WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
Kofi Annan: Keep Media Free!
BROADCASTING
FCC Commissioner Wants Digital TV 'Public Interest' Rules
E-GOVERNMENT
Website Offers Easier Access To Government Grants
TELECOM
Powell Opposes Internet Phone Regulation
INTERNET
Most Federal Agencies Flunk Internet Security
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WORLD SUMMIT ON THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
KOFI ANNAN: KEEP MEDIA FREE!
A summit of world leaders focusing on expanding the Internet must reaffirm
media freedoms and the rights of ordinary people to stay informed, said Kofi
Annan, UN Secretary-General, Tuesday in Geneva at the World Electronic Media
Forum, which is running parallel to the World Summit on Information Society
(WSIS). Annan told participants at the opening session of the media forum
that it is one thing for governments to establish regulations governing
media, but when governments begin to censor and even harass, the rights of
all are imperiled. The World Electronic Media Forum, which has drawn 360
organizations from 112 countries, will grapple with issues like how the
Internet has influenced radio and television, challenges the Internet poses
for public service broadcasters, and how to ensure press freedom and
cultural and language diversity. Broadcasters assert that the future is not
only online. Radio and TV will remain dominant communications channels for
developing nations. The forum participants plan to issue a document calling
for WSIS participants to remember that "communications technology is not an
end in itself -- it is a vehicle for the provision of information and
content."
SOURCE: WIRED
http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,61530,00.html?tw=newsletter_to...
ries_html
For more on WSIS, check out Andy Carvin's blog:
http://edwebproject.org/andy/blog/
BROADCASTING
FCC COMMISSIONER WANTS DIGITAL TV 'PUBLIC INTEREST' RULES
FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein believes that broadcasters should be
required to use some of their new digital capacity to meet so-called public
interest needs. The FCC currently requires cable operators to carry local
analog channels, to ensure that local news, entertainment and information
reaches all viewers. Broadcasters are now asking the FCC to expand the
must-carry requirement into digital technology, which enables multicasting.
Broadcasters say they need guaranteed carriage to offer new programming. But
the cable industry is fighting the expansion of must-carry, arguing that
broadcasters should have to compete with other programmers for carriage of
everything but their primary signal. Commissioner Adelstein noted that
"broadcasters make the case that multicast carriage will further localism.
If so, there should be no reason why they cannot accept a localism
requirement." FCC Chairman Michael Powell had hoped to make a decision on
multicast must-carry by the end of the year, but the date has slipped.
Commissioner Adelstein's demand for a localism requirement could further
delay a decision.
SOURCE: Yahoo! News; AUTHOR: Mark Wigfield, Dow Jones Newswires
http://sg.biz.yahoo.com/031204/15/3gg07.html
E-GOVERNMENT
WEBSITE OFFERS EASIER ACCESS TO GOVERNMENT GRANTS
Grants.gov (www.grants.gov) is a new website intended to simplify the
process of identifying and applying for government grants. The interagency
project was headed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS),
which awards more than half of all federal grants. HHS Secretary Tommy
Thompson said the government is helping to level the playing field for
organizations less familiar with federal grant programs by putting relevant
information in one place. Grants.gov provides information on more than 800
available grant programs involving all 26 federal grant-making agencies that
award more than $360 billion in grant funds annually. So far, only the
Departments of Education, Energy, Justice and Health and Human Services have
posted application packages to Grants.gov. The site uses a standardized
format across agencies and includes a Find Grant Opportunities feature to
help applicants find potential funding opportunities. The Apply for Grants
section simplifies the application process by letting applicants download,
complete and submit applications for specific grant opportunities from any
federal grant-making agency.
SOURCE: Information Week; AUTHOR: Eric Chabrow
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=16700015
TELECOM
POWELL OPPOSES INTERNET PHONE REGULATION
FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell opposes the regulation of telephone calls
traveling over the Internet, arguing that regulation could stifle the
development of this evolving technology. "No regulator, either federal or
state, should tread into this area without an absolutely compelling
justification for doing so," says Powell. But Carl Wood, California Public
Utility Commissioner, argues that regulators have an obligation to oversee
telephone services, whether they travel over traditional lines or the
Internet. One concern is the ability of law enforcement agencies, including
the FBI, to listen in on conversations conducted over the Internet.
Additionally, Internet telephone service is not yet compatible with 911
systems. Critics argue that Internet telephone services will reduce
Universal Service Fund revenue, which is generated by fees on most telephone
bills and used to subsidize the cost of telephone service in poor and rural
areas. Major telecommunication companies are either already providing
Internet telephone service or will provide it in the near future. Even cable
companies and larger corporate entities have been adapting this technology
as a part of their business strategy. Powell believes the issues can be
resolved without imposing heavy regulations on the technology.
SOURCE: Washington Post; AUTHOR: Christopher Stern
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26729-2003Dec1.html
INTERNET
MOST FEDERAL AGENCIES FLUNK INTERNET SECURITY
Cyber-crime attacks increased by 40 percent in the first three quarters of
this year, according to CERT Coordination Center, a
cyber-security-monitoring agency at Carnegie Mellon University. Over the
past four years, most federal government agencies have failed to protect
their computer networks from hackers and other online threats. As a result
agencies like Homeland Security and the Justice Department have received low
marks again on their computer security report cards, which are issued by
congressional oversight committees. Thirteen other agencies improved their
cyber-security scores this year, which nudged the government's overall F to
a D for 2003. "While we're making progress, it is important to note that
we're still not at a point where information security is being taken
seriously by every agency and department," said Rep. Thomas M. Davis III
(R-VA), chairman of the House Government Reform Committee. The scores were
based on numerous criteria, including software security, employee training,
and how well the agency met security procedures, such as limiting access to
privileged data.
SOURCE: Washington Post; AUTHOR: Brian Krebs
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50914-2003Dec9.html
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