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Former Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Copps said that he thinks there is a lot of spectrum lying fallow. "There is a lot of spectrum out there, and I don't think anybody in the United States has very much of a clue exactly how much spectrum is lying fallow," he said in an interview for The Communicators series on C-SPAN.
He was asked whether the FCC had been remiss in making sure spectrum was available. "I'll bet you there is a whole bunch of [spectrum] lying fallow that could fuel a whole lot of devices and fuel a whole lot of technology," which he said was an argument for a complete spectrum inventory. Copps said he hoped the commission would expedite incentive auctions, but he said he was not comfortable with taking spectrum from one consolidated medium (broadcasters) to give it to another (wireless). "That does not necessarily translate into automatic enhancement of the public interest," he said. Copps said he was concerned about the impact of the auctions and TV station repacking on noncommercial and smaller, diverse, stations. "There are almost so many unintended consequences when you do something that is this broad," he said. "What's the impact going to be on public television?" he said. Noncoms are definitely concerned. Those stations were behind a push for several billion dollars in government money to commercial and noncom stations to cover relocation costs.
Michael Copps: A Whole Lot of Spectrum Lying Fallow
Disney, which has pretty much stayed out of the debate on media ownership rules, continued in that tradition this time around, while still giving a shout-out to a more holistic view of potential regulatory relief for broadcasters. It did not file initial comments in the Federal Communications Commission's review of its rules per congressional and court mandates, and in reply comments pointed out that fact, but did give the FCC some advice.
Disney pointed out that it had fewer TV stations and radio stations than it did almost six years ago, when it filed comments in response to a previous ownership rulemaking. In those earlier comments, Disney didn't advocate for any rule changes, but said the FCC may find itself looking for ways to incent, rather than restrict, broadcast ownership. In its reply comments filed this week, Disney said it wanted to reiterate that earlier point, and even put an exclamation point on it. "Given the realities of today's marketplace," it said, "it seems misplaced for the FCC to focus narrowly on the continuing relevance of and need for the Broadcast Ownership Rules." Instead, said the company, "We believe that the FCC would be better served to broaden its inquiry to consider the full panoply of challenges facing broadcasters, ways to incent ownership of over-the-air broadcast stations, and whether some elements of the overall regulatory regime have become outdated."
Disney: FCC may find itself looking for ways to incent, rather than restrict, broadcast ownership
The News of the World phone hacking scandal moved closer to the United States after British lawyer Mark Lewis teamed up with two New York lawyers to pursue claims that four of his clients had been hacked by Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct tabloid on US soil.
One client is a U.S. citizen, and other potential victims of the "dark arts" of Murdoch's UK newspapers have contacted him, Lewis said. Lewis and his co-counselors said they are seeking evidence to file a U.S. lawsuit, claiming that his clients were hacked in the United States from 2001 to 2006. Lewis declined to identify the clients, citing privacy issues. Lewis said he has not had any contact with the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the matter.
UK phone hacking lawyer brings News Corp case to US
In an era when Americans increasingly turn to laptops, smartphones, or iPads for routine news and headlines, CNN continues to rely on the business it virtually invented on cable: covering breaking stories.
Events like the O.J. Simpson trial, the Japanese tsunami, or the weeks of protests over the killing of Trayvon Martin by a neighborhood watch volunteer can be counted on to receive blanket coverage on the network. “Our bread and butter is in-depth coverage of breaking news,” says CNN Worldwide Managing Editor Mark Whitaker. “We have faith that will help us with the ratings.” More than rivals Fox News and MSNBC, CNN relies on “the story” to drive its audiences, rather than opinions or personalities, says Whitaker. It’s a strategy that works well when news breaks. When the big news stories subside, however, CNN slumps back down to third place in the ratings. Fox News surpassed CNN as the overall No. 1-rated cable news station in January 2002 and has held the crown since. MSNBC’s prime-time lineup has topped CNN in the 25-to-54 audience for three consecutive years.
Has CNN's All-News Strategy Become Old News?
Walt Disney and Viacom’s Paramount Pictures are among Hollywood’s biggest movie studios that lost a piracy lawsuit in Australia as the country’s top court upheld rulings that a local Internet provider wasn’t responsible for customers illegally downloading films.
Iinet Ltd., based in Perth, didn’t authorize the infringement when customers illegally downloaded pirated copies of movies, the High Court of Australia ruled, according to a summary of the decision released on the court’s website. Village Roadshow Ltd.’s Roadshow Films led the companies trying to stop iiNet customers from using BitTorrent software to illegally download copyrighted films, in a precedent-setting case for Internet providers in Australia. The studios were appealing earlier court decisions vindicating iiNet, and seeking damages that they said could include royalties on illegally downloaded movies.
Hollywood Studios Lose Australia Lawsuit Over Downloads
In this document, Petitions for Reconsideration have been filed in the Federal Communications Commission’s Rulemaking proceeding concerning rules that comprehensively reform and modernize the Lifeline program to strengthen protections against waste, fraud and abuse; improve program administration and accountability; improve enrollment and consumer disclosures; initiate modernization of the program for broadband; and constrain the growth of the program.
Oppositions to the Petitions must be filed by May 7, 2012. Replies to an opposition must be filed May 15, 2012.
FCC Seeks Comment on Lifeline Petitions for Reconsideration
House Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) released a comprehensive report to members on the panel’s work in the first quarter of the second session of the 112th Congress. Similar reports were issued throughout 2011, with the updates provided to committee members and the House Republican leadership. Producing a record of job-focused accomplishments, the committee’s efforts through hearings, legislation, and oversight helped the committee concentrate on three overarching goals:
- Supporting job creation and economic growth: Bills within the energy, health care, and telecommunications sectors remove bureaucratic red tape while protecting taxpayer dollars and promoting American innovation. For example, spectrum auctions developed in the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will free up airwaves to support development of next-generation broadband networks.
- Standing up for taxpayers by reducing the size and scope of the federal government
- Protecting individuals, families and communities: The committee has worked collaboratively, beginning last year and continuing in earnest in the first quarter of this year, to understand rapidly evolving technological advancements and to craft appropriate responses that will promote continued innovation while protecting individual liberty and our national security. Members of the Energy and Commerce Committee served on the House Cybersecurity Task Force, and the Communications and Technology Subcommittee formed a bipartisan Cybersecurity Working Group to examine the current landscape and lay the foundation for the efforts to address cybersecurity. Already, our committee is pursuing solutions to protect consumer data with Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Subcommittee Chairman Mary Bono Mack’s SAFE Data Act. Chairman Bono Mack has also taken a leading role in finding an effective private-sector solution to online privacy while preserving Internet innovation and growth.
Chairman Upton Outlines House Commerce Committee Accomplishments in Quarterly Report to Members
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers said it is trying to make sure it has completely solved a technical glitch that shut down a database for applicants wanting to register new top-level domain names. The database was shut down after users noticed they could see information from other applicants. That was due to a problem in the way files were being deleted and shutting down the whole system was the most prudent action.
ICANN Explains Domain Name Database Glitch; Outage Continues
Whetting the appetites of marketers, consumers are watching more online video advertising than ever. Breaking all previous records, Americans viewed more than 8.3 billion video ads in March, according to new data from comScore.
Delivering another record month, Hulu recorded more than 1.7 billion video ad views in March, while Google Sites, i.e. YouTube, ranked second with more than 1.2 billion video ads. The BrightRoll video network came in third with 953 million, followed by Adap.tv with 892 million, and Specific Media with more than 775 million. Time spent watching video ads totaled 3.5 billion minutes, with Hulu delivering the highest duration of video ads at 690 million minutes, according to comScore. Video ads reached 51% of the total U.S. population, an average of 53 times during the month, while Hulu delivered the highest frequency of video ads to its viewers with an average of 51, followed by ESPN, which delivered an average of 26 ads per viewer. Overall, 181 million US Internet users watched nearly 37 billion online content videos in March, while video ads topped 8 billion for the first time on record.
Americans Watching Billions Of Video Ads, Content Monthly
[Commentary] Fueled in no small part by a Congressional hearing, the need for more spectrum devoted to wireless telecommunications services was a big topic this week. AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and Sprint say they need more spectrum to meet the exploding demands for mobile data. If they don’t get more soon, they warn, mobile users will experience slower, spottier connections – and higher prices. On April 18, the New York Times examined the spectrum issue but noted that some scientists and engineers say the carriers are playing a game that is more about protecting their businesses from competitors.
Spectrum Crisis, Hyperbole or Quest for Market Control?