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IS THE FCC DOA?
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Glenn Harlan Reynolds]
[Commentary] Is there any role for the FCC in the 21st century? No. OK -- maybe setting technical standards and assigning spectrum—though that could probably be undertaken just as well by private bodies and auctions. In the 21st Century, the twin arguments for an FCC role, limited broadcast spectrum and public ownership of the airwaves, have become obsolete. Broadcast spectrum isn't limited—most towns have room for more TV and radio broadcasters than they can economically support anyway. (Your real information-industry monopolist in most towns is the local newspaper, which the FCC won't touch.) And the public "ownership" of the airwaves—why? The public didn't discover them. Neither did the government.
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-op-dustup10may10,0,3652860.story?...
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Is the FCC DOA?
TESTIMONY OF JONATHAN ADELSTEIN
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
On May 9, FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein testified before the House Subcommittee on Rural and Urban Entrepreneurship. The subject was ensuring the ubiquitous deployment of affordable, high speed broadband infrastructure to every corner of this country. He recommended 1) setting ambitious goals and shoot for real high-bandwidth broadband deployment; 2) updating our current anemic definition of high-speed of just 200 kbps in one direction to something more akin to what consumers receive in countries with which we compete; 3) compiling more reliable, more specific data so we can better ascertain our current problems and develop responsive solutions; 4) redoubling our efforts to encourage broadband development by increasing incentives for investment; 5) providing adequate funding for Rural Utilities Service broadband loans and grants; 6) ensuring RUS properly targets those funds; 7) providing tax incentives for companies that invest in broadband to underserved areas; 8) devising better depreciation rules for capital investments in targeted telecommunications services; 9) investing in basic science research and development to spur further innovation in telecommunications technology; 10) improving math and science education so that we have the human resources to fuel continued growth, innovation and usage of advanced telecommunications services; and 11) properly channeling universal service and promoting spectrum-based services for Rural America.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-272954A1.doc
Testimony of Jonathan Adelstein on Rural Broadband
FRONTLINE WIRELESS WINS OVER FCC CHAIRMAN IN RUN-UP TO 700-MHZ AUCTION
[SOURCE: InformationWeek 5/8, AUTHOR: Richard Martin]
Speaking at a civic group luncheon in Silicon Valley last week, FCC chairman Kevin Martin gave his clearest indication yet of how he thinks the upcoming auction of 700-MHz spectrum for wireless broadband services should be structured. "One of the things that I think we need to do is [to consider] the potential to have some synergies between the two, some public-private partnerships that would allow for cross-utilization of the spectrum," Chairman Martin said. "Public safety [agencies are] coming to us to say they don't have the resources to build out a next-generation [wireless] network. The question is one of how to work with the private sector." He then described an auction in which two-thirds of the 60 MHz of available bandwidth would be reserved for smaller local players, and the remaining 20 MHz would be offered to larger players to create an entity that "can compete effectively with established phone and cable carriers." That sounds an awful lot like the proposal put forth by Frontline Wireless, a startup headed by a trio of veteran telecom executives including Reed Hundt, himself the former FCC chairman. Backed by prominent Silicon Valley investors including Netscape founder Jim Barksdale and John Doerr of venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers, Frontline is proposing the building of a nationwide broadband network that would be available for public safety use during emergencies and leased to commercial carriers at other times. To ensure that it can successfully compete against the major wireless carriers AT&T (formerly Cingular) and Verizon Wireless, Hundt's group has asked that a portion of the valuable spectrum be set aside in the auction for smaller players.
http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=1...
http://www.informationweek.com/shared/printableArticle.jhtml?articleID=199400224
VERIZON WARNS AGAINST UNNECESSARY US AUCTION RULES
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Responding to the Federal Communications Commission's request for public comments, Verizon Communications says it opposes a proposal that would require the winner of an coming sale of wireless airwaves to offer "open access" to rivals. "We believe rules should not dictate a business plan. They should give every player a chance to bid on the spectrum," said Thomas Tauke, Verizon's executive vice president of public affairs and communications. Tauke was mum on exactly what kind of auction rules Verizon would prefer, but did take exception to one proposal that asked the FCC to designate half of the available spectrum as "open access." That means any company with a device or phone could pay to use or lease the winning bidder's network. Tauke said open access would diminish the value of the spectrum and likened it to a form of Internet regulation.
http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSN0736525220070508
Verizon warns against unnecessary U.S. auction rules
INFORMAL CONSUMER INQUIRIES AND COMPLAINTS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The FCC has released its report on the top subject areas for inquiries and complaints processed by the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau (CGB) during the fourth quarter of calendar year 2006. Wireless complaints had a slight rise from 4,149 in the 3rd quarter to 4,600 in the 4th quarter. Billing and Rates was the top Wireless category again this quarter. Wireline complaints rose from 12,426 in the 3rd quarter to 13,490 in the 4th quarter. The number of Radio and Television Broadcasting complaints decreased from 163,134 in the 3rd quarter to 33,327 in the 4th quarter.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-272902A1.doc
* FCC indecency complaints dropped by end of 2006
http://www.lasarletter.net/drupal/node/397
* Violence Doesn't Even Make List of Top FCC Complaints
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6440902.html
Informal Consumer Inquiries and Complaints
FOR TEENS, TOO MUCH TV CAN IMPAIR LEARNING LATER
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Daniel B. Wood]
If your 14-year-old is sitting in front of the TV for hours a day, your concerns about your teenager's education may be borne out. That's because watching three or more hours of television a day leads to poor homework completion, negative attitudes toward school, bad grades, and poor performance in college, according to a study published this week.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0510/p03s02-ussc.html
For teens, too much TV can impair learning later, study says
TIME TO TAME TV VIOLENCE
[SOURCE: The Christian Science Monitor, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] The television industry is not correcting itself to the satisfaction of parents – whose children watch an average of two to four hours of TV a day. Eighty-two percent of parents with young children say violence in children's programming is a major concern. Nine in 10 say it has a serious negative impact on their kids. Government regulation is tricky here because the courts have protected violent speech and depictions under the First Amendment. But doing nothing would leave children at greater risk to models of violence. And it would leave society at greater risk of aggression committed by people who were influenced by violent media, as many studies show. Congress may resist a foray into these other media areas. But unless it acts now to claim a right to regulate in them, society might as well give up trying to have any collective controls other than consumer boycotts to curb the corrosive effects of violent media.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0510/p08s01-comv.html
Time to tame TV violence
MEDIA EXECS BLAST FURTHER US TV REGULATION
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Yinka Adegoke]
Media executives on Tuesday criticized potential further U.S government involvement in regulating what Americans watch on television and called on industry lobbyists to prepare for a battle in Washington.
http://www.reuters.com/article/industryNews/idUSN0848966520070509
* Media execs fear government, not Google
http://telephonyonline.com/home/news/ncta_google_government_050807/
Media execs blast further U.S. TV regulation
UNIVISION GIVES CITIZENSHIP DRIVE AN UNUSUAL LIFT
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Miriam Jordan miriam.jordan@wsj.com]
Backed by the largest Spanish-language broadcast network in the U.S., a massive campaign by Latino media and grass-roots groups to spur millions of eligible Hispanic residents to become U.S. citizens is showing results that could influence the agenda and outcome of the 2008 election. More than eight million green-card holders -- that is, legal permanent residents -- are eligible to become U.S. citizens, and the majority are immigrants of Latin American origin, according to U.S. government data. Now, Univision Communications Inc. is using its considerable clout with the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S. to turn this latent voting bloc into an active and potentially potent force. The citizenship drive, which is about to go national, could help turn Latinos into a key electoral constituency in several states. A larger bloc of new Latino voters would likely influence the immigration debate that has been dividing the country. In part because of this, Hispanic voters in recent elections have tended to cast ballots mostly for Democrats.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117876675523098194.html?mod=todays_us_pa...
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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117876675523098194.html?mod=todays_us_page_one
HBO'S ZITTER SAYS DRM IS MISNOMER
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Glen Dickson]
Digital rights management (DRM) is the wrong term for technology that secures programmers' content as it moves to new digital platforms says HBO Chief Technology Officer Bob Zitter, since it emphasized restrictions instead of opportunities. Speaking at a panel session at the NCTA show in Las Vegas Tuesday, Zitter suggested that "DCE," or Digital Consumer Enablement, would more accurately describe technology that allows consumers "to use content in ways they haven't before," such as enjoying TV shows and movies on portable video players like iPods.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6440876.html
HBO's Zitter Says DRM Is Misnomer