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CHILDREN & MEDIA
TV Really Might Cause Autism
Review Of Kids Ad Rules Getting Messy
Mickey Holds Health Banner High
Redstone to Regulators: Stay Out of Our Homes
McDowell Offers Content-Regulation Carrot/Stick
In shadows of Net, war on child porn rages
Final Answer: Vietnam
TELEVISION
Disability Rights Groups ask FCC for Emergency Stay on Closed
Captioning Ruling
Broadcasters Agitate For Broader DTV Box Subsidy
Fox News Gets Big Hike in Cablevision Renewal
Time Warner Crunches the Numbers
MEDIA & ELECTIONS
As Talk Radio Wavers, Bush Moves to Firm Up Support
Politicians' campaigns invade MySpace
QUICKLY -- FCC Commissioners Talk Diversity in NYC; Oops:
AT&T/BellSouth Forgets Net Neutrality; Weighing the merits of the new
Webocracy; Nominations for Commercial Mobile Service Alert Advisory
Committee; Why Putin's Telecom Minister Is in Investigators' Sights
Abroad; FTC Hangs Up on Telemarketers' Pitch
CHILDREN & MEDIA
TV REALLY MIGHT CAUSE AUTISM
[SOURCE: Slate, AUTHOR: Gregg Easterbrook]
[Commentary] Cornell University researchers are reporting what
appears to be a statistically significant relationship between autism
rates and television watching by children under the age of 3. The
researchers studied autism incidence in California, Oregon,
Pennsylvania, and Washington state. They found that as cable
television became common in California and Pennsylvania beginning
around 1980, childhood autism rose more in the counties that had
cable than in the counties that did not. They further found that in
all the Western states, the more time toddlers spent in front of the
television, the more likely they were to exhibit symptoms of autism
disorders. Because autism rates are increasing broadly across the
country and across income and ethnic groups, it seems logical that
the trigger is something to which children are broadly exposed.
Vaccines were a leading suspect, but numerous studies have failed to
show any definitive link between autism and vaccines, while the
autism rise has continued since worrisome compounds in vaccines were
banned. What if the malefactor is not a chemical? Studies suggest
that American children now watch about four hours of television
daily. Before 1980 -- the first kids-oriented channel, Nickelodeon,
dates to 1979 -- the figure is believed to have been much lower.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/link/?id=7341
REVIEW OF KIDS AD RULES GETTING MESSY
[SOURCE: BrandWeek, AUTHOR: Jim Edwards]
The Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU) is having difficulty
drafting new guidelines for marketers who target kids, sources said.
The major sticking point: grocery brands and certain fast-food
companies have adopted positions that are irreconcilable. Grocery
brands (such as Kraft, PepsiCo and Mars) are prepared to accept much
more stringent restrictions on kids' marketing than fast-feeders
(like McDonald's and Burger King). A failure by CARU to get its
members to agree on new voluntary rules could invite intervention
from the federal government, or companies could abandon CARU
altogether. The main industry regulator for children's marketers,
CARU began a "complete review" of ad rules in February. At the time,
CARU -- a unit of the Council of Better Business Bureaus -- said it
believed the process would take 90-120 days. It has so far taken
twice that long.
http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=10032...
MICKEY HOLDS HEALTH BANNER HIGH
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
On Monday, FCC Commissioner Deborah Tate praised Disney's
announcement of new dietary guidelines for its brand. Disney says
that, over the next two years as its various licensing deals come up,
it plans to use its "name and characters only on kid-focused products
that meet specific guidelines, including limits on calories, fat,
saturated fat and sugar." "Today is a great day for American
families," said Tate. "As an FCC Commissioner and parent, I am
pleased that Disney is demonstrating its commitment to being a part
of the solution to the epidemic of obesity in America, especially as
it relates to our most precious resource -- our children."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6381659.html?display=Breaking...
* Commissioner Tate's statement
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-267909A1.doc
* Disney Says It Will Link Marketing to Nutrition
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/business/media/17disney.html
* Disney Pulls Its Characters From Junk Food
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116101363173993975.html?mod=todays_us_pe...
* Disney to Cut Back on Junk-Food Marketing
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR200610...
* Disney Cleans Plate of Junk Food
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-disney17oct17,1,53387...
REDSTONE TO REGULATORS: STAY OUT OF OUR HOMES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Media Companies are living in fear, their programs under assault by
people who may not have even seen them and by regulators who dictate
business models "that will do more harm than good." That was the
message being brought to Washington Monday by Viacom Chairman Sumner
Redstone, recipient of The Media Institute's Freedom of Speech award.
According to an advance copy of his speech to the Friends &
Benefactors Banquet, Redstone wants them to know that the fear of an
FCC content crackdown is taking its toll in self-censorship. He
points to several examples, including 11% of CBS affiliates
pre-empting or moving the 9/11 documentary re-airing. Redstone wants
regulators to help spread the word about the content-control power
viewers already have, but to "stay out of their homes."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6381508.html?display=Breaking...
MCDOWELL OFFERS CONTENT-REG CARROT/STICK
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell took the opportunity of a keynote
speech to a Media Institute dinner in Washington Monday night to make
the point that the free speech being celebrated at the dinner has a
matching responsibility. "For each right, an obligation," he said
,before putting a finer point on it: Control content or government
will almost certainly do it for you. In his first speech on the issue
of content control, McDowell called for private-sector solutions but
brandished the stick behind the carrot. Commissioner McDowell
espoused a general free-market philosophy that resonated with the
industry crowd, saying that the government should get out of the way
and remove barriers to entry, "trusting free people acting within
free markets to make better decisions than government." But there are
times, he said, when the government should address market failure,
applying narrowly tailored remedies. He suggested, without explicitly
saying it, that a lack of self-regulation of content would be such a
failure. "We must be careful not to abuse our freedoms he said,
adding that as parents of two young children--with a third on the
way--he and his wife think about how the media will "shape them" and
their values.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6381706.html?display=Breaking...
IN SHADOWS OF NET, WAR ON CHILD PORN RAGES
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Wendy Koch]
As pedophiles swarm the Internet, an unprecedented war against child
pornography is intensifying. Internet service providers such as AOL
are using sophisticated technology to identify porn sites. Credit
card companies are tracking purchases. More police detectives are
posing as minors online.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061017/a_childporn17.art.htm
FINAL ANSWER: VIETNAM
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Don Lee]
Vietnam is awash in television game shows. Its eight major TV
stations air more than 50 of them, many in prime time. There are
programs geared toward children, or teens, or seniors. Some cater to
niche audiences, such as the show that tests soldiers on military
life -- still revered in this nominally communist nation. The game
shows reflect Vietnam's rapid economic development. In the last
decade, a middle class has emerged. Pit toilets are giving way to
modern conveniences, cars are replacing motorcycles, and 90% of
Vietnamese households have television sets. Game shows are helping to
influence Vietnam's first TV generation just as television
transformed American culture in the 1950s. In a society where
education is seen as the way to economic freedom, Vietnamese say
these TV programs serve as mass education. They are teaching people
about world history, healthful living and modern lifestyles. Some
fear emergence of a couch-potato nation.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-fi-vietgames17oct17,1,...
(requires registration)
TELEVISION
DISABILITY RIGHTS GROUPS ASK FCC FOR EMERGENCY STAY ON CLOSED CAPTIONING RULING
[SOURCE: Lasar's Letter on the FCC 10/15, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
Seven leading disability advocates have asked the Federal
Communications Commission to set aside a recent move making it easier
for non-profit TV broadcasters to avoid providing closed-captioning
for the deaf. The FCC "departed from long practice and improperly
established a new class of programming that is exempt from the closed
captioning requirements without proper notice and comment," charge
the groups in a emergency stay petition filed on October 12th. They
include the National Association for the Deaf, the Hearing Loss
Association of America, and the American Association of People with
Disabilities (AAPD). In mid-September the Commission gave closed
captioning exemptions to two religious broadcasters. Both groups
claimed that providing on-screen video text, which allows people with
hearing disabilities to follow television programs, represented an
excessive financial hardship. The FCC granted the waivers, but went
further, noting that in future cases if a non-profit demonstrates
that it receives no compensation from video program distributors and
that "in the absence of an exemption, may terminate or substantially
curtail its programming," the FCC will expedite a closed captioning
exemption request. Since then the Commission has been faced with an
uproar of protest from accessibility rights organizations.
http://lasarletter.com/freepage.php?id=200610151
BROADCASTERS AGITATE FOR BROADER DTV BOX SUBSIDY
[SOURCE: MediaWeek, AUTHOR: Todd Shields]
Congress appropriated $1.5 billion to subsidize boxes that will
convert digital signals for viewing on traditional analog TVs. "I
think it actually is going to cost the government more than they
realize," David Rehr, president and CEO of the National Association
of Broadcasters, said in a recent address. Congress approved a $40
subsidy per converter box. That could pay for 37.5 million units. But
an estimated 73 million analog sets are used to receive over-the-air
signals. The NAB thinks 45 million of those are in homes that rely
solely on over-the-air broadcasts, with another 28 million serving as
second and third sets in cable and satellite homes. The government
has proposed excluding the pay TV homes from the subsidy program. The
NAB and electronics retailers, in a Sept. 25 filing, said everybody
should be eligible. Big cable, which could pick up customers who
decide to hook up their extra analog sets, has not filed comments.
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/networktv/article_display.jsp?vnu_conte...
FOX NEWS GETS BIG HIKE IN CABLEVISION RENEWAL
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John M. Higgins]
In the first major deal to secure rate hikes from cable operators,
Fox News Channel cut a carriage deal with Cablevision Systems that
will nearly triple the network's license fee. Neither side would
disclose the terms, but an industry source familiar with the
negotiations says that the deal will pay Fox News an average of more
than 75 cents monthly, up from roughly 25 cents the network has been
fetching. Fox News executives have spoken frequently about demanding
$1 per sub, but even Chairman Roger Ailes has acknowledged publicly
that was a negotiating stance and that he expected large operators to
pay substantially less. Wall Street analysts have generally said
they'll be excited if Fox News fetches more than 50 cents per sub.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6381509.html
* Cablevision, Fox News Reach Deal
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6381417.html?display=Breaking+News
TIME WARNER CRUNCHES THE NUMBERS
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: James S. Granelli]
Time Warner Cable today starts integrating systems formerly operated
by Comcast Corp. and Adelphia Communications Corp. Tops on the list:
a consistent channel lineup. The channel alignment and other major
changes come as Time Warner becomes the first company to control such
a large swath in Southern California -- the last major metropolitan
area to have its fragmented cable market consolidated.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-cable17oct17,1,152719...
(requires registration)
MEDIA & ELECTIONS
AS TALK RADIO WAVERS, BUSH MOVES TO FIRM UP SUPPORT
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jim Ruttenberg]
Conservative radio hosts are breaking with the Republican leadership
in ways not seen in at least a decade, and certainly not since Rush
Limbaugh's forceful advocacy of the party in 1994 spawned a new
generation of stars, said Michael Harrison, publisher of the
industry's lead trade publication, Talkers. Disgruntlement can now be
found not only among the more flamboyant radio voices, like Michael
Savage, who raged against President Bush's proposals on immigration
and other issues, but also among more mainstream hosts, like Laura
Ingraham, who told her listeners in the wake of the scandal involving
former Rep Mark Foley and under-age Congressional pages, "You have to
ask yourself, the people who are in positions of power now in the
Republican Party, are they able to credibly articulate the
conservative agenda to the American people -- to rally the base, to
rally the country?" Such questions, coming from such quarters, have
created yet another challenge for the White House and the central
party leadership as they work to steer Republicans to victory next
month in the face of low approval ratings and dissatisfaction among
the party faithful. Strategists on both sides agree that the party's
greatest hope for holding control of Congress now rests with its
ability to get core Republicans to vote, and that talk radio, which
reaches millions of them, is crucial to the task.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/us/politics/17radio.html
(requires registration)
See also --
* Air America Radio Files for Chapter 11
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/13/ap/entertainment/mainD8KNVO680...
POLITICIANS' CAMPAIGNS INVADE MYSPACE
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Judy Keen]
Candidates are using popular websites Facebook, MySpace and YouTube
for the first time to give their campaigns free publicity, reach
young voters and bypass traditional media. Once they're online,
though, they risk being mocked and losing control of their messages.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061017/1a_bottomstrip17.art.htm
* Websites win candidates' praise
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061017/a_insideonline17.art.htm
QUICKLY
FCC COMMISSIONERS TALK DIVERSITY IN BIG APPLE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
FCC Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps will attend a
town hall discussion on diversity in media in New York City on
October 19. The hearing is co-sponsored by the National Hispanic
Media Coalition, National Latino Media Council, the National
Association of Hispanic Journalists, the National Institute for
Latino Policy, and the R.E.A.C.Hip-Hop Coalition.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6381642?display=Breaking+News
OPPS: AT&T/BELLSOUTH FORGETS NET NEUTRALITY
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
AT&T-BellSouth has filed a new version of its proposed merger
conditions with the FCC. The conditions were made public late Friday
(Oct. 13) after commission Democrats asked them to be put out for
public comment, effectively blocking a vote on the merger at least
until that is done. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin agreed on a 10-day
comment period and has rescheduled a vote for Nov. 3. In its revised
filing, AT&T/BellSouth pointed to a typo in the original and to a key
omission: a "potential merger condition on network neutrality." That
omitted condition would be that, for 30 months from the closing of
the deal, "AT&T/BellSouth will conduct business in a manner that
comports with the principles set forth in the FCC's" Network
Neutrality policy statement of Sept 23, 2005. That statement outlined
a new framework for broadband Internet access in the wake of its two
decisions that summer that cable and telephone companies do not have
to make their networks available to unaffiliated Internet Service
Providers. At the same time, it spelled out antidiscrimination
principles it expected them to follow, or else.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6381586?display=Breaking+News
* Revised AT&T filing
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-267905A1.pdf
* Telecom
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR200610...
* AT&T's "30-Month" Net Neutrality Merger Trade-in Offer: What a Joke!
"The offer illustrates how unethical and cynical the top executives
are at Ma(d) Bell."
http://www.democraticmedia.org/jcblog/?p=123
WEIGHING THE MERITS OF THE NEW WEBOCRACY
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle 10/15]
The Internet has become a wildly optimistic and democratic medium,
rife with community-based sites that draw millions of fans and
disrupt scores of industries. Social networking sites like MySpace
and Facebook encourage community, friendship and sharing. News
aggregators like Digg.com let readers choose the best stories of the
day. Citizen journalists and bloggers pursue their own stories and
disseminate them for free on the Internet, bypassing the mainstream
media altogether. Dubbed Web 2.0, among other things, this new
Internet has captured the attention of Wall Street and Main Street
alike, witnessed by the billions spent on companies such as MySpace
and by the millions of users who visit those sites religiously. Just
last week, the video sharing site YouTube was snapped up by Google
for $1.65 billion, sparking talk of a new bubble. How is this new
environment affecting us? What is it doing to the flow of
information? And the creation of art? How is it changing our culture?
The Chronicle invited two of the Internet's sharpest thinkers --
Wired's Chris Anderson and Web entrepreneur Andrew Keen -- to debate
these questions.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/10/15/BUG4KLP3C...
FCC REQUESTS NOMINATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL MOBILE SERVICE ALERT ADVISORY COMMITTEE
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The FCC is seeking nominations for the Commercial Mobile Service
Alert Advisory Committee. The purpose of this committee is to develop
recommendations on technical standards and protocols to facilitate
the ability of commercial mobile service providers to transmit
emergency alerts to their subscribers to the extent such providers
elect to do so. Nominations should be received by the Commission as
soon as possible in order to facilitate completion of the membership
appointment process and scheduling of the Committee's first meeting
for a date no later than 60 days from the date of enactment of the
statute (i.e., December 12, 2006). Nominations should be sent to the
Federal Communications Commission, Public Safety & Homeland Security
Bureau, Attn: Lisa M. Fowlkes, via e-mail at lisa.fowlkes( at )fcc.gov,
via facsimile at (202) 418-2817, or via U.S. mail at 445 12th Street,
SW, Room 7-C753, Washington, DC 20554.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-2037A1.doc
WHY PUTIN'S TELECOM MINISTER IS IN INVESTIGATORS' SIGHTS ABROAD
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Gregory White
greg.white( at )wsj.com, David Crawford and Glenn Simpson ]
Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month that the inability
to root out corruption has been a chief failing of his six-year
administration. One of the most serious allegations about corruption
in Russia hits close to home. It is that Mr. Putin's longtime friend
and minister of telecommunications owns chunks of the industry he
oversees, having surreptitiously converted telecom businesses from
state ownership years ago.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116104584097394612.html?mod=todays_us_pa...
(requires subscription)
FTC HANGS UP ON TELEMARKETERS' PITCH
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Cindy Skrzycki]
The Federal Trade Commission effectively slammed the phone down on
the U.S. telemarketing industry earlier this month, rejecting a
request to allow prerecorded calls to consumers without their
expressed consent.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/16/AR200610...
(requires registration)
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Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary
service provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted
Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important
industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events.
While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone
does not always represent the tone of the original articles.
Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang headlines( at )benton.org -- we
welcome your comments.
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