BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015 (8)
See Benton's Weekly Round-up newsletter at https://www.benton.org/headlines/weekly-roundup
OWNERSHIP
AT&T blasts cable mergers, says cable companies should compete instead [links to Benton summary]
COMPTEL: Charter/TWC Would Have Too Much Programming Clout [links to Benton summary]
Dish Asks FCC to Deny Charter/TWC [links to Benton summary]
Zoom Says FCC Should Block Charter/TWC [links to Benton summary]
Studios, Networks Ask FCC to Rethink Charter/TWC Protective Orders [links to Benton summary]
Statement of FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai on Promoting Broadcast Ownership Diversity - press release
PRIVACY/SECURITY
This is the cyber warfare Jim Webb was talking about - analysis
Cybersecurity fears are making US sailors learn to navigate by the stars again [links to Benton summary]
Encryption Is More Important, and Easier, Than Ever [links to Benton summary]
Editorial: Encryption may be valuable to society if it protects the majority. But what if it enables or protects the 1 percent who are engaged in criminality or terrorism? [links to Washington Post]
INTERNET/BROADBAND
Seniors and the Internet: 27 Percent Are “Virtual Shut-Ins,” Survey Finds
Video: Chicago Mayor Emmanuel on Bridging thee Digital Divide [links to Washington Post]
New York City Council to Examine Verizon’s FiOS Rollout [links to Benton summary]
FBI, Justice Department Investigating Daily Fantasy Sports [links to Wall Street Journal]
WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
In spectrum auction, stations advised to take skeptical view of opening bids
AT&T's new NumberSync service aims to let multiple devices share one phone number
TELEVISION
What Do We Know About People Who Don't -- And Never Did -- Have Cable? [links to National Public Radio]
Why the FCC's AllVid remains a really bad idea - op-ed [links to Benton summary]
A new generation discovers the good old TV antenna [links to American Public Media]
CONTENT
From Teens to Adults, Everyone's Now Watching Online Video as Much as TV [links to AdWeek]
When it comes to compensating music publishers and songwriters, online services big and small routinely underpay royalties [links to Wall Street Journal]
ELECTIONS & MEDIA
Trump 'SNL' Hosting Triggers FCC Time Requirements
In Choreographed Campaigns, Candidates Stumble Over Choice of Music [links to Benton summary]
Rand Paul called out his own campaign for a ‘dumbass’ Internet move [links to Benton summary]
Radio host: Trump campaign said no policy questions [links to Benton summary]
CNN's Democrat debate a ratings record [links to Politico]
Democratic Debate Big Social Media Hit [links to Multichannel News]
Bernie Sanders Beats Hillary Clinton on Social Media During Democratic Debate [links to Wrap, The]
North Carolina TV Sure Political Winner In 2016 [links to TVNewsCheck]
GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
What's Next for Digital Government? Look Beyond 'Silicon Valley Superheroes' [links to Benton summary]
The Federal Register’s Archives Go Digital [links to nextgov]
JOURNALISM
Where the right to know comes from - op-ed
Buying a copy of The New York Times now gets you digital access for that day [links to Benton summary]
COMMUNITY MEDIA
New research highlights libraries’ expanded roles - ALA press release [links to Benton summary]
STORIES FROM ABROAD
Remarks of Brendan Carr, Legal Advisor to FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai, At New Direction's Digital Single Market Summit - speech
Remarks of FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, International Institute of Communications Annual Conference - speech [links to Benton summary]
New EU Law Will Tell US What Can Be Said -- And Built -- On the Internet - op-ed
Solving the Unsolvable on Safe Harbor -- The Role of Independent DPAs - op-ed
OWNERSHIP
STATEMENT OF FCC COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI ON PROMOTING BROADCAST OWNERSHIP DIVERSITY
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai]
Throughout my time at the Federal Communications Commission, I have worked on ways for the FCC to foster diversity in the broadcast industry. And Oct 13, I had the privilege of visiting three African-American-owned broadcasters in the State of Mississippi. From these meetings, I heard about the opportunities and challenges facing minority broadcasters and gained additional insight into what the FCC can do to help them succeed. I came away from my visits in Mississippi with a renewed appreciation for the challenges minority broadcasters face and a renewed determination to fight for policies that help them thrive. That includes the FCC enabling AM broadcasters to acquire FM translators. That means the FCC allowing pro-competitive arrangements like joint sales agreements that can promote minority ownership. And it means establishing an incubator program to make it easier for minority entrepreneurs to enter the broadcast business. I hope that these and other policies find bipartisan support in the months and years ahead.
benton.org/headlines/statement-fcc-commissioner-ajit-pai-promoting-broadcast-ownership-diversity | Federal Communications Commission
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PRIVACY/SECURITY
THIS IS THE CYBER WARFARE JIM WEBB WAS TALKING ABOUT
[SOURCE: CNNMoney, AUTHOR: David Goldman]
[Commentary] Jim Webb said during Oct 13's Democratic debate that the greatest "day to day" national security threat is cyberwarfare. Whether cyberwarfare is the single largest threat to the United States, or merely among the biggest, is besides the point. What matters is that Webb was the only presidential candidate to even mention cybersecurity, a subject that deserves more attention. America's top intelligence officials testified before Congress last month that cyberattacks are growing more severe, and the country doesn't have sufficient protections in place to prevent a serious cyber catastrophe. That doomsday scenario involves a foreign country attacking the electrical grid, shutting off power across the country. Or perhaps it's an attack on the computer systems controlling stock trading. An attack on command and control centers for nuclear facilities might even be possible. Luckily, catastrophic cyberattacks remain unlikely, according to US national intelligence director James Clapper. But he has warned that serious cyberattacks aren't some remote threat -- they're happening today.
benton.org/headlines/cyber-warfare-jim-webb-was-talking-about | CNNMoney
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INTERNET/BROADBAND
SENIORS AND THE INTERNET: 27 PERCENT ARE "VIRTUAL SHUT-INS," SURVEY FINDS
[SOURCE: telecompetitor, AUTHOR: Andrew Burger]
More than one-quarter of seniors 80-plus (27 percent) are “virtual shut-ins” unable or not interested in using the Internet or social networking as a result of their inability to use the Internet or the need for assistance, according to “Rewiring Aging.” Sponsored by Brookdale Senior Living and conducted by market researchers at Kelton in collaboration with the Stanford Center on Longevity, the survey is the first in-depth study to examine how online social networking and the use of other digital telecommunications technology can improve well-being and quality of life among seniors, the fastest growing demographic segment in the US. The negative effects of being virtual shut-ins are akin to those of seniors who are isolated and unable to venture out due to physical disabilities or cognitive impairment, the researchers found. Virtual shut-ins reported lower overall satisfaction with life, poorer physical health and greater loneliness than the survey group in its entirety. However, nearly 6 in 10 seniors surveyed said they believed communication with family and friends could improve through the use of technology. Those who use social networking technology said they were more satisfied with their lives, were healthier and were more likely to achieve life goals than those who did not.
benton.org/headlines/seniors-and-internet-27-percent-are-virtual-shut-ins-survey-finds | telecompetitor
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WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
IN SPECTRUM AUCTION, STATIONS ADVISED TO TAKE SKEPTICAL VIEW OF OPENING BIDS
[SOURCE: Current, AUTHOR: Ben Mook]
Consultants are warning public TV licensees not to put too much weight on the opening bids for 2016’s spectrum auction, which the Federal Communications Commission is expected to release as soon as the week of Oct 13. So say John Lawson, former president of the Association of Public Television Stations, and Vincent Curren, former Corporation for Public Broadcasting COO. Over-the-air viewership is growing, they said, and innovations in broadcast technology holds promise for new revenue models for stations that continue to broadcast over the air. In addition, the cellular carriers who will buy spectrum won’t be interested in most markets. “Many stations are going through a lot of effort, which you have to do, figuring out your strategy and making your decision to participate in the auction,” Curren said. “And many of those stations will wind up without having any of their bids accepted.” APTS officials also warned that stations in many markets were not likely to see bids. Outside of the largest markets, they said, licensees will be lucky to see half of opening bids when the bidding process ends.
benton.org/headlines/spectrum-auction-stations-advised-take-skeptical-view-opening-bids | Current
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AT&T'S NEW NUMBERSYNC SERVICE AIMS TO LET MULTIPLE DEVICES SHARE ONE PHONE NUMBER
[SOURCE: The Verge, AUTHOR: Dan Seifert]
If you listen to technology analysts, futurists, and network executives, you'll hear a common refrain: it won't be very long until every device in your life is connected to the Internet. And not just connected with a Bluetooth tether to your already-connected phone or on a Wi-Fi network, but independently connected to the cellular networks that are all around us. But there's an inherent problem when you connect something to a cellular network: it's given its own phone number and identity, making it hard to use as an independent device from your phone. Nobody wants to give everyone they know a new phone number just to send messages from their watch. AT&T thinks it has a solution to this problem with its NumberSync service, which is being announced Oct 14 and will roll out to devices later in 2015. NumberSync lets connected devices on your account, such as a tablet or watch, use the same phone number as your main line for making and receiving calls and sending and receiving text messages. It's essentially spoofing your number at the network level, so when you send a text to your partner from your LTE-connected smartwatch, it doesn't come from a completely strange number, but from the same 10 digits you've always used.
benton.org/headlines/atts-new-numbersync-service-aims-let-multiple-devices-share-one-phone-number | The Verge | Revere Digital
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ELECTIONS & MEDIA
TRUMP 'SNL' HOSTING TRIGGERS FCC TIME REQUIREMENTS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
NBC affiliates may want to get their stop watches out when Donald Trump hosts Saturday Night Live. Per Federal Communications Commission rules, qualified candidate appearances on non-news broadcasts are subject to the "equal opportunities" requirement, which requires TV stations who give airtime to one candidate to offer other qualified candidates for the same office an equivalent amount of airtime on the station. NBC could ask the FCC for a ruling that the show was a bona fide news broadcast or news interview program or documentary, and thus exempt from the requirement, but that would be a stretch. The FCC makes such rulings on a case-by-case basis, including in the past that Entertainment Tonight was a news show that did not trigger equal opportunities requirements. Instead, look for it to advise affiliates of their obligation to post a notification in their FCC online political files of Trump's appearance and the exact screen time. That will trigger a seven-day window for Trump's opponents, so long as they are declared candidates and have been active in the state where the TV station is located, to seek a similar amount of time.
The requirement is on stations, not networks, to provide that equal opportunity,
benton.org/headlines/trump-snl-hosting-triggers-fcc-time-requirements | Broadcasting&Cable
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JOURNALISM
WHERE THE RIGHT TO KNOW COMES FROM
[SOURCE: Columbia Journalism Review, AUTHOR: Michael Schudson]
[Commentary] The idea of transparency in government as we know it today did not wait for the Internet to become part of American political culture. But nor did the founding fathers develop it. The First Amendment, although enshrining free speech and press by forbidding the federal government to make laws abridging them, said nothing about government release of information to the public. Very little before Freedom of Information Act institutionalized disclosure practices. Would we have inaugurated these practices without direct “political” intervention on the part of the news media? That counterfactual is not something anyone can answer with certainty. All we can say with assurance is that FOIA, in fact, came into existence with considerable active and self-conscious assistance from the press.
[Michael Schudson is a sociologist and historian of the news media and a professor at the Columbia Journalism School]
benton.org/headlines/where-right-know-comes | Columbia Journalism Review
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STORIES FROM ABROAD
REMARKS OF BRENDAN CARR, LEGAL ADVISOR TO FCC COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI, AT NEW DIRECTION'S DIGITAL SINGLE MARKET SUMMIT
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission, AUTHOR: Brendan Carrr]
The Federal Communications Commission’s decision to adopt heavy-handed network neutrality regulations is resulting in less investment and reduced deployment. It will inevitably lead to less robust competition in the broadband market. But despite the FCC’s U turn, I am optimistic that the US will return to the successful, light touch approach to the Internet that spurred massive investments in our broadband infrastructure. Efforts are underway in both the courts and Congress to reverse the FCC’s decision. And following 2016’s presidential election, the composition of the FCC could be substantially different than it is today.
benton.org/headlines/remarks-brendan-carr-legal-advisor-fcc-commissioner-ajit-pai-new-directions-digital-single | Federal Communications Commission
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NEW EU LAW WILL TELL US WHAT CAN BE SAID -- AND BUILT -- ON THE INTERNET
[SOURCE: Revere Digital, AUTHOR: Daphne Keller]
[Commentary] Americans have long been ignoring European data protection law, but it has not been ignoring us. Now a new EU-wide regulation is nearly final, and it will set the rules for these and other data protection questions for years to come. It’s time to pay attention. The new law is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It does a lot of good things for Internet users -- giving us the right to extract our data from one service to migrate to a competing one, for example. And it does a lot of things that -- like the “right to be forgotten” -- seem odd to Americans but align with the general European perspective on privacy and government regulation. The sad truth is that it is probably too late to change many of the GDPR’s problems. There may be room for improvement at the margins, but even that won’t happen unless affected Internet users, technologists, companies, industry associations and civil society groups raise a fuss. Soon.
[Daphne Keller is the director of intermediary liability at the Stanford Center for Internet and Society]
benton.org/headlines/new-eu-law-will-tell-us-what-can-be-said-and-built-internet | Revere Digital
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SOLVING THE UNSOLVABLE ON SAFE HARBOR -- THE ROLE OF INDEPENDENT DPAS
[SOURCE: International Association of Privacy Professionals, AUTHOR: Peter Swire]
[Commentary] Since the European Court of Justice (ECJ) announced its Schrems decision on October 6, there has been understandable consternation about what comes next -- is there any legal and practical way forward on EU/US data flows? Fortunately, we have faced a similar situation once before, and solved it. That earlier experience, in the late 1990s, suggests a promising path this time as well. Notably, this path reaffirms the lawfulness of Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) and model contract clauses, thus providing ongoing, lawful means of transferring personal data to the US. The ECJ, in Schrems, has affirmed a bedrock principle, that an independent authority must be in place to protect EU citizens’ fundamental right to privacy. At a formal level, independent authorities have this authority when they approve and oversee BCRs and contract clauses, so BCRs and clauses are fundamentally consistent with the right of redress and the Court’s opinion. There are numerous challenging issues ahead as the EU implements Schrems and moves forward with the General Data Protection Regulation. As in the 1990s, however, there is a legal path forward for transfers of data, especially when the analysis includes a fair understanding of what the EU expects of its own organizations.
[Peter Swire is the Huang Professor of Law and Ethics at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, and Senior Counsel with Alston & Bird LLP]
benton.org/headlines/solving-unsolvable-safe-harbor-role-independent-dpas | International Association of Privacy Professionals
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