September 2009

McDowell Still Concerned About 'Fairness Doctrine," Indecency

Speaking to the National Religious Broadcasters, Federal Communications Commission member Robert McDowell said he will continue to speak out about his concerns that the Fairness Doctrine could return in another guise. He's concerned that "a series of new broadcast regulations, operating in tandem, could achieve the old Doctrine's 'viewpoint balancing' objective through a different route." "If, for instance, the Commission were to require stations to fill out content-prescriptive disclosure forms that hinted at the government's programming preference, then coupled that action with shorter license terms and mandated community advisory boards empowered to shape programming decisions, wouldn't we be back to where we were before 1987?" Commissioner McDowell also suggested that the FCC should not wait while the courts sort out challenges to its indecency enforcement policies, a process that could take a couple of years. "Whether you are a broadcaster or complaining consumer, I hope that you agree that acting on indecency cases is something we are paid by the American taxpayers to do. It is our job, and we should do it." He said Congress' passage in 2006 of a bill to boost indecency fines ten-fold was a clear sign from the people's directly elected representatives that the FCC should "make some tough decisions."

McDowell says FCC has not forgotten broadcasting, diversity

Speaking to the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters, Federal Communications Commission member Robert McDowell outlined a number of efforts the FCC is making in the broadcast arena including diversity initiatives. One rule bars broadcasters from accepting advertising that comes to them as part of a "no urban/no Spanish" media-buying campaign. Several measures are designed to help "eligible entities" enter and succeed in broadcasting, such as easing rules to encourage greater investment in such licensees. Commissioner McDowell also expressed interest in working with Congress to explore the details of a new tax certificate program to promote broadcast ownership by economically disadvantaged businesses.

Bondholders to See Tribune Documents

Some bondholders of Tribune Company are being granted access to legal documents to investigate the debt-laden sale of the media company in 2007 to the real estate investor Sam Zell. Tribune and a committee of unsecured creditors, some of whom were the architects of the buyout, agreed late on Wednesday to provide the requested documents to the bondholders. Tribune creditors blame the leveraged buyout for driving the Tribune into bankruptcy a year after the sale. The Law Debenture Trust Company, which says it represents 18 percent of Tribune bondholders, will now have immediate access to previously denied documents and e-mail messages related to the sale, according to the Trust's lead lawyer, David S. Rosner. On Thursday, a bankruptcy court cancelled a hearing on tribune.

Tribune gets OK for Cubs sale

Federal Bankruptcy Judge Kevin Carey cleared the way Thursday for the Tribune Co. to sell the Chicago Cubs and the storied Wrigley Field to the family of billionaire and longtime fan Joe Ricketts. He authorized Tribune to sell the family a 95 percent stake in the team, the stadium and related sports properties for $845 million. The deal also needs approval from three-quarters of Major League Baseball's 30 team owners. The owners have not scheduled a vote on the Cubs sale, although one could come as soon as their meeting in November. The Tribune plan calls for a separate bankruptcy filing by Chicago National League Ball Club, an affiliate not involved in Tribune's current Chapter 11 case. The Cubs bankruptcy proceedings should last only a few days but is needed to ensure that sale is free of all liens and claims and that existing contracts can be transferred to the new owner. Chicago-based Tribune, which owns the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, other newspapers and TV properties, bought the Cubs in 1981 from candy maker Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. for $20.5 million.

Training is key to schools' digital media use

Educators need to embrace Web 2.0 technologies in schools, but they should be given adequate professional development to ensure they learn the proper ways to engage their students through digital media, said experts at a Sept. 21 Capitol Hill briefing. That was the general consensus of the panel members, which included representatives from the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN), Common Sense Media, the National Writing Project, and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, as well as school teachers, administrators, and students. Julia Stasch, vice president of U.S. programs for the MacArthur Foundation -- which is in the middle of a five-year, $50 million effort to study the impact of digital media on youth culture and learning--said learning is becoming increasingly participatory. "Digital media are not only changing how young people are accessing and sharing new knowledge, they are extending the classroom to more informal and unconventional spaces, such as libraries, museums, and even online communities," she said. "Our support for the field of digital media and learning is designed to help these institutions take advantage of the learning opportunities presented by digital media and to help build an infrastructure for successful teaching and learning in the 21st century."

e-Rate wants to be user friendly

When the filing window opens later this fall, applicants will find no major changes to next year's e-Rate, the $2.25 billion-a-year federal program that provides discounts on telecommunications services to eligible schools and libraries. What they will find instead is a program that is more dedicated to helping e-Rate newcomers -- as many as half of all applicants are in their first year of experience with the program -- understand how to apply for their share of funding assistance quickly and efficiently. Mel Blackwell, vice president of the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), the agency that administers the e-Rate, said USAC will focus on helping applicants understand the e-Rate process and what is required of them and will spotlight ways in which coordinators can succeed with their e-Rate applications. "We realized that some people spend an inordinate amount of time trying to get through the process," he said. "So many people are new to the process--anywhere from 35 to 50 percent [each year]--and have it as a new assignment."

Bloggers Focus on Obama and Race

From public protests to race to health care, domestic issues dominated the commentary from bloggers last week. Combined, the three topics made up almost half (46%) of the links the week of September 14-18, according to the New Media Index from the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism. It was not a discussion of the issues themselves, however, but a debate about the motives and extent of the President's opposition that drove the conversation online. That debate was triggered by a remark about race and politics, a large protest in Washington DC and a censure of a Congressman who heckled Obama. The events and ensuing commentary rolled out sequentially during the course of the week.

Telework expansion could save money and diversify hiring pool

Security concerns and the limitations of existing technology shouldn't prevent agencies from expanding telework programs, Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry and federal Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra said at a conference in Washington on Thursday. "What I do not wish to accept is that the conversation ends at 'We have security concerns, let's not proceed further on discussions of telework,' " said Chopra, who helped implement Virginia's telework program in his former role as the commonwealth's technology secretary. "We are hungry to bring the private sector's best practices into our operations.... There are a wide range of technologies, both existing and emerging, that would help to move the ball forward in many of these circumstances." Berry told participants at the Telework Exchange's town hall-style meeting that as part of regularly scheduled technology upgrades at OPM, staff had switched from cumbersome desktop computers to laptops with built-in broadband cards, making it much easier for them to work remotely. Berry said the transition was prompted both by the desire to expand the agency's telework capacity and by suggestions from younger workers who are part of an OPM team examining recruiting and outreach strategies.

Coalition pushes for more healthcare IT legislation

The Health IT Now! Coalition announced Wednesday that it will continue to push lawmakers to include measures to promote healthcare IT in any healthcare reform legislation up for consideration. Leaders of the non-profit organization dedicated to educating lawmakers and the public on the benefits of healthcare IT said they hope this week's National Health IT Week in Washington (DC). will re-energize policymakers to consider legislation with health IT applications. "Expanding health IT saves money, saves lives and improves care." said Joel White, executive director of the coalition. "We are encouraged Congress is providing additional changes to incent the adoption and use of health IT. We're encouraging them to go even further. The clear evidence is health IT bends the growth curve in the right way, while improving care and reducing medical errors. This is exactly what needs to be part of health reform."

Microsoft study says white spaces worth over $100 billion

A study commissioned by Microsoft Corp. estimates that the unlicensed "white spaces" spectrum coveted by the software giant and other technology companies could be worth more than $100 billion over the next 15 years. The study, by consultant Richard Thanki of Perspective Associates, suggests that by augmenting current unlicensed wireless networks, such as Wi-Fi hot spots, the white spaces could generate between $3.9 billion and $7.3 billion in value annually over 15 years. That would be the result of increased use of consumer electronics and other factors, according to the study. In his study, Thanki writes that white spaces spectrum offers a broader range than a typical Wi-Fi connection. A single Wi-Fi access point enhanced by the white spaces could "fully cover a large building and the neighboring grounds and areas," he writes. In addition, use of the white spaces could lower the cost of providing Internet access in rural areas, Thanki writes.

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