BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for THURSDAY NOVEMBER 19, 2009
Since policymakers will take next week off, there's a ton of events today -- see http://bit.ly/3r9d0k
NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN
FCC identifies Critical Gaps in Path to Universal Broadband
FCC takes on cable, satellite on television set-top boxes
Bigger US Role in Broadband Is Likely
FCC Seeks Comment on Research Necessary for Broadband Leadership
Broadband, Cloud Computing, Transparency, Identity, and Privacy
Don't Forget Small Disadvantaged Businesses, Minority Business Enterprises in National Broadband Plan
A Realistic Estimate for Building a 100Mbps Nation
The Scoop on NARUC: From Washington to Main Street, Broadband Questions Remain
Joint Center Applauds New Report on Expanding Broadband Adoption
Summit Speakers Want More Broadband Access For Minorities, Criticize Net Neutrality
Broadband Plan of Attack is Evolving, Say Industry and Regulators
WIRELESS
FCC Chairman Not Sure FCC Can Gauge Spectrum Demands
Chairmen Waxman and Boucher Request GAO Examine Spectrum Issues
NAB: HD Is Driver, Retrans Is Beneficiary
FCC votes to speed up cell tower sites
Which network will Apple's tablet flood?
South Carolina Leases ETV Spectrum to Wireless Providers
THE STIMULUS
Broadband Technology Opportunities Program Quarterly Program Status Report
Grants Will Slip to February, NTIA Concedes in Third Quarter Progress Report To Congress
Federal Broadband Stimulus Funds to Come in as Soon as Three Weeks
MORE ON BROADBAND
The End of the Broadband Buffet Is Nigh
Subsidized Mobile Internet Devices a Not-so-Nuts Proposition for Carriers?
O'Reilly Warns Of Web War
Spain to guarantee legal right to broadband
House Panel Approves Cybersecurity Enhancement Act
QUICKLY -- 3 Reasons Why Cable Should Cheer Comcast-NBC; President Obama Picks 4, including Perino, for Broadcasting Board of Governors
MORE ONLINE ...
EU Rebuked Over Intel Case
Antitrust battle will go on despite AMD-Intel settlement
NCTA: Cable Has Spent $935 Million On CableCards
California sets limits on energy-gulping TVs
TechNet Taps Rey Ramsey As New CEO
CoSN seeks more ICT lessons from abroad
Seattle Releases Report on Residents' Technology Use
Some Courts Raise Bar on Reading Employee Email
NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN
FCC identifies Critical Gaps in Path to Universal Broadband
FCC IDENTIFIES CRITICAL GAPS IN PATH TO UNIVERSAL BROADBAND
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Press release]
The task force gathering data and developing draft proposals for the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan has identified critical gaps in the nation's policies, programs and practices that must be filled before America can take advantage of the technological advantages that universal adoption and deployment of affordable, robust broadband can bring. These gaps range across all elements of the broadband ecosystem, including networks, applications, devices, and end-user adoption. Key gaps identified by the task force include: 1) Federal Universal Service Fund (USF) Structure: Doesn't support broadband deployment and adoption despite over $7 billion spent to subsidize telecommunications annually. 2) Broadband Adoption Gap: Increases the cost of digital exclusion to society. 3) Consumer Information Gap: Undermines competition, innovation, and choice. 4) Spectrum Gap: Frustrates mobile broadband growth. 5) Deployment Gap: High costs can limit broadband deployment. 6) Television Set-Top Box Innovation Gap: Hinders convergence, utilization, and adoption. 7) Personal Data Gap: Users need to control their own information.
benton.org/node/29879 | Federal Communications Commission | Broadband Gaps presentation
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FCC TAKES ON SET-TOP BOXES
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
The box on top of your television may be holding back broadband. That's according to the small army of people at the Federal Communications Commission charged with figuring out how to roll out high-speed Internet to every home, make it affordable and get people to subscribe. Here's why they think the television set-top box is hindering broadband use: there aren't enough of them to choose from. The majority of users rent their boxes from their cable or satellite provider. And there isn't enough innovation on the limited number of devices they get from their provider, nor are the providers adequately dealing with access to online video, the FCC's national broadband planning task force said in an agency meeting Wednesday. "The marketplace is searching for better ways to connect the Internet more fully to television sets," said Bill Lake, the FCC's media bureau chief. The role of the set-top box was discussed as part of a larger presentation on hurdles to the agency's national broadband goals. Other challenges include broadcasters and the wireless sector, which are already fighting over the use of spectrum that could aid in any rollout. Rural phone carriers, meanwhile, are decrying reforms to a much-criticized federal fund that could take away money they use to deliver phone service.
benton.org/node/29875 | Washington Post | Broadcasting&Cable
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RESEARCH NECESSARY FOR BROADBAND LEADERSHIP
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
Establishing the US as a leader in broadband is an admirable goal that enjoys near universal agreement, but how we reach that goal is a contentious question that requires a good deal of research and careful analysis. To that end the Broadband Task Force at the Federal Communications Commission is initiating a proceeding to develop research recommendations for Congress to enable the US to advance broadband deployment in the US over the next decade and to be a global leader in broadband networking in the years 2020 and beyond. That effort is being led by Dr. Douglas Sicker, Associate Professor at the College of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Colorado, Boulder, an expert in network systems. The plan will consider the competitiveness of the U.S. marketplace; more specifically, how research funding might help bolster areas where the US can lead technology innovation. The process of developing these recommendations should focus on an open discussion with substantial outreach to industry, academia, government, and the public. The FCC seeks targeted comment on this research that will help the US achieve broadband leadership. Comments are due December 8, 2009.
benton.org/node/29874 | Federal Communications Commission
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DATA PORTABILITY AND BROADBAND
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
As broadband access and adoption increase and the world becomes increasingly interconnected, the flow of data across these networks is important to study. Accordingly, the Federal Communications Commission seeks tailored comment on broadband and portability of data and their relation to cloud computing, transparency, identity, and privacy. Comments are due December 9, 2009.
benton.org/node/29873 | Federal Communications Commission
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SDBs AND MBEs IN THE NBP
[SOURCE: Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, AUTHOR: David Honig, Joseph Miller, Joycelyn James]
Despite the presumptive meritocracy created by the Internet, Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDBs) and Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) continue to be underrepresented among successful technology and Internet companies. While the Internet has produced runaway successes, few of these companies are minority owned. This disparity is substantially attributable to low broadband adoption and digital literacy rates in neglected communities and poorly enforced, insufficiently tailored, and inconsistent regulations. The Federal Communications Commission should pursue these underlying issues as vigorously as it pursues broader policy goals. Small businesses in unserved and underserved areas stand to benefit the most from including broadband technology in their business plans. No longer should the FCC seek to reach these businesses without establishing an active, ongoing dialogue with the community anchor institutions closest to them. Implementing existing race-neutral frameworks to engage SDBs and MBEs is preferable than continuing on the current course of inaction. To the extent the FCC can adopt approaches taken by state and local governments, it should do so. The FCC should also seriously consider existing proposals for more thorough oversight of SDB and MBE engagement. The FCC should work with local stakeholders to develop successful programs to support SDBs and MBEs. Several non-profit models, including business incubation programs, have been indispensable to the acceleration of many non-minority owned businesses. The FCC should seek to incentivize the development of these programs in unserved and underserved areas.
benton.org/node/29872 | Minority Media and Telecommunications Council
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A REALISTIC ESTIMATE FOR BUILDING A 100MBPS NATION
[SOURCE: App-Rising.com, AUTHOR: Geoff Daily]
[Commentary] How much would it cost to bring fiber to every home in the US? Well, OK, not every home -- some homes are just too remote to justify pulling fiber to them. Areas with less than one home per square mile represent 27% of the land mass in the US; areas with one to five homes per square mile cover another 23%. If an area has less than five homes per square mile, they're probably not going to be able to support a fiber network. If you combine these two together you end up taking 50% of America's area off the table from having to worry about wiring with fiber to the home. Yet that combined area only contains 2% of America's population. One benefit of doing this is that you've now doubled the overall density of the rest of America, which puts us more on par with other nations whose higher density has often been credited as giving them an advantage over the challenges America faces in getting itself wired. Using cost estimates for deploying fiber to different types of communities from Verizon, Hiawatha Broadband, and Jaguar Communications we come up with an overall estimate of $206 billion to bring fiber to 98% of Americans.
benton.org/node/29871 | App-Rising.com
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FROM DC TO MAIN STREET, BROADBAND QUESTION REMAIN
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Lou Carlozo]
One striking sentiment dominated this week's convention of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners: The federal government remains on nearly as steep a learning curve on crafting the future of broadband as many state agencies, and the best work ahead will likely get done when public and private concerns team up. "Of course more needs to be done, and they're still learning [in Washington] how to reliably and effectively get the funds out," said David Svanda of Svanda Consulting in Clarksville, Md., and a past president of NARUC. "It's an ongoing learning process, and they clearly have their feelers out to learn more," said Svanda. "I think they'll take very seriously what they hear here. You couldn't have two better people on the case." By "they," Svanda meant Larry Strickling, of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and Jonathan Adelstein, of the Rural Utility Service.
benton.org/node/29885 | BroadbandCensus.com
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SUMMIT SPEAKERS WANT MORE BROADBAND ACCESS
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Winter Casey]
The opening speaker of a summit focused on improving broadband penetration to minority and low-income areas of the country, and criticized advocates of Net neutrality for being out of touch with the needs of minorities as he attempted to enlist the mantle civil rights leader Martin Luther King into his cause. "[L]et us remember the worlds of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., 'All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face-to-face with another problem,'" said Julius Hollis, the founder of the Alliance for Digital Equality, in prepared remarks. "If we fail to find common-ground on the issues before the U.S. Federal Communications Commission relative to the rulemaking governing broadband adoption, the financing of broadband infrastructure and the over-arching issue of net neutrality, the long-term socio-economic chaos that will be inflicted upon our society would be far too devastating to comprehend," warned Hollis.
benton.org/node/29883 | BroadbandCensus.com
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BROADBAND PLAN OF ATTACK
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Lou Carlozo]
While the Federal Communications Commission is closing gaps in its broadband plan, "There's a heavy push to get from where we are to where we want to be in the next couple of months. I'd encourage anyone who has any input to get involved now," said Robert Curtis, director of deployment for the national broadband plan at the Federal Communications Commission.. "There's evidence of a significant economic bottleneck, particularly between the second mile and middle mile. And there's a middle mile gap, particularly in rural areas, where we might have broadband available, but not everyone has access to it." Curtis added: "There's also a last mile gap in the wireless space, where we need a complete spectrum overhaul." Possible solutions might involve a number of strategies including satellite backhaul, microwave daisy chain towers, more municipal fiber and more effective fiber placement, Curtis said.
benton.org/node/29882 | BroadbandCensus.com
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WIRELESS
CAN WE GAUGE SPECTRUM DEMANDS?
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski raised doubts that the FCC would be able to figure out just what the spectrum demands of will be, but made it clear that the wireless industry would need more. The FCC's Wireless bureau chief added that it would need to find it quickly, while broadband advisor Blair Levin said some broadcasters had been receptive to suggestions that they give up some of theirs. "I am not confident that we will identify the spectrum we will need to meet the demands of the country," Chairman genachowski told reporters Wednesday following an FCC public meeting featuring a status report on the gaps between where the nation is and needs to be in terms of broadband deployment and adoption. Chairman Genachowski said he thinks there needs to be a lot of work done by all parts of the broadband "ecosystem" (a term echoed throughout the meeting to suggest the holistic approach necessary to solve the problem of broadband deployment and adoption). He said not meeting those spectrum demands is one of the "main risks" to a successful plan. He said the answer has multiple answers, one of which is identifying sufficient spectrum, another is finding ways to use spectrum more efficiently as well as having more efficient devices.
benton.org/node/29878 | Broadcasting&Cable
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GAO TO EXAMINE SPECTRUM ISSUES
[SOURCE: House of Representatives Commerce Committee, AUTHOR: Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA), Chairman Rick Boucher (D-VA)]
House Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher sent a letter to Gene Dodaro, Acting Comptroller General of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting that GAO examine a number of important spectrum issues. Specifically, Chairmen Waxman and Boucher asked GAO to evaluate matters related to federal spectrum uses, commercial spectrum uses, and spectrum sharing opportunities.
benton.org/node/29877 | House of Representatives Commerce Committee | read the letter | Broadcasting&Cable
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HD IS DRIVER, RETRANS IS BENEFICIARY
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
National Association of Broadcasters Executive VP and General Counsel Jane Mago said that for television broadcasters to deliver the highest quality high definition (HD) digital television programming, particularly for live sports, they would need "all the spectrum available for such a broadcast," pointing out that viewers have come to expect no less and that HD was "a large part of what the DTV transition was all about." Broadcasters benefit too, she suggested, because cable operators recognize the value of those signals and are willing to pay for them. She said that broadcasters' point was that over-the-HD was serving the twin goals of keeping "multichannel video programming distributor (MVPD) subscriber costs in check" by providing an alternative, free source, and providing a revenue source for broadcasters because "MVPDs also recognize the importance of HD such that it has recently become an important element in retransmission consent negotiations." "I have great respect for Jane," said National Cable & Telecommunications Association President Kyle McSlarrow, but he also said he could not let the part about keeping cable prices in check go without a response. "The assertion that a free platform given to broadcasters by the government worth billions and billions of dollars in return for which they would provide free programming is going to keep MVPD subscriber costs in check at precisely the same time they argued they needed the spectrum in order to charge more for retransmission consent is laughable."
benton.org/node/29886 | Broadcasting&Cable
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FCC VOTES TO SPEED UP CELL TOWER SITES
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Kim Hart]
The Federal Communications Commission unanimously voted to impose a "shot clock" for siting tower applications, or the process wireless carriers must follow to install new wireless antennas and nodes on towers to expand cell phone networks. The new timeframes mandated by the FCC are 90 days for "collactions," or adding a node to an existing tower site, and 150 days for other tower sitings. CTIA, on behalf of the wireless industry, has been lobbying for this for some time. It told the FCC that it knows of 760 applications for new tower sites that have been waiting for responses by state and local governments for over a year. About 180 applications have been waiting for more than three years.
benton.org/node/29876 | Hill, The | B&C | FCC press release | FCC Order
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WHICH NETWORK WILL APPLE'S TABLET FLOOD?
[SOURCE: TelephonyOnline, AUTHOR: Kevin Fitchard, Sarah Reedy]
For a device that hasn't even been confirmed by its maker, Apple's enigmatic tablet has attracted much speculation about its potentially game-changing features. The tablet is still just the subject of rumor, but industry analysts, tech pundits and Apple fanboys alike are placing a lot of stock in it, hyping it as the first versatile device to fit perfectly in the middle ground between cell phone and PC. It could be a computing device, e-reader, gaming console, music player and access to Apple's vast ecosystem of third-party applications. And presumably it will have some kind of 3G connection. For the wireless operators, landing such a potentially powerful device would be a coup for their mobile data businesses, but it could also wreck their wireless data networks.
benton.org/node/29858 | TelephonyOnline
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SC LEASES ETV SPECTRUM
[SOURCE: Television Broadcast, AUTHOR: ]
The state of South Carolina has leased its broadcast licenses to two wireless providers. The South Carolina Budget and Control board leased the airwaves controlled by the state for $143 million for a period of three decades to Clearwire Communications and DigitalBridge Communications. The board reportedly approved the lease at its Oct. 29 meeting. Minutes of the meeting are not yet posted online, but the agenda is, and it did include the item. The two lessees, Clearwire and DigitalBridge, specialize in wireless broadband and will presumably create such a network in South Carolina.
benton.org/node/29857 | TelevisionBroadcast
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THE STIMULUS
BTOP QUARTERLY REPORT
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
NTIA submitted the third quarterly status report on the Broadband Technology and Opportunities Program (BTOP) to Congress on November 16, 2009. NTIA is employing a multi-step application review process for proposed BTOP projects. It first conducts an initial screen of applications to determine whether an application meets the eligibility requirements. Eligible applications then proceed to the "Step One" review process, where applications receive at least three independent reviews (by a three-member expert review panel) against the eligibility factors as well as against the evaluation criteria established in the NOFA. NOFA evaluation criteria include: (1) Project Purpose; (2) Project Benefits; (3) Project Viability; and (4) Project Budget and Sustainability. NTIA successfully recruited and selected over 1,000 highly-qualified BTOP application reviewers. Reviewers were selected for their expertise in: (1) the design, funding, construction, and operation of broadband networks or public computer centers; (2) broadband-related outreach, training, or education; (3) innovative programs to increase the demand for broadband services; or (4) other broadband-related functions or activities. NTIA staff reviewed the resumes to screen and document the level of expertise in over 30 skill sets, such as telecommunications/broadband technical knowledge, engineering experience, communications network budgeting and financial expertise, grants management, non-profit management, experience with anchor institutions (libraries, schools, health, public safety), and experience working with minority and vulnerable populations (Native American, unemployed, senior citizens, non-English speaking). In addition, potential reviewers were required to sign a Conflict of Interest and Confidentiality Certification in order to be considered. Approximately 300 individuals were rejected due to a conflict of interest, lack of qualifications, or lack of participation. NTIA will provide its next quarterly report to Congress no later than February 15, 2010.
benton.org/node/29870 | National Telecommunications and Information Administration | B&C
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BROADBAND STIMULUS GRANTS TO SLIP TO FEBRUARY
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Winter Casey]
In a report to Congress, the NTIA said Wednesday that it won't conclude doling out the first round of broadband stimulus funding until February 2010. The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration clarified in its third quarterly progress report to Congress this week that it will be dolling out the entirety of the grant money during the next ten months. The year 2010 is going to be a busy time for the period for both the NTIA and the Agriculture Department's Rural Utilities is the other agency, the two government entities charged with distributing $7.2 billion of federal funding. "NTIA will not conclude the first round of BTOP funding at the end of 2009 as originally targeted, but is on course to do so in February 2010," the report states.
benton.org/node/29881 | BroadbandCensus.com
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BROADBAND STIMULUS IN 3 WEEKS?
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Lou Carlozo]
The first round of broadband stimulus funding handed out by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Rural Utilities Service (RUS) won't nearly match the demand. "It's just stunning the creativity and industriousness in these proposals," said Lawrence Strickling, NTIA's director. "It's sad we don't have the money to fund them all; we were oversubscribed seven times." The good news is that the NTIA and RUS have a request for information (RFI) out, with a November 30 deadline, as it seeks input from states to tweak and streamline the application process. This marks a prelude to second round of funding that would include a longer application window before funds must be distributed by September 2010. Of the $2.5 billion available to the RUS, loans to applicants would allow some leveraging, said Jonathan Adelstein, RUS administrator. "We can leverage it up to $7 billion or $9 billion; whatever we use for loans we can leverage up to 14 to 1," he said. "We want to use that money to service the more rural and difficult-to-reach areas." The RUS oversees quite a large footprint; 72 percent of the United States is rural land mass. Quite a bit of that represents underserved or unserved area, and Adelstein said his agency is doing all it can to get his funds out, also starting in early December. The time crunch has meant viewing funding and loan applications at breakneck speed, and Adelstein told about 200 attendees "you can help us with the map, to flag the areas that are truly unserved or underserved."
benton.org/node/29869 | BroadbandCensus.com
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THE END OF THE BROADBAND BUFFET IS NIGH
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Stacey Higginbotham]
Get ready for the next generation of fiber to the home, which will deliver 10 Gbps downlink and 2.5 Gbps uplink shared across 32 homes. Verizon will announce next year that it has achieved these results in its labs, a huge improvement over the 2.5 Gbps down and 1.2 Gbps up the company is currently deploying. But get ready to dig deeper into your wallet, too, because even if the demand for broadband isn't breaking the Internet, it's surely forcing ISPs to rethink how they charge for such a valuable service — even Verizon. While many ISPs are implementing caps or tiers because they have real resource constraints at points in their network, some are eying such measures as a source of additional revenue and a way to fend off potential competition from online video.
benton.org/node/29868 | GigaOm
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SUBSIDIZED MOBILE INTERNET DEVICES A NOT-SO-NUTS PROPOSITION?
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Colin Gibbs]
Subsidies for high-end smartphones can be a Faustian bargain for mobile operators, but there are riches in the coming wave of connected devices, according to figures released today from In-Stat. More than 60 percent of all netbooks and other Internet-enabled mobile devices will be sold through operators and their partners by 2013 as more services are bundled for multiple gadgets, the market research firm predicts. Those devices are increasingly likely to be sold with 3G and 4G data contracts, In-Stat said, resulting in recurring monthly revenues for carriers. The percentage of netbooks and smartbooks sold with a mobile contract will increase to 49.5 percent in 2013 from 31.5 percent this year. And while subsidies for superphones like the iPhone can exceed $300, the business model for subsidized mobile Internet devices can be a very attractive one for carriers.
benton.org/node/29867 | GigaOm
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THE WEB WAR
[SOURCE: InformationWeek, AUTHOR: Paul McDougall]
The Web, which began life as an open community where information and tools were freely shared across geographic, political, and social boundaries, is in danger of becoming segmented into a federation of closed camps led by a handful of increasingly powerful vendors, said Internet pundit Tim O'Reilly. O'Reilly said efforts by Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Apple, and other tech vendors -- as well as publishers like Rupert Murdoch's Dow Jones -- to create closed communities around their products and services are jeopardizing the freedom, and the spirit, of the Web. "It's no longer about the Internet as a platform," said O'Reilly. "It's Google as a platform, it's Amazon as a platform, it's Microsoft as a platform," he said
benton.org/node/29866 | InformationWeek
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SPAIN TO GUARANTEE LEGAL RIGHT TO BROADBAND
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Sarah Morris]
Spanish citizens will have a legal right from 2011 to be able to buy broadband Internet of at least one megabyte per second at a regulated price wherever they live, the country's industry minister said on Tuesday. The telecoms operator holding the so-called "universal service" contract would have to guarantee it could offer "reasonably" priced broadband throughout Spain, said Miguel Sebastian in a statement sent to media. Former state monopoly Telefonica has always held the universal contract aimed at protecting consumers in poorly populated areas from being cut off in cases where operators would otherwise consider providing the service unprofitable. The service also subsidizes telecoms to disabled users. Until now, the "universal service" has only guaranteed Internet via telephone line, fixed telephone, directory service and telephone booths.
benton.org/node/29865 | Reuters
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HOUSE PANEL APPROVES CYBERSECURITY BILL
[SOURCE: House of Representatives Science and Technology Committee]
On Wednesday, the House Committee on Science and Technology passed the Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2009 (H.R. 4061) by a voice vote. The bill would improve the security of cyberspace by ensuring federal investments in cybersecurity are better focused, more effective, and that research into innovative, transformative technologies is supported by reauthorizing and expanding the Cyber Security Research and Development Act (P.L. 107-305). In addition to promoting cybersecurity R&D, the legislation addresses cybersecurity workforce concerns and advances the development of technical standards.
benton.org/node/29864 | House of Representatives Science and Technology Committee | CongressDaily
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QUICKLY
3 REASONS WHY CABLE SHOULD CHEER COMCAST-NBC
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Mike Farrell]
The purchase of NBC Universal promises to be a win not only for Comcast, but for the cable industry in ways both strategic and competitive. If executed as planned, the union offers solutions to problems now nagging all cable operators and programmers. 1) Comcast-NBCU could accelerate the rollout and acceptance of video on demand. 2) A combined operator/programmer could reconcile cable's online-TV business more quickly. 3) A successful merger could help boost cable stocks in general.
benton.org/node/29862 | Multichannel News
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PERINO TAPPED FOR BBG
[SOURCE: The White House]
President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate the following individuals to the Broadcasting Board of Governors: Victor H. Ashe, Dennis Mulhaupt, Dana Perino, and S. Enders Wimbush. The BBG encompasses all U.S. civilian international broadcasting, including the Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Radio Free Asia (RFA), Radio and TV Martí, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN)—Radio Sawa and Alhurra Television. Perino is the Chief Issues Counselor for the United States at Burson-Marsteller and is a Fox News Contributor. She is the former White House Press Secretary to President George W. Bush - the first Republican woman to hold that position. [more at the URL below]
benton.org/node/29887 | White House, The
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