November 2016

November 22, 2016 (Trump Summons TV Figures)

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2016

Follow all the Transition news at https://www.benton.org/taxonomy/term/16241

ELECTIONS & MEDIA
   FEC questions President-elect Trump donations worth $1.3 Million [links to Benton summary]
   Low Marks for Major Players in 2016 Election – Including the Winner - Pew research
   One Thing Voters Agree On: Better Campaign Coverage Was Needed - NYT editorial
   TV still the top source for election results, but digital platforms rise - Pew research [links to Benton summary]
   The Presidential Polls Weren’t As Wrong as the Interpreters [links to ProPublica]
   Trump’s ‘Access Hollywood’ Video Generated FCC Indecency Complaints [links to Morning Consult]
   What’s next for Pantsuit Nation, the pro-Clinton Facebook group with over 3 million members? [links to Verge, The]
   Megyn Kelly: ‘TV hosts’ colluded with Trump to fake tough coverage [links to Washington Post]
   Google Search Results Can Lean Liberal, Study Finds [links to Benton summary]

INTERNET/BROADBAND
   13% of Americans don’t use the internet. Until a few months ago, I was one of them. - Vox op-ed
   Aggregating Lifeline Broadband Subscribers FAQ - NDIA press release
    2017 Digital Inclusion Leadership Awards – applications are now open [links to Next Century Cities]
   Comcast Bumps Broadband Speeds in Several Markets [links to Benton summary]
   Sen Sanders introducing infrastructure bill in 2017 [links to Hill, The]

WIRELESS/SPECTRUM
   How AT&T defends its free data policy to skeptical regulators
   5G will require full convergence between licensed, unlicensed tech: report [links to Benton summary]
   IDC: Used Mobile Phone Market to Reach 222.6 Million Units by 2020 [links to telecompetitor]
   The Dark Origins of the Gold in Your Smartphone [links to Technology Review]
   Apple Abandons Development of Wireless Routers [links to Bloomberg]

TELECOM
Robocallers Face Growing International Alliance [links to Federal Communications Commission]
DC Circuit Vacates FCC OTT VoIP Order on End Office Access Charges - CommLawBlog analysis [links to Benton summary]

SECURITY/PRIVACY
   Privacy Order Would Hike Broadband Prices - Multichannel News op-ed
   Google, ACLU call to delay government hacking rule
   President Obama says he can’t pardon Edward Snowden [links to Benton summary]
   Facebook, Google and now Verizon are accelerating their tracking efforts despite consumers’ privacy concerns - Vox op-ed [links to Benton summary]
   Influencers: Trump won’t improve cybersecurity [links to Christian Science Monitor]

TELEVISION
   Oracle to FCC: Don't Hand Google Keys to Kingdom [links to Broadcasting&Cable]
   Upholding the Value of Broadcast Localism in the U.S. Virgin Islands -Commissioner Clyburn [links to Federal Communications Commission]
   The Executioner's Song: Why the Networks Stopped Cancelling New Shows [links to AdAge]

OWNERSHIP
   Verizon's XO Communications acquisition clears FCC’s approval [links to Benton summary]
   Sprint wants majority stake in Kroger's i-wireless [links to Benton summary]
   LifeLock shares jump on $2.3-billion deal with Symantec [links to Washington Post]
   Oracle buys Dyn, notorious victim of cyber attack [links to USAToday]
   AT&T Makes Fox Deal Including DirecTV Now [links to Broadcasting&Cable]
   Amazon Explores Possible Premium Sports Package With Prime Membership [links to Wall Street Journal]

CONTENT
   FTC Approves Final Order Requiring Warner Bros. to Disclose Payments to Online Influencers [links to Federal Trade Commission]
   Global Over-the-Top Content Revenues to Reach $53.2 Billion by Year-End [links to telecompetitor]
   Margaret Sullivan: Call it a ‘crazy idea,’ Facebook, but you need an executive editor [links to Washington Post]

JOURNALISM
   Stop Beating up on Journalism. Let’s Revive It. - New America [links to Benton summary]
   Standing taller because of Gwen Ifill [links to Washington Post]
   America's fake news problem predates Facebook - Vox op-ed [links to Benton summary]
   In Trump territory, local press tries to distance itself from national media [links to Benton summary]
   The Center for Investigative Reporting recalibrates to cover Trump [links to Columbia Journalism Review]

EDUCATION
Skills in the digital age—How should education systems evolve? - Brookings analysis [links to Benton summary]

HEALTH
Vivek Wadhwa: Fake news is just the beginning [links to Washington Post]

DIVERSITY
Yes, the Internet is a scarier place for women than for men [links to Washington Post]

LABOR
   Sen Hatch Backs H-1B Visas as Tech Frets Over Trump Immigration Policy [links to Morning Consult]
   Are technology and globalization destined to drive up inequality? - Brookings analysis [links to Benton summary]
   How Google Is Anti-employment Anti-property and Pro-regulation [links to Scott Cleland]

GOVERNMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
   Hackers can now report bugs in Defense Dept. websites without fear of prosecution [links to Benton summary]
   Patent Office Joins Open Source Movement [links to nextgov]
   Talent Gap Is a Main Roadblock as Agencies Eye Emerging Tech [links to Government Technology]

POLICYMAKERS
President Obama Announces Nominations for National Museum and Library Services Board, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Trustees [links to White House, The]
FCC Press Secretary Kim Hart Exiting [links to Benton summary]

COMPANY NEWS
NBC Owned Stations, Foundation Award $1.2 Million in Grants [links to Broadcasting&Cable]
BuzzFeed Gets Another $200 Million From NBCUniversal [links to Wrap, The]

STORIES FROM ABROAD
US concerned over Russia blocking access to LinkedIn [links to Reuters]
India's Cash Crunch Drives Fresh Interest in Digital Finance [links to International Telecommunication Union]

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TRUMP TRANSITION

TRUMP AND THE PRESS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Michael Grynbaum, Sydney Ember]
It had all the trappings of a high-level rapprochement: President-elect Donald Trump, now the nation’s press critic in chief, inviting the leading anchors and executives of television news to join him for a private meeting of minds. On-air stars like Lester Holt, Charlie Rose, George Stephanopoulos and Wolf Blitzer headed to Trump Tower for the off-the-record gathering, typically the kind of event where journalists and politicians clear the air after a hard-fought campaign. Instead, the president-elect delivered a defiant message: You got it all wrong. President-elect Trump, whose antagonism toward the news media was unusual even for a modern presidential candidate, described the television networks as dishonest in their reporting and shortsighted in missing the signs of his upset victory. He criticized some in the room by name, including CNN’s president, Jeffrey Zucker, according to multiple people briefed on the meeting who were granted anonymity to describe confidential discussions. It seemed the meeting was being used as a political prop, especially after Trump-friendly news outlets trumpeted the session as a take-no-prisoners move by a brave president-elect.
benton.org/headlines/president-elect-trump-summons-tv-figures-private-meeting-and-lets-them-have-it | New York Times | Politico | The Wrap
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TRUMP’S TELECOM ADVISORS
[SOURCE: Vox, AUTHOR: April Glaser]
While the president-elect railed against companies like NBCUniversal and Amazon for being too big and threatened antitrust action during his campaign, the advisers President-elect Trump named to help oversee his Federal Communications Commission and Justice Department transitions have a history of being very pro-industry and anti-regulation, particularly when it comes to mergers. That’s good news for AT&T’s $85 billion bid for Time Warner, despite what President-elect Trump said on the campaign trail. The merger is currently under review by antitrust regulators at the Justice Department, where a decision will probably not be reached until President Trump is in office. Jeff Eisenach, who President-elect Trump officially named to help transition the FCC, has supported major media mergers proposed in recent years. When Comcast was considering a Time Warner takeover in 2013, Eisenach wrote, “The best thing that could happen for U.S. consumers would be substantial consolidation in the cable business.” And when AT&T wanted to purchase T-Mobile in 2011, Eisenach likewise argued in favor of the merger, pointing out, "The wireless market is extremely competitive.” Mark Jamison, the person Trump named to help with the FCC transition, also argued in favor of the AT&T and T-Mobile merger. Of Trump’s three new advisers for the transition of the Justice Department — J. Patrick Rowan, Jessie Liu and Ronald Tenpas — none specialize in mergers and acquisitions, but all three have extensive experience in helping large, private companies navigate the US regulatory landscape. Rowan has helped counsel at least one sale of a US telecom company to a foreign buyer.
benton.org/headlines/trumps-new-telecom-advisers-are-good-sign-att-and-time-warner-deal-despite-his-threats | Vox
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COULD TRUMP BRING BACK THE FAIRNESS DOCTRINE?
[SOURCE: Politico, AUTHOR: Li Zhou]
President-elect Donald Trump tweeted his critique of the newest “Saturday Night Live” sketch about him, calling out the show for being "biased" — and for not dedicating enough time to skewering both sides (presumably) of the political spectrum. “I watched parts of @nbcsnl Saturday Night Live last night. It is a totally one-sided, biased show — nothing funny at all,” he wrote, adding, “Equal time for us?" If that sentiment sounds familiar, it’s because the idea of requiring television programs to provide “equal time” for opposing political viewpoints was a key tenet of the Fairness Doctrine, an extinct Federal Communications Commission policy introduced in 1949. It held that television and radio stations with FCC-issued licenses needed to air both perspectives when shows addressed controversial issues like politics. The Fairness Doctrine was discontinued in 1987 and its language was officially erased from the books in 2011. The push against resurrecting the policy has come from both sides of the aisle, with former FCC Commissioner Julius Genachowski arguing that it could “chill” free speech and Republicans expressing concerns that such regulations would put an end to programs like right-wing talk radio. The FCC continues to have an Equal Time rule, which ensures that a competing political candidate can get even exposure on a radio or television program if they want it. As Alec Baldwin pointed out in a response to Trump’s tweet, that rule does not apply to elected officials.
benton.org/headlines/could-trump-bring-back-fairness-doctrine | Politico
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TRUMP'S CIA DIRECTOR WANTS TO RETURN TO A PRE-SNOWDEN WORLD
[SOURCE: The Atlantic, AUTHOR: Kaveh Waddell]
Rep Mike Pompeo (R-KS), the man that President-elect Donald Trump chose to lead the CIA when he becomes president, has long been a vocal supporter of expanding the government’s surveillance powers. As Congress worked to wind down the National Security Agency’s bulk data-collection program in the summer of 2016, rolling back one of the secret measures first authorized under President George W. Bush, Rep Pompeo, who sits on the House Intelligence Committee, was pushing back. In an op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal this January, Rep Pompeo argued forcefully against “blunting” the government’s surveillance powers and called for “a fundamental upgrade to America’s surveillance capabilities.” In the piece, he laid out a road map for expanding surveillance. "Congress should pass a law re-establishing collection of all metadata, and combining it with publicly available financial and lifestyle information into a comprehensive, searchable database. Legal and bureaucratic impediments to surveillance should be removed. That includes Presidential Policy Directive-28, which bestows privacy rights on foreigners and imposes burdensome requirements to justify data collection,"he wrote. In a break with other national-security hawks, however, Rep Pompeo wrote that mandating backdoors that would allow the government to access encrypted communications would “do little good.” He argued, as most technologists who promote encryption do, that weakening digital security in the United States would just push bad actors to switch to foreign-made or homegrown software.
benton.org/headlines/president-elect-trumps-cia-director-wants-return-pre-snowden-world | Atlantic, The | Rep Pompeo January Op-Ed
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TRUMP'S PICK FOR AG COULD BE BAD FOR SILICON VALLEY
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Andrea Peterson]
President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general probably wouldn’t have been the tech industry’s first choice. Sen Jeff Sessions (R-AL) is on the opposite side of several issues that are close to Silicon Valley’s heart and related to the Justice Department. Here are some key areas where tech giants could clash with Sen Sessions if his nomination is successful:
Encryption: When Apple and the Department of Justice faced off over an encrypted iPhone used by one of the shooters in a mass killing in San Bernardino (CA), the tech industry rallied around Apple. But Sen Sessions came out strong on the government’s side.
E-mail privacy: Reforming the Electronic Communications Privacy Act to require the government to get a warrant to search the contents of your inbox is something Congress (and the public) generally supports — even if they haven’t managed to get it done yet. But earlier in 2016, Sen Sessions proposed an amendment to an ECPA reform bill that alarmed some privacy advocates.
Immigration: Sen Sessions is a longtime proponent of more limits on immigration. In October, he suggested that the United States may want to do away with the H-1B visa program, which allows companies to recruit foreign workers if they can’t fill positions domestically. That puts him at odds with the tech industry, which generally wants to expand that program. In fact, a group backed by Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg called FWD.us supports immigration reform — including more H-1B visas. In 2014, an ad campaign from the group rattled Sen Sessions so much that he lashed out at Zuckerberg during a speech on the Senate floor.
benton.org/headlines/president-elect-trumps-pick-attorney-general-could-be-bad-news-silicon-valley | Washington Post
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WHY NEW ADMINISTRATION SHOULD CARE ABOUT TECH ACCESS FOR ALL
[SOURCE: Brookings, AUTHOR: Nicol Turner-Lee]
A progressive technology agenda was promoted and executed over the last eight years, and in spite of party differences, the new Trump Administration might want to adopt these actions. Issues that include network neutrality, spectrum, Lifeline modernization, patent reform, Internet of things, smart cities, along with the current digital inclusion initiatives, such as ConnectAll, ConnectEd, and ConnectHome, have all been part of the Obama Administration’s efforts to foster competitive, sustainable, and inclusive information policies. And given the highly rural demographic composition of Trump voters, the new administration should consider many of these and other new tech policy initiatives that will directly benefit their constituents, particularly those related to broadband deployment, adoption, and use.
benton.org/headlines/why-new-administration-should-care-about-technology-access-all | Brookings
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ELECTIONS & MEDIA

LOW MARKS FOR MAJOR PLAYERS IN 2016 ELECTION
[SOURCE: Pew Research Center, AUTHOR: ]
When voters are asked to grade the candidates, parties and press on how they conducted themselves during the presidential campaign, they award the lowest grades for nearly all involved since the quadrennial post-election surveys began in 1988. A 57% majority of voters say news organizations had too much influence on the outcome of 2016’s presidential election, while 13% say the press had too little influence and 27% say the press had the right amount of influence. The share saying news organizations had too much influence on the outcome of the presidential election is the highest it has been since 2000, while the share of those saying the press had about the right amount of influence is the lowest in Pew Research Center polling going back to 1992. About four-in-ten voters (39%) say the press was too tough in the way it covered Donald Trump’s campaign, while 32% say it was fair and 27% say it was too easy. Overall, voters were more likely to say the press was too easy on Hillary Clinton: 45% say this, while 21% say it was too tough on her and 33% say it was fair. That the press is viewed by voters as having been easier on Clinton and harder on Trump is largely the result of higher levels of press criticism among Trump voters than Clinton voters: About three-quarters of Trump voters say both that the press was too tough on him (74%) and too easy on her (78%). By contrast, Clinton voters are roughly as likely to say the press treated Trump fairly as they are to say it was too easy on him (49% vs. 44%). And while 37% of Clinton voters say the press was too tough on their candidate, half (50%) say she was treated fairly.
benton.org/headlines/low-marks-major-players-2016-election-including-winner | Pew Research Center | Washington Post
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ONE THING VOTERS AGREE ON: BETTER CAMPAIGN COVERAGE WAS NEEDED
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Liz Spayd]
[Commentary] Since the election, I have been on the phone with many Times readers around the country to discuss their concerns about The Times’s coverage of the presidential election. The number of complaints coming into the public editor’s office is five times the normal level, and the pace has only just recently tapered off. My colleague Thomas Feyer, who oversees the letters to the editor, says the influx from readers is one of the largest since Sept. 11. Many people are commenting on the election, but many are venting about The Times’s coverage. Readers are also taking to the comments section of Times articles to talk about it, says the community editor, Bassey Etim. From my conversations with readers, and from the e-mails that have come into my office, I can tell you there is a searing level of dissatisfaction out there with many aspects of the coverage.
[Liz Spayd is the public editor for the New York Times]
benton.org/headlines/one-thing-voters-agree-better-campaign-coverage-was-needed | New York Times | The Hill
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INTERNET/BROADBAND

13% OF AMERICANS DON'T USE THE INTERNET. I WAS ONE OF THEM.
[SOURCE: Vox, AUTHOR: Marvia Applewhite]
[Commentary] It took me until 2016 to learn how to use the Internet and get my first smartphone, both at the age of 68. It may sound strange to you that I’ve gone this long without Internet access, but I’m not alone — studies show that 13 percent of Americans don’t use the Internet. Why did it take me so long to get online? The issue isn't that I didn't have easy access to an Internet connection. I live in Washington (DC), a big city with plenty of service providers and free Wi-Fi at the local Starbucks. Nor is it that I'm too old — yes, I'm a senior citizen, but I had plenty of opportunities in my younger years to get online. It's more complicated than any one reason. The truth is I just never thought the Internet was for me. I never needed to learn it on the job working security in a correctional facility and at various DC government buildings. Overall, learning how to use the Internet has been a joyous experience for me.
[Marvia Applewhite lives in Washington, DC. Marvia learned how to use computers at Byte Back, a nonprofit that provides computer and career training to underserved DC residents. She hopes this article will encourage others her age to get educated and embrace and challenge the new world system instead of just settling.]
benton.org/headlines/13-americans-dont-use-internet-until-few-months-ago-i-was-one-them | Vox
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AGGREGATING LIFELINE BROADBAND SUBSCRIBERS FAQ
[SOURCE: National Digital Inclusion Alliance, AUTHOR: Angela Siefer]
The Federal Communications Commission's March 31, 2016 Order that modernized Lifeline to include broadband service included references to the FCC working with the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) when implementing the National Verifier (an online platform that will verify eligibility) "to provide Lifeline providers with guidance and procedures for creating aggregation projects and for enrolling subscribers in aggregation projects". A footnote on page 55 of the Order states "USAC will not fund consumer outreach efforts but may provide administration and expertise to community-based organizations, housing associations, and institutions seeking to coordinate the aggregation of benefits." The National Verifier will not be ready for multiple years. Until then, Internet Service Providers of Lifeline Broadband and community-based organizations, housing associations and institutions may develop agreements to cooperatively aggregate eligible households of Lifeline Broadband service.
benton.org/headlines/aggregating-lifeline-broadband-subscribers-faq | National Digital Inclusion Alliance
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SECURITY/PRIVACY

PRIVACY ORDER WOULD HIKE BROADBAND PRICES
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Michael Horney]
[Commentary] On Oct 27, the Federal Communications Commission adopted a Report and Order purporting to “protect the privacy of customers of broadband and other telecommunications services." The rules require consumers to affirmatively opt-in before Internet-service providers (ISPs) can collect "customer proprietary information," which applies to information that the ISP "acquires in connection with its provision of telecommunications service." As FCC Commissioner Michael O'Rielly discussed, because ISPs need consumer information in order to offer targeted benefits, these regulations simply raise the costs for ISPs to engage in online advertising, zero-rated programming or other targeted consumer offerings. Consumers who choose not to opt in will be confused because edge providers will continue to collect their information and sell it to ISPs. And it's likely ISPs will increase the price of broadband service to cover the costs of purchasing consumer data from edge providers.
[Michael J. Horney is a research associate at the Free State Foundation.]
benton.org/headlines/privacy-order-would-hike-broadband-prices | Multichannel News
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GOOGLE, ACLU CALL TO DELAY GVT HACKING RULE
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Ali Breland]
A coalition of 26 organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Google, signed a letter asking lawmakers to delay a measure that would expand the government’s hacking authority. The letter asks Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), plus House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to further review proposed changes to Rule 41 and delay its implementation until July 1, 2017. The Department of Justice’s alterations to the rule would allow law enforcement to use a single warrant to hack multiple devices beyond the jurisdiction that the warrant was issued in.
benton.org/headlines/google-aclu-call-delay-government-hacking-rule | Hill, The
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WIRELESS/SPECTRUM

HOW ATT DEFENDS ITS FREE DATA POLICY TO SKEPTICAL REGULATORS
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Fung]
Parent company AT&T is defending a feature with DirecTV before regulators who said in Nov that they harbor “serious concerns” about the practice, in a fight over how consumers get to experience video on their mobile devices. The program allows consumers to watch as much DirecTV as they want on their AT&T cellphone plans without that consumption eating into customers' monthly data allotments. The exemptions, which AT&T will also apply to its new streaming video app, DirecTV Now, are perfectly good for consumers, the company said in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission. “Consumers have enthusiastically embraced Data Free TV,” the letter reads. (AT&T owns DirecTV.) As AT&T uses Data Free TV to promote its proprietary services to consumers, other companies could be harmed by the move, critics have said. For example, if Netflix refused to play on AT&T's terms, consumers who watched “Orange is the New Black” on AT&T's data network could find that they were depleting their available data. This would lead to DirecTV having an advantage over Netflix. And the gap would become even more pronounced for smaller media and Internet companies, skeptics say. In its letter, AT&T responded to those claims by arguing that its practice of exempting DirecTV is good for consumers and that it doesn't exclusively benefit its own bottom line. “AT&T makes its sponsored data program available to all content providers on the same terms and conditions,” the letter said. “In fact, AT&T went further in meeting the nondiscrimination requirement than traditional law would require.”
benton.org/headlines/how-att-defends-its-free-data-policy-skeptical-regulators | Washington Post
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Analysis

November 2016

Freedom Online: The Global Rise in Intentional Internet Disruptions

Internet of Things Security and Privacy Recommendations

Sen McCain dismisses Russian impact on election, stresses need for cyber committee

The Crisis We All Face: We Have to Fix the News

As President-Elect, Trump Uses YouTube, Twitter to Cut Out the Press

Will Fox News be a talent pool for the Trump administration?

November 22, 2016 (Trump Summons TV Figures)

President-elect Trump Summons TV Figures for Private Meeting, and Lets Them Have It

Kellyanne Conway: Trump didn't 'explode in anger' during media meeting

President-elect Trump lays out agenda for first days in the White House