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MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Monopoly or Democracy?
Why the FCC is Wrong on Media Ownership
Protesters Challenge Proposed Media Deregulation Rules
INTERNET
Fiber-Optic Lines on Fast Track
MONOPOLY OR DEMOCRACY?
[Commentary] On the eve of the FCC's deadline for ruling on a proposal to
relax its media ownership regulations, media mogul Ted Turner of AOL Time
Warner expressed his personal opposition to the commission's impending
actions. "If these [proposed] rules had been in place in 1970, it would have
been virtually impossible for me to start Turner Broadcasting or, 10 years
later, to launch CNN," said Turner, who feels that the new measures will
stifle debate, inhibit competition and prevent smaller companies from
competing in the marketplace. Rallying against the notion that bigger is
better, Turner notes that smaller companies that are less bound to profit
maximization and more willing to take risks are the source of new ideas.
Furthermore, he fears that news services will pare down their workforce and
offer fewer divergent viewpoints in the news, with some large companies
slanting their reporting to curry favor with the government or advance their
owners' ideology. Turner closes with a call to action even if the FCC opts
to deregulate. "Congress has the power to amend the rule changes. Members
from both parties oppose the new rules. This isn't over."
SOURCE: The Washington Post; AUTHOR: Ted Turner
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56132-2003May29.html
WHY THE FCC IS WRONG ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP
[Commentary] Citing the diverse population of interest groups standing
together in support of current media ownership rules, ZDNet AnchorDesk's
David Coursey outlines another argument against the FCC's impending action.
Coursey focuses on the issue of localism. "The people who run broadcast
companies should live in the communities they serve," he writes. "And the
ownership, as much as possible, should be there as well." He believes the
owners should be responsible to their fellow residents, "not enthroned in a
New York or Hollywood office complex." Coursey also challenges the notion
that the Internet provides a viable alternative to TV, radio and newspaper,
noting that many sites are operated by the same six media conglomerates that
control traditional media and that those companies, given more power to
merge, could wield tremendous power over the future of broadband.
SOURCE: ZDNet; AUTHOR: David Coursey
http://www.zdnet.com/anchordesk/stories/story/0,10738,2913858,00.html
PROTESTORS CHALLENGE PROPOSED MEDIA DEREGULATION RULES
Protestors around the US staged demonstrations against the FCC's plans to
roll back media ownership rules. In Los Angeles, protestors picketed local
Clear Channel outlet KFI Radio with signs reading "No Choice, No Voice:
Reclaim Our Airwaves." The protestors argued that Clear Channel, through its
1200 stations around the country, stifles local voices by filling the
airwaves with generic, nationally-oriented content. "We're frozen out," said
Karen Pomer, a member of the group Code Pink, which organized the protest.
"All of this is benefiting conservative voices." At a similar protest in New
York City, 150 people gathered outside the offices of Clear Channel station
WWPR. "We'll have only one parent company preprogramming everything we read
and see and hear across the United States and it will be one-sided," said
Sherry Bender, a physical therapist who took part in the NYC protest.
SOURCE: San Francisco Examiner; Author: Gary Gentile, Associated Press
http://www.examiner.com/headlines/default.jsp?story=n.mediaowners.0530w
INTERNET
FIBER-OPTIC LINES ON FAST TRACK
Regional phone giants SBC Communications, BellSouth and Verizon agreed today
on standards for delivering high-speed fiber-optic cable to the home. The
fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP) concept would allow home users to access the
Web at up to 100 times faster than DSL or cable modems. The new standard
could be the elixir for driving broadband demand over the current rate of
30% in the US, since the faster lines will offer blazing Internet browsing
plus movies on demand, interactive gaming, telephony and HDTV. However,
since delivering fiber to the home will require digging up streets,
consumers should not expect the service (or a change in their broadband
pricing) for years.
SOURCE: USA Today; AUTHOR: Kevin Maney
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-05-29-fiber-optics_x.htm
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