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Ambassador Terry Kramer, head of the U.S. delegation to the World Conference on International Telecommunications in Dubai, said in a statement that reports the US may pull out of the conference were not true, but according to a press conference with ITU representatives, there has been little consensus on the issues that the U.S. has suggested were nonnegotiable from its side, which are primarily ones that would introduce Internet governance and security and sender-pays models to the treaties being discussed.
"In the past few days, a small number of media reports have characterized the United States as 'threatening' to withdraw from the WCIT negotiations," he said. "These speculative reports are inaccurate and unhelpful to the Conference," Kramer said. "The United States has made no such threat, and it remains fully committed to achieving a successful conclusion to the WCIT. The U.S. Delegation will continue to provide information to the media as negotiations continue throughout this week."
Ambassador Kramer: Reports of WCIT Walkout Threat Untrue
[Commentary] In an age when global networks are used increasingly for important purposes such as electronic health record-keeping and long-distance education, it is essential that ITU governments continue to say no to tollgates and monitoring of all kinds -- and preserve the open Internet we have had since its inception. The World Conference on International Telecommunications is being held in Dubai to update the treaty that governs how communications networks connect to one another around the world -- regulations that have existed since the 19th century but haven’t been revised since 1988, before the Internet became what it is today.
The outcome of the Dubai meeting, standing alone, is not likely to change the Internet used by people in the US. Congress would have to adopt any treaty amendments before they could be effective in the US. What’s at stake, however, is the free global Internet pathway. If any one country erected a toll system by itself, it would probably lose its connection to the rest of the Web and become an unpopular and isolated island. But if a large group of countries collectively agreed that such toll-taking makes sense, the decision could change the architecture and generative nature of the Internet for everyone.
Keep Internet Free From Public and Private Meddling
The Federal Communications Commission's media ownership proceeding was going to be decided, at last, before Christmas, or, at least, that was what was suggested by many news reports as recently as early last week. Published reports suggested that a draft proposal was circulating at the FCC, and that it was expected to be acted on in December – perhaps at or before next week's open meeting. That timetable now seems to be out the window, as the FCC has asked for additional comments on the summaries of the information gleaned from the FCC Form 323 Ownership Reports as to minority and female ownership of broadcast stations released late last month. The summary of those reports showed low levels of minority ownership in many parts of the broadcasting world. As the Third Circuit's remand of the last multiple ownership order (which we summarized here) was based in part on the Commission's failure to address the impact that its minor liberalization of the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rules would have on minority ownership, this request for additional comments seems addressed, at least in part, to addressing that perceived deficiency.
Media Ownership Decision Delayed - What Issues Are Being Debated?
[Commentary] If the Federal Communications Commission is sincere about its role in protecting the public’s interest in telecommunications and media markets, then they cannot further relax media ownership rules. The recent proposal on the table threatens to gut the 30-year-old broadcast/newspaper cross-ownership rule that allows one company to own a daily newspaper, two TV stations and up to eight radio stations in one town. We know that today, media ownership is already concentrated in the hands of a few corporations thanks to the loosening of ownership rules by Washington in the last several decades. These corporate media giants not only own the broadcast networks and local stations; but also own the pipeline — the cable and the Internet signals that deliver most of the media content.
Seize the Airways!
[Commentary] “Our nation’s media market must reflect the diverse voices of our population, and it is essential that the FCC promotes the public interest and diversity in ownership.” That’s not some crazy media activist talking. It’s Barack Obama, back in 2008. So it’s almost unfathomable that Obama’s appointed FCC chairman is now rushing to gut the longstanding rules that limit how much one company can own in a single market.
These are the rules keeping Rupert Murdoch, the Fox News kingpin and phone hacker, from buying the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune ¬– which he covets. Apparently, the FCC was hoping no one would notice the change. Well, they’ve noticed. And the chorus of opposition against the FCC’s plans to gut longstanding media ownership rules is growing louder and louder. In just the past two weeks, some 200,000 people have taken action against the FCC’s move. Thousands more have called Congress. It’s making a difference: A dozen members of Congress have weighed in with letters to the FCC urging them to stop the rush for more media consolidation. So have the nation’s leading civil rights organizations. But why an Obama appointee is suddenly in such a hurry to do Rupert Murdoch’s bidding remains a mystery.
The People Have Spoken
The curious thing about Julius Genachowski‘s tenure as Federal Communications Commission chairman is that he’s been a virtuoso in dealing with broadband issues but tone deaf when it comes to traditional media. Case in point: Look at all the people he has infuriated with his attempt to make it easier for a company to own a TV station and major newspaper in the same city. (A proposal Genachowski circulated would put the burden on the FCC to show why it should block a cross-ownership arrangement in the 20 largest markets.) The effort is tailor-made for Rupert Murdoch.
Will The FCC’s Chairman Give Rupert Murdoch A Holiday Gift In 2013?
The Facebook polls have closed and, even though the social network had its biggest turnout ever, too few users cast ballots to have a say in the company's proposed policy changes. Nearly 9 in 10 of those who voted were against the proposed changes, but only about 668,000 people cast ballots. That's an infinitesimal percentage of Facebook's 1 billion plus users. Facebook requires that 30% of Facebook users participate for a vote to count.
Facebook has held two earlier elections and neither met that threshold. One of the proposed changes: Taking away Facebook users' right to vote on future changes. Facebook said it plans to give users other ways to weigh in on policy changes such as an "Ask the Chief Privacy Officer" question-and-answer forum on its website. Among the other proposals that users voted on: whether Facebook can loosen restrictions on who can message you on Facebook and whether it can share information with its affiliates, including popular photo-sharing service Instagram. The next step will be a review of the Facebook vote by an outside auditor.
Facebook polls close: Facebook wins privacy vote by a landslide Four years later, Facebook votes disappear for good (ars technica)
Google has found a way to get its Chromebook notebooks into classrooms—by letting someone gift one to a favorite teacher for Christmas at a fraction of the regular price.
The company has partnered with DonorsChoose, a "crowd-funding" charity site that applies the Kickstarter model to equipping public classrooms. According to a blog post by Google Chromebook Group Product Manager Rajen Sheth, Google is offering up Samsung Series 5 Chromebooks for $99. But teachers and schools can't directly purchase the Chrome OS based notebook computers themselves for that price; they must request them through DonorsChoose. When their request gets funded by donors, Google will provide them with a Chromebook.
Google provides teachers $99 Chromebooks through charity http://arstechnica.com/business/2012/12/google-provides-teachers-99-chromebooks-through-charity/
Not long ago, The Financial Times would have been the crown jewel of any media company, instantly conferring prestige and influence on its owner. Now, given the likely bidders, one of the world’s most respected and distinctive financial newspapers could end up as a trophy to help sell more computer terminals.
Michael R. Bloomberg is weighing the wisdom of buying The Financial Times Group, which includes the paper and a half interest in The Economist, according to three people close to Bloomberg who spoke on the condition of anonymity to divulge private conversations. Bloomberg has long adored The Economist, and his affinity for The Financial Times, at least as a reader, has deepened lately. Its bisque-colored pages, once rarely seen in the thick stack of newspapers Bloomberg carries under his arm all day, have become a mainstay. Friends say he favors its generally short, punchy and to-the-point articles, which match his temperament. He has spoken openly with friends and aides about the potential benefits and pitfalls of making such a costly acquisition in an industry he admires deeply as a reader but sneers at as a businessman, these same people said. And he has recently taken to rattling off circulation figures and “penetration” rates for the paper.
Bloomberg Weighs Making Bid for The Financial Times
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg owns 88 percent of financial services giant Bloomberg LP, and there’s no question he could afford to buy the Financial Times. The harder question is whether he should.
On the surface, the deal is attractive. The FT is a prestigious operation with a healthy digital presence that also has a half-stake in The Economist. This top shelf editorial content, along with the FT’s 600,000 subscribers (half of them digital), would be an attractive complement to Bloomberg LP’s existing reporting. But there is a snag. While Bloomberg LP has news operations, it is at heart a data company that sells $20,000 subscriptions to bankers and traders. The company is also famous for an insular corporate culture and for sticking to its knitting. Taking on a free-wheeling global news brand, even one as prestigious as the FT, could prove to be a dangerous distraction.
Should Mike Bloomberg Buy the Financial Times?