YouTube Interview with FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski -- send in your questions
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010
More Broadband Plan rollout and another hearing on Comcast-NBCU http://bit.ly/dA5urV
SPECTRUM
House Commerce Committee passes spectrum inventory bill by voice vote
Spectrum: Public trust or cash cow?
AWS-2/AWS-3 Prediction, Part II
BROADBAND
FCC Commissioner Clyburn's Statement Regarding Broadband Affordability and Competition
ISPs Raise Broadband Costs -- And Advocates' Ire
Hill Getting Broadband Plan Briefing March 12
Broadband, Opportunity and People with Disabilities
Cupcakes and Broadband Go Together
Will Minnesota Senate Kill Duluth's Chances of Getting Google Gigabit Project?
NETWORK NEUTRALITY
What does "Open Internet" have to learn from the Electronic Communications Privacy Act?
FCC Former Chairman Says Agency Lacks Control Over Handset Makers
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
USTR 'studying' possible WTO complaint on China's Web rules
Google China Censorship Talks to Yield Results 'Soon'
Expert says Chinese government likely behind massive cyberattacks
Gates criticizes China for not protecting intellectual property
Sunstein touts White House record on transparency, accountability
Guidance on the Use of Challenges and Prizes to Promote Open Government
OWNERSHIP
FTC Said to Ask Google Rivals About AdMob Purchase
Antitrust Case Against Google Dismissed On Procedural Grounds
TELEVISION
Senate Passes STELA; Measure Moves to House
Public Knowledge Asks FCC To Protect Cable Consumers
Cable, Satellite Ops Seek Congressional Review of Retrans
Broadcasters Counter Cable With Retransmission Letter
Comcast Is Absent From Campaign to Change Retransmission Rules
Free Press Calls on Members to Ask Congress to Block Comcast/NBCU
Media Execs Weigh In On Comcast-NBCU
Advertisers, TV Affiliates Will Pay More for CBS
CNN's Klein Says He Fears Social Networks, Not TV
Two Seconds Cause Headache For ABC
MORE ONLINE
FCC Seeks Input Concerning Low Income USF Program | Senate Holds Hearing on Supreme Court's Citizen's United Ruling | It's Obama vs. the Supreme Court, Round 2, over campaign finance ruling
Mobile Apps That Outperform Web Sites | ComScore: Smart phone use explodes with more texting, social networking | House to blanket congressional offices with wireless Internet | Rural schools need more federal attention | The Power of MiFi in the Tablet Era | Judge blocks Verizon land line sale to Frontier | Newspaper economics: online and offline | Google Apps becomes a platform, gets its own app store | Mexico's Slim heads Forbes rich list | Beijing faces 'triple play' rivalries | In India, deadly backlash against freedom of information activists
SPECTRUM
HOUSE COMMERCE APPROVES SPECTRUM BILLS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
On Wed (March 10), the House Commerce Committee approved, by voice vote, the Radio Spectrum Inventory Act (HR 3125), the Spectrum Relocation Improvement Act of 2009 (HR3019), and the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009 (HR 1258). The Radio Spectrum Inventory Act requires the FCC and the National Telecommunications & Information Administration to conduct an inventory of how spectrum is being used, by whom and how efficiently. The bill was also amended to give the National Security Council a consultative role on determining what inventory information should not be made public due to national security, and to recognize the importance of spectrum for military uses. The latter is consistent with predictions that it could be tough to reclaim spectrum from the military. That came after a letter from the Obama administration to the committee this week with concerns about protecting sensitive information. The Spectrum Relocation Improvement Act, as amended by the Committee, gives the Federal Communications Commission and the National Telecommunications & Information Administration four years to make recommendations to Congress about spectrum reallocation or sharing. As amended, it also puts more emphasis on looking beyond the broadcast band to other spectrum. The bill requires the NTIA to come up with a transition plan for future spectrum band-clearing auctions. That follows problems with government users failing to clear out in a timely fashion after the government had collected billions from private users for the spectrum.
benton.org/node/33048 | Broadcasting&Cable | House Commerce Committee
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SPECTRUM: PUBLIC TRUST OR CASH COW?
[SOURCE: Connected Planet, AUTHOR: Kevin Fitchard]
[Commentary] Perhaps the most interesting aspect of FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's recent call to identify 500 MHz of new spectrum for mobile broadband was his proposal to "buy back" licenses from the TV broadcasters. That implies that broadcasters own those licenses in the first place or even paid for them. Like any other radio frequency license, broadcast licenses are owned by the people and held in public trust by the licensees. TV broadcasters received their original licenses for free. With very few exceptions, those licenses are renewed automatically. And in the age of blockbuster spectrum auctions, they each received gratis new digital TV licenses in exchange for their analog spectrum, which allowed them to broadcast more channels in higher quality (though to be fair they were forced to spend billions on upgrading their infrastructure). My question is what exactly are we compensating them for? Is it the public service they provide? As part of their covenant with the people, broadcasters have to provide a certain amount of educational and public interest programming. In my mind, airing the presidential debates every four years, a few public service announcements featuring B-list celebrities and the schlock that's called the local news are pretty poor tradeoffs. Wireless operators paid billions of dollars for their spectrum, and though they face fewer restrictions on how they use their licenses -- they can charge for service, for one thing -- regulation on the wireless industry is increasing. There's a growing expectation that broadband in both its fixed and mobile forms should be readily available to every American. There is increasing pressure on the FCC to mandate open networks. And the growing movement of net neutrality is affecting wireless as much as it is wireline.
benton.org/node/33047 | Connected Planet
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SPECTRUM PREDICTION, PART II
[SOURCE: Tales of the Sausage Factory, AUTHOR: Harold Feld]
[Commentary] Recently, Feld predicted the Federal Communications Commission would opt to auction the AWS-2/AWS-3 spectrum rather than adopt the M2Z proposal. Yesterday, the FCC issued it's teaser for recommendations to improve broadband adoption. One of these was "[c]onsider use of spectrum for a free or very low cost wireless broadband service." Yesterday, the FCC issued it's teaser for recommendations to improve broadband adoption. One of these was "[c]onsider use of spectrum for a free or very low cost wireless broadband service." That, of course, was M2Z's chief selling point. They would provide a free tier for everyone supported by adds and by the higher-speed, ad free pay tier. So does Feld want to revise his prediction on whether the FCC will adopt the M2Z or T-Mobile asymmetric auction proposal? Not at this point. Sure, this tea leaf looks much more favorable to M2Z than it does to T-Mobile. But two things. First, the language says "consider" rather than simply "use." The question of whether to require free service of some kind as a public interest obligation was teed up in the pending AWS-2/AWS-3 proceeding. If they were going to go with M2Z, they wouldn't say "consider," they'd say "use spectrum . . . ." Second, there are a number of other ways to use spectrum for free or low cost wireless. These range from expanding the use of unlicensed spectrum to facilitate creation of community wireless networks to mandating "wireless lifeline"-type programs that would require all carriers to offer cheap or free access on a needs basis. It also remains to be seen whether the FCC will actually do anything other than "consider" such an approach, or whether revenue concerns and incumbent resistance will ultimately carry the day. So while Feld is pleased to see the FCC looking at spectrum from a public interest/public welfare perspective, he's not changing his bet on how the FCC resolves the AWS-2/AWS-3 band fight. The real questions are (a) timetable, and (b) spectrum caps, yes/no?
benton.org/node/33046 | Tales from the Sausage Factory
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BROADBAND
COMMISSIONER CLYBURN BLASTS BROADBAND COST HIKES
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn]
Federal Communications Commission member Mignon Clyburn issued a statement March 10: "The same day [the FCC] announced ... important recommendations designed to usher more Americans into the digital age, ... I learned that another major broadband provider is raising its rates for its lowest tiers of broadband service. This news came on the heels of plans unveiled by other major providers throughout the country to increase prices as well. So, just as we are in the process of proposing steps to ensure that more people are comfortable signing up for broadband service, providers of that very service are raising prices. If we are serious as a nation -- both public and private sectors -- about connecting America; about leading the world technologically and economically; about ensuring that all Americans have meaningful access to on-line education, healthcare, and information essential to citizenry, then we should be very concerned about these ominous signs. For if our push to increase broadband adoption -- including through Lifeline subsidies -- merely results in higher prices for the lowest-income consumers, programs like the National Digital Literacy Corps will be for naught. This is an issue we must examine closely going forward. Thirty-six percent of non-adopters cite a cost-related reason as their main barrier to adoption, with 15 percent pointing to the monthly cost of service, and 9 percent saying they do not want a long-term service contract or find the installation fee too high. Across-the-board price increases, especially on those who can least afford it, should raise a red flag for the Commission."
benton.org/node/33062 | Federal Communications Commission | WashPost | The Hill
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ISPs RAISE BROADBAND COSTS
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Wendy Davis]
Broadband in the U.S. already costs more than in many other countries. And it's about to get even more expensive. The country's largest cable provider, Comcast, plans to raise rates for customers in the New Jersey area starting next month. Letters from Comcast posted at Broadband Reports show that subscriptions for the company's "economy" 1 Mbps downstream service and the "performance" service of 12 Mbps downstream will both increase by $2 a month -- for the former, to $26.95; the latter, $40.95. Comcast hasn't yet announced any price increases for parts of the country other than New Jersey, a spokesperson tells MediaPost. AT&T also recently announced a round of price increases, according to Broadband Reports. Not surprisingly, news of the rate hikes isn't going over well with consumer advocates. Free Press issued a statement this morning arguing that the price increases boost the case for new rules.
benton.org/node/33033 | MediaPost | MediaWeek
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HILL GETTING BROADBAND PLAN BRIEFING MARCH 12
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission plans to offer Hill staffers a briefing on the National Broadband Plan on Friday (March 12). Blair Levin and the FCC's Broadband Team staff will give an overview of working recommendations on topics including spectrum, adoption, affordability, USF and Public Safety and take questions about the upcoming plan release.
benton.org/node/33071 | Broadcasting&Cable
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BROADBAND, OPPORTUNITY AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
With only 42% of all people with disabilities in the U.S. reaping the benefits of high-speed Internet services at home, the nation must take advantage of a unique opportunity now to make this critical technology more accessible, said Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski. The FCC is preparing to release a National Broadband Plan next week, which includes many recommendations on how to expand the reach and depth of broadband's benefits to people with disabilities. Working recommendations in the Plan include:
A government-wide Accessibility Initiative and establishment of a Broadband Accessibility Working Group
An ongoing Accessibility and Innovation Forum at the FCC for stakeholders to share best practices and collaborate on accessibility solutions
Action by the FCC, the Department of Justice, and Congress to update accessibility laws and policies and make sure they are enforced.
Authorization by Congress for limited use of Universal Service Fund for assistive technology users and developers
Use of Telecommunications relay Service funds for broadband services and assistive technology subsidies and for funding additional IP-based services
benton.org/node/33042 | Federal Communications Commission | FCC Chairman Genachowski
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CUPCAKES AND BROADBAND GO TOGETHER
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Lyle Ishida]
At the Broadband and Small Business Forum held last week, Warren Brown, owner of CakeLove (home of scratch-made cake), talked extensively about his experience with broadband and how technology assists him in business. Brown and CakeLove leverage broadband for:
Streamline ordering and administrative functions, freeing up store employees to better serve customers.
Marketing CakeLove, accepting orders on-line, building support for the baking community.
Promote on-line couponing and building sales, interacting with the social media universe, and "go where people are" (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, etc).
CakeLove is just one example of how small businesses are using broadband and the new economy to grow and prosper. As Chairman Genachowski said, "When small businesses use broadband, it's a double win. Affordable high speed broadband enables small business to increase revenue by reaching a larger market and reduce costs by cloud-based efficiency tools. More profit, more jobs created."
benton.org/node/33041 | Federal Communications Commission
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MINNESOTA BROADBAND BILL
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Harold Feld]
[Commentary] Qwest has scored quite the little victory in its efforts to keep itself (and the good people it serves in Minnesota) from the evil socialist menace known as "local government providing broadband when the incumbent does a lousy job." Apparently, MN State Senator Bakk and MN State Rep Dill introduced a bill that would have made it easier to for local governments to build municipal networks. Right now, it takes a local referendum vote with 65% to authorize a locality to build a network that offers commercial telephone service (and therefore any "triple play" broadband access service — or so they read it in MN). A State Senator and State Rep offered a bill to reduce the threshold on the referendum to a simply majority. By the time the relevant jurisdictional committee was finished, the revised bill included one of the favorite incumbent roadblocks to localities: a mandatory "feasibility study" designed to be so onerous and expensive to conduct that few local governments will want to even try.
benton.org/node/33032 | Public Knowledge
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NETWORK NEUTRALITY
OPEN INTERNET AND ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS PRIVACY ACT
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Robert Cannon]
Issues similar to "reasonable network management" come up in the context of wiretaps and specifically the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). ECPA is described as a rule governed by exceptions. The rule is, "thou shall not listen in on other people's communications," where "thou" is everyone including ISPs. One of the exceptions to ECPA is that ISPs can intercept communications when necessary for the rendition and protection of their network. This does not, however, give license to ISPs to do anything in the name of rendering or protecting service. According to the Department of Justice, ISPs "should attempt to tailor their monitoring and disclosure to that which is reasonably related to the purpose of the monitoring." As the FCC examines the Open Internet proceeding and the possible distinction between reasonable and non-reasonable network management, can anything be learned from ECPA and its surrounding caselaw, including the concept of "activity necessary for the rendition and protection of that service"?
benton.org/node/33025 | Federal Communications Commission
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MARTIN ON WIRELESS NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: paidContent, AUTHOR: ]
In an appearance in Seattle, former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin noted that when it comes to open access to wireless networks, the government is now more concerned about the obstructionist role that handset makers like Apple or Google play, than it is about the behavior of the wireless networks. But regulators have less control over the former. During his stint as FCC Chairman, he helped push through rules in a spectrum auction that would require the winner—in this case, Verizon Wireless—to ensure open access to its network. While vague, it means that Verizon won't be able to limit users, devices or applications on the network. However, Verizon has just started to build-out its 4G network, so it's still unclear how that will be practiced. Martin said. "I think what the Commission did with the open access piece was an important step...Prior to 2007, there was resistance from the carriers to any kind of open architecture, including the inclusion of WiFi chips in devices, even though today that's perceived as a helpful thing....But I think we haven't been able to see the ultimate impact because they [Verizon] are still deploying it, I think it did contribute to the shift of the wireless industry, in general, and ultimately will benefit consumers."
benton.org/node/33051 | paidContent
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GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
USTR 'STUDYING POSSIBLE WTO COMPLAINT
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Tony Romm]
The Obama administration is still "studying" the facts to determine whether it should challenge China's Internet practices before the World Trade Organization (WTO), US Trade Representative Ron Kirk said Tuesday. However, Kirk stressed that he would still prefer to use direct negotiations to address China's tough online censorship rules, adding that strategic talks between U.S. officials and Chinese censors are likely to be more productive and less complicated than a protracted WTO fight. "We are still dialoging, not just with Google, but with other Internet providers, to make sure we fully understand what is happening in China," Kirk told the National Press Club in a speech Tuesday. "And we are studying, trying to make our own determination, whether we believe [Chinese censorship] is in fact not WTO-compliant, and whether the best resolution is to go forward and file an appeal." However, Kirk quickly added: "Our preference, and my very strong preference ... is if we can get these resolved through direct negotiations, within the context of our dialogue with China. Meanwhile, Google said it is fully prepared to shut down its China operation if that is the only way to end the country's censorship of its networks. "Google is firm in its decision to stop censoring in China," said Nicole Wong, Google's deputy general counsel, in a hearing today before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. "We do not underestimate the seriousness or sensitivity of the decision is made...We are not going to change our decision." "If the option is that we shutter our .cn operation and leave the country, we are prepared to do that," she said.
benton.org/node/33045 | Hill, The | The Hill -- Google
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GOOGLE-CHINA TALKS UPDATE
[SOURCE: Bloomberg, AUTHOR: Kristen Schweizer]
Google, in talks with China after threatening to stop censoring Internet search results there, said the discussions will yield results soon. "We decided not to publicize our dealings with China," Chief Executive Officer Eric Schmidt said at a media conference in Abu Dhabi. "We're in active talks with the Chinese government and we have no specific timetable, but something will happen soon." Schmidt declined to elaborate further on the talks or the source of the cyber attack. The Chinese government, which requires search engines to censor results, has denied any involvement in the incident. Google said on March 2 it hasn't set a deadline for ending the censorship.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&sid=aNRbwXtO9ys8
benton.org/node/33054 | Bloomberg | Reuters
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CYBERATTACKS FROM CHINA
[SOURCE: IDG News Service, AUTHOR: Grant Gross]
The Chinese government is likely behind recent cyberattacks on U.S. government Web sites and on U.S. companies in an apparent effort to quash criticism of the government there, an expert on U.S. and Chinese relations said. There's no conclusive proof that recent attacks on Google and dozens of other U.S. companies are directed by the Chinese government, but logic would point to official Chinese involvement, said Larry Wortzel, a member of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission and a former U.S. Army counterintelligence officer. Google complained in January that it and several other U.S. companies were victims of recent cyberattacks coming from inside China. It is "not clear" who ordered the attacks, but it appears the Chinese government was involved, said Wortzel, who has served in the U.S. embassy in China. There is a group of skilled hackers in China that routinely attacks systems to spy on political dissidents, said Wortzel, speaking during a U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee hearing. Chinese government agencies and Communist Party organizations would be the likely recipients of information obtained by hackers, he said.
benton.org/node/33053 | IDG News Service
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OWNERSHIP
FTC LOOKING AT ADMOB PURCHASE
[SOURCE: Bloomberg, AUTHOR: Todd Shields, Dina Bass]
The Federal Trade Commission is seeking sworn declarations from Google competitors and advertisers as part of their probe of the Internet company's bid to buy AdMob Inc., indicating the government may challenge the deal, said people with direct knowledge of the matter. The FTC is investigating whether Google's proposed purchase of AdMob would reduce competition in the market for Internet advertising on mobile phones. At least two companies are being asked to sign statements, said the people, who declined to be identified because the probe isn't being conducted in public. The declarations put on paper information that Google rivals gave the FTC in its investigation of the $750 million purchase of AdMob, announced in November. AdMob sells ads that appear on Web pages and applications on mobile phones. The agency is assessing whether the purchase would let Google parlay its dominance in Internet searches on computers to phones. Agency officials typically collect declarations "when they think there is some significant chance" the agency will ask a court to block a merger, or seek to modify a deal, said Stephen Calkins, a former general counsel at the FTC who is now a professor of law at Wayne State University's law school in Detroit. Even so, it's not uncommon for the agency to collect affidavits and then not litigate, he said.
benton.org/node/33060 | Bloomberg
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GOOGLE ANTITRUST CASE DISMISSED
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Wendy Davis]
Handing Google a procedural victory in one of the antitrust lawsuits it's currently facing, a federal judge in New York has dismissed a case brought by the search marketer TradeComet on the grounds that the company should have filed the lawsuit in California. US District Court Judge Sidney Stein ruled that TradeComet's antitrust claims "clearly arise out of and relate to Google's AdWords program," and therefore are covered by a clause in the AdWords contract requiring marketers to sue in Santa Clara County. TradeComet alleged in court papers last year that Google raised the minimum price per click it charged TradeComet's SourceTool.com division by 10,000%, from 5-10 cents per click to $5-$10 per click. As a result, SourceTool, a business-to-business vertical search site, had to stop buying as many keywords, leading visits to plummet to the point where it received only 1% of the traffic that previously came to the site. Stein's decision leaves TradeComet free to refile its antitrust allegations in California. The company also could appeal the dismissal to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.
benton.org/node/33028 | MediaPost
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TELEVISION
SATELLITE BILL APPROVED BY SENATE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Senate Wednesday passed STELA, the five-year re-authorization of the satellite blanket distant signal license. It still has to be passed in the House, but the Senate action is a major step given the trouble the bill has had in gaining passage. The Dec. 31 expiration had to be extended twice after if failed to pass, and there was a brief period when the license had actually expired. The just-passed bill contains a provision making it retroactive to cover that base. Satellite operators and content owners complied with Congress' urgings to maintain the status quo between the license's expiration on Feb. 28 and the March 2 stopgap renewal until March 28.
benton.org/node/33056 | Broadcasting&Cable
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PK ASKS FCC TO PROTECT CABLE CONSUMERS
[SOURCE: Public Knowledge, AUTHOR: Press release]
Public Knowledge is one of 14 parties asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to consider changing the rules governing the terms and conditions under which broadcast stations are carried on cable networks. Others asking the Commission to come up with new rules for so-called "retransmission consent" include Time Warner Cable, Verizon, DirecTV, Dish Networks, American Cable Association, New America Foundation and others. Gigi B. Sohn, president and co-founder of Public Knowledge, said, "Public Knowledge is pleased to join with a broad coalition of companies and non-profit groups to ask the FCC to establish new rules to protect cable customers. That is our only interest. The petition to the Commission shows that the current rules no longer work. The recent dispute between Disney and Cablevision is only the latest proof of a broken system in which consumers suffer while big companies fight. The petition proposes some rule changes, including allowing TV channels to remain on the air during a broadcaster-cable dispute, and banning the tying of carriage of broadcast channels to other programming, including Web-based programming. It also proposes arbitration to resolve disputes."
benton.org/node/33038 | Public Knowledge
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CABLE TAKES FIGHT TO CONGRESS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
After reaching out to the Federal Communications Commission, the cable industry is now asking Congress for help with retransmission disputes. According to a copy of a letter being sent to the House and Senate Commerce Committees from Time Warner, Cablevision, Dish, DirecTV, Cablevision, the American Cable Association and others, cable and satellite operators want the committees to take a new look at the Cable Act and retransmission consent in light of what they say is the current imbalance in favor of broadcasters and a "broken system" in need of repair. Citing the retrans fights between Cablevision and ABC and the loss of WABC programming "temporarily" to 3 million consumers (something on the order of 18.5 hours), they said that the balance of power that existed in 1992 has shifted and it is consumers who are caught in the crosshairs. The companies, which are mostly the same ones signing onto a petition asking the FCC to "fix" retrans as well, say that there is a difference between asking the government to step into negotiations for cable channels and TV stations. That difference, they say, is "the unique government benefits and privileges conferred on broadcasters that preclude the normal give and take of private contractual negotiations." They say those include guaranteed basic tier carriage, exclusivity and blackout rules as well as must-carry.
benton.org/node/33039 | Broadcasting&Cable
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BROADCASTERS RETRANS LETTER
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Broadcasters have countered the cable and satellite operators' letter to House and Senate Commerce Committees with one of their own. While Time Warner, Cablevision and others asked Congress to review what they called a broken retransmission consent system, National Association of Broadcasters Chairman Paul Karpowicz said in a letter that Congress and the FCC have already reviewed the process and concluded that the playing field was level, that government should not dictate outcomes in free market negotiations, and that if there are problems, the FCC has the authority to address them via complaint of not bargaining in good faith. Karpowicz points out that no broadcaster has ever been found guilty of bad-faith bargaining. "The retransmission consent rules do not guarantee any compensation," he wrote. "Rather, the rules only provide an opportunity for the broadcaster to negotiate for
compensation for the use of its signal."
benton.org/node/33057 | Broadcasting&Cable
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COMCAST ABSENT FROM RETRANSMISSION DEBATE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Brian Stelter]
Many of the country's biggest television providers have signed on to a petition asking the government to revamp station retransmission rules. Cablevision, Charter, DirecTV, Dish Network, Time Warner Cable and Verizon all joined the coalition of providers and nonprofit groups in signing the petition on Tuesday. But the nation's biggest cable company, Comcast, was missing. Comcast finds itself in a peculiar position because it is buying a majority stake in NBC Universal, which owns the NBC broadcast network. "Comcast is conspicuously absent" from the calls for changes "because it expects to be a big beneficiary of retransmission consent before long," Andrew Jay Schwartzman of the Media Access Project said. When asked about the coalition on Wednesday, Comcast said in a statement: "Everyone knows that retransmission consent needs to work better, and most importantly, consumers shouldn't be held hostage in these disputes. As we've said many times, as a company that will be in both the cable and broadcasting businesses, looking at the issue from both sides, we hope we can play a constructive role in working toward a resolution of these issues."
benton.org/node/33070 | New York Times
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FREE PRESS TRIES TO BLOCK COMCAST-NBCU
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Public interest group Free Press is calling on its members to contact Members of Congress and ask that they block the proposed merger of Comcast and NBC Universal. "Don't be silent on this issue," says the group, which is one of the deal's strongest critics. "With a few clicks, you can push back against Comcast." The e-mail comes the day before Comcast Chairman Brian Roberts is testifying before the Senate Commerce Committee about the proposed $30 billion joint venture.
benton.org/node/33037 | Broadcasting&Cable
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MEDIA EXECS WEIGH IN ON COMCAST-NBCU
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
A variety of media executives delivered their views, positive and negative, on the Comcast NBC Universal get together at the Bloomberg Businessweek media summit Wednesday, March 10. Reveille managing partner, Howard T. Owens, wondered what the impact of the deal on the independent production community might be, once complete. Separately, Standard & Poor equity analyst, Tuna Amobi, wondered why the supposed synergies frequently touted as a benefit of such mega mergers weren't articulated. Amobi compared the deal to Livenation/Ticketmaster merger where the legal conditions of the deal were expected to cost millions of dollars. "I would argue that Comcast and NBC conditions will be much harsher, expect stringent conditions about program access and net neutrality." Discovery's president of digital media and corporate development, Bruce Campbell spoke up in favor of the deal.
benton.org/node/33036 | Broadcasting&Cable
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