Nov 21, 2008 (Waxman)
BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for FRIDAY NOVEMBER 21, 2008
Do to an Internet connection problem, we're a bit abbreviated this morning... check for updates at http://benton.org/headlines
THE TRANSITION
The Changing Media Policy in the Obama Administration
SPJ Holding Obama To His Pledge To Support Shield Law
Waxman dethrones Dingell as chairman
Hollywood gains ally with Waxman
Gordon Retains Sci-Tech Panel Chairmanship
The change we need: 5 ways to fix fcc.gov
BROADCASTING
Senate Passes DTV Nightlight Bill
NTIA Chief Says 14.5 Million DTV Transition Subsidy Coupons Redeemed
Bush Advisor Warns Against Re-Instating Fairness Doctrine
NAB Turns to Gas Pumps for DTV Education
THE ECONOMY
Financial crisis will kill nonprofits
Will technology drive global recovery?
TELECOM
FCC's Martin: Open Networks Becoming the Norm
Canada allows 'throttling' to continue
ELECTIONS & MEDIA
How the News Media Covered Religion in the General Election
Politics' next step? Donations go high text
CONTENT
Study Links Real, Media Violence
Online Safety and Technology Working Group Nominations Sought
THE TRANSITION
THE CHANGING MEDIA POLICY IN THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION
[SOURCE: Chicago Public Radio, AUTHOR: ]
The buzz over President-elect Barack Obama's choice for Secretary of State is reaching a fever pitch. But plenty of people are just as interested in some less high-profile appointments. Obama will have a chance to dramatically remake the Federal Communications Commission. And that new FCC will make decisions on everything from media consolidation to access to the Internet. Those are issues that Robert McChesney follows closely. He's a communications professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and co-founder of the media reform organization, Free Press. Robert McChesney joined us to talk about how media policy may change in an Obama administration.
http://benton.org/node/19171
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SPJ HOLDING OBAMA TO HIS PLEDGE TO SUPPORT SHIELD LAW
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Society of Professional Journalists is holding President-elect Barack Obama to his pledge of support for a federal shield law. "We call on the President-elect to make good on his campaign comments that he will continue to support the passage of a federal shield law," SPJ President Dave Aeikens said in a statement Thursday. "This is a critical piece of legislation to continue to assure the flow of information."
http://benton.org/node/19170
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WAXMAN DETHRONES DINGELL AS CHAIRMAN
[SOURCE: Politico.com, AUTHOR: Patrick O'Connor]
Rep Henry Waxman (D-CA) on Thursday officially dethroned longtime House Energy and Commerce Chairman John Dingell (D-MI), upending a seniority system that has governed Democratic politics in the House for decades. In a secret ballot vote in the Cannon Caucus Room, House Democrats ratified an earlier decision by the Steering and Policy Committee to replace the 82-year-old Dingell with his 69-year-old rival. The vote was 137-122 in favor of Rep Waxman. The ascension of Waxman, a wily environmentalist, recasts a committee that Dingell has been the ranking member or chairman of since 1981 with an eye toward protecting the domestic auto industry in his native Michigan. The Energy and Commerce Committee has principal jurisdiction over many of President-elect Barack Obama's top legislative priorities, including energy, the environment, health care and telecommunications.
http://benton.org/node/19153
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HOLLYWOOD GAINS WITH WAXMAN
[SOURCE: Variety, AUTHOR: William Triplett]
The House Commerce Committee oversees the Federal Communications Commission and also handles telecom policy at large. While newly-elected Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA) has not been active on these issues in his previous job -- chairing the House Committee on Government Reform -- he is known to be tight with Rep Howard Berman (D-CA), another showbiz ally, particularly on intellectual property issues. Rep Berman will remain a senior member of the influential House Judiciary Committee, which oversees copyright issues. Judiciary Chairman John Conyers Jr. (D-MI) is also a strong advocate for IP rights and protection. Chairman Waxman is also close with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, another Californian viewed favorably by Hollywood. Waxman's relations with broadcast news orgs, in particular NBC News, were strained in early 2001 when he held hearings on the premature calling of the 2000 election. The congressman tried repeatedly -- and ultimately unsuccessfully -- to get NBC to hand over a videotape allegedly of then-head of GE Jack Welch pressing the news staff to declare George W. Bush the winner. One longtime broadcast lobbyist predicts when media issues are before the Commerce Committee, Chairman Waxman "will probably defer" to Rep. Ed Markey (D-A), who chairs the subcommittee on Telecom and the Internet.
http://benton.org/node/19169
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GORDON RETAINS SCI-TECH PANEL CHAIRMANSHIP
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Andrew Noyes]
The House Democratic Caucus on Thursday reelected Rep Bart Gordon (D-TN) as chairman of the Science and Technology Committee for the 111th Congress. His agenda includes helping craft policies that can grow new sectors of the US economy and ensure the nation's long-term competitiveness. In the 110th Congress, Chairman Gordon's panel held 123 hearings and 17 full committee markups. More than 80 bills originated in the committee and were passed by the House, including 27 bills that were signed into law. Committee members are expected to be assigned in January.
http://benton.org/node/19168
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THE CHANGE WE NEED: FIVE WAYS TO FIX FCC.GOV
[SOURCE: ars technica, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
[Commentary] Somebody's got to do something about the Federal Communications Commission's web site. Let's face it, fcc.gov still looks like it was thrown together six weeks after Netscape went public over a decade ago. The result: the only people who can really access it are telecom lawyers, public interest groups with their autoforms, and wonks who have dedicated years to exploring its mysteries. The tens of thousands of Americans who want to intelligently participate in the FCC's many proceedings are almost instantly stymied by the Byzantine nature of the site. Except, of course, if they want to make an indecency complaint. Here's some suggestions for making the site more usable and accessible. 1) Make it easier for the public to comment on proceedings. 2) Make it easier to search for comments on proceedings. 3) Broadcast the FCC's Open Meetings on the front page of the site. 4) Add RSS support. 5) Ask indecency complainers to certify that they've actually seen the program that they're complaining about. The bottom line is that nobody should ever go to fcc.gov wanting to communicate on the record with the FCC on an important issue and walk away confused and frustrated. Right now the scattershot nature of the site gives the advantage to corporate insiders and lobby groups with their autoforms. Folks who want to educate themselves about issues or offer meaningful input as unaffiliated individuals are shut out of the loop. That's just wrong. No doubt Barack Obama's FCC will spend plenty of capital and time trying to improve the communications of others. Hopefully it will put a priority on getting its own Web house in order as well.
http://benton.org/node/19167
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BROADCASTING
SENATE PASSES DTV NIGHTLIGHT BILL
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
On Thursday, the Senate passed by unanimous consent the Short-Term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness (SAFER) Act, a bill which would allow broadcasters to continue an analog signal for 30 days past the Feb. 17, 2009 cut-off date. The House can not take up the bill until it reconvenes December 8. At a speech at the Media Institute Thursday, Meredith Attwell Baker, head of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, said she supported the bill, calling it "a helpful step" and encouraging passage. Sen Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), the bill's sponsor, said, "I firmly believe that our nation is not ready to make this transition without substantially more involvement from every level of government, the entire communications industry, and willing community organizations across America. At present, most experts agree that the transition will unleash a massive amount of consumer confusion."
http://benton.org/node/19166
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NTIA CHIEF SAYS 14.5 MILLION DTV TRANSITION SUBSIDY COUPONS REDEEMED
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
According to acting National Telecommunications & Information Administration Chief Meredith Attwell Baker, as of November 1, 62% of over-the-air TV households have requested DTV-to-analog converter-box subsidy coupons. Baker said that, including all households, 14.5 million coupons had been redeemed and more than 35 million distributed to over 19 million households. Baker said those were "pretty impressive numbers" given that the program had only been operational for 11 months. She also said the converter boxes are moving out of stores at about the same rate as iPhones.
http://benton.org/node/19163
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BUSH ADVISOR WARNS AGAINST RE-INSTATING FAIRNESS DOCTRINE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Meredith Attwell Baker, acting head of the National Telecommunications & Information Administration, told a Media Institute luncheon audience that it would be a mistake to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine, which required broadcasters to air both sides of controversial issues. She said the doctrine was "rightly laid upon the scrap heap of media history more than 20 years ago." Asked after the speech why she had gone out of her way to address the doctrine issue, Baker said: "Part of my job is not just being in charge of the digital transition, but to also advise on other issues that are out there. I think that we still hear from the Hill, as agendas are getting set, that is on the list of things" people are looking at. Baker was delivering something of a valedictory address, given that she says she has not been asked to stay on by the new administration. Unless that status changes, she would be exiting when Obama administration takes over and before the DTV transition date of Feb. 17, 2009.
http://benton.org/node/19165
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NAB TURNS TO GAS PUMPS FOR DTV EDUCATION
[SOURCE: MediaWeek, AUTHOR: Katy Bachman]
The National Association of Broadcasters turned to an emerging out-of-home ad platform to remind consumers about the pending transition to digital TV: the gas pump. In mid-November, an NAB spot began airing on PumpTop TV's network across screens installed at 720 gas stations in 11 top markets including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas-Ft. Worth, San Francisco, Boston, Houston, Phoenix, Sacramento and San Diego. A Spanish-language version of the spot is running at selected gas stations in California, Arizona and Texas. The gas pump campaign is one element of a massive consumer education campaign valued at more than $1 billion. NAB's message at the pump will run until Feb. 17, 2009, the deadline for the transition.
http://benton.org/node/19164
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THE ECONOMY
FINANCIAL CRISIS WILL KILL NONPROFITS
[SOURCE: Crain's New York Business, AUTHOR: Miriam Kreinin Souccar]
At least 100,000 nonprofits nationwide will be forced to close their doors in the next two years as a result of the financial crisis, according to Paul Light, professor of public service at New York University. The financial crisis is already resulting in a steep drop in funding for these organizations, forcing them to cut their budgets, and eliminate staff and programs. Prof Light called on foundations to liquidate their assets to create a safety net for social services groups, or at the very least increase their annual pay-out rates from the current 5%, as one step toward solving the sector's problems. However, other experts said increased dollars from foundations wouldn't be enough to help these organizations make up for cuts in government funding and individual fundraising at a time when demand for their services was rapidly increasing.
http://benton.org/node/19159
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WILL TECHNOLOGY DRIVE GLOBAL RECOVERY?
[SOURCE: InfoWorld, AUTHOR: Frank Dzubeck]
On Nov. 6, Sam Palmisano, chairman, president & CEO of IBM, made an important speech entitled "The Smart Planet: The Next Leadership Agenda" at the Council of Foreign Relations in New York City. That speech is only now getting public press attention. To emphasize the significance of Palmisano's speech, IBM took two-page ads out in numerous newspapers, such as the New York Times and Washington Post, throughout the world. This can be seen as public relations, self-promotion or the simple realization that the way out of this global financial mess requires a refocus of technology not on the consumer, but on corporate business. Palmisano's argument is that technology has permeated our daily lives to an extent beyond what prior generations could ever imagine.
http://benton.org/node/19158
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TELECOM
FCC'S MARTIN: OPEN NETWORKS BECOMING THE NORM
[SOURCE: internetnews, AUTHOR: Kenneth Corbin]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin says openness is here to stay. Reflecting on his chairmanship, he says he guided the telecom industry toward greater network openness and managed to do so without relying too much on the heavy hand of regulation. Martin talked of the balancing act between carriers -- who are reluctant to open access to their networks -- and the growing demands of device and application makers, who insist on an open-platform model.
http://benton.org/node/19157
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CANADA ALLOWS 'THROTTLING' TO CONTINUE
[SOURCE: Canwest News Service, AUTHOR: David George-Cosh]
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has denied a request by the Canadian Association of Internet Providers to prohibit the slowing or "throttling" of Internet traffic by BCE. However, the federal regulator will hold public hearings on the broader issue of Internet traffic management and how it affects Canadians as well as Internet service providers. "Based on the evidence before us, we found that the measures employed by Bell Canada to manage its network were not discriminatory," said CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein. "Bell Canada applied the same traffic-shaping practices to wholesale customers as it did to its own retail customers."
http://benton.org/node/19156
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ELECTIONS & MEDIA
HOW THE NEWS MEDIA COVERED RELIGION IN THE GENERAL ELECTION
[SOURCE: Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, AUTHOR: ]
Religion played a much more significant role in the media coverage of President-elect Barack Obama than it did in the press treatment of Republican nominee John McCain during the 2008 presidential campaign, but much of the coverage related to false yet persistent rumors that Obama is a Muslim. Meanwhile, there was little attempt by the news media during the campaign to comprehensively examine the role of faith in the political values and policies of the candidates, save for those of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin. And when religion-focused campaign stories were covered by the mainstream press, often the context was negative, controversial or focused on a perceived political problem. In all, religion was a significant but not overriding storyline in the media coverage of the 2008 campaign. But in a campaign in which an Obama victory would give the US its first black president, religion received as much coverage in the media as race.
http://benton.org/node/19155
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POLITICS' NEXT STEP? DONATIONS GO HIGH TEXT
[SOURCE: The Huffington Post, AUTHOR: Rob Runyan]
Mobile giving -- that is, donation via cell phone -- is currently limited to nonpartisan, charitable organizations, such as the United Way, and politicians must clear a few technical and regulatory obstacles. But that could happen before the next presidential election. Text messaging played a huge role in the 2008 election, largely due to the Obama campaign's aggressive use of mobile marketing. His success in reaching voters -- particularly young Americans -- is being praised and studied by politicos across the country. Soon it will be emulated.
http://benton.org/node/19160
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CONTENT
Study Links Real, Media Violence
Online Safety and Technology Working Group Nominations Sought
STUDY LINKS REAL, MEDIA VIOLENCE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Rutgers University research funded by the Centers for Disease Control finds that there is a conclusive link between media violence and real world violence in young people. Media depictions of violence are a "critical risk factor" for aggression in adolescents. The study found that link even when other risk factors for violent behavior—such as exposure to violence at school or in the community—were present. The conclusion was that "even for those lowest in other risk factors, a preference for violent media was predictive of violent behavior and general aggression."
http://benton.org/node/19162
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ONLINE SAFETY AND TECHNOLOGY WORKING GROUP
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is seeking nominations of individuals to represent the business community, public interest groups, and other appropriate groups interested in serving on the NTIA Online Safety and Technology Working Group (OSTWG) for a single 15 month term to commence in January 2009. At the conclusion of the working group's term, the OSTWG will provide a report to the Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator and to Congress on ways to promote and to preserve a safe environment for children using the Internet. Nominations must be postmarked or electronically transmitted on or before December 12, 2008.
http://benton.org/node/19161
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