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MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Senate Panel Approves Tougher Media Rules
CCC Welcomes McCain-Tauzin Initiative to Add Independent Voices to
Television
PHILANTHROPY
Gates Awards Libraries For The Future $1.05 Million
EDTECH
Task Force Seeks Comment on Proposed eRate Changes
Lincoln University Would Benefit from Internet Bill
School Launches Herculean Hot Spot
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
SENATE PANEL APPROVES TOUGHER MEDIA RULES
The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation voted yesterday
to send to the Senate floor a bill that would undo part of the FCC's
deregulation of media ownership earlier this month. The bill, sponsored by
Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska and Sen. Ernest Hollings of South Carolina, would
roll the national station ownership cap back to 35%. Several amendments
were attached to the bill, including one that would restore the ban on
TV-newspaper cross-ownership as well as another that would require the FCC
to hold at least five public hearings when considering media ownership rule
changes. Committee Chairman John McCain also offered an amendment that would
order radio companies to divest themselves of some of their stations.
"Today's vote is a strong, bipartisan repudiation of the FCC's disastrous
ruling," Hollings said. The bill may pass through the Senate, but insiders
predict a tough battle in the House of Representatives. House Commerce
Committee Chairman Billy Tauzin of Louisiana supports the FCC's new rules,
and Appropriations Committee Chairman Bill Young of Florida has said that he
will resist any media ownership riders attached to spending bills.
SOURCE: The Washington Post; AUTHOR: Frank Ahrens
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14327-2003Jun19.html?nav=...
p_ts
For a rundown of major articles covering this vote, check out
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A15791-2003Jun20.html?nav=...
p_ts
CCC WELCOMES MCCAIN-TAUZIN INITIATIVE TO ADD INDEPENDENT VOICES TO
TELEVISION
Senator John McCain announced yesterday that he and Rep. Billy Tauzin,
Chairman of the House Commerce Committee, had agreed to bring America's
creative community together with TV industry executives in order to find a
way to bring more independent programming to the airwaves. The Center for
the Creative Community praised the leadership of the two legislators. "By
adding diverse, exciting, non-homogenized, non-corporate voices to the
programming mix, the American public will be the ultimate winner," said CCC
executive director Jonathan Rintels. Despite receiving hundreds of thousands
of comments to the contrary, the FCC ruled earlier this month that
viewpoints were in fact quite diverse and that fewer regulations were
necessary. The CCC disagrees, stating that more, not fewer, viewpoints are
necessary in the public interest. The Center went on to salute the Senate
Commerce Committee for its vote yesterday to approve a bill rolling back the
FCC national broadcast ownership cap to 35%.
SOURCE: Center for the Creative Community; AUTHOR: Jonathan Rintels
For more information, contact Jonathan Rintels: jonr( at )creativecommunity.us
PHILANTHROPY
GATES AWARDS LIBRARIES FOR THE FUTURE $1.05 MILLION
Libraries for the Future, a national nonprofit that works to strengthen
libraries, has been awarded a three-year, $1.05 million grant by the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation. The funding will be used to establish a network
of EqualAccess Libraries in 10 states by 2005. Pennsylvania will be the
first state to launch the program. "In our global, information-based
society, we must ensure that libraries have the capacity to meet the new and
multiple needs of their communities," said Dr. William Trueheart of the
Pittsburgh Foundation, which is leading a coalition of private funders to
help Pennsylvania libraries take full advantage of the program. EqualAccess
Libraries will use the Access Skills curriculum, developed by Libraries for
the Future to strengthen librarians in the areas of community outreach,
coalition building, public awareness and advocacy. Other elements of the
program focus on youth, health education and lifelong learning.
SOURCE: PNN Online
http://www.pnnonline.org/article.php?sid=4511&mode=thread&order=0
EDTECH
TASK FORCE SEEKS COMMENT ON PROPOSED ERATE CHANGES
The $2.25 billion per year eRate program, which provides discounts for US
schools and libraries to obtain telecommunications and Internet access, has
problems according to a special eRate Task Force. Issues include
shortcomings in the competitive bidding process, wasteful spending of eRate
funds, and lack of accountability and consequences for program violations.
Created by the Universal Service Administrative Co., the task force plans to
submit to the FCC its recommendations addressing these and other concerns.
Recommendations include establishing acceptable price ranges for common
services and products and increasing education about eRates' rules and
procedures through email alerts, workshops, and FAQs. The task force was
created to explore means of tightening program compliance after a handful of
"bad actors" gained considerable public attention, sparking renewed
criticism of eRate by some members of Congress and additional regulations by
the FCC.
SOURCE: eSchool News Online; AUTHOR: Cara Branigan
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=4470
LINCOLN UNIVERSITY WOULD BENEFIT FROM INTERNET BILL
The Digital and Wireless Network Technology Program Act, approved by the
Senate in late April, would help increase Internet access at Historically
Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) such as Lincoln University in
Missouri. The bill is currently being reviewed by House committees before
going to the House floor for a vote. "(HBCU's) in particular do not receive
the necessary funds to close the technology gap that currently exists," said
US Senator Jim Talent (R-MO), co-sponsor of the legislation. If approved,
the bill would establish a new grant program, and eligible institutions
could use the funds to improve instructional capabilities and infrastructure
related to digital and wireless technologies. The bill authorizes the
appropriation of $250 million for each fiscal year from 2004 though 2008 and
would require grant recipients to provide up to 25 percent in matching funds
under certain conditions.
SOURCE: News Tribune; AUTHOR: Brian Graves
http://newstribune.com/stories/061903/loc_0619030830.asp
SCHOOL LAUNCHES HERCULEAN HOT SPOT
The University of Twente in the Netherlands has launched a campus-wide
wireless hot spot that it claims is Europe's largest. The network provides
54mbps access to over 6,000 students over the 346-acre campus using 802.11b
and 802.11a standards. The program began two years ago and has been quickly
adopted by both faculty and students. "The flexible way of teaching that
this allows also helps with new students who have experienced new ways of
(learning) at school. They're not used to classical ways of knowledge
transfer anymore," said university representative Wiebe van der Veen. The
university is a national leader in technology use and is also the lead body
in the Europe-wide MobilHealth project, which links mobile data
communication to end-user patient care, allowing patients to live normally
while under constant medical supervision.
SOURCE: CNET News; AUTHOR: Rupert Goodwins
http://news.com.com/2100-1039-1017988.html?tag=sas_email
Visit University of Twente at http://www.utwente.nl/en/
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