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The House Judiciary Committee announced that its newly formed Antitrust Task Force will hold a hearing titled, "Competition and the future of Digital Music," which will focus on the proposed XM-Sirius Satellite Radio merger. The hearing will be held on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 28, 2007 at 3 pm. Mel Karmazin, CEO of Sirius Satellite Radio, will testify. Additional witnesses are to be determined.

Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers observed, “Digital music is at the cutting edge of technology and innovation. We are holding this hearing to allow Members to probe whether this merger will enhance or diminish competition in the digital music distribution industry. Our Members will explore how to define this new marketplace, and whether this merger will lead to increased choices and lower prices for consumers.”

Ranking Member Lamar Smith said of the hearing, “XM and Sirius provide unique programming options for millions of customers nationwide. Consumer’s interests should remain our priority. This hearing will help determine whether customers will get higher or lower prices and more or fewer programming options with the proposed merger. In particular, the Committee will examine whether satellite radio competes against terrestrial radio, the Internet, or other emerging technologies.”

Conyers is creating an Antitrust Task Force in the Committee to focus on antitrust and competition policy issues. Conyers will chair the Task force and it will include both Democratic and Republican Members, still to be determined. It will have a limited term, extending to the end of August. The Committee is expected to approve a resolution to create the Task Force Wednesday morning. This hearing will be the first item on the panel's agenda.

http://judiciary.house.gov/newscenter.aspx?A=769

Columbus, Ohio
Free Press, Consumer’s Union, Common Cause, United Church of Christ Office of Communications, Metropolitan Church Council, Ohio PIRG, and Ohio Citizen Action are sponsoring a town meeting on the future of media in Columbus, Ohio.

Date: Wednesday, Mar. 7, 2007
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Location: Broadstreet Presbyterian Church
Directions and Map

The hearing will feature opening remarks from FCC Commissioners Michael Copps, Johnathan Adelstein, and Robert McDowell and a lengthy period for public testimony. All public testimony will be recorded and officially submitted to the FCC for consideration. Come prepared to speak your mind — the fact sheets and fliers on the right will help you in preparing your remarks.

This public hearing is one of the public’s few chances to speak out against Big Media before FCC Chairman Kevin Martin moves to lift the last significant limits to runaway media consolidation.

February 22, 2007
Coverage Type 
Lauren Frayer

FCC OPENS PROGRAM-ACCESS RULEMAKING
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
The Federal Communications Commission Tuesday opened a long-awaited rulemaking on whether cable operators must continue to sell many of their video-programming services to satellite and phone-company rivals. Key features of federal program-access rules are scheduled to expire Oct. 5 unless extended by the FCC. The rules were extended for five years in 2002 in a ruling narrowly supported by then-Commissioner Kevin Martin. In recent weeks, now-Chairman Martin has indicated his support for a second extension. Under a 1992 law, the FCC has required cable companies to sell satellite-delivered programming in which they have an ownership interest to competing multichannel-video-programming distributors. Thus, Time Warner has been forced to sell CNN and HBO to such competitors as DirecTV, EchoStar Communications’ Dish Network and Verizon Communications’ FiOS TV service.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6417950.html?display=Breaking+News

http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6417950.html?display=Breaking%20News

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February 22, 2007
Coverage Type 
Lauren Frayer

SKYPE ASKS FCC TO OPEN UP CELLULAR NETWORKS
[SOURCE: Ars Technica, AUTHOR: Nate Anderson]
[Commentary] Skype has petitioned the FCC to act against wireless phone carriers who "limit subscribers' right to run software communications applications of their choosing" (read: Skype software). Skype wants the agency to more stringently apply the famous 1968 Carterfone decision that allowed consumers to hook any device up to the phone network, so long as it did not harm the network. In Skype's eyes, that means allowing any software or applications to run on any devices that access the network. The reason for Skype's interest in the issue is obvious: the company wants to force network operators to allow Skype-enabled calling across their networks, something currently prohibited on wireless data plans. In its filing, Skype argues that this capability would offer "tremendous new sources of price competition provided by entities such as Skype," and that's exactly why wireless operators will fight the plan tooth and nail.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070221-8895.html

Skype asks FCC to open up cellular networks

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February 22, 2007
Coverage Type 
Lauren Frayer

QWEST TO COMBINE LOCAL, LONG DISTANCE
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Qwest Communications said an order published by the Federal Communications Commission late Tuesday means it can cut costs by combining local and long-distance telephone services. Qwest spokesman Nick Sweers said the FCC decided that the regional telephone company would no longer have to offer local and long-distance services through separate entities.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/21/technology/bc.qwest.fcc.reut/index.htm?p...

* FCC Order: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-12A1.doc

* Copps & Adelstein Joint Statement: "we remain concerned that the Commission has not completed its industry-wide review of these issues and does not have in place a comprehensive mechanism for monitoring changes in the marketplace (e.g., in the long distance, wireless, and access markets) that would enable the Commission to reliably make decisions in this area."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-12A2.doc

Qwest to combine local, long distance

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February 22, 2007
Coverage Type 
Lauren Frayer

REPORT TO CONGRESS ON THE COMMERCIAL SPECTRUM ENHANCEMENT ACT
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
The Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act of 2004 created the Spectrum Relocation Fund (SRF) to provide a centralized and streamlined funding mechanism through which Federal agencies can recover the costs associated with relocating their radio communications systems from certain spectrum bands, which were authorized to be auctioned for commercial purposes. Twelve Federal agencies use spectrum in the 1710 MHz to 1755 MHz band and are participating in the spectrum relocation effort, which will clear this spectrum for commercial use. This report details the specific plans of each participating agency to relocate their communications systems from the 1710 MHz to 1755 MHz band of spectrum.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2007/OMBSpectrumRelocationCongressionalN...

Report to Congress on the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act

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February 22, 2007
Coverage Type 
Lauren Frayer

THE NEWS MEDIA WONDER WHETHER IRAN IS NEXT
[SOURCE: Project for Excellence in Journalism, AUTHOR: Mark Jurkowitz]
Last week, musings about confrontation with Teheran exploded into media consciousness as a serious war scare, according to the PEJ News Interest Index for February 11-16. This burst of media attention propelled the American-Iranian war of words into the third biggest story of the week (at 7%) and the top story on the front page of newspapers (at 8%), according to the Index. Only the debate over Iraq (11%) and the densely populated 2008 presidential race (9%) edged out Iran. And if the coverage of one element of the Iraq story -- the whereabouts of radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr who was reported to be in Iran- -- were added in, Iran would have been the second biggest story of the week at 9%. But the media are hardly a monolith. In cable, the top story of the week remained Anna Nicole Smith, a story that was not even in the top five in any other sector.
http://www.journalism.org/node/4207

The News Media Wonder Whether Iran is Next

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Benton's Communications-related Headlines For Thursday February 22, 2007

(sorry we're late this morning)

CABLE
FCC Opens Program-Access Rulemaking
Missouri Senate Approves Cable-Franchise-Reform Bill

TELECOM
Skype asks FCC to open up cellular networks
Qwest to combine local, long distance

SPECTRUM
Report to Congress on the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act

QUICKLY -- The News Media Wonder Whether Iran is Next

CABLE

FCC OPENS PROGRAM-ACCESS RULEMAKING
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
The Federal Communications Commission Tuesday opened a long-awaited
rulemaking on whether cable operators must continue to sell many of
their video-programming services to satellite and phone-company
rivals. Key features of federal program-access rules are scheduled to
expire Oct. 5 unless extended by the FCC. The rules were extended for
five years in 2002 in a ruling narrowly supported by
then-Commissioner Kevin Martin. In recent weeks, now-Chairman Martin
has indicated his support for a second extension. Under a 1992 law,
the FCC has required cable companies to sell satellite-delivered
programming in which they have an ownership interest to competing
multichannel-video-programming distributors. Thus, Time Warner has
been forced to sell CNN and HBO to such competitors as DirecTV,
EchoStar Communications' Dish Network and Verizon Communications'
FiOS TV service.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6417950.html?display=Breaking+News

MISSOURI SENATE APPROVES CABLE-FRANCHISE REFORM BILL
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Haugsted]
The Missouri state Senate approved a cable-franchising-reform bill,
but without cable-incumbent-supported language that would have
protected cable-delivered voice-over-Internet-protocol phone services
from state regulation. The bill, approved by a unanimous vote of the
senators in the room, now moves over to the state House, which is not
expected to take up the issue for about three weeks, according to
Greg Harrison, president of the Missouri Cable Telecommunications
Association. The cable trade group supports the reform bill, but
executives are disappointed about issues that were deleted, Harrison
said. One deletion included language that would assure that VoIP is
exempt from state regulation.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6418171.html?display=Breaking+News

TELECOM

SKYPE ASKS FCC TO OPEN UP CELLULAR NETWORKS
[SOURCE: Ars Technica, AUTHOR: Nate Anderson]
[Commentary] Skype has petitioned the FCC to act against wireless
phone carriers who "limit subscribers' right to run software
communications applications of their choosing" (read: Skype
software). Skype wants the agency to more stringently apply the
famous 1968 Carterfone decision that allowed consumers to hook any
device up to the phone network, so long as it did not harm the
network. In Skype's eyes, that means allowing any software or
applications to run on any devices that access the network. The
reason for Skype's interest in the issue is obvious: the company
wants to force network operators to allow Skype-enabled calling
across their networks, something currently prohibited on wireless
data plans. In its filing, Skype argues that this capability would
offer "tremendous new sources of price competition provided by
entities such as Skype," and that's exactly why wireless operators
will fight the plan tooth and nail.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070221-8895.html

QWEST TO COMBINE LOCAL, LONG DISTANCE
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Qwest Communications said an order published by the Federal
Communications Commission late Tuesday means it can cut costs by
combining local and long-distance telephone services. Qwest spokesman
Nick Sweers said the FCC decided that the regional telephone company
would no longer have to offer local and long-distance services
through separate entities.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/21/technology/bc.qwest.fcc.reut/index.htm?p...
* FCC Order: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-12A1.doc
* Copps & Adelstein Joint Statement: "we remain concerned that the
Commission has not completed its industry-wide review of these issues
and does not have in place a comprehensive mechanism for monitoring
changes in the marketplace (e.g., in the long distance, wireless, and
access markets) that would enable the Commission to reliably make
decisions in this area."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-12A2.doc

SPECTRUM

REPORT TO CONGRESS ON THE COMMERCIAL SPECTRUM ENHANCEMENT ACT
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
The Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act of 2004 created the Spectrum
Relocation Fund (SRF) to provide a centralized and streamlined
funding mechanism through which Federal agencies can recover the
costs associated with relocating their radio communications systems
from certain spectrum bands, which were authorized to be auctioned
for commercial purposes. Twelve Federal agencies use spectrum in the
1710 MHz to 1755 MHz band and are participating in the spectrum
relocation effort, which will clear this spectrum for commercial use.
This report details the specific plans of each participating agency
to relocate their communications systems from the 1710 MHz to 1755
MHz band of spectrum.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2007/OMBSpectrumRelocationCongressionalN...

QUICKLY

THE NEWS MEDIA WONDER WHETHER IRAN IS NEXT
[SOURCE: Project for Excellence in Journalism, AUTHOR: Mark Jurkowitz]
Last week, musings about confrontation with Teheran exploded into
media consciousness as a serious war scare, according to the PEJ News
Interest Index for February 11-16. This burst of media attention
propelled the American-Iranian war of words into the third biggest
story of the week (at 7%) and the top story on the front page of
newspapers (at 8%), according to the Index. Only the debate over Iraq
(11%) and the densely populated 2008 presidential race (9%) edged out
Iran. And if the coverage of one element of the Iraq story -- the
whereabouts of radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr who was reported
to be in Iran- -- were added in, Iran would have been the second
biggest story of the week at 9%. But the media are hardly a monolith.
In cable, the top story of the week remained Anna Nicole Smith, a
story that was not even in the top five in any other sector.
http://www.journalism.org/node/4207
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary
service provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted
Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important
industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events.
While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone
does not always represent the tone of the original articles.
Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang headlines( at )benton.org -- we
welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Benton's Communications-related Headlines For Thursday February 22, 2007

(sorry we're late this morning)

CABLE
FCC Opens Program-Access Rulemaking
Missouri Senate Approves Cable-Franchise-Reform Bill

TELECOM
Skype asks FCC to open up cellular networks
Qwest to combine local, long distance

SPECTRUM
Report to Congress on the Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act

QUICKLY -- The News Media Wonder Whether Iran is Next

CABLE

FCC OPENS PROGRAM-ACCESS RULEMAKING
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
The Federal Communications Commission Tuesday opened a long-awaited
rulemaking on whether cable operators must continue to sell many of
their video-programming services to satellite and phone-company
rivals. Key features of federal program-access rules are scheduled to
expire Oct. 5 unless extended by the FCC. The rules were extended for
five years in 2002 in a ruling narrowly supported by
then-Commissioner Kevin Martin. In recent weeks, now-Chairman Martin
has indicated his support for a second extension. Under a 1992 law,
the FCC has required cable companies to sell satellite-delivered
programming in which they have an ownership interest to competing
multichannel-video-programming distributors. Thus, Time Warner has
been forced to sell CNN and HBO to such competitors as DirecTV,
EchoStar Communications' Dish Network and Verizon Communications'
FiOS TV service.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6417950.html?display=Breaking+News

MISSOURI SENATE APPROVES CABLE-FRANCHISE REFORM BILL
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Haugsted]
The Missouri state Senate approved a cable-franchising-reform bill,
but without cable-incumbent-supported language that would have
protected cable-delivered voice-over-Internet-protocol phone services
from state regulation. The bill, approved by a unanimous vote of the
senators in the room, now moves over to the state House, which is not
expected to take up the issue for about three weeks, according to
Greg Harrison, president of the Missouri Cable Telecommunications
Association. The cable trade group supports the reform bill, but
executives are disappointed about issues that were deleted, Harrison
said. One deletion included language that would assure that VoIP is
exempt from state regulation.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6418171.html?display=Breaking+News

TELECOM

SKYPE ASKS FCC TO OPEN UP CELLULAR NETWORKS
[SOURCE: Ars Technica, AUTHOR: Nate Anderson]
[Commentary] Skype has petitioned the FCC to act against wireless
phone carriers who "limit subscribers' right to run software
communications applications of their choosing" (read: Skype
software). Skype wants the agency to more stringently apply the
famous 1968 Carterfone decision that allowed consumers to hook any
device up to the phone network, so long as it did not harm the
network. In Skype's eyes, that means allowing any software or
applications to run on any devices that access the network. The
reason for Skype's interest in the issue is obvious: the company
wants to force network operators to allow Skype-enabled calling
across their networks, something currently prohibited on wireless
data plans. In its filing, Skype argues that this capability would
offer "tremendous new sources of price competition provided by
entities such as Skype," and that's exactly why wireless operators
will fight the plan tooth and nail.
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070221-8895.html

QWEST TO COMBINE LOCAL, LONG DISTANCE
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Qwest Communications said an order published by the Federal
Communications Commission late Tuesday means it can cut costs by
combining local and long-distance telephone services. Qwest spokesman
Nick Sweers said the FCC decided that the regional telephone company
would no longer have to offer local and long-distance services
through separate entities.
http://money.cnn.com/2007/02/21/technology/bc.qwest.fcc.reut/index.htm?p...
* FCC Order: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-12A1.doc
* Copps & Adelstein Joint Statement: "we remain concerned that the
Commission has not completed its industry-wide review of these issues
and does not have in place a comprehensive mechanism for monitoring
changes in the marketplace (e.g., in the long distance, wireless, and
access markets) that would enable the Commission to reliably make
decisions in this area."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-12A2.doc

SPECTRUM

REPORT TO CONGRESS ON THE COMMERCIAL SPECTRUM ENHANCEMENT ACT
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
The Commercial Spectrum Enhancement Act of 2004 created the Spectrum
Relocation Fund (SRF) to provide a centralized and streamlined
funding mechanism through which Federal agencies can recover the
costs associated with relocating their radio communications systems
from certain spectrum bands, which were authorized to be auctioned
for commercial purposes. Twelve Federal agencies use spectrum in the
1710 MHz to 1755 MHz band and are participating in the spectrum
relocation effort, which will clear this spectrum for commercial use.
This report details the specific plans of each participating agency
to relocate their communications systems from the 1710 MHz to 1755
MHz band of spectrum.
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/reports/2007/OMBSpectrumRelocationCongressionalN...

QUICKLY

THE NEWS MEDIA WONDER WHETHER IRAN IS NEXT
[SOURCE: Project for Excellence in Journalism, AUTHOR: Mark Jurkowitz]
Last week, musings about confrontation with Teheran exploded into
media consciousness as a serious war scare, according to the PEJ News
Interest Index for February 11-16. This burst of media attention
propelled the American-Iranian war of words into the third biggest
story of the week (at 7%) and the top story on the front page of
newspapers (at 8%), according to the Index. Only the debate over Iraq
(11%) and the densely populated 2008 presidential race (9%) edged out
Iran. And if the coverage of one element of the Iraq story -- the
whereabouts of radical Shiite cleric Moktada al-Sadr who was reported
to be in Iran- -- were added in, Iran would have been the second
biggest story of the week at 9%. But the media are hardly a monolith.
In cable, the top story of the week remained Anna Nicole Smith, a
story that was not even in the top five in any other sector.
http://www.journalism.org/node/4207
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online news summary
service provided by the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted
Monday through Friday, this service provides updates on important
industry developments, policy issues, and other related news events.
While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone
does not always represent the tone of the original articles.
Headlines are compiled by Kevin Taglang headlines( at )benton.org -- we
welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------

February 21, 2007
Coverage Type 
Lauren Frayer

Out of Commission
[SOURCE: Washington Post 2/21/1997; AUTHOR: Al Kamen]
Ten years ago, then-Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott (R-MS) indicated that his choice for the open FCC seat was Harold Furchtgott-Roth. DC wonks were reading Furchtgott-Roth's book, "Cable-TV: Regulation or Competition?" to figure out the House Commerce Committee aide who helped pass the 1996 Telecom Act. Furchtgott-Roth would be nominated by President Clinton, confirmed by the Senate in November 1997 and served until May 2001. He would hire a bright, young lawyer from North Carolina, Kevin J Martin, who would serve at the FCC before departing to work on the presidential campaign of then-Texas governor George Bush. President Bush hired Martin to serve as a Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and was on the staff of the National Economic Council -- and then nominated him to serve as a FCC Commissioner on April 30, 2001. The rest, as the saying goes, is a made-for-TV movie.

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