For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm
TELEVISION
Video Franchise Bill Passes Tex. House
Stevens Bristles at DTV Uncertainty
Winners In The Switch To DTV
Reality Check
Inside a Media Company's Bid To Make Home Shopping Chic
Adelphia Deal Helps Minorities, Blind Children
DIGITAL MEDIA
War of the Words
Mainstream Media Is Tuning In to 'Podcasting'
As Clear Channel Enters the Fray, Online Radio Looks to
Be Coming of Age
Competitors Want FCC to Bar Bells From =91Tying=92 DSL and Voice
QUICKLY -- Campaign Voucher Plan of 'Modest' Help; Food Police Target Food=
=20
Marketers; Besieged but Not Silenced, a Newspaper Keeps Publishing; Where=
=20
the Dangers Are
TELEVISION
VIDEO FRANCHISE BILL PASSES TEXAS HOUSE
The Texas House passed statewide video franchising Sunday. Senate Bill 21,=
=20
approved by an overwhelming margin in the House, was backed by SBC and=20
Verizon, which analysts say stand to benefit the most from its passage. The=
=20
legislation may be the subject of legal action, cable industry officials=20
said, though no final determination has been made. Municipalities are the=
=20
most likely entity for a successful court challenge, but the Texas League=
=20
of Cities dropped its opposition to the bill. Cities will get 6% of gross=
=20
video revenue, but will lose some control over local providers. New video=
=20
entrants are prohibited from discriminating against customers based on=20
income. The Texas Public Utilities Commission may monitor compliance,
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Jonathan Make]
(Not available online)
STEVENS BRISTLES AT DTV UNCERTAINTY
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is unhappy with=
=20
cable=92s approach to the digital-TV transition. After analog signals go=20
dark, cable operators expect about 50% of their subscribers to receive=20
digital signals. To minimize consumer disruption, cable operators want=20
authority, at least with respect to must-carry stations, to downconvert=20
digital signals to analog at the headend. If cable can't downconvert,=20
digital signals can't be seen on analog TVs without a set-top box, a=20
solution that is going to cost someone -- either cable subscribers or the=
=20
federal government -- billions of dollars. By contrast, the NCTA=92s propos=
al=20
will be funded by cable, and installing such equipment in headends would=20
cost tens of millions of dollars, rather than billions, said National Cable=
=20
& Telecommunications Association president Kyle McSlarrow. The decision on=
=20
when to stop downconverting should be up to the cable companies, he added.
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA626212.html?display=3DPolicy
(requires subscription)
WINNERS IN THE SWITCH TO DTV
Who will profit from the transition to digital television? Television=20
retailers and manufacturers expect to see tremendous growth in consumer=20
spending. Congress is considering, among other controversial possibilities,=
=20
implementing federal rebates on digital conversion tuners to ensure that=20
the 45 million analog televisions not connected to cable or satellite=20
programming won't go dark. Though retail chains would see profit from the=
=20
sale of the subsidized tuners, most TV manufacturers and retailers predict=
=20
that consumers will choose to replace their analog sets, instead. And Aloha=
=20
Partners, based in Rhode Island, was started in 2001 specifically to=20
capitalize on the potential in the elimination of inefficient analog=20
broadcasting. The spectrum made available will be ideal for building=20
massive wireless Internet infrastructures.
[SOURCE: Forbes, AUTHOR: Danit Lidor]
http://www.forbes.com/home/infoimaging/2005/07/15/TV-transmission-congre...
cx_dl_0715dtv.html
REALITY CHECK
The reality revolution in broadcast and cable television has created a new=
=20
Hollywood animal the industry is having a hard time classifying: =93reality=
=20
writer.=94 Unlike the scribes at sitcoms or dramas, these writers and =93st=
ory=20
editors=94 don't dream up characters from scratch. But they create dialog,=
=20
stage situations and shape drama on some of the hottest shows in=20
television. And although they write for prime time TV, reality writers are=
=20
generally paid a fraction of what they'd score at a sitcom or drama. They=
=20
get few, if any, benefits and face grueling schedules. Such working=20
conditions were the centerpiece of charges in a recent lawsuit, the Writers=
=20
Guild of America helped 12 writers file against four reality producers and=
=20
four networks -- ABC, NBC, The WB and TBS -- alleging =93sweatshop=94=20
conditions and wage-law violations. Named in the suit were The Bachelor,=20
The Bachelorette, Are You Hot? and The Real Gilligan's Island. The networks=
=20
named in the suit were expected to vigorously defend themselves. The WGA,=
=20
which currently counts 3,200 TV writers among its members, has been trying=
=20
to unionize reality workers and has been authorized to negotiate for wages=
=20
and benefits on behalf of nearly 1,000 reality writers, producers and=20
editors. The lawsuit reflects the ripple effect of reality TV, which has=
=20
forever changed the economics of prime time television and is being felt=20
most acutely in Hollywood's creative community. The genre shows no signs of=
=20
weakening. In 2002, when broadcast networks set their fall schedules,=20
reality accounted for 6.5 hours, according to Magna Global audience=20
researcher Steve Sternberg. By last fall, networks were in reality=20
overdrive, tripling the load to 20 hours. It's not clear that the answer=20
for reality writers and producers seeking parity in pay is to unionize.=20
WGA's organizing campaign has stirred anger and fear among independent=20
producers, some of whom are themselves members of the union. On the one=20
hand, networks go to independent producers in part to keep costs low and=20
avoid union issues. But reality TV has also meant salvation for indie=20
producers, who have been virtually shut out of the drama and sitcom busines=
s.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John M. Higgins and Jim Benson]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA626121.html?display=3DFeature...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
INSIDE A MEDIA COMPANY'S BID TO MAKE HOME SHOPPING CHIC
E.W. Scripps Co.'s tiny Shop at Home is trying to do something that has=20
eluded television pioneers for decades: Persuade affluent consumers, who=20
have no problem making big-ticket purchases online, to embrace shopping=20
through their TVs. The programming is heavily promoted on the company's=20
other upscale cable-TV operations, including Food Network and Home and=20
Garden Television, an untried tactic in the industry. And instead of=20
relying on anonymous hosts, Scripps has recruited stars from its lifestyle=
=20
channels, such as chef Emeril Lagasse and country-music singer Naomi Judd.=
=20
Scripps has a long way to go before it can call Shop at Home a success. The=
=20
channel lost $22 million last year and is expected to lose about $18=20
million this year. Cable subscribers who receive QVC, the leading=20
home-shopping operation, spent an average of $44 with the channel in 2004.=
=20
For Home Shopping Network, the second-largest, that number was $23. For=20
Shop at Home, it was $6. It's also possible that viewers of Scripps's other=
=20
channels -- according to Mediamark Research Inc., about 25% of them have=20
annual household incomes greater than $100,000 -- won't like being pitched=
=20
shopping shows.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Joe Flint joe.flint( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112165223882588032,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
us_page_one
(requires subscription)
ADELPHIA DEAL HELPS MINORITIES, BLIND CHILDREN
The Black Leadership Forum, a "confederation of civil rights and service=20
organizations," and by the National Braille Press (NBP), which promotes=20
"the literacy of blind children," have filed letters in support of the=20
proposed sale of Adelphia assets to Comcast and Time Warner. The forum says=
=20
the cost-cutting and "improved efficiencies" of the deal will allow the=20
companies to "increase investments in attractive programming (including new=
=20
programming to attract African American consumers)." NBP says its decision=
=20
to back the merger "was an easy one," saying a bankrupt company was being=
=20
bought by two "strong and successful companies which have shown consistent=
=20
and steadfast support for the visually impaired." For example, without=20
Comcast, the groups says, "thousands of children would not have adequate=20
reading material in braille."
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA626086?display=3DBreaking+New...
eferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
DIGITAL MEDIA
WAR OF THE WORDS
[Commentary] The information technology of the 21st century has made waging=
=20
an ideological global struggle against extremism particularly complex.=20
Decision makers, the media and the public at large will need to come to=20
terms with the effect of these new realities. The old adage that "A lie can=
=20
be half-way around the world before truth has its boots on" becomes doubly=
=20
true with today's technology. As America adjusts to this new Information=20
Age, I suggest the following notions as part of the discussion: First,=20
government officials will need to communicate clearly and often. Second, a=
=20
healthy culture of communication and transparency between government and=20
the public needs to be established. Lastly, government officials must find=
=20
new and better ways to communicate America's mission abroad. I have no=20
doubt that free and well-informed people can and will sift through the=20
increasing volumes of information and over time develop a balanced view of=
=20
our government, our Armed Forces, and our values and principles. The=20
American system of openness works and I know our country will ultimately=20
benefit, as we always have, from being on the side of freedom.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sec of Defense Donald Rumsfeld]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112164930948087989,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
us_opinion
(requires subscription)
MAINSTREAM MEDIA IS TUNING IN TO 'PODCASTING'
Last month, the grass-roots phenomenon known as "podcasting" went=20
mainstream. Apple Computer Inc. made the talk or music shows, known as=20
"podcasts," easier to find and download on its iTunes online music store.=
=20
The site went from zero podcast subscriptions to more than a million in=20
just two days. Corporate media moved quickly to stake out podcasting as an=
=20
avenue for reaching new listeners. While early podcasters offered talk=20
radio-style shows with quirky titles such as "The Frat Pack Tribute" and=20
"The Rock and Roll Geek Show," big companies have elbowed in with condensed=
=20
versions of popular broadcasts. Now, it's "Queer Eye Hip Tips" and "ABC=20
News" that dominate as the most popular podcasts on iTunes, making the=20
one-person, in-house shows harder to spot in a sea of media logos. The=20
result demonstrates how a new technology can remain part of an underground=
=20
culture only for so long before corporations adopt it. Indie podcasters say=
=20
Apple's decision has brought them new listeners, but they complain that the=
=20
iTunes Web site heavily promotes big-name podcasts while leaving out their=
=20
homegrown shows.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Anjali Athavaley]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/17/AR200507...
1292.html
(requires registration)
AS CLEAR CHANNEL ENTERS FRAY, ONLINE RADIO LOOKS TO BE COMING OF AGE
Clear Channel, the radio industry's dominant company with more than 1,200=
=20
stations, has begun introducing its first meaningful online strategy after=
=20
what could be the most protracted example of Internet indifference among=20
major media businesses. Offline, Clear Channel Radio reaches about 110=20
million people each week. Online, the Clear Channel's Web sites reach eight=
=20
million each month. Owned by Clear Channel Communications of San Antonio,=
=20
Clear Channel has been going through the motions online for years. The=20
company's stations have dedicated Web sites, but they offer little more=20
than pages cluttered with advertisements, song lists, entertainment news=20
and pictures of D.J.'s. This month Clear Channel began replacing those Web=
=20
sites with simplified sites, featuring fewer ads and highlighting original=
=20
programming, live Webcasts and other elements meant to keep visitors engage=
d.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bob Tedeschi]
http://tech.nytimes.com/2005/07/18/technology/18ecom.html
(requires registration)
COMPETITORS WANT FCC TO BAR BELLS FROM 'TYING' DSL AND VOICE
The FCC shouldn't let the Bells force consumers to subscribe to voice=20
service in order to get DSL, competitors said in comments filed in response=
=20
to a BellSouth petition for rulemaking. Instead, the Bells should be=20
required to sell DSL as an independent product, sometimes called =93naked=
=20
DSL,=94 the competitors argued in reply comments filed July 12. BellSouth=
=92s=20
petition seeks an FCC ruling that bars state regulators from requiring it=
=20
to sell DSL as a separate product. However, competitive LECs say the Bells=
=92=20
packaging practices make it difficult for them to compete for voice-only=20
customers.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Edie Herman]
(Not available online)
QUICKLY
CAMPAIGN VOUCHER PLAN OF 'MODEST' HELP
A new study from the nonprofit Campaign Finance Institute (CFI) found that=
=20
a proposed broadcaster-funded voucher program for campaign ads would=20
"probably would not produce a radical change in congressional election=20
outcomes, but would help, at least modestly, to improve democratic debate=
=20
and accountability." The voucher program was proposed in the Our Democracy,=
=20
Our Airwaves Act which was introduced in the last Congress by veteran=20
campaign reformers John McCain (R-AZ) and Russell Feingold (D-WI). The Act=
=20
would provide matching funds for airtime of up to the first $250 in=20
contributions to House and Senate candidates. The vouchers would be=20
financed by an income-based fee on broadcasters.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA626040?display=3DBreaking+New...
eferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
FOOD POLICE TARGET FOOD MARKETERS
Responsibility for the skyrocketing number of obese kids falls largely with=
=20
food-industry marketers and their TV campaigns. Calling for tougher=20
government oversight of the marketing of snacks and soda to children, some=
=20
groups are particularly upset by two new and controversial practices: paid=
=20
product placements and interactive games featuring trademark characters. In=
=20
response, the food marketers have promised to police themselves.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA626124?display=3DNews&referral=
=3DSUPP
* A Growing Problem
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA626298.html?display=3DOpinion...
ferral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
BESIEGED BUT NOT SILENCED, A NEWSPAPER KEEPS PUBLISHING
For 28 days, the managing editor of Noticias and a couple of dozen other=20
editors, reporters and employees have been besieged in their newsroom as=20
the result of a labor dispute with a union that has close ties to the=20
government and says it represents the newspaper's workers. The union=20
barricaded the front of the newspaper offices on June 17 and set up picket=
=20
lines outside. Since then, the editors and reporters have been sleeping=20
under their desks or on chairs, eating canned food and sending completed=20
pages over the Internet to a printing plant in another town in an effort to=
=20
keep publishing. "The people keep reading us," Mr. Sanmart=EDn said in a=20
telephone interview, hacking and coughing. "The government wants to stop us=
=20
from circulating. It wants to shut us down. But the government doesn't buy=
=20
our work. It's the people. And the public is buying it."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: James McKinley, Jr]
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/18/international/americas/18oaxaca.html
(requires registration)
WHERE THE DANGERS ARE
In recent months, hackers have carried out a flurry of increasingly=20
sophisticated attacks, highlighting the vulnerability of key computer=20
networks around the world. Security experts fear things will only get=20
worse. As technology gets more complex, more vulnerabilities are springing=
=20
up in computer networks -- and more criminals, terrorists and mischief=20
makers are rushing to exploit them.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: David Bank david.bank( at )wsj.com and=20
Riva Richmond riva.richmond( at )dowjones.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112128442038984802,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
us_the_journal_report
(requires subscription)
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary service=20
provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday through=
=20
Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments,=
=20
policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are=20
factually accurate, their often informal tone does not always represent the=
=20
tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang=20
(headlines( at )benton.org) -- we welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------