Benton RSS Feed

To view Benton's Headlines feed in your RSS=20
Aggregator, paste=20
http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dtaxonomy/term/6/all/feed into your read=
er.

FCC OVERSIGHT HEARING
Democrats Take Aim at FCC
Links to Commissioners' Opening Statements
FCC Has Addressed DTV Public-Interest Obligations, Says Martin
McDowell and Adelstein Weigh In on Retrans Talk

BROADCASTING
Broadcasters Ready to Deal in Washington
NTIA Puts Out RFP on DTV Box Program
Bringing back the music
The Biased Broadcasting Corporation

ADDITIONAL NEWS FROM CONGRESS
House Approves 3 Press-Friendly Bills: Bush Veto Coming?
NTIA Testimony Before House Committee on Homeland Security

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
YouTube suit is fight for control of content

QUICKLY -- Stop the Presses, Boys! Women Claim=20
Space on Op-Ed Pages; Americans Receive More=20
Channels, Watch Less Of Them; New Routes to=20
Community Health Offers Grants to Support Immigrant Media Collaborations

FCC OVERSIGHT HEARING

DEMOCRATS TAKE AIM AT FCC
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
At the House Telecom Subcommittee FCC oversight=20
hearing Wednesday, Subcommittee Chairman Ed=20
Markey (D-MA) said he expected the FCC=20
commissioners to be "frequent guests" of the=20
committee, while full Commerce Chairman John=20
Dingell (D-MI) said it might have to be once a=20
month to keep the Commission on task. Chairman=20
Dingell said he thought the FCC had exceeded its=20
authority in the video franchise order by=20
preempting local authority granted by Congress,=20
reminding the commissioners that their agency is=20
not an arm of the administration, and saying that=20
the FCC had lost sight of its proper role, which=20
he said was not good for consumers. Chairman=20
Dingell also cited what he said was the FCC's=20
"disturbing" tendency to vote, then not release=20
the final order for months. "Regulating by press=20
release is a curious way to interpret the=20
Administrative Procedures Act. Rep Markey called=20
for the FCC to collect better data on broadband=20
deployment and media ownership. Saying he would=20
not dwell on the issues of "Internet freedom" and=20
"network neutrality," Chairman Markey still=20
called it an "indispensable policy to the future=20
of the Web." The hearing was the first time all=20
five commissioners met before a House of=20
Representatives telecommunications and Internet=20
panel since the Janet Jackson Super Bowl brouhaha three years ago.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6424192?title=3DArticle&space...
c=3Dnews
* Chairman Markey's opening remarks:
"An overarching goal for this Subcommittee during=20
this Congress will be to develop a plan for=20
achieving ubiquitous, affordable broadband service to every American."
"The reality is that America currently suffers=20
from the lack of an overarching broadband plan, a=20
low speed threshold, poor data, and threats to the openness of the Internet=
."
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=3Dcom_content&task=3Dview&id=3D...
1&Itemid=3D141
* Dingell: FCC not a 'legislative body'
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1153AP_FCC_Congress.html
* Democrats Give FCC Ultimatum
http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=3D11718
(requires free registration)
* Democrats to FCC: We're watching
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-fcc15mar15,1,3730074....
ry?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
* Democrats grill FCC about net neutrality, other issues
Democratic members of the House of=20
Representatives criticized the FCC Wednesday,=20
complaining that the agency hasn't investigated=20
government spying on telephone and Internet=20
conversations and hasn't taken a strong stand for network neutrality.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/03/14/HNdemocratsgrillfcc_1.html
* FCC chairman criticized by House panel
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/fcc-chairman-criticized-house-pane...
tory.aspx?guid=3D%7B622F5A54%2D5C99%2D4B70%2DA9CF%2DB019EE255E57%7D
* FCC's Martin defends limit on cable companies
FCC Chairman Martin defended his proposal to=20
limit the number of pay television subscribers a=20
cable company can reach at 30 percent, saying=20
telephone companies that deploy video would also be capped at that level.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DindustryNews&storyID=
=3D2007-03-14T223321Z_01_N14325267_RTRIDST_0_INDUSTRY-FCC-CABLE-DC.XML
* Martin: Cable Ire Comes With Territory
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6424523?title=3DArticle&space...
c=3Dnews
* Martin to House: I'm Not Picking on Cable Operators
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6424724.html?display=3DBreaking+News
* House Democrats take aim at FCC practices
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-MI), chairman of a House=20
oversight panel, vowed to keep a closer eye on=20
the FCC's activities and cited concerns that the=20
agency is letting petitions and consumer=20
complaints languish. For example, approximately=20
70,000 complaints related to the Do Not Call=20
registry and dating back as many as four years,=20
have gone unanswered, Rep Stupak said.
http://news.com.com/House+Democrats+take+aim+at+FCC+practices/2100-1028_...
167232.html?tag=3Dnefd.top
* Martin To Provide Update on Payola, Williams Investigations
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has committed to an=20
update on the status of Armstrong Williams'=20
pay-for-play and payola investigations within the next 30 days.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6424458?title=3DArticle&space...
c=3Dnews

* Testimony Prepared for the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications
Martin: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-271486A1.pdf
Copps: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-271517A1.doc
Adelstein: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-271488A1.d=
oc
Tate: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-271511A1.doc
McDowell: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-271487A1.pdf

FCC HAS ADDRESSED DTV PUBLIC-INTEREST OBLIGATIONS, SAYS MARTIN
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told the House=20
Telecommunications Subcommittee Wednesday that=20
the Commission has already addressed a number of=20
questions raised in a 1999 notice of inquiry on=20
possible new DTV public-interest obligations=20
noting an extension of analog public interest=20
obligations to digital TV and by coming up with=20
new DTV kids TV rules. Committee Chairman Ed=20
Markey asked Martin to conclude the proceeding by the end of the year.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6424397?title=3DArticle&space...
c=3Dnews
* More Than 4,200 Days of FCC Inaction
http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=3Dnode/4754

MCDOWELL AND ADELSTEIN WEIGH IN ON RETRANS TALK
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell said he=20
believed a meeting he and Commissioner Jonathan=20
Adelstein had with the heads of Mediacom and=20
Sinclair helped the companies to their eventual=20
deal on retransmission consent. The commissioners=20
met privately with the executives to try to=20
resolve the issue, and said that a deal did get=20
hammered out on the eve of the Super Bowl. Rep=20
Nathan Deal (R-GA), an outspoken critic of the=20
retransmission consent process, said he did not=20
accept that an agreement meant the process was=20
working or that the system was fair or all=20
parties are willing participants. Deal complained=20
in his opening statement that the process was=20
broken, that stand-offs like the one between=20
Sinclair and Mediacom were just the tip of the=20
iceberg, and the process "lacks the principles we find in a free market."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6424526?title=3DArticle&space...
c=3Dnews
* Adelstein, Copps See Retrans Roles for FCC
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/03/14/daily.6/

BROADCASTING

BROADCASTERS READY TO DEAL IN WASHINGTON
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
Gannett and Media General, multimedia companies=20
with substantial newspaper and TV station=20
interests, are quietly floating a proposal under=20
which the FCC would grant waivers of the=20
newspaper-broadcast crossownership rule if the=20
stations involved in the crossownership=20
situations accept increased public interest=20
obligations. Details of the proposal are sketchy.=20
But it is believed that the companies have=20
suggested that their stations would air at least=20
five hours of local news a week and hold public=20
forums every quarter. Groups opposed to media=20
consolidation don't like the idea of quid pro=20
quo. =93No increased public interest obligations=20
are going to override the concern we have about=20
diversity,=94 says Derek Turner, research director=20
for Free Press. =93Whatever proposal they'll float=20
around, I don't think it will really get a lot of=20
traction with the Democrats at the FCC, and not=20
with the public interest community and, I doubt,=20
with people up on the Hill.=94 However, many=20
broadcasters believe the key House lawmakers --=20
Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell and=20
Telecom Subcommittee Chairman Markey -- are inclined to deal.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/03/14/daily.3/

NTIA PUTS OUT RFP ON DTV BOX PROGRAM
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
As promised, the National Telecommunications &=20
Information Administration, has put out an RFP=20
for various components of the program. Saying=20
it is looking for a mix of skills across large=20
and small businesses, NTIA said it needs help in=20
three areas: 1) Consumer education and=20
communications, 2) Systems processing (e.g.,=20
determining consumer eligibility, coupon=20
distribution and activation, certify retailers,=20
and provide training materials), and 3) financial=20
processing (e.g., administer the coupon=20
authorization for redemption and retailer payment=20
process, and perform independent auditing).
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6424520?title=3DArticle&space...
c=3Dnews
* See RFP
http://www.fbo.gov/spg/DOC/NOAA/AGAMD/Reference-Number-PR-NTIA470-7-0296...
listing.html

BRINGING BACK THE MUSIC
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: Editorial Staff]
[Commentary] After the Telecommunications Act of=20
1996 allowed for mass consolidation in the radio=20
industry, it seemed to bring about mass=20
consolidation of music playlists, too. Once, a=20
local radio station reflected the quirky=20
character of its place with local bands. Now,=20
whether you're in Des Moines or Miami, all the=20
stations are playing the same tunes. So, the news=20
that four of the nation's largest broadcast radio=20
companies are being fined $12.5 million for=20
"pay-for-play" practices didn't come as much of a=20
surprise. What's surprising is how their monetary=20
settlement with the Federal Communications=20
Commission and their parallel agreement with the=20
American Association of Independent Music on the=20
rules of engagement may affect the future of=20
radio -- and the Internet. More intriguing is=20
what the settlement says about the FCC. Though=20
oversight of the broadcasters is the FCC's job,=20
it didn't launch this investigation -- Eliot=20
Spitzer, the then-state attorney general for New=20
York, did, when he started looking at the radio=20
groups for consumer fraud. The FCC has been too=20
busy with partisan infighting to do adequate=20
policing, and that doesn't look good for those of=20
us who are concerned about the Internet --=20
another industry where a few private players (in=20
the telecommunications industry) may, short of=20
Network Neutrality laws, soon exact undue=20
influence over what's available for public=20
consumption. That music you're hearing on the radio is the FCC's wake-up ca=
ll.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=3D/chronicle/archive/2007...
/14/EDGC7N7B521.DTL
-- See also --
* A Signal From Above
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: David Segal]
A look at drive time Christian radio.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/14/AR200703...
2465.html
(requires registration)

THE BIASED BROADCASTING CORPORATION
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Frank Stewart, Hebrew University]
[Commentary] In 2004, the United States=20
established its own Arabic-language satellite=20
television station, Al Hurra. But Al Hurra has=20
not been a success, and stations like Al Jazeera=20
and Al Arabiyya, based in the Gulf states,=20
continue to dominate the region. Those stations=20
will soon face a formidable rival. The BBC World=20
Service plans to start an Arabic television=20
service this fall, and the BBC knows what it is=20
doing. It has been broadcasting in Arabic on the=20
radio for more than 60 years and has a huge=20
audience. This new television station might sound=20
like good news for America. Many of us pick up=20
BBC broadcasts in English, and we respect their=20
quality. But the World Service in English is one=20
thing, and the World Service in Arabic is another=20
entirely. If the BBC=92s Arabic TV programs=20
resemble its radio programs, then they will be=20
just as anti-Western as anything that comes out=20
of the Gulf, if not more so. They will serve to=20
increase, rather than to diminish, tensions,=20
hostilities and misunderstandings among nations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/15/opinion/15stewart.html
(requires registration)

ADDITIONAL NEWS FROM CONGRESS

HOUSE APPROVES 3 PRESS-FRIENDLY BILLS: BUSH VETO COMING?
[SOURCE: Associated Press]
The House Wednesday passed three bills to open=20
government records to the public, brushing aside=20
White House opposition, and in one case, a veto=20
threat. The measures, highlighting the media-led=20
Sunshine Week, would force government to be more=20
responsive to Freedom of Information Act=20
requests, make contributions to presidential=20
libraries public and overturn a 2001 presidential=20
directive giving the president authority to keep=20
his records from public view. The White House=20
issued a veto threat on the presidential records=20
bill and voiced opposition to the FOIA=20
legislation. It also said the president would=20
veto a fourth bill the House is to debate later=20
Wednesday on whistleblower protections. Democrats=20
say the bills, several of which were also taken=20
up in past Republican-led Congresses, were needed=20
to shine light on what they say has been one of=20
the most secretive administrations in decades.=20
The White House said it was against the FOIA bill=20
because it was "premature and counterproductive"=20
to legislate new requirements on federal agencies=20
before they have a chance to implement changes=20
the president previously outlined. The votes were=20
390-34 on the presidential library bill, 333-93=20
on the presidential records bill and 308-117 on the FOIA legislation.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
t_id=3D1003558242
* RTNDA Commends Passage of Bill That Boosts FOIA
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6424720.html?display=3DBreaki...
News

NTIA TESTIMONY BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HOMELAND SECURITY
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
On March 14, John M. R. Kneuer, the Assistant=20
Secretary for Communications and Information and=20
head of the National Telecommunications and=20
Information Administration, testified before the=20
House Committee on Homeland Security. See link=20
below to text of his opening statement on the=20
NTIA's administration of the Public Safety=20
Interoperable Communications (PSIC) Grant Program=20
created and funded by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (Pub. L. No. 109-17=
1).
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/congress/2007/Kneuer_HouseHomelandSecur...
_031407.htm

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

YOUTUBE SUIT IS FIGHT FOR CONTROL OF CONTENT
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Meg James and Dawn C. Chmielewski]
So why is Viacom Inc. bothering to sue YouTube?=20
It's all about control, and money. Networks won't=20
give YouTube much of their most-popular material=20
because they believe that Google Inc., which owns=20
YouTube, isn't protecting their copyrighted=20
content. What's more, Google isn't offering to=20
pay them what they think is enough. And even if=20
the networks could sort out the financial issues,=20
they still want to dictate which ads would be=20
placed around their clips =97 and not have their=20
shows thrown into the mishmash of fistfights,=20
karaoke performances or ladybugs having sex. Most=20
advertisers "want to be in the VIP section, the=20
section that requires a higher price for=20
admission," said Tim Hanlon, an executive with=20
French advertising giant Publicis Groupe.=20
"YouTube's audience is a polyglot and random.=20
It's one gigantic lowest common denominator."=20
Emily Riley, a Jupiter Research analyst, said the=20
amount of money advertisers spend on social=20
networking sites such as YouTube amounts to=20
pocket change. The majority spent less than=20
$250,000 in the last 12 months, Riley said, and=20
only a tiny percentage of advertisers spent more=20
than $1 million. By contrast, Walt Disney Co.'s=20
ABC collected $1.7 million for each 30-second=20
spot during the Academy Awards telecast. YouTube=20
is still trying to figure out how to make big=20
money on its massive audience. It has relied on=20
banner advertisements, drawing an estimated $15=20
million in ad revenue last year.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-youtube15mar15,1,4829...
.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)
* Copyright still matters
[LA Times Editorial] Some Internet romantics view=20
this kind of litigation as typical of lumbering,=20
old-economy behemoths. Incapable of innovation=20
and suspicious of technology, content=20
conglomerates such as Viacom respond by filing=20
lawsuits. But like the "useful arts" mentioned in=20
the Constitution, the programs owned by Viacom=20
and other entertainment companies cost money to=20
produce. Companies have the right to protect that=20
investment =97 even in the age of YouTube.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-ed-google15mar15,1,...
110.story?coll=3Dla-news-a_section
(requires registration)
* Viacom's billion-dollar suit against Google sounds laughable.
[WSJ op-ed by Paul Kedrosky] "whether Viacom wins=20
or loses, the future of digital media won't be=20
anything like the past, and the sooner Mr.=20
Redstone gets that through his head, and the=20
sooner he stops thinking he can control the media=20
world, the better for him and for shareholders."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117392637770937728.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
nion

QUICKLY

STOP THE PRESSES, BOYS! WOMEN CLAIM SPACE ON OP-ED PAGES
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Patricia Cohen]
Whatever other reasons may explain the lack of=20
women=92s voices on the nation=92s op-ed pages, the=20
lack of women asking to be there is clearly part=20
of the problem. Many opinion page editors at=20
major newspapers across the country say that 65=20
or 75 percent of unsolicited manuscripts, or=20
more, come from men. The obvious solution, at=20
least to Catherine Orenstein, an author, activist=20
and occasional op-ed page contributor herself,=20
was to get more women to submit essays. To that=20
end Ms. Orenstein has been training women at=20
universities, foundations and corporations to=20
write essays and get them published.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/15/arts/15oped.html
(requires registration)

AMERICANS RECEIVE MORE CHANNELS, WATCH LESS OF THEM
[SOURCE: MediaDailyLife, AUTHOR: Joe Mandese]
For the first time, the number of channels=20
"receivable" by the average TV household shot up=20
past 100, jumping to 104.2 in 2006, up from 96.4=20
in 2005. But the number actually tuned by the=20
average household remained about the same, moving=20
to 15.7 in 2006 from 15.4 in 2005 and 15.0 in=20
2004. That pattern isn't surprising to television=20
researchers who have long known that people will=20
only watch a limited number of channels=20
regardless of how many options are available to them.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/link/?id=3D11276

NEW ROUTES TO COMMUNITY HEALTH OFFERS GRANTS TO=20
SUPPORT IMMIGRANT MEDIA COLLABORATIONS
[SOURCE: New Routes to Community Health]
New Routes to Community Health announces the=20
launch of a new national project to support local=20
partnerships among immigrant organizations, media=20
production centers, and established community=20
institutions to foster collaborations to improve=20
immigrants=92 health, work life, and civic=20
participation. The program will fund up to 8=20
geographically and ethnically diverse sites that=20
will receive awards of as much as $220,000 over=20
36 months. Only partnerships based in the US and=20
its territories are eligible to apply. New Routes=20
is a national program of The Robert Wood Johnson=20
Foundation (http://rwjf.org), with direction and=20
technical assistance provided by the Benton=20
Foundation (http://benton.org) and MasComm Associates (http://mascomm.net).
http://newroutes.org/
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online=20
news summary service provided by the Benton=20
Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday=20
through Friday, this service provides updates on=20
important industry developments, policy issues,=20
and other related news events. While the=20
summaries are factually accurate, their often=20
informal tone does not always represent the tone=20
of the original articles. Headlines are compiled=20
by Kevin Taglang headlines( at )benton.org -- we welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------