For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/calendar.htm
POLICYMAKERS
High Court Nominee Roberts Well Known in Communications Circles
European Leaders Talk Telecom, Technology with U.S. Officials
TELEVISION
Despite FCC Mandate, Digital Tuners In
Limited Supply On Store Shelves
Video Franchising Legislation
Martin=92s Must-Carry Plan on Hold
Groups Revive a la Carte Campaign
Cable Operators Rush Services To Keep Edge
Task Force Takes Ratings Bill to Task
CELLPHONES
Iraq's Cellphone Battle
Cellphone Firms Accused Of Billing for Unwanted Ads
QUICKLY -- Accessibility could take a step backward; Public Awareness of=20
Internet Terms; Remember your first time online?; Telus union seems certain=
=20
to strike Friday; The Online Popularity Test
POLICYMAKERS
HIGH COURT NOMINEE ROBERTS WELL KNOWN IN COMMUNICATIONS CIRCLES
U.S. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts is better known among Washington=20
communications attorneys for his telecom and media issues work as a judge=
=20
on the U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., and a Hogan & Hartson attorney=20
representing Fox in a successful challenge to FCC media ownership rules.=20
That case was among a number of cases leading to a recent bid by then-FCC=
=20
Chairman Michael Powell to rewrite the rules, In the only FCC-related case=
=20
attorneys say reflects Roberts=92 =93strict constructionist=94 views, he wr=
ote a=20
2003 order upholding an FCC decision to require tuners in digital TVs.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Edie Herman, Andrew Noyes, Tania=20
Panczyk-Collins]
(Not available online)
* Supreme Court Nominee Has Record Of Deferring To FCC
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-VOTK1121892235401.html
* Court Nominee In the Eye of the Blogger Swarm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/20/AR200507...
2337.html
EUROPEAN LEADERS TALK TELECOM, TECHNOLOGY WITH US OFFICIALS
Data security, technology developments and telecom policy and Internet=20
governance were key topics for Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)=20
visiting Washington this week. Traversing Capitol Hill and federal=20
agencies, delegates spent 3 days speaking with a parade of political power=
=20
brokers -- sometimes seeing eye-to-eye, sometimes befuddled by the U.S.=20
system -- but always stressing the need for more U.S.-Europe collaboration=
=20
on communications issues. At the FCC, they talked talk telecom and Internet=
=20
telephone service (VoIP). Issues linked to VoIP providers' universal=20
service obligations are only beginning to emerge in Europe, officials said.=
=20
Telecom stakeholders are pushing the European Commission to revise a 1998=
=20
universal service directive that requires EU countries to make sure=20
everyone has access to a fixed-line phone. That debate probably will peak=
=20
next year when the commission starts a review of the EU Framework for=20
Electronic Communications. The FCC is eyeing ways to calculate Universal=20
Service Fund contributions, but European regulators aren't yet talking=20
about alternatives by which their carriers can fulfill such=20
obligations. Europe has a single, technology-neutral framework for voice=
=20
telephony. Of a UN report on Internet governance released Mon., MEPs said=
=20
their main goal is ensuring Web stability and security, regardless of some=
=20
government calls for an international body to oversee the Internet. "The=20
prevailing view across the European Union is that we want to sustain ICANN=
=20
as being an independent and international driver," said Conservative MEP=20
Malcolm Harbour, noting a willingness to engage a wider range of=20
stakeholders: "What we don't want to see is the Internet fragmented into a=
=20
series of closed loops with single points of entry whereby the larger=20
nations could have control over a single gateway." The Internet=92s=20
"pluralist nature" must be preserved, he added.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Andrew Noyes]
(Not available online)
TELEVISION
DESPITE MANDATE, DIGITAL TUNERS IN LIMITED SUPPLY ON STORE SHELVES
In spite of an FCC order that digital tuners be included in all large=20
television sets and half of all mid-sized sets by July 1, the majority of=
=20
such sets offered by retailers still do not include them. Of the sets for=
=20
sale on the Web site of the electronics retailer Best Buy Tuesday, 33=20
percent included tuners capable of receiving digital broadcasts. Circuit=20
City's online percentage of digital sets was 44 percent, according to a=20
survey of the two leading electronics retailers conducted by National=20
Journal's Technology Daily. The FCC has mandated that electronics companies=
=20
build digital tuners into progressively smaller sets. On July 1, 2004, 50=
=20
percent of all sets 36 inches and higher needed tuners. As of this past=20
July 1, 100 percent of those sets and 50 percent of sets 25 inches to 35=20
inches were to have such tuners.
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-TLPS1121891855029.html
* DTV: Industry Reaction Is Mixed To Limited Availability Of Tuners
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-IBKL1121892013653.html
VIDEO FRANCHISING LEGISLATION
Video franchising is the =93central most important element to the telecom=
=20
update bill we=92re on the verge of writing=94 in the House Commerce Commit=
tee,=20
Rep. Boucher (D-VA) said at a Nortel luncheon Wednesday. He said he=20
envisions a =93one-stop shop=94 that would establish the conditions for new=
=20
entrants. =93Appropriate=94 requirements for the bill, Rep Boucher said,=20
include: 1) Agreement that telco and other competitors pay same franchise=
=20
fees and taxes to local governments, 2) New entrants should provide public=
=20
education programming (PEG) channels; and 3) Cable wouldn't be required to=
=20
renew franchises. What=92s not appropriate for the bill are requirements fo=
r=20
buildout and provision of TV facilities for local communities where they=20
have already been provided, Rep Boucher said. The National Cable &=20
Telecommunications Association and Bell company SBC Communications=20
applauded the broad outlines of Rep Boucher=92s plans, but differed=20
significantly on details.
[SOURCE: Communications Daily, AUTHOR: Anne Veigle]
(Not available online)
* Boucher Opposes 'Build-Out' Rules For Bell Firms In Video Franchises
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-DMTL1121895273773.html
MARTINS MUST-CARRY PLAN ON HOLD
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin will use the August 4 public meeting to launch=20
the Commission's annual examination of the state of competition in the=20
video-programming market. Do not expect on the agenda a proposal to allow=
=20
TV stations to elect mandatory carriage of either analog or digital signals.
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA626916.html?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
GROUPS REVIVE A LA CARTE CAMPAIGN
Conservative organizations concerned about racy TV programming Wednesday=20
revived their campaign for a federal law that would require cable companies=
=20
to sell channels individually at reasonable prices. The cable industry is=
=20
strongly opposed to an a la carte mandate, claiming that it would raise=20
rates and bump off niche and specialty channels that can't survive outside=
=20
of the traditional tiering structure. =93We believe we should have the righ=
t=20
to =85 choose the cable channels that come into our home, rather than being=
=20
forced to take them and then call the cable company and have them block it=
=20
out,=94 said Phil Burress, president of Citizens for Community Values, an=
=20
adviser to Dr. James Dobson=92s Focus on the Family.
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA628263.html?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
See also:
* Conservatives Intensify Push For 'A La Carte' Cable Pricing
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-JNEV1121892418884.html
* Protecting Children from Media Sex and Violence
http://adage.com/news.cms?newsId=3D45589
CABLE OPERATORS RUSH SERVICES TO KEEP EDGE
Cable operators are accelerating the development of technology that they=20
say will enable them to stay ahead of phone companies and other new=20
competitors in television service. They are moving quickly to develop a new=
=20
"switched" way of transmitting signals to customers' sets that greatly=20
increases the selection of channels and other features they can offer. This=
=20
new method, which transmits only the program viewers are watching to the=20
home, would allow a cable operator to offer more high-definition TV,=20
video-on-demand or new channels, for example. The technological arms race=
=20
is further evidence that television is entering a new content- and=20
feature-rich era. Early signs of this transition were the introduction of=
=20
TiVo and other digital video recorders and video-on-demand services that=20
enable viewers to watch shows whenever they want. But many more new=20
products and services are in the works by businesses using Internet=20
technology to combine the functions of TVs, computers, the Internet and=20
telephones. Cable has to make sure it doesn't get leapfrogged.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Peter Grant peter.grant( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112191275980091783,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
us_marketplace
(requires subscription)
See also --
* It rings, it plays, it has TV
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0721/p14s02-stct.html
TASK FORCE TAKES RATINGS BILL TO TASK
Proposed legislation that calls for mandatory oversight of TV ratings has=
=20
drawn another opponent: The Independent Task Force on Television=20
Measurement. The task force Wednesday urged the Senate Committee on=20
Commerce, Science and Transportation and the House Commerce Committee to=20
nix bills that would require mandatory accreditation of TV ratings by the=
=20
Media Rating Council.
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Moss]
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA628115.html?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
CELLPHONES
IRAQ'S CELLPHONE BATTLE
Saddam Hussein outlawed cellphones, determined to maintain an iron grip on=
=20
his subjects. But as Iraq catches up with the world's information=20
revolution, cellphones have become as commonplace here as they are almost=
=20
everywhere else in the world. Cellphones often provide more reliable=20
communications than the fixed-line phone network, which was badly damaged=
=20
in Baghdad by American bombing and subsequent looting in 2003. Most Iraqi=
=20
cellphone users have prepaid cards that they can continually replenish.=20
Iraq's cellular licenses, issued when the nation was governed by the U.S.=
=20
occupation authority in 2003, divided the country into three monopoly areas=
=20
[nothing says 'America' like a telecom monopoly!], initially restricting=20
one company, Iraqna, to Baghdad and central Iraq, cellphone company=20
Asiacell to the northern part, and Atheer to southern regions. These limits=
=20
were lifted last year, allowing competition. The three licenses expire at=
=20
the end of 2005; authorities plan a conference in London starting today to=
=20
discuss possible renewal. Cellphones are increasingly being used as battle=
=20
tools -- to set off bombs from afar, to target fire and to provide=20
insurgents with instant communications.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Yaroslav Trofimov=20
yaroslav.trofimov( at )wsj.com & Sarmad Ali sarmad.ali( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112191310085591787,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
us_marketplace
(requires subscription)
CELLPHONE FIRMS ACCUSED OF BILLING UNWANTED ADS
A California consumer group has filed a complaint with the state Public=20
Utilities Commission alleging that Sprint Corp. and Cingular Wireless are=
=20
improperly charging customers for cellphone messages they don't want. The=
=20
Utility Consumers' Action Network, based in San Diego, told the state's=20
Public Utilities Commission it had received complaints from consumers who=
=20
said they had been billed by the companies for unwanted text messages,=20
ringtones and advertisements. The group said it is trying to get regulators=
=20
to stop the practice. Sprint is charging its customers for text messages=20
sent by Sprint touting its services, said Michael Shames, executive=20
director of the consumer group. When customers complained about charges for=
=20
Sprint's advertising, the company refused to put those customers on a=20
"do-not-spam" list, he said. Instead, he said, the customers were only=20
given the option to disable their phone from receiving any text messages.=
=20
Cingular has been violating current state law both by refusing to remove=20
charges for unwanted text messages and ringtones sent by other companies=20
and by not investigating the problem, Mr. Shames said.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sarmad Ali sarmad.ali( at )wsj.com]
http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB112190942669291708,00.html?mod=3Dtoda...
us_personal_journal
(requires subscription)
QUICKLY
ACCESSIBILITY MAY TAKE A STEP BACKWARDS
[Commentary] Accessibility is in everyone's interest. The World Health=20
Organization estimates that between 750 million and 1 billion of the=20
world's 6 billion people have a speech, vision, mobility, hearing or=20
cognitive impairment. But at a time when travel and currency barriers=20
continue to fall in Europe, several countries want to create new boundaries=
=20
related to the Web. These nations want to establish a label or mark that=20
would specify Web pages or products that are "accessible" to people with=20
disabilities. However, such standards could differ from existing U.S.=20
standards.
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Frances W. West, IBM]
http://news.com.com/Accessibility+could+take+a+step+backward/2010-1071_3...
94513.html?tag=3Dnefd.ac
PUBLIC AWARENESS OF INTERNET TERMS
The average American Internet user is not sure what podcasting is what an=
=20
RSS feed does, or what the term =93phishing=94 means. These findings from t=
he=20
Pew Internet & American Life Project are another reminder that new and=20
exciting technology developments that seize the interest of industry=20
officials and journalists such as podcasting and RSS feeds usually take a=
=20
while to register in the wider public. In addition, it is also clear that=
=20
public awareness of emerging online threats like those posed by phishing=20
scams takes a while to emerge.
[SOURCE: Pew Internet & American Life Project, AUTHOR: Lee Raine]
http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/161/report_display.asp
ONE SMALL DIAL-UP FOR MAN
[Commentary] This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Internet as a mass=
=20
consumer phenomenon. In July 1995, Jeff Bezos started selling books online.=
=20
Earlier that year, Stanford graduate students incorporated Yahoo, a=20
directory for the unwieldy World Wide Web, and eBay was launched to create=
=20
a marketplace for Pez dispensers. Then on Aug. 9, 1995, half a century to=
=20
the day that the United States dropped a nuclear bomb on the Japanese city=
=20
of Nagasaki, the dot-com age was truly born with Netscape's initial public=
=20
offering. The Internet browser's shares were priced at $28, but closed the=
=20
day at $58. Do you remember the first time you went online?
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Andres Martinez]
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-martinez21jul21,1...
19005.story?coll=3Dla-news-comment
(requires registration)
TELUS UNION SEEMS CERTAIN TO STRIKE FRIDAY
Canadian Wireless provider Telus Corp.'s 13,700 unionized employees are=20
preparing for a long work stoppage expected to be triggered by a Friday=20
deadline, when the company says it will impose the terms of a contract=20
proposal that union negotiators have rejected. Telecommunications Workers=
=20
Union president Bruce Bell says that labor disputes in telecommunications=
=20
tend to last "for a while." And while he hopes any disruption at Telus is=
=20
not long, he noted that a strike involving the union at Aliant Inc. in=20
Atlantic Canada lasted "two days shy of six months." Bell said money is not=
=20
the union's key issue, but rather language concerning the contracting out=
=20
of work, determining what job classifications belong in a contract, and the=
=20
use of temporary employees.
[SOURCE: Vancouver Sun, AUTHOR: Derrick Penner]
http://www.canada.com/vancouver/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id...
aa5a4052-a2b3-46e3-a27a-36c44e96636d
IM SOMEBODY: THE ONLINE POPULARITY TEST
Are you more popular, at this very second, than the person who's=20
instant-messaging you? Instant messaging, you will know, is the way tens of=
=20
millions of Americans connect with their buddies faster than e-mail.=20
Beginning this week, the 50 million users of AIM, America Online's version=
=20
of instant messaging -- including nearly half of all Americans between the=
=20
ages of 13 and 25 -- could perform a self-esteem check by visiting=20
http://www.aimfight.com/ . There you enter your AOL or AIM screen name and=
=20
your friend's AOL or AIM screen name. Then you click "fight" to figure out=
=20
who's got a bigger score -- as in who's better connected and more popular.=
=20
You can almost hear the tap-tap-tapping on the keyboards right now.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jose Antonio Vargas]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/20/AR200507...
2556.html
(requires registration)
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------