July 2014

Analyst: Something Has Got to Give

The rising number of media mergers expected to fall on the Federal Communications Commission’s doorstep could force the regulatory agency to consider blocking at least one of the mega-deals before it, influential media analyst Craig Moffett wrote.

In his report, Moffett noted that all of those deals -- and probably several more that haven’t been announced yet -- trace their reason for being to the enormous scale and power that Comcast/TWC will have over the television and broadband industry. And that, Moffett wrote, is why at least one of them could be blocked by the agency.

But which one will get the boot? Moffett isn’t speculating -- he added that the anti-trust case against Comcast/TWC is weak, the companies’ footprints don’t overlap and no competitor would be eliminated. But he noted the combined company would control about 40% of the broadband customers in the country, a figure that could raise eyebrows.

Growing PBS finds new ways to draw viewers

PBS chief Paula Kerger is proud that the public broadcaster is more popular: It ranked sixth among all networks in prime time last May, up from ninth in 2013 and 12th in 2012. Like its competitors, one way to extend its reach is on-demand viewing, and its online audience (average age: 40) is much younger than its typical crowd.

Hit dramas like Downton Abbey, Sherlock and Call the Midwife have helped expand its reach by drawing in new viewers. So in an experiment, Ken Burns' latest project, 14-hour series The Roosevelts (Theodore, Franklin and Eleanor) will be offered in its entirety for online streaming a day after the first installment airs Sept 14, airing for seven consecutive nights in 2-hour blocks.

How public media collaborations are creating opportunities for local reporting

There are seven Local Journalism Centers scattered throughout the United States. Supported at launch by two-year grants from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the LJCs are designed to foster regional journalistic collaborations, and to allow local reporters to become authorities on subjects of national importance.

They’re also opportunities for local public stations to figure out how to build something sustainable -- both in content and in finances. After five years of trial and error and almost $16 million of investment from CPB, the projects are beginning to stand on their own. According to the executive director of one such LJC, Inside Energy, Alisa Barba, the goal is to ready the work of local stations for national -- and even international -- exposure.

Roberts: AT&T/DirecTV ‘Powerful Combination’

Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts told analysts that he believes AT&T’s pending deal to acquire DirecTV is a “powerful combination,” adding that the $67 billion merger validates the idea that the market is changing rapidly.

Roberts said the two companies are “part of the reason we have lost video subs,” over the past six years. “And it sort of for me validates the changing and dynamic nature of the market that we are living in, the technological changes, the consumer behavior changes that are happening at very fast speeds,” Roberts said.

How The EU's 'Right To Be Forgotten' Rule Is Backfiring Completely

When the European Union's so called "right to be forgotten" policy was instituted in May, news outlets worried that the ruling could have a negative impact on the media.

But according to journalism.co.uk, some publishers are finding the opposite. Some outlets, like the Oxford Mail, expressed concerns that the ruling might be "misused" by criminals and public figures like celebrities and politicians who "want to hide embarrassing stuff."

The Mail saw the link to its story about a man caught shoplifting removed from Google in July. In response, the website published what happened, republished information about the shoplifter, and attracted tens of thousands of new, curious readers.

Verizon's offer: Let us track you, get free stuff

Verizon just announced a new program called "Smart Rewards" that offers customers credit card-style perks like discounts for shopping, travel and dining.

You accrue points through the program by doing things like signing onto the Verizon website, paying your bill online and participating in the company's trade-in program.

The catch? Smart Rewards participants have to sign up for Verizon Selects, a program through which Verizon collects data on your location, Web browsing and mobile app usage for marketing purposes. That data is used in Verizon's "Precision Market Insights" business, which combines information on phone activity with demographic data to generate reports for marketers.

One Million Net Neutrality Comments Vs. $42 Million in ISP Lobbying

Newly released lobbying figures show that broadband providers are still far outpacing Internet companies on spending in DC, as federal regulators consider how to write new rules for Internet lines.

Collectively, Internet service providers (and their trade associations) have spent $42.4 million so far in 2014 on lobbying lawmakers and regulators, according to federal disclosure forms. In the second quarter, Comcast spent $4.45 million on lobbying, while the cable industry’s trade group, the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, spent another $4 million.

The discrepancy between the spending by the two industries -- which is nothing new -- continues to be a potential problem for net neutrality advocates who are hoping to convince federal regulators to adopt strong rules on Internet lines to prevent broadband providers from discriminating against some traffic.

OECD broadband statistics update

Wireless broadband penetration has grown to 72.4% in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) area, according to December 2013 data, meaning there are almost three wireless subscriptions for every four inhabitants.

Wireless broadband subscriptions in the 34-country group were up 14.6% from a year earlier to a total of 910 million, driven by continuing strong demand for smartphones and tablets. Seven countries (Finland, Australia, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Korea and the United States) now lie above the 100% penetration threshold.

Google Must Face Privacy Suit Over Commingled User Data

US District Judge Paul Grewal rejected Google’s bid to dismiss a privacy lawsuit claiming it commingled user data across different products and disclosed that data to advertisers without permission.

Saying his decision was a close call, Judge Grewal ruled that Google must face breach of contract and fraud claims by users of Android-powered devices who had downloaded at least one Android application through Google Play.

Other parts of the lawsuit were dismissed, including claims brought on behalf of account users who switched to non-Android devices from Android devices after Google changed its privacy policy in 2012 to allow the commingling.

European Union Prepares to Step Up Google Investigations

European Union antitrust regulators are preparing to step up their investigations into Google on several fronts, including revisiting a proposed settlement over its search-engine practices that has met with unprecedented opposition.

The European Commission is likely to revise some terms of a settlement announced in February, aimed at dealing with concerns that the company abuses its dominance of online searches in Europe, a person with knowledge of the situation said.

The antitrust probes are only one element of a number of challenges faced by Google in Europe, where the company has faced allegations over issues ranging from corporate taxes to copyright issues to data privacy.

The commission is also deepening a second line of investigation into Google's business practices relating to its Android operating system for mobile phones. The Android inquiry isn't yet a formal investigation, but it is likely to become one, the person said.

Benton

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