MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Copps Criticizes Willingness to Let Media Consolidation Continue
CCC Calls on FCC to Stay New Media Ownership Rules
Consumer Federation of America Reacts to Powell's Comments
DIGITAL DIVIDE
Commentary: Bridging the Gap
PRIVACY
Feds Want to Track the Homeless
SPECTRUM
New America Foundation Releases Spectrum Policy Guide
BROADBAND
Key FCC Broadband Rules Expected Soon
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MEDIA OWNERSHIP
COPPS CRITICIZES WILLINGNESS TO LET MEDIA CONSOLIDATION CONTINUE
"This proposal is a day late and a dollar short," said FCC Commissioner
Michael Copps in a statement released late yesterday regarding the
Commission's announcement of a localism task force. He feels that to say the
media ownership proceedings did not involve a consideration of localism, or
that public comment prior to the vote did not indicate such concerns,
"boggles the mind." He continues: "We should have vetted these issues before
we voted. Instead, we voted; now we are going to vet. This is a policy of
'ready, fire, aim!'" Copps, a vocal opponent of the proposed rule changes
who helped drum up public opposition, suggests that while the review
commences, various deals will be made -- deals that cannot be undone. "[T]he
big news is, the Big Media 'Gold-Rush' is on," he said. Copps closed his
comments with another pleas for a stay of the rules while the study is
completed.
SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission
http://www.fcc.gov
CCC CALLS ON FCC TO STAY NEW MEDIA OWNERSHIP RULES
UNTIL IT STUDIES MEDIA CONCENTRATION, LOCALISM
The Center for the Creative Community joined the cacophony of voices
blasting the FCC's localism initiative yesterday, criticizing Chairman
Michael Powell's unwillingness to stay the new media ownership rules during
the review. "While CCC is pleased that Chairman Powell at long last
acknowledges the public's well-founded concerns, the commission obviously
should have studied media concentration before and not after issuing new
rules ensuring even more media concentration," said executive director
Jonathan Rintels, who likened the proposal to "handing Fox (and the other
networks) the key to the media hen house, then 'studying' how many chickens
they eat."
SOURCE: Center for the Creative Community
http://www.creativecommunity.us
CONSUMER FEDERATION OF AMERICA REACTS TO POWELL'S COMMENTS
Dr. Mark Cooper of Consumer Federation of America decried statements made by
FCC Chairman Michael Powell in yesterday's press conference. Cooper called
the initiative to promote localism "merely an effort to divert attention
from badly reasoned and badly written ownership rules that won't stand up in
court." Cooper said that Powell misinterprets the countless public comments
filed in opposition to the media ownership rules as a concern for localism
rather than media concentration. He referred to the FCC's review of rules
governing localism without a stay of the June 2 decision as "an insult" to
advocates who months ago told the FCC that it "had not done its homework."
Lastly, Cooper expressed some disappointment with the chairman's call on
Monday for Congress to provide clear policy direction for the FCC rather
than a simple rollback of the June decision. "In fact, with respect to the
national cap, Congress is mandating the reinstitution of a 35 percent cap --
a statement of the express will of Congress," he said. "With respect to the
cross-ownership ban, Congress has made a specific statement of policy --
they want the ban."
SOURCE: Consumer Federation of America; AUTHOR: Mark Cooper
Please contact Dr. Cooper at mcooper( at )consumerfed.org for more information.
DIGITAL DIVIDE
BRIDGING THE GAP
[Commentary] Las Vegas youth are finding ways to bridge the digital divide,
thanks to organizations such as public libraries and Boys & Girls Clubs.
Crystal James, 14, uses her library's computers for email and games during
the summer and gets online homework help during the school year. Danys
Machado, 13, does digital "errands" for his parents, including checking
balances on credit cards and other accounts. Boys & Girls Clubs of Las Vegas
offer computer access for all children, many of whom come from low-income
families. Darnell Dean, program director, says that in 14 years he has only
once encountered a teenager at the clubs who had no computer experience.
James Durrough, teen director at the Andre Agassi unit of the Club, believes
that despite financial circumstances in the neighborhood, teens who are
motivated eventually obtain the computer access they desire.
SOURCE: Las Vegas Review-Journal; AUTHOR: Joan Whitely
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2003/Aug-21-Thu-2003/living/21976631.
html
PRIVACY
FEDS WANT TO TRACK THE HOMELESS
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) says that by 2004
agencies receiving grants for homeless programs must have in place the
so-called Homeless Management Information Systems (HMIS). HMIS will track
data ranging from Social Security numbers to HIV statuses and mental health
histories. Over the last 15 years, HUD has spent more than USD $11 billion
on homeless assistance, yet the department knows little about the
beneficiaries of this funding. HUD says the mandatory tracking system will
help establish an accurate count of the nation's homeless, streamline
services and reduce fraud. Opponents say the HMIS database will put homeless
people's privacy at risk, particularly women fleeing abusive relationships.
Homeless advocates believe the money local agencies invest in the technology
could be better used elsewhere. Chance Martin, editor of San Francisco's
homeless newspaper, said that a tracking system would discourage illegal
immigrants, paranoia sufferers and those with criminal records from seeking
assistance. The Electronic Privacy Information Center is urging HUD to
extrapolate information from census-like "snapshots" of the homeless
population in different areas rather than collecting individuals' personal
data.
SOURCE: Wired News; AUTHOR: Julia Scheeres
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,60124,00.html
SPECTRUM
NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION RELEASES SPECTRUM POLICY GUIDE
The New America Foundation this week released its "Citizen's Guide to the
Airwaves," a primer on US spectrum policy. The guide was delivered to
members of Congress, the press and the think-tank community in an effort to
illustrate the "tremendous value, government mismanagement and impending
giveaway of the nation's airwaves -- the most valuable natural resource of
the information economy." The Citizen's Guide includes a two-sided, 11" x
38" color poster and a 52-page Explanation Report. The poster's front side
is a visual "map" of the spectrum; the backside is a nine-panel overview of
the U.S. spectrum policy debate.
SOURCE: New America Foundation
http://www.newamerica.net/index.cfm?pg=article&pubID=1273
BROADBAND
KEY FCC BROADBAND RULES EXPECTED SOON
The FCC is expected to release its long-awaited rules that will govern
competition across the phone industry, potentially shaping the future of the
broadband and telecommunications business. One of the most controversial
issues is deciding how much the big local telephone companies will be forced
to share their voice and Internet networks with potential competitors. In
February, Chairman Powell said he intended to reduce regulation facing the
Baby Bells, but other commissioners disagreed sharply. The decision could
affect network upgrades and investment plans that represent billions of
dollars in capital spending by both cable companies and the Bells. Verizon
has already made plans to seed much of its existing network with fiber-optic
connections, while SBC is holding off on DSL investments until it sees the
FCC order. The rules are sure to be scrutinized carefully and perhaps
challenged by industry players and Congress. "Less competition is almost
always a bad thing," Jupiter's Lazslo said. "But I'm more optimistic than I
was in February. There still might be enough competition between cable and
phone companies to provide some benefits for consumers."
SOURCE: CNET News; AUTHOR: John Borland
http://news.com.com/2100-1034_3-5066214.html
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