For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org
TELECOM REFORM LEGISLATION
House Republicans Press Ahead with Telecom Bill
Video Franchising, 'Net Neutrality' Shape Hearing On Telecom Reform
New Telco Rules Would Get 4-Year Review
Cable Pans New House Telecom Blueprint
NEWS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
Tate, Copps Nominated for the FCC
FUTURE OF TELEVISION
House to Vote on DTV Legislation Today
Keeping Local TV Stations Viable
Prime Time Anytime
MEDIA & CHILDREN
Number of Sexual Scenes on TV Nearly Double Since 1998
Delays, Low Fines Weaken FCC Attack on Indecency
Stevens To Hold Summit On Television 'Decency'
FUTURE OF TELECOM
Telecommunication Issue Sides each Proclaim Victory
How Cellular Networks are Threatened
Phone Outages Grow More Severe
QUICKLY -- All the King's Media; Yahoo backed on helping China trace=20
writer; Japan Broadening Its Wireless Phone Market; Vietnam opens satellite=
=20
broadband gateway
TELECOM REFORM LEGISLATION
HOUSE REPUBLICANS PRESS AHEAD WITH TELECOM BILL
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Jeremy Pelofsky]
At the House Commerce Committee hearing on a proposed rewrite of the=20
nation's telecom laws, Republicans said they would press ahead with draft=
=20
legislation that would ease the path for telephone companies to enter the=
=20
video business. Republicans pushed their revised legislation as a way to=20
foster competition for video and Internet services as well as to promote=20
innovation and boost the economy. They also noted that it was simply=20
another draft that would likely be revised. Democrats charged the bill=20
could hurt competition and consumers by permitting a single company to own=
=20
cable and telephone networks in the same market. They also said it fails to=
=20
set clear rules for consumer access to the Internet. "The draft before us=
=20
undermines long-standing objectives of fostering localism, competition and=
=20
diversity," said Michigan Rep. John Dingell, the top Democrat on the panel.=
=20
"Rushing this one-sided draft forward will set back our long-term goals of=
=20
accelerating broadband deployment and video competition."
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DtechnologyNews&sto...
D=3D2005-11-09T212450Z_01_FLE977059_RTRUKOC_0_US-TELECOMS-CONGRESS.xml&arch=
ived=3DFalse
* Links to testimony at the hearing:
http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/Hearings/11092005hearing1706/hearing...
* The Advance of Technology has Left the Law Behind"
[SOURCE: Chairman Joe Barton, House Commerce Committee press release]
Our nation's telephone laws are based upon the principles of common=20
carriage and the belief that only incumbents can truly own the facilities=
=20
that connect Americans. The notion behind America's cable laws is that=20
competition doesn't exist, and since no competitive forces check the=20
actions of a monopoly distributor of multichannel programming in many=20
markets, that responsibility falls to government. That is what brings us=20
here today. The statute no longer reflects the technological and=20
competitive reality. Congress has a responsibility to update our=20
communications laws.
http://energycommerce.house.gov/108/News/11092005_1715.htm
VIDEO FRANCHISING, 'NET NEUTRALITY' SHAPE HEARING ON TELECOM REFORM
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
Disputes about both the terms of local video franchises and the ability of=
=20
cable or telecommunications companies to block high-speed Internet traffic=
=20
emerged as the hot-button issues in the first House hearing on telecom=20
reform legislation. The franchising issue divides cable operators from Bell=
=20
companies, and "network neutrality" on broadband services divides both sets=
=20
of carriers from technology companies and public advocacy groups. The=20
issues emerged in the wake of draft legislation released last week by House=
=20
Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans. Representing the National=20
Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors, Montgomery County=
=20
(MD) Councilwoman Marilyn Praisner said the new draft "breaks faith with=20
those deal points" about county officials' willingness to negotiate a=20
streamlined nationwide franchising process. "This is an inappropriate=20
federal and private industry intrusion into our streets and sidewalks,"=20
Praisner said.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-ROPZ1131573479054.html
NEW TELCO RULES WOULD GET 4-YEAR REVIEW
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Broadcasters had their own problems with the draft bill discussed at the=20
Wednesday House Commerce Committee hearing. James Yager, CEO of Barrington=
=20
Broadcasting and representing the National Association of Broadcasters, was=
=20
particularly troubled by a provision that the FCC could review and roll=20
back any new rules every four years. While the idea behind that is to allow=
=20
the rules to better keep up with the technology, Yager asked, "Why do laws=
=20
like must-carry, that Congress enacted in 1992, that have been reaffirmed=
=20
not once but twice by the Supreme Court, and that have benefited millions=
=20
of viewers suddenly need to be defended every four years?" He said that=20
would "only inject uncertainty into the market and unduly harm viewers."=20
Yager argued for applying must-carry/retransmission consent model to telcos=
=20
and other new multichannel providers. "As Congress develops the ground=20
rules for I-P video, the policies that promote localism today should also=
=20
govern the relationship between broadcasters and video over broadband=20
providers." Ranking Commerce Committee member John Dingell (D-MI) was not=
=20
happy with some provisions in the bill including making the rules revocable=
=20
by the FCC, and what he saw as changes to basic video carriage=20
requirements. "Requirements that are statutory today -- including must=20
carry, retransmission consent, program access, closed captioning, and=20
consumer electronics compatibility and retail availability -- are relegated=
=20
under the draft bill to waivable FCC regulations subject to a four-year=20
review that could result in their elimination," he said. "Does this=20
Committee intend to cede its judgment over television policy to the whims=
=20
of the FCC?"
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6282830?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
CABLE PANS NEW HOUSE TELECOM BLUEPRINT
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
The cable industry has "serious concerns" with House draft legislation=20
designed to overhaul bedrock telecommunications law and to ease=20
phone-company entry into cable markets. In prepared House testimony,=20
Insight Communications CEO Michael Willner said his industry is troubled=20
because the draft "creates different regulatory regimes for like services=
=20
based on technological distinctions." The House draft -- released late last=
=20
week as a revision to a September draft -- would allow providers of=20
"broadband-video service" to enter local markets without local approval,=20
eliminating the franchise requirement across the country. Willner=20
complained that evidently, because cable would still be burdened with=20
franchising until MSOs became "broadband-video-service" providers, the=20
House draft would "be in the business of picking winners and losers."=20
Willner also alleged that the draft legislation "appears to impose=20
forced-access obligations on facilities-based Internet-access providers."=
=20
He added that such a step would negate cable=92s victory in the Brand X cas=
e=20
handed down by the Supreme Court in June.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6282676.html?display=3DBreaking+News
(requires subscription)
NEWS FROM THE WHITE HOUSE
TATE, COPPS NOMINATED FOR THE FCC
[SOURCE: White House press release]
On Wednesday, President Bush announced his intention to nominate Deborah=20
Taylor Tate and Michael Joseph Copps to serve as commissioners on the=20
Federal Communications Commission. Ms. Tate currently serves as Director of=
=20
the Tennessee Regulatory Authority, during which time she also served for a=
=20
one-year term as Chairman. In 2003, she was appointed to the Federal=20
Communications Commission's Federal-State Joint Conference on Advanced=20
Telecommunications Services. Prior to this, she served as Director of the=
=20
State and Local Policy Center at Vanderbilt University. Earlier in her=20
career, Ms. Tate served as an Assistant to Governor Don Sundquist and=20
Assistant Legal Counsel to Governor Lamar Alexander. Ms. Tate received her=
=20
bachelor's degree and JD from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.=20
(See full bio for Ms Tate at http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dnode/646)=
=20
Mr. Copps has been a FCC Commissioner since 2001. Prior to this, he served=
=20
as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Trade Development at the Department=
=20
of Commerce, where he was previously Deputy Assistant Secretary of Commerce=
=20
for Basic Industries. Earlier in his career, Mr. Copps served for over 12=
=20
years as Chief of Staff for Senator Ernest Hollings. He also served as=20
Director of Government Affairs at Collins and Aikman. Mr. Copps received=20
his bachelor's degree from Wofford College and his PhD from the University=
=20
of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. If confirmed, Ms Tate's term will expire=
=20
June 30, 2007 and Commissioner Copps' term will expire June 30, 2010.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2005/11/20051109-6.html
* FCC Chairman Martin Applauds the Announcement:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-262162A1.doc
* Commissioner Copps accepts the nomination:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-262163A1.doc
* Tate, Copps Nominated To FCC
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6282805?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* Bush Nominates Two FCC Commissioners
Telecom analysts and lawyers said they expected Tate to broadly support=20
Martin's positions and the general deregulatory trend favored by the=20
Republicans. As a former state regulator, they suggested she might be=20
quicker to defend the prerogatives of states in battles over jurisdiction=
=20
with Washington. In an FCC filing last year, Tate wrote that she wanted=20
"the states and the FCC to reevaluate our overall regulatory program so=20
that consumer welfare is the centerpiece of regulation rather than=20
restraining the market power of increasingly hypothetical monopolists."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/09/AR200511...
0995.html
* Bush Nominates Tate, Copps to FCC
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6282759.html?display=3DBreaking+News
* Bush Names Tennessee Regulator To FCC
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-FITF1131573162443.html
* Sen. Stevens says seeking new candidate for FCC
Why didn't President Bush announce a third nomination Wednesday? In July,=
=20
sources familiar with the selection process had said the Bush=20
administration was planning to nominate White House technology adviser=20
Richard Russell and Tennessee state regulator Deborah Taylor Tate to the=20
FCC. Mr. Russell was not part of the package on Wednesday and it may be=20
because Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) said on=
=20
Tuesday he is seeking another candidate for the Bush administration to=20
consider for the second Republican vacancy on the FCC. Sen Stevens had=20
previously pushed for his deputy staff director Christine Kurth, but she=20
withdrew because of potential conflicts of interest. He had first=20
recommended his former aide Earl Comstock for the job, but Comstock=20
withdrew after concerns about a household employee=92s visa emerged.
http://www.freepress.net/news/12280
FUTURE OF TELEVISION
HOUSE VOTE ON DTV LEGISLATION TODAY
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The House is expected to vote on budget legislation today that includes=20
provisions for setting a hard for the end of analog TV broadcasting in the=
=20
US. The Senate has already approved a companion bill, but the House version=
=20
includes various provisions on cable conversion of the digital signal, a=20
consumer education campaign, and a detailed blueprint for the subsidy.=20
Those sneaky little provisions may have to be stripped out in conference to=
=20
square with rules that prevent legislating on appropriations bills. What=20
we're likely to see come out of conference is legislation that simply sets=
=20
a hard date and provides a subsidy for analog-to-digital convertor boxes.=
=20
The House and Senate will have to address other issues, then, in additional=
=20
DTV bills.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6282535?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
KEEPING LOCAL TV STATIONS VIABLE
[SOURCE: Marketwatch.com, AUTHOR: David B. Wilkerson]
After decades in which local stations were not only the prime sources of=20
local news and sports in their markets, but syndicated reruns and classic=
=20
films, as well, their role has largely diminished with the proliferation of=
=20
cable outlets, the Internet and other home entertainment options. Now, with=
=20
this week's video-on-demand announcements and others that will surely=20
follow, it is worth wondering whether local TV stations will be=20
marginalized even further. What figures to bother some station groups,=20
Cheen said, is that while the networks are reducing the compensation=20
they've traditionally paid to local stations to distribute their=20
programming - they are still using those stations as the "main promotional=
=20
vehicle" for their shows, making them popular enough to be considered for=
=20
other platforms like VOD. Broadcast network audiences are still huge=20
relative to other forms of entertainment each night of the week. However,=
=20
the networks know that many of those viewers are people whose habits were=
=20
formed before basic cable had even emerged as a force, let alone digital=20
cable, satellite or the Web. They must find a way to reach younger=20
audiences - people who, for all anyone knows, may end up doing most of=20
their viewing on portable devices. And thus there is the sense that=20
broadcasters are racing against a clock, with no firm idea of what the=20
deadline is, or even precisely how to run the race. And local stations are=
=20
trying to find their way out of the confusion. They will probably compete=
=20
with local content including news and live events like sports. Local=20
stations are also determined to find a way to monetize the digital spectrum=
=20
they will receive when they give up their analog spectrum to the federal=20
government in 2009. Various joint ventures have been formed, often to=20
explore wireless applications, as well as digital multicasting, which=20
involves squeezing as many as six channels onto one frequency.
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=3D%7BA26C2EDB%2D8650%2D48...
2D8637%2D45FDD4484758%7D&siteid=3Dmktw=20
(requires registration)
* CBS Sees a $5 Billion Broadcast-TV VOD Market
http://adage.com/news.cms?newsId=3D46685
PRIME TIME ANYTIME
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Editorial Staff]
[Commentary] Two of the nation's most popular TV networks stuck their toes=
=20
into the 21st century this week. On-demand services represent a=20
revolutionary shift in control from network executives to couch potatoes.=
=20
The biggest challenge for networks these days may be the increasingly=20
fragmented audience for entertainment. Although American viewers are=20
watching a record number of hours of TV, the audience for the major=20
broadcast networks has shrunk significantly in the face of competition from=
=20
cable networks, movie rentals, the Internet, video games and other=20
pursuits. The networks need to chase viewers, not just wait for them to=20
show up on Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. Like Disney's deal with Apple, the CBS and=
=20
NBC moves are small steps in the right direction. As analyst Josh Bernoff=
=20
of Forrester Research put it, "Today is the beginning of the end of the=20
television schedule."
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-ed-cbs10nov10,1,3700...
.story?coll=3Dla-news-comment
(requires registration)
MEDIA & CHILDREN
NUMBER OF SEXUAL SCENES ON TV NEARLY DOUBLE SINCE 1998
[SOURCE: Kaiser Family Foundation]
The number of sexual scenes on television has nearly doubled since 1998.=20
And while the inclusion of references to =93safer sex=94 issues -- such as=
=20
waiting to have sex, using protection, or possible consequences of=20
unprotected sex -- has also increased since 1998, that rate has leveled off=
=20
in recent years. The study examined a representative sample of more than=20
1,000 hours of programming including all genres other than daily newscasts,=
=20
sports events, and children=92s shows. All sexual content was measured,=20
including talk about sex and sexual behavior. The study found that 70% of=
=20
all shows include some sexual content, and that these shows average 5.0=20
sexual scenes per hour, compared to 56% and 3.2 scenes per hour=20
respectively in 1998, and 64% and 4.4 scenes per hour in 2002. But despite=
=20
these overall increases in sexual content, the number of shows in which=20
sexual intercourse is either depicted or strongly implied is down slightly=
=20
in recent years (7% in 1998, 14% in 2002, and 11% in 2005). Among shows=20
with any sexual content, 14% include at least one scene with a reference to=
=20
sexual risks or responsibilities -- up from 9% in 1998, but approximately=
=20
the same rate as in 2002 (15%). In shows with intercourse-related content,=
=20
more than one in four (27%) includes a reference to sexual risks or=20
responsibilities. This is nearly double the rate found in 1998 (14%), but=
=20
approximately the same as in 2002 (26%).
http://www.kff.org/entmedia/entmedia110905pkg.cfm
* TV Sex Nearly Doubles, Says Kaiser
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6282538?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
* Television More Oversexed Than Ever, Study Finds
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/09/AR200511...
2535.html
* Turning on TV: More of a turn-on?
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20051110/d_lede10.art.htm
* Television Awash in Sex, Study Says
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-tvsex10nov10,1,700928...
tory?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
* Sen. Obama Warns TV to Clean Up or Congress Will Act
[SOURCE: TVWeek, AUTHOR: Doug Halonen]
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) warned the television industry that if it doesn't=
=20
take significant steps to make it easier for parents to control what their=
=20
children view on television, Congress will step in and legislate."Once=20
again, we find ourselves asking those in charge to serve the needs of a=20
nation that has a higher calling than simply peddling indecency and=20
materialism for profit," the senator said.
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=3D8885
(requires free registration)
DELAYS, LOW FINES WEAKEN FCC ATTACK ON INDECENCY
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Frank Ahrens]
The FCC's record of policing the airwaves for indecency has been undermined=
=20
by plodding investigations, insufficient fine amounts and inconsistent=20
follow-up. The agency's role has come under greater scrutiny in recent=20
months as consumers and lawmakers grow concerned about the increasingly=20
coarse content of radio and television -- last year, the FCC received more=
=20
than 1 million complaints about programs. Broadcasters say the FCC's=20
content guidelines are too tough and arbitrarily applied while some=20
lawmakers, viewers and interest groups blame the agency for being too lax.=
=20
The FCC is preparing to release a wave of backlogged decisions in the next=
=20
few weeks after nearly a year of silence, and agency officials promise that=
=20
the process will speed up. (long article looks at how indecency enforcement=
=20
(doesn't) work.)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/09/AR200511...
2078.html
(requires registration)
STEVENS TO HOLD SUMMIT ON TELEVISION 'DECENCY'
[SOURCE: CongressDaily, AUTHOR: Molly M. Peterson]
Senate Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) plans to hold a Capitol=20
Hill summit later this month in the hope of finding common ground among=20
stakeholders on television decency legislation. Sen Stevens has tentatively=
=20
scheduled the summit for Tuesday, Nov. 29, during Congress' Thanksgiving=20
recess. The session will not be a hearing, but an aide said it will be open=
=20
to the public. Sen Stevens plans to invite cable and broadcast industry=20
representatives to participate -- along with telecommunications companies=
=20
that are rolling out fiber-optic video services, groups such as the Parents=
=20
Television Council and the National Religious Broadcasters, and ratings=20
organizations such as the Motion Picture Association of America. The summit=
=20
also might include demonstrations of new parental control technologies that=
=20
help to block racy material.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-LZYO1131574790578.html
* Indecency Complaints Quadruple in 3Q
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Why might we need an indecency summit?
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6282739?display=3DBreaking+Ne...
referral=3DSUPP
(free access for Benton's Headlines subscribers)
FUTURE OF TELECOM
TELECOMMUNICATION ISSUE SIDES EACH PROCLAIM VICTORY
[SOURCE: Globe Gazette, AUTHOR: John Skipper john.skipper( at )globegazette.com]
Both sides of the municipal broadband debate claimed victory one day after=
=20
16 Iowa cities approved the measure and 15 turned it down. In North Iowa,=
=20
voters in Mason City, Charles City and Hampton all approved the measure=20
which gives the cities the option of building their own telecommunications=
=20
utility systems. Officials of Project Taxpayer Protection, a=20
Mediacom-funded organization that spent $1.5 million statewide in=20
advertising opposed to the measure, said today the overall results were=20
encouraging. Charles King, a Mediacom vice president said that in the=20
communities Mediacom serves where the Opportunity Iowa referendum was=20
placed on the ballot and approved, decisions were made by a relatively=20
small number of citizens. Mark Daley of Opportunity Iowa said the most=20
important aspect of the referenda was that the voters were the ones making=
=20
this decision. =93Forming or not forming a communications utility is and=20
should remain a local decision. It is not something that should be decided=
=20
by changing state or federal laws,=94 he said. =93We are not aware of any=
=20
community that has active plans to actually build a communications utility.=
=20
Only time will tell how Mediacom and the telecom monopolies will serve the=
=20
future needs of those communities who no longer have the municipal=20
alternative.=94
http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2005/11/09/local/doc43719b758013931...
3885.prt
* 17 Iowa Cities Closer to Muni Broadband
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6282760.html?display=3DBreaking+News
HOW CELLULAR NETWORKS ARE THREATENED
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: John Gapper]
[Commentary] The Wonder-Phone is not a cellular phone: it uses a technology=
=20
known as mobile WiMax -- a kind of grown-up version of WiFi. WiMax and WiFi=
=20
mesh networks extend the broadband connectivity that is common in homes and=
=20
offices to cities. That is good for consumers. It promises greater=20
convenience =96 they will no longer have to search for a caf=E9 with a WiFi=
=20
hotspot =96 and the possibility of making voice calls on the move using=20
Internet phone services such as Skype. Conversely, it unsettles companies=
=20
such as Vodafone and Cingular. Until now, they have faced no external=20
competition for mobile data or voice services. If people walking in cities=
=20
can call each other free via Skype, why would they pay a cellular tariff?=
=20
What will protect mobile operators from the same price pressures now facing=
=20
fixed line companies? Cellular companies are not standing still: many sell=
=20
3G broadband services. Verizon Wireless has launched a service across 60=20
cities that provides a fast Internet connection for $60 per month. But=20
Verizon is clearly wary of cannibalising its cellular revenues. Subscribers=
=20
are barred from using their 3G data connections to make voice calls via the=
=20
Internet. Even supporters of WiMax doubt whether it will be a direct=20
competitor to cellular technology in the near future. By the time companies=
=20
are considering whether to invest money in WiMax masts and equipment to=20
cover many cities, cellular operators will have 3G data services in place=
=20
and will be offering them cheaply enough to make it tough for new entrants=
=20
to gain a foothold. But the threat of WiMax is already keeping phone=20
companies honest: they must keep an eye over their shoulders when setting=
=20
charges for 3G mobile broadband in the lucky places with WiMax or a WiFi=20
network. The same goes for voice calls. Ultimately, it is hard to see the=
=20
closed networks and licensing deals of the cellular world surviving intact.=
=20
By the time 4G services arrive -- some time after 2010 -- Internet=20
standards will have come to mobile telephony.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/fe13000a-5152-11da-ac3b-0000779e2340.html
(requires subscription)
PHONE OUTAGES GROW MORE SEVERE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Jesse Drucker jesse.drucker( at )wsj.com=
=20
and Amy Schatz Amy.Schatz( at )wsj.com]
Despite a new focus on strengthening traditional U.S. telecommunications=20
systems to withstand terrorism and natural disasters, telephone-network=20
outages have grown more severe and are lasting longer to repair. Those=20
conclusions are in a new report by an industry group of telecom service=20
providers and equipment makers analyzing Federal Communications Commission=
=20
figures. Amid Americans' persistent fears of terrorism, and in the wake of=
=20
natural disasters like hurricanes Katrina and Wilma that have knocked out=
=20
phone service, the findings raise new questions about whether landline=20
telephone companies have done enough to improve the reliability of their=20
networks. In the past four years, the median duration of an outage was 3.3=
=20
hours -- "significantly higher" than the 2.86 hours it took to restore=20
operations during the first eight years data were tracked, according to the=
=20
report. The severity of the outages -- which takes into account several=20
factors, including the number of customers affected -- has also jumped over=
=20
the past four years. Network engineers and company executives offer varying=
=20
explanations for the trends. Some say that outages are getting more severe=
=20
because of changes in network design that favor the use of fiber-optic=20
lines. The report is being released as a debate is growing about who is=20
responsible for ensuring telephone network reliability. As more consumers=
=20
reject traditional phones for cellular, cable networks and the Internet,=20
big telephone companies argue current regulations should no longer apply.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113159125280993231.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)
* Learn more about the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions:
http://www.atis.org/
QUICKLY
ALL THE KING'S MEDIA
[SOURCE: AlterNet, AUTHOR: William Greider, The Nation]
[Commentary] As Washington crumbles around George Bush, the old-line media=
=20
have failed to fulfill their duties. This is where the emergent, democratic=
=20
media should take the lead.
http://www.alternet.org/mediaculture/27790/
YAHOO BACKED ON HELPING CHINA TRACE WRITER
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Mure Dickie]
The head of the Chinese Internet company that recently acquired Yahoo=92s=
=20
China operations has defended the US portal=92s decision to help communist=
=20
authorities track down and prosecute an independent-minded local=20
journalist. =93I would do the same thing,=94 said Jack Ma, founder and chie=
f=20
executive of Alibaba.com, which took control of Yahoo China as part of a=20
strategic alliance with the US company announced in August. =93I tell my=20
customers and my colleagues, that=92s the right way to do business.=94 Mr M=
a=92s=20
defence of Yahoo is unlikely to mollify Yahoo critics.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/7ed7a41e-515f-11da-ac3b-0000779e2340.html
(requires subscription)
JAPAN BROADENING ITS WIRELESS PHONE MARKET
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Martin Fackler]
Japan is making spectrum available so three new players can compete in the=
=20
country's mobile phone market. Hopes are high that the new carriers will=20
shake up the nation's $70 billion cellular market, now divided among three=
=20
big carriers -- NTT DoCoMo and KDDI of Japan, and Vodafone of Britain. The=
=20
decision announced Wednesday was the first time in 11 years the government=
=20
had opened bandwidth to new carriers.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/10/business/10tele.html?pagewanted=3Dall
(requires registration)
VIETNAM OPENS SATELLITE BROADBAND GATEWAY
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Vietnam opened its first satellite-linked ground station on Wednesday to=20
help bring telephone and Internet services to each village by the end of=20
this year.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DinternetNews&storyID=
=3D2005-11-09T071417Z_01_RID925764_RTRUKOC_0_US-TELECOMS-VIETNAM-THAILAND.x=
ml&archived=3DFalse
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Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary service=20
provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday through=
=20
Friday, this service provides updates on important industry developments,=
=20
policy issues, and other related news events. While the summaries are=20
factually accurate, their often informal tone does not always represent the=
=20
tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang=20
headlines( at )benton.org -- we welcome your comments.
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