March 2008

NPR GRAPPLES WITH THE PROSPECT OF A POST-RADIO FUTURE
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Randy Dotinga]
If you like National Public Radio's "Fresh Air With Terry Gross," you can hear it via podcast or satellite radio. But unless you're near a radio or a live online stream, "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered" are off-limits. Public radio stations make millions from pledge drives that intersperse the two hit news shows, and NPR hasn't wanted to undercut local stations' fundraising by giving fans another way to hear the programs. But that could change, as NPR considers whether to fully embrace "new media" technology at the risk of bypassing some public-radio stations. "The fear in its raw form is that NPR will market itself directly to consumers and … and completely eclipse their local stations," says media consultant Michael Marcotte, a former San Diego public-radio news director. The debate within NPR became public last week after the network's board fired CEO Ken Stern. Mr. Stern, who'd been in charge for 18 months, had pushed NPR to offer its news through mediums other than terrestrial radio.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0314/p02s06-ussc.html

BILL GATES URGES US TO FREE UP MORE SPECTRUM FOR WI-FI
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Peter Kaplan]
Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates urged U.S. communications regulators on Thursday to free up more vacant television airwaves to be used for wireless services such as broadband Internet access. During an appearance before a Northern Virginia technology group, Gates said the so-called "white space" spectrum between analog broadcast channels could be used to expand access of wireless broadband service using Wi-Fi technology. "We're hopeful that that will be made available so that Wi-Fi can explode in terms of its usage, even out into some of these less dense areas (of the United States) where distance has been a big problem for Wi-Fi," Gates said in response to a question from the audience. Microsoft is part of a coalition of technology companies that has been lobbying the U.S. Federal Communications Commission to allow unlicensed use of white space spectrum. The group also includes Google Inc, Dell, Intel Corp, Hewlett-Packard Co and the north American unit of Philips Electronics. However, the idea is opposed by U.S. broadcasters and makers of wireless microphones, who fear the devices would cause interference.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN1332446720080313

* Gates: TV to Become Targeted Medium
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Matthew Barakat]
In a speech Thursday, Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates offered some predictions on the future of technology and said that ''TV will be based on the Internet; it will be an utterly different thing" with viewers able to select niche content for news, sports and entertainment.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2008/03/13/daily.10/

SENATE TO BLOCK WHITE HOUSE RECESS APPOINTMENTS
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Manu Raju]
The Senate will move into pro forma sessions this month after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and the White House failed to reach an accord on moving a slew of stalled nominees. The pro forma sessions, during which the Senate is in session for less than a minute, will take place periodically over the two-week recess. By technically staying in session, President Bush will not be able to use his constitutional authority to install executive branch and judicial nominees during Senate recesses.
http://thehill.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=72105&Itemi...

APPALLING SPREAD OF FALSE INFORMATION REQUIRES STRONGER MEDIA ACCOUNTABILITY
[SOURCE: AlterNet, AUTHOR: Mark Weisbrot]
[Commentary] "A free press is supposed to function as our democracy's immune system against . . . gross errors of fact and understanding," wrote Al Gore in his book, The Assault on Reason. But it doesn't - as Gore explains -- and that is what makes the mass media one of the most important obstacles to social and economic progress in the 21st century. Here in Washington, when one raises the issue of media responsibility, a common response - from policy analysts, political operatives, and journalists - is that the problem is with the American people, that they are just stupid. Interestingly, however, when one strays a bit from their own area of expertise or concentration, it appears that these professionals also believe a number of falsehoods on important issues -- apparently from having heard these things repeated in the media. Of course the best counterweight to the media's transgressions is an informed and active citizenry. Part of the reason that the media treats Barack Obama more fairly than it treats Social Security is that Obama has millions of active supporters who would raise hell if the media were to engage in serious abuses of him or his candidacy. Over the long run, we will need to subject the privately owned mass media to more competition. This will come increasingly from the Internet, but real competition will also require an expanded and better quality public media sector. But until this competition gets a lot bigger, it will be up to the citizenry to hold our highly concentrated media accountable as best we can.
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/79465/