[Commentary] Clear Channel Communications' stranglehold over the radio waves
should serve as a warning about the dangers of telecom and media
consolidation -- a warning that FCC Chairman Michael Powell is apparently
ignoring, writes Robert Kuttner. Powell seeks to further deregulate phone
and broadband Internet regulations, citing intermodal competition as the
force that obviates government restriction. Furthermore, the commissioner
hopes to relax or eliminate the rules governing media ownership and
consolidation -- again disregarding the lessons learned since 1996, where
market forces have led to consolidation, not diversity of viewpoints.
Kuttner also points out that several Republican senators recently have
criticized Powell's plans.
[SOURCE: Business Week, AUTHOR: Robert Kuttner]
(http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/03_15/b3828038_mz007.htm)
CLEAR CHANNEL CUTS TIES WITH INDEPENDENT MUSIC PROMOTERS
Clear Channel Communications, Inc., owner of over 1,200 radio stations
nationwide, says it will end deals with independent promoters who are paid
by record labels to push songs to broadcasters, saying that the
relationships give the illusion of "pay for play." Company president and COO
Mark Mays reiterated that Clear Channel has "zero tolerance" for payola but
conceded that the relationships "may appear to be something they're not."
The practice has been questioned by lawmakers.
[SOURCE: Reuters]
(http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=industryNews&storyID=2535067)
INTERNATIONAL
AFGHAN WOMEN USHER IN I.T. AGE
More than two decades of war kept Afghanistan out of the IT business (or
kept the IT business out of Afghanistan), but after only a year of peace the
floodgates have opened. A UN-led effort, backed financially by Cisco
Systems, hopes to produce the first core group of IT specialists while
offering opportunities for women in a mostly male-dominated society. "My
message for all Afghan women is to try as much as possible to learn about
computers, because it is essential for every man and woman to be aware of
this global technology," said Nabila Akbari, one of six female students in
the first graduating class.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,58389,00.html)
AL JAZEERA NEWSCASTS LAND ON U.S. CABLE TELEVISION
A nonprofit group has brought Al Jazeera to US cable television. SCOLA,
which for years has introduced international news and cultural programming
to schools, independent TV and businesses, has already begun broadcasting Al
Jazeera in Omaha, Cleveland, St. Louis and other cities. Al-Jazeera's
coverage of the war has drawn criticism from US officials but has received
praise outside the US for bringing a non-Western perspective to the war.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20030408/media_nm/media_
jazeera_usa_dc)
EVENTS
NEUROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND THE IMPACT OF MEDIA
The Senate Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and
Space will hold a hearing this Thursday, April 10, beginning at 2:30 PM EST.
The purpose of the event is to hear from experts how neurobiological
research, such as brain mapping, can aid in the assessment of entertainment
media impact on children's health. The meeting will be held in the Russell
Building, room SR-253. A witness list can be found at the link below.
[SOURCE: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation]
(http://commerce.senate.gov/hearings/witnesslist.cfm?id=706)
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