1. Monthly archive
  2. August 2009

August 2009

Global mobile market bottoms, grows anew

Researchers at iSuppli estimate that global handset shipments grew nearly 5 percent in the second quarter, the first quarter- on-quarter growth in 9 months, marking a reversal of course for the struggling market. Worldwide shipments of cellphones rose 4.7 percent to 265 million units in the second quarter compared with the first quarter, helped by strength in the Middle East and Latin America, but were still down 15.1 percent compared with a year ago.

Setting A Course For Smithsonian 2.0

The Smithsonian has posted a preliminary version of its Web and new media strategy that details ways in which the institution wants to overhaul its digital experience and promote a new learning model that helps people along their "lifelong learning journeys." 1) Update the Smithsonian Digital Experience: Build on excellence and the potential for excellence throughout the Institution by focusing on Web-publishing fundamentals and improving access to collections, community, and content across all platforms. 2) Update the Smithsonian Learning Model: Support new kinds of learning, innovation, and knowledge creation inside and outside the Institution. 3) Balance Autonomy and Control within the Smithsonian: Balance the benefits and risks of central control and creative autonomy while binding oversight and operations to a shared vision for the future.

New Webcasting Deals Reached

Digital music royalty collector SoundExchange has completed four independent agreements with Sirius-XM, College Broadcasters Inc. and the National Religious Broadcasters Music License Committee, which will set the rate structure for the webcasters through 2015. An additional agreement signed late Thursday night will be confirmed publicly in coming weeks, officials said Friday. While the rates and terms are specific to each group, they all involve pre-set annual increases to reflect the rising value of sound recordings.

FCC Extends Deadline For Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Fillings

The Federal Communications Commission has extended the deadline for Cox, Bonneville and a handful of others to file waiver requests of amendments to requests related to the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule. The extension is from August 10 to Oct. 9. The FCC has various challenges to the rule pending both before the commission and the court.

FCC: No Change to Hardship Waiver Process for Regulatory Fees

The Federal Communications Commission has decided not to change its hardship waiver process for annual regulatory fees assessed on TV and radio stations, saying it was unnecessary to add layoffs and furloughs to the list and opting for "predictability" over what it said could potentially be a "limitless variety of showings." That was part of the FCC's notice Friday of the new regulatory fee schedule, which includes a 9.6% hike in order to collect the necessary $341,875,000 "required by Congress." Radio fees range from a few hundred dollars in the smallest markets to more than $8,000. TV fees range from $5,950 in markets above 100 to $77,575 in a top-10 market and $60,550 in markets 11-25. Midsized markets (51-100) have to pay $22,950. State broadcast associations had asked the FCC to loosen its waiver standard for financial hardship. They argued that the current economic crisis was "crippling" stations nationwide.

Artists hope bill will make radio stations pay

On August 4, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing on a bill that would require radio stations to pay artists when songs are played over the airwaves. Hundreds of millions of dollars each year could be at play, so the debate over details of the bill has been fierce. But those battles pale in comparison to the PR methods used to fight for or against it. Adding a sense of urgency to the war is the fact that the two combatants -- diskeries and radio stations -- are megabucks operations suffering from plummeting returns. The bill has long been a dream of singers, musicians and record labels, but long opposed by broadcasters.

TV Contestants: Tired, Tipsy and Pushed to Brink

Long workdays and communication blackouts are largely the rule for contestants on reality shows, a highly lucrative genre that has evolved arguably into Hollywood's sweatshop. Unscripted series now account for more than one-quarter of all primetime broadcast programming — and essentially the entire day on cable channels like Discovery, Bravo and A&E. The most popular reality series, "American Idol," has commanded advertising rates as high as $1 million for a 30-second spot. But with no union representation, participants on reality series are not covered by Hollywood workplace rules governing meal breaks, minimum time off between shoots or even minimum wages. Most of them, in fact, receive little to no pay for their work. It can make for a miserable experience but compelling entertainment, creating a sort of televised psychological experiment that keeps contestants off-balance and vulnerable.

Head of English Catholics warns about emails/texting

The head of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales is concerned that excessive use of emails and mobile phone text messaging is creating shallow friendships and undermining community life, according to an interview published on Sunday. Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, also said that popular social networking sites led young people to form "transient relationships" which put them at risk of suicide when they collapsed. "Friendship is not a commodity, friendship is something that is hard work and enduring when it's right," he wrote. The Archbishop, 63, said too much use of electronic information was "dehumanizing," leading to a loss in social skills and the ability to read a person's mood through their body language.

Meredith Attwell Baker Sworn In as FCC Commissioner

New Federal Communications Commission Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker was sworn into office on Friday, July 31. She said she looks "forward to rolling up my sleeves and working on policies and programs that will help build a 21st Century communications infrastructure that can provide sustained economic growth, opportunity and prosperity for the nation, and for all telecommunications users." FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski welcomed Commissioner Baker's "broad and deep experience."

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