October 2007

The House Commerce Committee is scheduled to=20
markup the Broadband Census of America Act of=20
2007 (HR 3919) today (see=20
http://energycommerce.house.gov/membios/schedule.shtml).=20
The Community Broadband Act of 2007 (S. 1853), a=20
bill aimed at removing barriers that prevent=20
cities and towns from offering broadband services=20
to their residents, is scheduled for a Senate=20
markup on October 30. (see http://www.benton.org/node/6649).

OWNERSHIP
FCC to Hold Open Meeting and Localism Hearing Oct. 31
Senators threaten to block media ownership plan
Media War, Round II
Clear Channel still pushing for break on FCC radio ownership limits
Microsoft clinches Facebook deal
Google May Seek Partners To Bid On Wireless Spectrum

BROADCASTING/CABLE
NAB Gears Up to head Off DTV Mandates
CPB Funding Bill Passes in Senate
Fight over TV indecency is on high court's doorstep
Blumenthal Shifts Stance On AT&T TV Service
AT&T gets OK to offer statewide video service in Illinois

INTERNET/BROADBAND
Poll: Internet video should be regulated
Pew study finds fewer parents finding Internet good for their kids
Municipal Wi-Fi spending estimates down
Self-Appointed Traffic Cop
Should ISPs take cue from post office?
Is it time to scrap the Internet and start over?

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
The Politics of Eavesdropping

QUICKLY -- CLC Seeks FCC, Hill Investigation of=20
Leaks; One Laptop per Child delays; House=20
Committee Votes to Permanently Extend Do Not Call=20
List; Poker players lobby for online gaming

OWNERSHIP

FCC TO HOLD OPEN MEETING AND LOCALISM HEARING OCT 31
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin=20
Martin has been getting pushback from Capitol=20
Hill on a proposed timetable for completing the=20
media-ownership-rule review, but the FCC=20
Wednesday confirmed that it will hold the last of=20
its localism hearings Oct. 31. The hearing will=20
be at the FCC's headquarters in Washington, D.C.,=20
and immediately follow the monthly open meeting,=20
which is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. It will=20
include "a presentation by the Media Bureau=20
summarizing the record that the commission has=20
received on the topic of localism, a panel=20
presentation and a period for public comment."=20
=93Tonight=92s public notice doesn=92t bode well for=20
the future of the commission=92s localism and=20
media-ownership proceedings," said FCC=20
Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan=20
Adelstein. "Over two weeks ago, we agreed to=20
clear our calendars for the possibility of a=20
localism hearing in Washington Oct. 31," they=20
said. "But neither we nor the public received any=20
confirmation that the hearing would occur until=20
tonight -- just five business days before the=20
event. This is unacceptable and unfair to the=20
public. And it makes putting together an expert=20
panel nearly impossible. Is the commission=20
serious about allowing the public to participate=20
in the agency=92s decision-making? Or is the goal=20
to be able to claim that hearings have been held,=20
even if the public has not had a chance to fully participate?=94
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6494220.html?rssid=3D193
* FCC Meeting Agenda a Mixed Bag for Cable
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission released=20
the agenda for its Oct. 31 public meeting, and it=20
is a mixed bag for cable, with proposals to=20
extend the industry franchise relief but to ban=20
its exclusive deals with apartment buildings.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6494224.html?rssid=3D193
* FCC to Hold Localism Hearing in Washington
[SOURCE: tvnewsday]
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/10/24/daily.9/
* FCC Notice:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277560A1.pdf
* Joint Statement of Copps and Adelstein:
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277561A1.doc
* FCC Hearing Shuts Out the Public (Free Press)
"How can you have a hearing on localism without=20
giving the local community time to find out it is=20
happening? Chairman Martin=92s actions suggest that=20
he=92s never been serious about paying attention to=20
the public. He=92s already made up his mind, and is=20
hell-bent on gutting the rules."
http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=3D288

SENATORS THREATEN TO BLOCK MEDIA OWNERSHIP PLAN
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Peter Kaplan]
Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Trent Lott (R-Miss)=20
announced bipartisan legislation that would block=20
the Federal Communication Commission from acting=20
quickly to ease rules governing media ownership.=20
They are studying several ideas for derailing the=20
FCC's media ownership decision, expected in=20
December, including a rarely used mechanism=20
called a "resolution of disapproval," which would=20
require passage in both the Senate and the House.=20
Sen Dorgan said there was "massive support" for=20
such a move among Democratic senators, who=20
control the chamber. Sen Lott was less sure about=20
Republicans backing such an effort. If=20
cross-ownership limits were eased or lifted, it=20
could help some investors, such as real estate=20
tycoon Sam Zell, who is leading a proposed=20
leveraged buy-out of media group Tribune Co. Zell=20
wants the FCC to reaffirm waivers that allow=20
Tribune to cross-own daily newspapers and broadcast outlets in some markets.
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN2454704020071024
* Dorgan, Lott Vow to Invalidate Media-Ownership Vote =85 Again
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6494090.html?rssid=3D193

MEDIA WAR, ROUND II
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] When Michael Powell, former head of=20
the Federal Communications Commission, learned=20
last week that his successor and sometime rival,=20
Kevin Martin, plans to try to update the=20
country's antiquated media ownership rules, his=20
response was, "I admire his courage." Ours was:=20
Better put on your helmet and shoulder pads.=20
Relaxation of the rules had been urged by most of=20
the broadcast networks and many large media=20
companies, including Tribune Co., Gannett, New=20
York Times Co. and News Corp., whose deal to=20
purchase the publisher of this newspaper is=20
pending. The new rule isn't expected to affect=20
News Corp.'s acquisition of the Journal, but in=20
any case these columns have long favored letting=20
the free market determine the size of a company.=20
The media concentration that has occurred and is=20
likely to continue is a direct response to new=20
technologies segmenting traditional outlets. As=20
TV networks and newspapers have seen their=20
viewers and readers decline, they've used=20
consolidation to offset audience fragmentation.=20
This has led not to monopolies but to a media=20
landscape that is more diverse than ever.=20
Americans have never had more news and=20
entertainment options. If federal media ownership=20
regulations are to encourage such dynamism rather=20
than inhibit it, they need to be updated.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119327033034770631.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
nion
(requires subscription)
* Consumer Groups Close the Case Against Cross-Ownership (Free Press et al)
Free Press, Consumer Federation of America and=20
Consumers Union filed thousands of pages of=20
comments Monday night blasting the Federal=20
Communications Commission for its =93inconsistent,=20
incompetent and incoherent=94 attempts to skew=20
official research in support of Chairman Kevin=20
Martin=92s dubious but foregone conclusions about media consolidation.
http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=3D286

CLEAR CHANNEL STILL PUSHING FOR BREAK ON FCC RADIO OWNERSHIP LIMITS
[SOURCE: Lasar's Letter on the FCC, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
As tensions rise over a possible Federal=20
Communications Commission decision on its media=20
ownership rules, Clear Channel is back in the=20
breach, calling again for the agency to drop its=20
ceiling on radio station ownership in big local=20
markets. This time the media giant says the FCC's=20
recently released studies on media trends confirm=20
the need to abandon the cap. The ten new studies=20
"add to the already overwhelming record [of]=20
evidence in this proceeding that the terrestrial=20
radio industry is vibrantly competitive," Clear=20
Channel writes. "Accordingly, the Commission=20
should move forward promptly to repeal the local=20
radio ownership rule in its entirety." The=20
company says it will settle, however, for a rise=20
in the cap in big markets like New York and Los=20
Angeles (seventy-five stations or more) to ten=20
stations. The present limit is eight. Clear=20
Channel also wants to be able to buy more stations in smaller markets.
http://www.lasarletter.net/drupal/node/491
* Consolidation Devastates Radio Diversity (Free Press)
=93Congress must send a message to the FCC to stop=20
its rush toward more consolidation. Ownership=20
rules exist for a reason: to increase diversity=20
and localism, which in turn produces more diverse=20
speech, more choice for listeners, and more=20
owners who are responsive to their local communities.=94
http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=3D287

MICROSOFT CLINCHES FACEBOOK DEAL
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Daisuke Wakabayashi]
Microsoft beat out rival Google on Wednesday in a=20
battle to invest in socializing Web site=20
Facebook, agreeing to pay $240 million for a=20
roughly 1.6 percent stake in the Web phenomenon=20
and expand a deal to sell advertising. Microsoft=20
and Facebook said the $240 million investment=20
valued Facebook at $15 billion, which analysts=20
said was a steep price and a bet the young=20
company would be able to transform itself into a=20
hub for all sorts of Web activity. Microsoft said=20
it would be the exclusive third-party advertising=20
platform for Facebook, which has more than 49=20
million Internet users. That extends a previous=20
deal into Facebook sites outside the United=20
States. Some 250,000 new users register on Facebook each day.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2424560420071024
* Microsoft Buys Stake in Facebook
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/25/technology/25facebook.html?ref=3Dtoday...
per
* Microsoft Bets On Facebook Stake And Web Ad Boom
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119323518308669856.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
* Microsoft Invests $240 Million in Facebook
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/24/AR200710...
1910.html
* Microsoft buys a bit of Facebook
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20071025/1b_facebook25.art.htm
* Microsoft bests Google in the Facebook race
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-facebook25oct25,1,223...
2.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business

GOOGLE MAY SEEK PARTNERS TO BID ON WIRELESS SPECTRUM
[SOURCE: Dow Jones, AUTHOR: Scott Morrison]
Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said Wednesday that=20
the Internet giant could team up with at least=20
one partner to bid in the U.S. government's=20
upcoming wireless spectrum auction. "It's=20
perfectly possible that the best bidding strategy=20
may be to bid with one or more partners," Schmidt=20
told journalists following a gathering with=20
financial analysts. "We won't make our decision=20
until that last minute." The Federal=20
Communications Commission is slated in January to=20
begin auctioning a swath of 700-megahertz=20
spectrum, which is considered prime U.S. wireless=20
real estate because the airwaves can travel long=20
distances and penetrate thick walls. Google has=20
said it could bid up to $4.6 billion on the=20
spectrum even though the government hasn't met=20
all of the company's conditions that regulators=20
open up part of the spectrum so that any device,=20
software or service can work on the network. Alan=20
Eustace, Google's vice president of engineering,=20
said earlier Wednesday it is important for the=20
Internet search giant to put its money where its=20
mouth is when it comes to promoting an open mobile phone industry.
http://money.cnn.com//news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200710242034DOWJONE...
ONLINE001093_FORTUNE5.htm

BROADCASTING/CABLE

NAB GEARS UP TO HEAD OFF DTV MANDATES
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
National Association of Broadcasters President=20
David Rehr cut short his visit with the Kansas=20
Association of Broadcasters and returned to=20
Washington hoping to meet with Federal=20
Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin=20
this week. Rehr and broadcasters want to make=20
their case against a government-mandated PSA=20
campaign to inform the public about the DTV=20
transition. The NAB had hoped that its voluntary=20
awareness campaign would discourage Congress and=20
the FCC from mandating one. =93The notion of the=20
federal government directing broadcasters to=20
deliver a specific message at a specific time=20
raises fundamental concerns about the regulatory=20
process,=94 says broadcast lawyer Wade Hargrove.=20
=93It would set a troubling precedent,=94 he says, of=20
actually making broadcasters perform a public=20
service in return for their spectrum licenses=20
[OK, yes, I embellish] =93We think our DTV plan=20
would be superior to some sort of mandated=20
proposal by the government because it allows=20
flexibility,=94 says NAB spokesman Dennis Wharton.=20
=93There will be PSAs in prime time. Stations ought=20
to be given a little bit of leeway in determining=20
what works best for their stations in their particular market.=94 he says.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/10/24/daily.2/

CPB FUNDING BILL PASSES IN SENATE
[SOURCE: Corporation for Public Broadcasting]
United States Senate passed its version of Fiscal=20
Year 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and=20
Education (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill, which=20
provides funding to the Corporation for Public=20
Broadcasting (CPB). The vote was 75 to 19. The=20
bill provides CPB a $420 million advance=20
appropriation for FY 2010 as well as $29.7=20
million for digital conversion, $26.75 million=20
for the public radio interconnection and $25.2=20
million for Ready To Learn for FY 2008. The U.S.=20
House of Representatives passed a similar version=20
in July. The House and Senate will now work on a final version of the bill.
http://www.cpb.org/pressroom/release.php?prn=3D624

FIGHT OVER TV INDECENCY IS ON HIGH COURT'S DOORSTEP
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Joan Biskupic]
As broadcast TV pushes the limits of sexual=20
content to compete against its racier and=20
unregulated cable competitors, should an=20
occasional expletive be allowed? Or can the FCC=20
completely stamp out what it views as verbal smut=20
on broadcast television, in the name of=20
family-friendly programming? The Supreme Court=20
soon will decide whether to wade into the dispute=20
and, for the first time since 1978, dictate=20
indecency rules for the airwaves. No matter what=20
the court does in the case pitting Fox against=20
the FCC, the battle could lead to new standards=20
for broadcast networks. Already, the FCC's tough=20
stance could be changing what Americans see on=20
live TV. Live TV has become the focus of the=20
fight over censorship. Sexual situations and=20
coarse language are now routine in prime-time=20
dramas and "reality" shows, but expletives are=20
not. Many fear broadcast TV is adopting cable's=20
coarser approach. That culture is most evident=20
during awards programs, which showcase unpredictable and unscripted moments.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20071025/1a_cover23.art.htm
* Key dates behind FCC crackdown
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20071025/1a_dirty_timeline23.a...
htm

BLUMENTHAL SHIFTS STANCE ON AT&T TV SERVICE
[SOURCE: The Hartford Courant, AUTHOR: Mark Peters]
After winning a months-long battle that ended=20
with a prohibition against AT&T's signing up new=20
customers for its TV service, Attorney General=20
Richard Blumenthal on Tuesday said the phone=20
giant should be allowed to resume marketing the=20
service. AG Blumenthal reversed his stance=20
against allowing AT&T to sign up new customers=20
for what he called an illegal cable service amid=20
growing political support for the state's largest=20
phone company. AT&T has put pressure on=20
regulators and AG Blumenthal, saying it won't=20
offer its competitive TV service in Connecticut=20
and will lay off more than 300 employees if a=20
week-old ruling by the state Department of Public Utility Control stands.
http://www.courant.com/technology/hc-att1024.artoct24,0,3268761.story?tr...
=3Drss

AT&T GETS OK TO OFFER STATEWIDE VIDEO SERVICE IN ILLINOIS
[SOURCE: Crain's Chicago Business, AUTHOR: Brandon Glenn]
The Illinois Commerce Commission approved AT&T=20
Inc.=92s application to offer video service across=20
the state. Previously, cable or video companies=20
had to negotiate on a city-by-city basis if they=20
wanted to offer service in Illinois. That changed=20
earlier this year when a state law took effect=20
allowing video providers to obtain one=20
state-level operating agreement instead.
http://chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=3D26884

INTERNET/BROADBAND

POLL: INTERNET VIDEO SHOULD BE REGULATED
[SOURCE: InfoWorld, AUTHOR: Grant Gross]
More than half of U.S. residents want the=20
government to regulate Internet video in some=20
way, according to a poll released Wednesday.=20
Twenty-nine percent of those surveyed said=20
Internet video should be regulated just like=20
television content, and another 24 percent said=20
the U.S. government should institute an online=20
rating system similar to the one used by the=20
movie industry, according to the poll,=20
commissioned by 463 Communications, a Washington,=20
D.C., public relations firm that specializes in=20
high-tech issues. Only 36 percent of respondents=20
agreed that government regulation of Internet=20
video would raise constitutional issues. "I was=20
really shocked that people look at the Internet=20
the same way they look at TV," said Tom Galvin, a=20
partner at 463. "People see [online video] as=20
spiraling out of control, and they want government to do something about it=
."
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/10/24/Poll-Internet-video-should-be-...
ulated_1.html
* So, are you and the Internet a thing?
Nearly 1 in 4 Americans say the Internet could be=20
a stand-in for a significant other for a period=20
of time. Among singles, the percentage was even higher: 31 percent.
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9804144-7.html

PEW STUDY FINDS FEWER PARENTS FINDING INTERNET GOOD FOR KIDS
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Anick Jesdanun]
Parents have become more ambivalent about the=20
Internet, with a new study finding fewer of them=20
considering it good for their children. The Pew=20
Internet and American Life Project said Wednesday=20
that about 59 per cent of Americans with children=20
ages 12 to 17 consider the Internet a positive=20
influence on their kids. That is based on a 2006=20
survey, the latest available on the topic, and=20
represents a drop from 67 per cent in 2004.=20
Meanwhile, those who do not believe the Internet=20
has had an effect one way or the other increased=20
to 30 per cent from 25 per cent. "The Internet=20
for a lot of parents is now a mature technology,"=20
said Amanda Lenhart, senior research specialist=20
at Pew. "They are not in a honeymoon period with=20
the Internet anymore. They are realizing the=20
Internet is something with good and bad things."
http://www.metronews.ca/storyCP.aspx?pg=3D./z102416A.xml

MUNICIPAL WI-FI SPENDING ESTIMATES DOWN
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Anick Jesdanun]
A leading industry analyst on municipal wireless=20
projects is revising its 2007 spending estimates=20
as cities find their projects costing more and=20
drawing less interest from residential customers=20
than expected. In an annual State of the Market=20
Report, MuniWireless estimates U.S. expenditures=20
at $329 million for the year, down from the $460=20
million projection made for 2007 last year.=20
MuniWireless founder Esme Vos cited several=20
factors, including cities and service providers=20
changing their strategies and technical hurdles=20
requiring additional hardware. But Vos notes the=20
revised estimate is still 35 percent above the=20
$243 million spent in 2006 on projects to blanket=20
all or parts of cities with Wi-Fi and other wireless Internet access.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071024/ap_on_hi_te/techbit_municipal_wi_fi

SELF-APPOINTED TRAFFIC COP
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Rob Pegoraro]
[Commentary] Is the company you pay to bring you=20
the Internet blocking parts of it instead? That's=20
been a fear of some Internet users for a long=20
time. Now many Comcast customers are anxious=20
after reading the Associated Press report last=20
week that the cable-modem service interferes with=20
the BitTorrent file-sharing program. Comcast=20
would like to be seen as a crossing guard who=20
sometimes must step into a busy intersection to=20
keep pedestrians (customers who just want to get=20
their e-mail) from being mowed down by jerks in=20
speeding SUVs (a few intensive peer-to-peer=20
users). Should that alone bother anybody? Not=20
necessarily. By the letter of Comcast's terms of=20
service, file-sharing use isn't allowed in the=20
first place. Its "acceptable usage policy," like=20
those of many providers, bans customers from file=20
sharing. Even the most liberal-minded Internet=20
services include a blanket statement in their=20
terms of use that prohibits conduct obstructing=20
other customers' access. That's a fundamental=20
contradiction of the Internet-access business:=20
Companies sell unlimited service on the=20
assumption customers won't all take them up on=20
the offer. Comcast went wrong by trying to keep=20
network-abuse regulations -- and the tools used=20
to enforce them -- secret from its customers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/24/AR200710...
2568.html
(requires registration)

SHOULD ISPs TAKE CUE FROM POST OFFICE?
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
The post office forwards letters when a person=20
moves, and telephone companies likewise forward=20
calls. Should Internet companies be required to=20
forward e-mails to customers who switch=20
providers? There is no mandate governing e-mail=20
forwarding, and industry officials say imposing=20
one would be costly and unnecessary. But federal=20
regulators are looking at the issue more closely=20
after a complaint from a former America Online=20
customer who claims an abrupt termination of=20
service devastated her business. Gail Mortenson,=20
a Washington-based freelance editor, in July=20
filed a six-page petition with the Federal=20
Communications Commission, which opened a 30-day=20
public comment period that ends Friday, followed=20
by another 30-day period for replies. Mortenson=20
said in her complaint that she lost potential=20
clients because they couldn't reach her, and she=20
requested that Internet service providers, such=20
as Time Warner Inc.'s AOL, be required to forward=20
e-mail traffic from a closed account to a new=20
e-mail address designated by customers for at least six months.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-email25oct25,1,466834...
tory?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)

IS IT TIME TO SCRAP THE INTERNET?
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Chris Gaylord]
More and more, Americans are treating their PC as=20
a second TV. Few are ready to place a couch in=20
front of their monitors, but millions are=20
plopping down in front of Internet services such=20
as YouTube, Joost, and television network=20
websites to watch online shows and=20
movies. Streaming video will surge from 7.3=20
percent of all US consumer Internet traffic in=20
2006 to almost 33 percent by 2012, according to=20
the market research firm IDC. But remember,=20
that's just a percentage. Along with video's=20
increasing share, total Internet traffic is=20
expected to double every two years, industry=20
analysts say. Some warn that this rush will=20
overwhelm service providers if they don't prepare=20
for it. And the forecast for an ever-rising flood=20
of data has some asking, is the Internet outdated?
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/1025/p13s01-stct.html

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS

THE POLITICS OF EAVESDROPPING
[SOURCE: Newsweek, AUTHOR: Michael Isikoff andMark Hosenball]
A White House campaign to win quick passage of a=20
major surveillance bill has hit a new snag in=20
recent days: four Democratic presidential=20
candidates have signaled their intention to=20
oppose the measure as it is currently written.=20
Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut took the lead last=20
week when he vowed to filibuster a version of the=20
bill overwhelmingly approved by the Senate=20
Intelligence Committee. No sooner had Dodd issued=20
his statement than MoveOn.org=97along with leading=20
liberal bloggers such as DailyKos=97launched their=20
own campaign to pressure other Democratic=20
presidential candidates to commit to the same=20
position. By Wednesday, at least two other=20
candidates=97Sens. Barack Obama and Joe Biden--had=20
joined with Dodd in pledging to oppose any=20
surveillance bill that includes immunity for the=20
telecoms. Sen. Hillary Clinton, the Democratic=20
front runner, released a more equivocal=20
statement, saying she was "troubled by the=20
concerns" raised about the bill and pledging to=20
"study it very hard." The statement continued:=20
"As matters stand now, I could not support it and=20
I would support a filibuster absent additional=20
information coming forward that would convince me differently."
http://www.newsweek.com/id/61969

QUICKLY

CLC SEEKS FCC, HILL INVESTIGATIONS OF LEAKS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Campaign Legal Center called on the Federal=20
Communications Commission and Congress to=20
investigate leaks at the FCC after a Government=20
Accountability Office study concluded that some=20
lobbyists were getting an early read on upcoming open-meeting agenda items.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6494207.html?rssid=3D193

LAPTOP FOUNDATION PRODUCTION DELAY MEANS SHORTAGE
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Jim Finkle]
The One Laptop per Child Foundation said that a=20
production delay would cause a shortage of=20
computers available in the United States and=20
Canada as part of a holiday giving program. The=20
$188, XO laptop was scheduled to go into=20
production at a Chinese factory in October, but=20
it is now slated to begin by November 12. An=20
October launch would have given the group time to=20
produce and ship tens of thousands of laptops to=20
Peru and Uruguay, the first two countries to=20
order the laptops. It would now be tough to get=20
those laptops to South America by December, in=20
time for kids to use them over their summer=20
vacation, and also meet orders for the=20
foundation's Give 1 Get 1 scheme for people in the United States and Canada.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2334869520071024

HOUSE COMMITTEE VOTES TO PERMANENTLY EXTEND DO NOT CALL LIST
[SOURCE: Center for Democracy and Technology]
The House Commerce Committee approved a bill that=20
would extend the Federal Trade Commission's=20
authority to maintain the national Do Not Call=20
registry indefinitely. Consumers who signed up=20
for the registry early on were scheduled to have=20
their numbers removed from the list in 2008, a=20
move to help maintain the list's accuracy. But=20
the FTC has largely resolved this issue by=20
removing disconnected or reassigned numbers from=20
the list on a monthly basis. The agency has also=20
pledged not to remove numbers from the list until=20
Congress makes its final decision about whether=20
to extend the registry permanently.
FTC Do Not Call testimony:=20
http://ftc.gov/os/testimony/071023ReDoNotCallRuleEnforcementHouseP034412...

POKER PLAYERS LOBBY FOR ONLINE GAMING
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Theo Milonopoulos]
Representatives of the Poker Players Alliance, an=20
association of professional gamers and industry=20
leaders with more than 800,000 members=20
nationwide, contend that current federal=20
online-gambling regulations violate international=20
trade rules and unfairly restrict the civil liberties of poker enthusiasts.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-poker25oct25,1,6...
324.story?coll=3Dla-news-a_section
(requires registration)
--------------------------------------------------------------
OK, you realize that after like 2 all the rest of the runs don't matter, ri=
ght?
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online=20
news summary service provided by the Benton=20
Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday=20
through Friday, this service provides updates on=20
important industry developments, policy issues,=20
and other related news events. While the=20
summaries are factually accurate, their often=20
informal tone does not always represent the tone=20
of the original articles. Headlines are compiled=20
by Kevin Taglang headlines( at )benton.org -- we welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------