MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Musicians Protesting Monopoly in Media
EDTECH
FCC Alters Rules for School Fund
DIGITAL TELEVISION
Commentary: The Unfinished Business of Ensuring the Public Benefits
from DTV
New Intel Chip for Digital TV Could Remake the Market
OPEN SOURCE
Open Source Software to Aid Poor Doctors
DIGITAL DIVIDE
The 'Free' PC Makes a Comeback
TELEPHONY
FCC Issues Its First 'Do Not Call' Citation
EVENTS
FCC Rural Satellite Forum to be Held January 27, 2004
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MEDIA OWNERSHIP
MUSICIANS PROTESTING MONOPOLY IN MEDIA
The 13-city Tell Us the Truth tour ended in Washington, DC with musicians
such as Billy Bragg and Tom Morello (former guitarist of Rage Against the
Machine) taking the stage to protest media consolidation. The major offender
is Clear Channel Communications, which since 1996 has grown from fewer than
40 radio stations to more than 1,200 nationwide. Musicians including the
Dixie Chicks and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe have argued that consolidation of
recording labels and radio stations has homogenized music across the country
and stifled free expression. The Future of Music Coalition commissioned a
report showing how media consolidation has hurt the diversity of radio
programming across the country, contradicting the conclusions drawn by a
similar FCC study. Clear Channel has been accused of censorship, banning
songs such as Nena's anti-nuclear song "99 Luft Balloons" and John Lennon's
"Imagine." Boots Riley, a rapper, said he could not get other musicians to
speak out against the Iraqi invasion. "They were, like, 'The radio will ban
my songs,' and the truth is, we couldn't say, 'You are wrong,' " he said.
SOURCE: New York Times; AUTHOR: Jennifer Lee
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/18/arts/music/18MEDI.html
EDTECH
FCC ALTERS RULES FOR SCHOOL FUND
On Wednesday, the FCC voted to tighten financial guidelines for the E-Rate
program, the federal fund that helps low-income schools acquire Internet
access. The new rules are designed to discourage needy schools and libraries
from using program discounts to buy equipment for wealthier schools and
libraries. Several members of Congress have criticized the program for being
rife with problems. "Our own investigation continues to uncover more and
more examples of fraud, waste and abuse in the E-Rate program," said Ken
Johnson, a spokesman for Representative "Billy" Tauzin (R-LA). FCC
commissioners say the new rules are part of an ongoing and systematic effort
to improve the program. Yesterday's action "is one in a series of positive
steps we are taking at the commission to ensure that the E-Rate program
functions with the integrity it must have," Commissioner Michael J. Copps
said in a statement released after the vote.
SOURCE: Washington Post; AUTHOR: Christopher Stern
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9545-2003Dec17.html
DIGITAL TELEVISION
THE UNFINISHED BUSINESS OF ENSURING THE PUBLIC BENEFITS FROM DTV
[Commentary] On December 18, 1998, the final report of the bi-partisan
Advisory Committee on the Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television
Broadcasters (PIAC) was sent to the President, Congress, and the Federal
Communications Commission. Five years later, "unfinished business" would be
the term that best describes action on the committee's recommendations,
writes the Benton Foundation's Norris Dickard. The recent FCC decision
opening the door to further media consolidation, and the pending ruling on
"cable must-carry," makes resolution of the matter all the more critical.
The FCC must finally establish how the continued transition to digital
television will benefit the American public. They are not lacking a road
map, Dickard writes.
SOURCE: Benton Foundation; AUTHOR: Norris Dickard
http://www.benton.org/publibrary/issuesinfocus/piac.html
See also:
New America Foundation, Multi-Program Must-Carry for
Broadcasters: Will It Mean No Public Interest Obligations for DTV?
http://www.newamerica.net/Download_Docs/pdfs/Pub_File_1416_1.pdf
Cato Institute, DTV Mandate Tally Could Grow Again With Upcoming
Multicasting Decision
http://www.cato.org/tech/tk/031205-tk.html
NEW INTEL CHIP FOR DTV COULD REINVENT THE MARKET
In early January, Intel is expected to disclose the development of a class
of advanced semiconductors that are expected to improve the quality of
large-screen digital TVs and substantially lower their price. Intel is
exploring liquid crystal on silicon, a technology that may allow companies
to make big-screen TV sets using rear-projection technology that matches or
exceeds the quality of flat-panel TVs at a much lower cost than plasma and
conventional LCD. Intel's anticipated entry into the television market is
another indicator of the computer industry's assault on the consumer
electronics industry. Both Gateway and Dell are already selling large-screen
digital TVs, and Hewlett-Packard has indicated it intends to enter the
market. This powerful marketing and technology combination could mix well
with Microsoft's media center software, which is aimed at using personal
computing technology as the heart of home entertainment centers.
SOURCE: New York Times; AUTHOR: John Markoff
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/17/technology/17chip.html
OPEN SOURCE
OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE TO AID POOR DOCTORS
Open source software could revolutionize medical care in developing
countries. A group of open source evangelists are looking to share Veterans
Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (Vista), created by
the US Department of Veterans Affairs, with developing countries. The
Veterans system is used in 170 hospitals and 600 clinics to keep track of
thousands of Vietnam vets. Open source software could help hospitals save
money as well as provide better treatment for patients. "You could have a
complete hospital information system available for free," said Joseph Dal
Molin, a director of WorldVista, a non-profit corporation that aims to make
affordable healthcare information technology available worldwide. Within
medical care, a unified computer system is optimal, but for developing
countries the cost of such a system can be draining. Open source software
can tricky to implement and few in developing countries have the expertise
in this area. "I admit that turning Vista into a reliable computer system
that could easily be used in different cultures and languages was a
challenge," says Molin.
SOURCE: BBC; AUTHOR: Alfred Hermida
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/3331739.stm
DIGITAL DIVIDE
THE 'FREE' PC MAKES A COMEBACK
Metronomy, a British company based in London, is offering a free computer to
every UK household, even promising to replace it with a new machine after
three years. The company does admit that there is a catch. In return for an
IBM personal computer worth USD$1,400, customers will have to put up with
one minute of on screen advertising for every 20 minutes of computer use.
Participating households will also have to use the computer for about an
hour a day, totaling at least 30 hours a month. "What we're doing is apply
the tradition of forced advertising breaks on television and radio to the
home PC," said Metronomy chief executive and co-founder John Thornhill. Many
of Britain's 12 million households that now own computers may also be
tempted to take up its offer, if only to own a new machine or upgrade to a
more advanced one, says Thornhill. Customers will receive a CD-ROM
containing advertisements each month. These discs have to be loaded onto the
computer; failure to do so results in the machine being disabled. If
successful, Metronomy could dramatically increase home-accessed online use.
Metronomy plans to start deliveries in February, and start advertisements
April 1.
SOURCE: CNN; AUTHOR: Reuters
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/ptech/12/17/free.pc.reut/index.html
TELEPHONY
FCC ISSUES ITS FIRST 'DO NOT CALL' CITATION
Yesterday, the FCC cited the first company for violating the US
government's new anti-telemarketing restrictions. The FCC accused CPM
Funding Inc., which does business as California Pacific Mortgage, for making
eight telemarketing calls to people on the national do-not-call registry.
CPM has 30 days to respond to the FCC's citation and explain how it will
avoid violating do-not-call restrictions in the future. The FCC says because
the company does not hold an FCC license, it will not fine the company
unless alleged violations continue. "This is a landmark enforcement step --
the first FCC action to enforce our new national 'do not call' rules," said
enforcement bureau chief David H. Solomon. "This citation demonstrates our
resolve to ensure that consumers are not bothered by unwanted, intrusive
calls to their homes." Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has
received more than 100,000 complaints from the public about rule violations
since October, says Eileen Harrington, the FTC's associate director for
marketing practices. "We're getting hundreds of complaints a day -- some
days in the thousands," she adds.
SOURCE: Washington Post; AUTHOR: Griff Witte
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13420-2003Dec18.html
EVENTS
FCC RURAL SATELLITE FORUM TO BE HELD JANUARY 27, 2004
On January 27, 2004, the FCC will hold a forum entitled "Making the Rural
Connection," focusing on satellites serving rural America. The all-day
event, which is open to the public, will be held at the FCC headquarters
building, 445 12th Street SW, Washington DC, starting at 10:00 am. The forum
will include four panels of experts and providers as well as demonstrations
and exhibits. The event will highlight specific consumer applications, such
as telemedicine and distance learning, public safety and homeland security,
agriculture and farming, broadband access, information and mass media
entertainment. The forum is designed to educate the public and users about
the availability of services, encourage development of new and innovative
services and programs as well as explore economic approaches to serving the
communications needs of rural America.
SOURCE: FCC; CONTACT: Linda L. Haller
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-242094A1.pdf
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