BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009
The Digital Inclusion Conference continues http://bit.ly/KRcyc and a Senate Subcommittee begins work on Reauthorization of the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act http://bit.ly/VYAyr
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
Honduran Coup Government Lifts Ban on Protests, Media
Iranian Court Shuts Down 3 Pro-Reform Newspapers as Dissent Continues to Simmer
Russia's War on Words
Axelrod meets with Ailes
NETWORK NEUTRALITY
When It Comes to Net Neutrality, the Future of Filtering Is Up for Debate
Very Hot and Cold on Net Neutrality
Free State Foundation Legal Thinkers Criticize Network Neutrality
NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN & THE STIMULUS
BTOP Toolkit: Philanthropy's Role in Creating a Connected America
Who Will Buy ... a National Broadband Plan?
Panelists: Information-Sharing to Solve Cyber-Security Woes Still Lacking
Broadband Roll-Out That Excludes Communities is "Prescription for Disaster"
Bringing Fiber to Schools, Libraries and Health Care Facilities
FCC Broadband Plan Hearing in San Diego to Focus on Spectrum, Mobile Apps
CTIA Tells FCC What Wireless Needs
WIRELESS
4.6 billion mobile subscriptions by the end of 2009
Senate Passes Bill Allowing Cellphone-Jamming In Prisons
AT&T to Allow VoIP Calls Over 3G Network; Skype Fans Rejoice
Google Links Up With Verizon to Fight Apple
TELEVISION
Comcast-NBCU Merger Spells Big-Time Change Everywhere
Comcast Plays Game Of 2 Halves
Investigative Reporting: Not Dead Yet
Genachowski Hopes FCC Will Deal With PEG Carriage Soon
RTNDA: Stations 'Have a Long Way to Go' on Web
Are DVRs, procedurals serial killers?
ADVERTISING
Behavioral Marketing: Self-Regulation No Longer An Option
The FTC's Double Standard On Swag
Trusting the blogosphere
In E-Books, It's an Army vs. Google
YouTube Eases the Way to More Revenue
INNOVATION
United States Lags in Innovation Policy, Needs Federal Funding, Says ITIF
The Problems with Obama's Innovation Strategy
Fiber Optics take home Physics Nobel Prize
MORE ONLINE ...
Senate Republicans Are Holding Up Key Nominees
Federal Taskforce To Focus On Cybersecurity Metrics
Specialists, primary care providers differ in meaningful use
Regulation of Special Access Market Unnecessary, Says Phoenix Center
Tweaks in policy or taxes, not major bailouts, would help newspapers serve readers
Strong communication key to online learning
Laptops for children in Bhutan
Book review: The Curse of the Mogul
Recent Comments on:
Net Neutrality: A Problem In Search Of A Solution
More, Better, Faster
AT&T to Allow VoIP Calls Over 3G Network; Skype Fans Rejoice
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
HONDURAN COUP LIFTS BAN ON PROTESTS, MEDIA
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Ben Fox]
The interim Honduran government has lifted an emergency decree that prohibited protest marches and limited other civil liberties, clearing the way for possible new demonstrations over the political standoff in this Central American country. Supporters of ousted President Manuel Zelaya were expected to march on Tuesday in the capital, a day before an Organization of American States summit of regional foreign ministers is due to arrive for talks aimed at ending the impasse over control of the government. Interim President Roberto Micheletti said Monday that the decree, which resulted in dozens of arrests and the closing of two pro-Zelaya media outlets, "has been completely revoked," but Zelaya expressed doubts. "Let's see if they free the campesinos and end the oppression of the people, or if this is one more trick," the ousted president said.
benton.org/node/28543 | Associated Press
Recommend this Headline
back to top
IRANIAN COURT SHUTS NEWSPAPERS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Nazila Fathi]
Iran's judiciary has shut down three pro-reform newspapers, opposition Web sites reported Tuesday, in what appears to be a new effort to prevent protests against President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The closures came several days after the appointment of two hard-line military veterans to security-related positions. Together, analysts said, the moves reflected the government's continued determination to suppress the dissent that has risen in the wake of the disputed June 12 presidential election.
benton.org/node/28565 | New York Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top
RUSSIA'S WAR ON WORDS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: K. Anthony Appiah]
[Commentary] Three years ago today Anna Politkovskaya, a courageous journalist who exposed appalling human rights offenses in Chechnya, was shot five times as she entered her Moscow apartment building. She was not the first Russian journalist to be slain for performing the invaluable function of bringing buried truths to light. Sadly, there have been, and will be, more murders. And we all pay the price. Americans were right to hope that the end of the Soviet system would bring rewards for us as well as for the people of Russia. But democracy only starts at the ballot box. Independent speech is crucial. We must do all we can to support journalists in this important work, including pressuring the Russian government to protect reporters and their freedom to speak. The murder of journalists affects more than just journalists; and the undermining of Russian democracy is a problem for more than just Russia.
benton.org/node/28564 | Washington Post
Recommend this Headline
back to top
AXELROD MEETS AILES
[SOURCE: Politico, AUTHOR: Mike Allen]
At a time of tension between their organizations, White House senior adviser David Axelrod met with Fox News chairman and chief executive officer Roger Ailes two weeks ago. The two discussed news coverage and the relationship between the organizations.
benton.org/node/28548 | Politico.com
Recommend this Headline
back to top
NETWORK NEUTRALITY
WHEN IT COMES TO NET NEUTRALITY, THE FUTURE OF FILTERING IS UP FOR DEBATE
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Paul Sweeting]
[Commentary] Within the media and technology circles in Washington, the battle over the shape of Network Neutrality rules has already begun. At the Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit panelists clashed over whether the agency will or should allow, or even mandate, the use of deep packet inspection (DPI) and other invasive techniques to block the illegal transfer of copyrighted content over broadband networks. There were numerous skeptics of filtering, the loudest being Harold Feld, legal director of Public Knowledge. The problem, he said, is that there's a culture of user behavior and there's a culture of regulatory behavior, and the two are completely disconnected. "If you introduce filtering, or require filtering, people will find a way around the filtering," he explained. "They'll start encrypting content so the filters can't detect it, or they'll find some other way. Then you'll have people coming to Washington saying we need to make it illegal to find a way around the filters and that somehow that will solve the problem. That's exactly what we did in 1998 when we passed the [Digital Millennium Copyright Act], which made it illegal to get around DRM. Does anyone think piracy disappeared in 1998?"
benton.org/node/28539 | GigaOm
Recommend this Headline
back to top
VERY HOT AND COLD ON NET NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: Daily Yonder, AUTHOR: Craig Settles]
[Commentary] What does the Network Neutrality debate mean to Smalltown, USA, and rural America? At its core, the net neutrality debate pits those who believe the Internet is a channel for open communications against those whose best financial interests lie in a controlled Internet. Net neutrality just ensures that if Joe's Local Hardware Emporium and Smallville Data Storage Co. both want to move 500 gigabits of data through a provider's network to the Internet, the provider can't show favoritism moving either company's data. If Smallville is moving 500 gigabits and Rural Telemed is moving 100 gigs, it's ok if Smallville pays more, but under net neutrality the operator cannot arbitrarily slow down RT's data traffic because they're the smaller customer. So don't let the incumbent PR blitz fool you. Net neutrality, applied fairly to big and small Internet service providers is good for consumers, businesses and providers.
benton.org/node/28551 | Daily Yonder
Recommend this Headline
back to top
FREE STATE FOUNDATION CRITICIZES NET NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: ]
"The big divide in the net neutrality debate is between those who think all discrimination however conceived is anti-competitive, and those who believe discrimination is only a problem when it is anti-competitive," said Northwestern Law professor James Speta at a Free State Foundation event on Tuesday. Speta said he and University of Pennsylvania Law Professor Christopher Yoo are in the latter camp.
benton.org/node/28538 | BroadbandCensus.com
Recommend this Headline
back to top
NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN & THE STIMULUS
BTOP TOOLKIT: PHILANTHROPY'S ROLE IN CREATING A CONNECTED AMERICA
[SOURCE: Benton Foundation, AUTHOR: Cecilia Garcia]
This toolkit from the Benton Foundation in Collaboration with Grantmakers in Film + Electronic Media and the Information and Communications in Philanthropy Task Force of the Council on Foundations encourages our colleagues in philanthropy to consider supporting applications for broadband stimulus funding because we believe in the transformative power of communications technology, especially when used strategically within communities to address their specific needs. Opportunities like this - to fundamentally shape the infrastructure that will connect us for the foreseeable future - come along once every second or third generation, if we're lucky. Regardless of funding priorities, every foundation is engaged in improving the quality of life. The report addresses capacity building, leveraging funding, and collaboration.
http://benton.org/sites/benton.org/files/benton_btop_philanthropys_role.pdf
back to top
WHO WILL BUY A NATIONAL BROADBAND PLAN?
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Mercy Gakii]
For the national broadband rollout, the big question is who will pay for it? Phil Bronner of Novak Biddle Venture Partners challenged investors to make national broadband happen at an October 1 Federal Communications Commission workshop. Other panelists echoed calls for investment in the national broadband plan. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said that every dollar invested in broadband leads to tenfold returns in the economy. Anna-Maria Kovacs, president of Regulatory Source Associates LLC, called broadband a high-risk investment. Investors would want to know if they can make money out of investing in broadband. The problem of investing in broadband is mainly in the rural areas - which is where most capital would be needed.
benton.org/node/28567 | BroadbandCensus.com
Recommend this Headline
back to top
INFO-SHARING TO SOLVE CYBER-SECURITY
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Mercy Gakii]
Federal Communications Commission member Meredith Attwell Baker said at the agency's workshop on September 30 that security is the most important challenge facing the communications sector. "I think it's really important we get this right, because if this is the part we get wrong, all the rest is for naught." Don Welch, president and CEO of the nonprofit research group Merti Network, told the agency that the Internet service providers are lacking the incentives to justify investments in network security are missing. He suggested that the federal government provide such incentives by requiring ISPs to disclose information about network breaches. "If I can say my network is more secure than your network, I'll get some justification for investing in cybersecurity," he said. "Coming up with that return is really what's going to be hard for private industry. John Nagengast, executive director for strategic initiatives with AT&T's government solutions division, pointed out that it is nearly impossible to answer the question that amazes every user: "Where did this attack come from?" Global real-time monitoring is the only way to tackle the problem, he said.
benton.org/node/28566 | BroadbandCensus.com
Recommend this Headline
back to top
BROADBAND ROLL-OUT THAT EXCLUDES COMMUNITIES IS "PRESCRIPTION FOR DISASTER"
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
At the Federal Communications Commission's National broadband Plan field hearing in Charleston (SC), Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE) founder Julius Hollis told Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Michael Copps that if the broadband revolution excludes any community, "none of us will be safe in this world." He called it a "prescription for disaster in which America will implode." ADE advocates for equal access to technology in underserved communities. Its partners include BET, AT&T, and wireless provider Qualcomm. Hollis said bridging that divide would take public/private partnerships, echoing a theme of the hearing, which was that neither government nor the private sector could do it alone. Bernie Mazyck, president and CEO of the South Carolina Association of Community Development Corporations, said that the FCC needed to insure organizations like his had a seat at the table, adding that a strictly marketplace-based approach was not the answer.
benton.org/node/28541 | Broadcasting&Cable | FCC -- Copps
Recommend this Headline
back to top
BRINGING FIBER TO SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES, AND HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
[SOURCE: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, AUTHOR: Jill Nishi]
Nishi and John Windhausen -- Coordinator of the Schools, Health and Libraries Broadband Coalition -- met with members of the Federal Communications Commission's National Broadband Plan team to discuss cost estimates for providing fiber optic connectivity to anchor institutions. Installing fiber to all community anchor institutions may cost $5-$10 billion with installation costs per site ranging from $10k-$200k depending on deployment technique and investment shared with other buildings.
benton.org/node/28552 | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Recommend this Headline
back to top
FCC BROADBAND PLAN HEARING IN SAN DIEGO FOR FOCUS ON SPECTRUM, MOBILE APPS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: ]
As part of its effort to gather information for the development of a National Broadband Plan, the FCC will hold a field hearing in San Diego Thursday focused on the transformational change that is resulting from the confluence of mobility and broadband. In particular, the hearing will provide a West Coast perspective on spectrum availability, mobile applications, and the role that they play in the development of America's broadband infrastructure. The Commission will be represented by Chairman Julius Genachowski and Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker. Questions and comments from the audience are encouraged. The hearing will be held Thursday October 8 at the University of San Diego.
benton.org/node/28540 | Federal Communications Commission
Recommend this Headline
back to top
CTIA TELLS FCC WHAT WIRELESS NEEDS
[SOURCE: CTIA-The Wireless Association, AUTHOR: Scott Bergmann]
On October 2, executives from CTIA-The Wireless Association met with Federal Communications Commission member Michael Copps and members of his staff to discuss the National Broadband Plan, "the value and innovation that mobile wireless services are delivering to consumers, and the unique characteristics of mobile wireless networks." CTIA outlined key areas where Commission action is necessary to facilitate the continued leadership of the U.S., including: 1) Identification and allocation of additional licensed spectrum resources for U.S. wireless broadband providers. The U.S. is facing a brewing spectrum crisis, with its leading position in the mobile world standings at risk if the Federal Government doesn't soon focus on identifying and reallocating hundreds of megahertz of spectrum for licensed commercial use. 2) Grant of CTIA's Petition seeking a "shot clock" on local zoning authorities' consideration of tower siting applications and access to electric utility poles in recognition that timely deployment of wireless facilities is critical to ensuring consumers' access to wireless broadband services. 3) Commission action to speed access to AWS-1, BRS and 700 MHz spectrum that already has been assigned, but that is encumbered by other users - either unauthorized or subject to relocation.
benton.org/node/28553 | CTIA-The Wireless Association
Recommend this Headline
back to top
WIRELESS
4.6 BILLION MOBILE SUBSCRIPTIONS BY THE END OF 2009
[SOURCE: International Telecommunication Union, AUTHOR: Press release]
ITU's latest statistics reveal rapid information and communications technology (ICT) growth in many world regions in everything from mobile cellular subscriptions to fixed and mobile broadband, and from TV to computer penetration -- with mobile technology acting as a key driver. The brand new comprehensive data, forecasts and analysis on the global ICT market show that mobile growth is continuing unabated, with global mobile subscriptions expected to reach 4.6 billion by the end of the year, and mobile broadband subscriptions to top 600 million in 2009, having overtaken fixed broadband subscribers in 2008. Mobile technologies are making major inroads toward extending ICTs in developing countries, with a number of nations launching and commercially offering IMT2000/3G networks and services. But ITU's statistics also highlight important regional discrepancies, with mobile broadband penetration rates still low in many African countries and other developing nations. More than a quarter of the world's population is online and using the Internet, as of 2009. Ever-increasing numbers are opting for high-speed Internet access, with fixed broadband subscriber numbers more than tripling from 150 million in 2004 to an estimated 500 million by the end of 2009. Rapid high-speed Internet growth in the developed world contrasts starkly with the state of play in the developing world. In Africa, for example, there is only one fixed broadband subscriber for every 1,000 inhabitants, compared with Europe where there are some 200 subscribers per 1,000 people. The relative price for ICT services (especially broadband) is highest in Africa, the region with the lowest income levels. The report finds that China has the world's largest fixed broadband market, overtaking its closest rival, the US, at the end of 2008. ITU estimates show that three quarters of households now own a television set and over a quarter of people globally - some 1.9bn - now have access to a computer at home.
benton.org/node/28542 | International Telecommunication Union | ITU report
Recommend this Headline
back to top
SENATE PASSES BILL ALLOWING CELLPHONE-JAMMING IN PRISONS
[SOURCE: Dow Jones, AUTHOR: Fawn Johnson]
The Senate late Monday approved a bill to allow jailers to jam cellphone connections inside prisons. Recent high-profile cases of contraband cellphones in prisons, coupled with the buzz over cell-jamming legislation, is helping spur a new market for wireless companies and intelligence contractors bent on stopping inmate cellphone use. The bill, sponsored by the Senate Commerce Committee's ranking Republican, Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas, allows prisons to petition the Federal Communications Commission to use cellphone-jamming devices as long as they don't cause interference with bona fide communications. The bill calls for the FCC to write rules on cell-jamming. The commission would be required to conduct field tests of proposed equipment and consider other available technologies designed to stop unauthorized use of cellphones in prisons. Current law bans jamming devices in all but a few isolated instances. Talks in Congress about easing the jamming ban is causing companies with different types of cellphone security services to jockey for favorable treatment in the bill. To become law, the measure also needs to pass the House.
benton.org/node/28530 | Dow Jones
Recommend this Headline
back to top
AT&T TO ALLOW VOIP CALLS OVER 3G NETWORK
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Om Malik]
[Commentary] AT&T says it will soon allow Apple's iPhone to make VoIP telephony calls over its 3G network. Up until now, the VoIP apps used the Wi-Fi networks and were prevented from using the 3G connection. Skype and other VoIP providers had complained loudly about AT&T's clampdown. AT&T's capitulation shows that the carriers are losing much of their control over the consumer wireless experience. A big reason for that? Competition in the wireless markets. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said, "When AT&T indicated, in response to the FCC's inquiry, that it would take another look at permitting VoIP on its 3G network I was encouraged. I commend AT&T's decision to open its network to VoIP. Opening wireless services to greater consumer choice will drive investment and innovation in the mobile marketplace."
benton.org/node/28550 | GigaOm
Recommend this Headline
back to top
GOOGLE LINKS UP WITH VERIZON TO FIGHT APPLE
[SOURCE: GigaOm, AUTHOR: Stacey Higginbotham]
Verizon will to launch Android handsets sometime in "the next few weeks." Google will create Android-based devices preloaded with apps that will run on Verizon's network. Straight off its snarky ad campaign attacking Apple's iPhone, it looks like Verizon will finally offer consumers the type of next-generation mobile phone operating system and experience that have been available on AT&T and T-Mobile for more than a year. Meanwhile, Google gets a large carrier partner that can help it win over market share for Android.
benton.org/node/28533 | GigaOm | TelephonyOnline | TelephonyOnline ii | ars technica | search engine land
Recommend this Headline
back to top
TELEVISION
COMCAST-NBCU MERGER SPELLS BIG CHANGES
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Diane Mermigas]
Comcast's bid to co-own NBC Universal is a grab for digital content dominance that will trigger influential paid models, force a revamp of broadcast television and spawn a new wave of media deals. Despite the favorable deal terms discussed, Comcast would have to justify the bold move by creating pay walls for content, reducing its reliance on advertising and revamping broadcast TV and cable delivery, which will be increasingly marginalized by streaming video online. Radical changes to existing business models are inevitable in the creation of a new media giant that defies the industry's dismal track record with such unions. A potential merger poses new doubts about whether content can be profitably managed by a media behemoth mired in slower-growing distribution assets. It may be irrelevant that the potential NBCU-Comcast deal already is getting mixed reviews from industry analysts and shareholders. The time has come for major change.
benton.org/node/28536 | MediaPost | MediaPost -- VideoNuze commentary
Recommend this Headline
back to top
COMCAST PLAYS GAME OF 2 HALVES
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Martin Peters]
General Electric appears to be heading for the exits at NBC Universal. But it may take a long while to completely leave the building. The fine print of any deal will be even more important than usual. Much has been made of the possibility that Comcast could get 51% of NBC Universal for a relatively small cash outlay of $4 billion to $6 billion by also contributing assets of a similar value. But at some point Comcast will want full ownership of NBC Universal. That could cost another $12 billion or so, making the true cash cost significantly higher than it now appears. If Comcast wants to buy the rest of NBC Universal, a more-attractive option would be for Comcast to use cash generated by NBC Universal to buy back General Electric's stock over time, perhaps after some portion of the $10 billion to $12 billion in debt expected to be loaded onto NBCU is paid down. One disadvantage of this arrangement is that it would probably mean Comcast gets no cash out of NBCU for some time to come.
benton.org/node/28560 | Wall Street Journal | WSJ -- exec shuffle at NBC?
Recommend this Headline
back to top
INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING: NOT DEAD
[SOURCE: TVNewsCheck, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
Investigative reporting has long been a way for TV stations to promote themselves, build journalistic reputations and, often, improve lives in their communities. But many stations have been cutting back on their investigative teams or eliminating them altogether. They can no longer justify the high costs of dedicating reporters, producers and other resources to digging out and presenting good, tough news stories. Financially troubled owners and managers are more interested in building audiences and revenue than they are reputations.
benton.org/node/28557 | TVNewsCheck
Recommend this Headline
back to top
GENACHOWSKI HOPES FCC WILL DEAL WITH PEG CARRIAGE SOON
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
In August Rep Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) asked the Federal Communications Commission to act promptly to address the "grave and immediate" challenges to public, educational, and governmental (PEG) cable channels. She indicated that AT&T and Comcast "are exercising inappropriate control over PEG channels to make them less accessible to viewers, and are claiming the right to provide PEG channels without the functionality, at a lower quality or at an effectively higher price than, for example, broadcast channels carried on the basic cable service tier." FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has now replied saying he hopes the Commission will be able to act soon. "Staff of the Commission's Media Bureau is evaluating the record developed in the proceeding," wrote Chairman Genachowski, "and I hope that the Commission will be in a position to address the issues raised in the petitions in the near future."
benton.org/node/28534 | Broadcasting&Cable
Recommend this Headline
back to top
RTNDA: STATIONS 'HAVE A LONG WAY TO GO' ON WEB
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Michael Malone]
According to a new Radio-Television News Directors Association/Hofstra University study, television station websites are a long way from making money -- just 31% turn a profit while 10% break even, 17% lose money while 42% of station mangers don't know if the site is making money. RTNDA Chairman Stacey Woelfel said the study "holds a mirror up for us to see the immediate need for more editorial supervision and management vision" on station sites. "These sites have never been as important as they are now and are, of course, a primary path for us to deliver news to our audiences--now and even more so in the future," he said. "This research gives every news director in America something to examine in his or her own newsroom."
benton.org/node/28547 | Broadcasting&Cable
Recommend this Headline
back to top
ARE DVRS, PROCEDURALS SERIAL KILLERS?
[SOURCE: Variety, AUTHOR: Brian Lowry]
There's a schism between procedural and serialized dramas -- and potentially the rift separating broadcasting and cable as the digital video recorder's impact on TV consumption steadily grows. Several factors appear to be lining up behind broadcast series that are more episodically self-contained, leaving the heavily serialized format to the less-demanding confines of cable. The nagging problem with a show like "FlashForward" is the fear that every viewer who drifts away will be irrevocably lost, in the same way that those who abandoned "Lost" likely deemed the series too impenetrable to rejoin. Fox's "24" has skirted this issue partly by essentially rebooting each season, though even that franchise has experienced inevitable erosion. While these programs generate intense loyalty, they're also seemingly more vulnerable to ratings dives -- and not incidentally, more apt to be time-shifted, with audiences blasting past the commercials. A recent study by TiVo underscores the challenge that serialized programs face, indicating that 83% of the audience time-shifting "Mad Men" zapped through the ads -- markedly higher than the drama-category average of 73%.
benton.org/node/28544 | Variety
Recommend this Headline
back to top
ADVERTISING
BEHAVIORAL MARKETING: SELF-REGULATION NO LONGER AN OPTION
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Chad Little]
[Commentary] It's no secret that the behavioral marketing industry has been working to implement self-regulation policies for the past year. The initial purpose of this was to avoid impending legislation that the government is exploring due to concerns brought forth from advocacy groups about consumer privacy and data protection online. The thought was if we could self regulate, the government would be appeased and the threat of litigation would go away. Well, that really isn't the case. In my opinion it's not 'if' legislation will come -- it's 'when' it will come and 'what' will that legislation be. It's the complexity and the confusion that legislation can cause is what is the most concerning. Will the powers-that-be truly understand what is going on inside our industry? Will the future legislation bring innovation to a halt? Hopefully not if the industry gives its cooperation and input into the process.
benton.org/node/28535 | MediaPost
Recommend this Headline
back to top
THE FTC'S DOUBLE STANDARD ON SWAG
[SOURCE: MediaPost, AUTHOR: Wendy Davis]
The Federal Trade Commission's new guides to testimonials and endorsements make untenable distinctions between traditional media and the Internet. In a portion of the guides addressing review copies, the FTC says that bloggers should disclose the receipt of free merchandise, but that people who write for news organizations need not do so. Why the difference? The FTC seems to think that professional news organizations -- but not citizen journalists -- can be trusted to self-regulate in this area. Certainly, some newspapers have policies forbidding writers from accepting swag. But plenty of publications don't think twice about reviewing a book after receiving a free copy, or writing about a movie after attending a free screening. And some newspapers and magazines allow journalists to review a hotel after going on a travel junket, or write about a restaurant after accepting a free meal. Likewise, some citizen journalists and stand-alone bloggers probably accept swag, while others purchase merchandise with their own money and then write about it.
benton.org/node/28545 | MediaPost
Recommend this Headline
back to top
TRUSTING THE BLOGOSPHERE
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] The Web and social networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter have elevated individuals' influence and transformed word-of-mouth into a global force. Recognizing the shift, some marketers have tried to insinuate their pitches into the grass-roots commentary, often by rewarding the people who sing their products' praises. Under new Federal Trade Commission guidelines, wherever an advertiser sponsors a message, its involvement has to be disclosed. But the FTC's examples of what constitutes sponsorship set an unreasonably low threshold for blog posts to be treated as ads, potentially turning ethical lapses into violations of federal law. Merely receiving review copies of games, gadgets or discs for free -- as critics in traditional media routinely do -- could bring bloggers under the FTC's purview. The commission argues that the guidelines probably wouldn't apply to professional journalists, and that amateur bloggers would just have to disclose the freebies. Yet the risk of $11,000 penalties could easily discourage some would-be reviewers and harm sites that rely on amateurs to rate products and services. There's also a practical problem. E-commerce sites and social networks are generating an overwhelming amount of information about products and services, only some of which is genuine. Yet the best thing about the Internet is that the masses do a remarkable job of calling out fakery and unethical behavior. Many websites help in this process by giving users effective tools for rating a reviewer's credibility. The result is a wealth of feedback that provides great insights for consumers. As it tries to crack down on deceptive practices online, the FTC should take care not to cut off that flow of information.
benton.org/node/28558 | Los Angeles Times | Financial Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top
IN E-BOOKS, IT'S AN ARMY VS. GOOGLE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Miguel Helft]
Whenever it can, Google likes to have programmers solve its problems. But now it faces a dispute that even its ranks of lawyers and lobbyists are finding hard to smooth over. A broad array of authors, academics, librarians and public interest groups are fighting the company's plan to create a huge digital library and bookstore. Their complaints reached the ears of regulators at the Justice Department, which last month helped derail the plan by asking a court to reject the class-action settlement that spawned it. That request led to a last-minute decision by Google and its partners, the Authors Guild and the Association of American Publishers, to redraft the agreement. A federal court hearing in New York on Wednesday will shed light on their progress. Some analysts say the broad-based opposition to Google's lofty plans was unprecedented and a harbinger of the intense scrutiny the company's ambitious agenda will face.
benton.org/node/28563 | New York Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top
YOUTUBE EASES THE WAY TO MORE REVENUE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Miguel Helft]
YouTube appears to be mastering the art of turning video piracy into revenue for itself and its partners. For years, the clips of television shows, music videos and other copyrighted content that users uploaded to YouTube without permission were a source of tension between Google, which owns YouTube, and media companies, which owned the copyrights. But since last year, a growing number of media companies have stopped insisting that YouTube take down those unauthorized clips. Instead, they are choosing to claim the videos as their own, and allowing YouTube to sell advertising when people watch them. The revenue is split between YouTube and the content owners. YouTube says that the clips uploaded by fans without permission account for a third of the video streams on which the company displays advertising. That number could grow after a deal to be announced Wednesday that will make it easier for many media companies to upload new content into YouTube's reference library of copyrighted audio and video.
benton.org/node/28562 | New York Times
Recommend this Headline
back to top
INNOVATION
UNITED STATES LAGS IN INNOVATION POLICY, NEEDS FEDERAL FUNDING, SAYS ITIF
[SOURCE: BroadbandCensus.com, AUTHOR: Mercy Gakii]
The United States is lagging in technology innovation, thanks to a federal policy that has not kept up to pace with the speed of innovation changes, panelists said at an Information Technology and Innovation Foundation event on Tuesday. Unlike in the days when federal funding was used to fund research projects, innovation changed over the past 30 years. According to Howard Wial of Brookings Institution, large firms which were making initially investing in research have been doing less risky business investments, leaving innovation less funded. There needs to be a national innovation foundation which can advocate for funding which will be used for directing innovation ventures, he said. Such a foundation would also give grants to research, funding for economic based developments and support technology diffusion. It would also fund actors in technology-based institutions in order to provide trainings for the public.
benton.org/node/28556 | BroadbandCensus.com
Recommend this Headline
back to top
THE PROBLEMS WITH OBAMA'S INNOVATION STRATEGY
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Jeneanne Rae]
[Commentary] Rae predicts that the Obama's Administration's planned investment in innovation will be wasted. Why? 1) Neither the U.S. government nor any agency within the U.S. government has a permanent place where a high-level view of the problem space is developed, priorities agreed, funding dispersed, and meaningful metrics and measures show success or failure. 2) Without any structure to support this new U.S. innovation strategy, there is no hope this funding will be spent efficiently. 3) The current state of government contracting laws supports convention, not innovation. 4) There is precious little money available for discovery-related activities that would help decide what type of strategies are needed when it comes to spending the type of big bucks this plan endorses. 5) The requirement for a detailed request for proposal is a recipe for innovation constipation. 6) Partisan bickering means there's little hope most of what is contained in the plan will be acted upon before quite some time.
benton.org/node/28555 | BusinessWeek
Recommend this Headline
back to top
FIBER OPTICS TAKE HOME PHYSICS NOBEL PRIZE
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: John Timmer]
For 2009, the Nobel Prize in Physics will be shared by Charles Kao, who works at the UK's Standard Telecommunication Laboratories, for his key contribution to the development of fiber optics. The basic concept behind fiber optics is simple: light traveling down a medium can be propagated indefinitely if it's surrounded by a material that has a slightly lower refractive index, allowing it to be reflected internally. The material that describes the award notes that scientists were demonstrating that light could be guided down water jets back in the 1850s, and glass-based devices were on the market roughly a century later. The problem was that the losses were too large for applications that transmitted light more than a few meters. The first glass fibers had lost 99 percent of the initial light within 20 meters, ruling them out as a medium for long distance communications. As the development of lasers made optical communications look inevitable, a variety of ways to improve the performance of transmission media were being explored. The Nobel cites Kao for avoiding the approach taken by others in the field, which involved looking at ways to improve the reflectance of the light. Instead, Kao focused on the material properties of the glass itself, figuring out why the light was actually being lost in the first place. Kao identified the impurities in glass that were causing problems, and calculated that, if they were eliminated, there would be a sweet spot of wavelengths between absorption in the infrared and Rayleigh scattering at shorter wavelengths. The right combination of materials and wavelength should drop the losses more than a thousand-fold compared to the current state of the art.
benton.org/node/28554 | Ars Technica
Recommend this Headline
back to top