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TRYING AGAIN FOR A BILL TO LIMIT TOBACCO ADS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Andrew Martin]
After being thwarted for years, a bipartisan group of members of Congress reintroduced legislation yesterday that would allow the federal government to further regulate the tobacco industry by cracking down on marketing aimed at young people and requiring that reduced-risk tobacco products back up their claims with science. The Altria Group, the company formerly known as Philip Morris, is among the bill’s biggest supporters. Altria’s support has created a split among American tobacco companies who once walked in lock step while disputing claims that cigarettes are addictive, opposing regulation and new taxes, and in fighting off lawsuits. Altria officials maintain that regulation is inevitable and that clear standards would help as the market shifts toward new products like smokeless tobacco and reduced-risk cigarettes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/16/business/16tobacco.html
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* House, Senate seek FDA regulation of tobacco
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-tobacco16feb16,1...
Trying Again for a Bill to Limit Tobacco Ads
AND THE OSCAR WINNER IS BIG-EVENT TELEVISION
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Stuart Elliott]
The Super Bowl and Grammy Awards are barely memories, but Madison Avenue is already beating the drum for the next big live television event, the Oscars. For the Feb. 25 broadcast of the 79th annual Academy Awards ceremony, ABC, the longtime Oscar network, has already sold all the commercials it plans to run during the show. The buyers are a score of blue-chip marketers that include AT&T, Bank of America, Coca-Cola, Eastman Kodak, General Motors, Mars, MasterCard, McDonald’s, Microsoft, J. C. Penney and Unilever. Some of those advertisers — among them, AT&T, Coca-Coca, G.M. and Kodak — are doubling down, sponsoring awards coverage on an official Web site, oscar.com, along with the show. And in another indication of the growing importance of the new media, ABC is for the first time talking to marketers about buying mobile ads that would accompany content for cellphone users. The sold-out sign for the broadcast went up a bit earlier than last year, despite slightly higher prices. ABC, part of the Walt Disney Company, is charging an estimated $1.7 million for each 30 seconds of commercial time during the show, compared with around $1.65 million last year and $1.6 million in 2005.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/16/business/media/16adco.html
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And the Oscar Winner Is Big-Event Television
TOWARDS A FEDERAL DATA AGENDA FOR COMMUNICATIONS POLICYMAKING
[SOURCE: Social Science Research Council]
The SSRC-sponsored Data Consortium for Media and Communications Policy has prepared a paper entitled "Toward a Federal Data Agenda for Communications Policymaking." The paper outlines some of the key challenges surrounding data collection, access and analysis for media and communications policy in the United States, and makes a number of recommendations for how to address some of the most salient problems in this area. Prepared by Dr. Phil Napoli of the McGannon Center and Joe Karaganis of the SSRC, the paper is the product of several months of consultations and discussions with a wide range of media policy researchers, advocates and policy-makers. The principal findings and recommendations hit on 1) internal data collection, 2) content archiving, 3) 3rd party data and 4) the creation of Federal Advisory Committee on Data Quality and Integrity.
http://www.ssrc.org/programs/media/dataconsortium/dataagenda.page
Towards a Federal Data Agenda for Communications Policymaking
A WIDE-OPEN WEB FOR THE '08 CAMPAIGN
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: EJ Dionne Jr]
[Commentary] Does Barack Obama have the potential to trump Hillary Clinton's money, organization and methodical planning by becoming the online phenomenon of 2008? The answer may determine who wins the Democratic presidential nomination. This is the election in which Internet campaigning will reach maturity, touching every part of the overall campaign. Obama faces two obstacles to overwhelming Clinton on the Internet. The first is John Edwards, whose strong stands against the Iraq war and in favor of a broad national health insurance plan have made him popular among the more ideologically committed bloggers and their audiences. Obama and Edwards will be in competition for some of the same online support. The second is the Clinton campaign's awareness that the Internet matters this year as it never has before. In the coming months, partly because it's fun to do, the political world will be watching Hollywood and Wall Street to see who racks up the big money. But 2008 promises to be the year when decisions made at millions of computer screens on kitchen tables and office desks could outshine the glitz and beat out the large checkbooks. The Internet could thus provide Obama his best chance of keeping up with one of the most formidable fundraisers in Democratic politics.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/15/AR200702...
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* The messy relationship between bloggers and politicians
Electoral campaigns must recognize that they are not only hiring the writer, but taking on a full body of work.
http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0216/p09s01-cogn.html
A Wide-Open Web for the '08 Campaign
SILENCE OF AMERICA
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] For decades, the Voice of America and its sister broadcasting organizations offered a remarkably balanced alternative to state-controlled media all over the world, buoying dissident movements and undermining anti-American dictatorships for a relatively small investment. Soviet citizens even learned how to reconfigure their radios to break through the jamming signals their government used to interrupt VOA and British Broadcasting Corp. programming. Now, with Russian President Vladimir Putin bullying his neighbors, manipulating the Russian media and throwing increasingly audacious anti-American tantrums, one would think U.S. policymakers would have the sense at least to maintain relatively modest VOA operations in and around the Russian Federation. Yet President Bush's recently released 2008 budget proposal does just the opposite, cutting VOA programming for a range of post-Soviet states to finance programming expansion in other areas of the world.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/15/AR200702...
(requires registration)
Silence of America
EXEMPTION OF UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND FROM ANTIDEFICIENCY ACT IN CONTINUING RESOLUTION
[SOURCE: Sen Ted Stevens (R-Alaska)]
The United States Senate passed the continuing resolution (H.J. Res. 20) which contained an important provision to exempt the Universal Service Fund (USF) from the Antideficiancy Act (ADA) for another year.
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Det...
2006 BIENNIAL REVIEW OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATIONS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
On Tuesday, the Federal Communications Commission staff released the 2006 Biennial Review Reports. Federal law requires the Commission to review, every other year, regulations issued under the Communications Act that apply to the operations or activities of any provider of telecommunications service and determine whether such regulation "is no longer necessary in the public interest as the result of meaningful economic competition between providers of such [telecommunications] service." The staff makes recommendations to open proceedings to consider modifying or repealing certain rules and notes that numerous pending proceedings address rules that are subject to biennial review requirements, and recommends that the Commission consider in those proceedings whether the rules are necessary in the public interest, and, if not, to modify or repeal any rule so that it is in the public interest. Below see links to reports from various bureaus.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-669A1.doc
* Consumer and Governmental Affairs
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-672A1.doc>
* Enforcement
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-667A1.doc
* International
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-675A1.doc
* Engineering & Technology
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-668A1.doc
* Wireline
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-656A1.doc
* Wireless
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-07-674A1.doc
2006 Biennial Review of Telecommunications Regulations
The New America Foundation cordially invites you and your colleagues to a Capitol Hill lunch policy forum
Wireless Future:
Featuring:
- John Muleta, CEO and Co-Founder, M2Z Networks (Former Chief, FCC Wireless Bureau)
- Chris Guttman-McCabe, VP, Regulatory Affairs, CTIA - The Wireless Association
- Ben Scott, Policy Director, Free Press
- John Scrivner, President, Mount Vernon Net and Co-Founder, Wireless Internet Service Providers Association (WISPA)
- Morgan O’Brien (invited), CEO, Cyren Call, Co-Founder, Nextel Communications
Moderator:
Michael Calabrese
Vice President and Director, Wireless Future Program
New America Foundation
Friday, February 23rd, 2007
12 p.m. - 2 p.m.
(Lunch will be provided)
385 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC
With U.S. broadband penetration still lagging far behind other advanced economies—and rural and low-income areas in particular being left on the wrong side of the digital divide—a variety of emerging wireless technologies offer the potential to quickly and cost-effectively bring affordable and ubiquitous broadband access to all Americans. While these wireless solutions offer great promise, they all suffer from a lack of adequate access to the public airwaves (spectrum)—either on an exclusive licensed or shared, unlicensed basis.
Recently, two start-ups have proposed innovative but controversial new nationwide wireless broadband networks, premised not on spectrum auctions, but on valuable grants of spectrum in return for extensive public interest service obligations. M2Z Networks, co-founded by former FCC Wireless Bureau Chief John Muleta, has requested 20 MHz of currently unassigned, fallow spectrum to provide a two-tier “family friendly†broadband service (including a basic free offering and a faster, premium service) reaching 95% of the U.S. population. Cyren Call, headed by Nextel co-founder Morgan O’Brien, has proposed reallocating 30 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band, currently set to be auctioned in 2008, for a Public Safety Broadband Trust. This trust would partner with private companies to build a seamless nationwide broadband network optimized for public safety use, but with excess capacity used for commercial services.
Muleta and O’Brien (invited) will compare and contrast their respective proposals. Other panelists will contrast the other contending models for providing wireless broadband services. Ben Scott of Free Press will highlight municipal and nonprofit community broadband networks. John Scrivner will discuss the important role of commercial Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs) utilizing primarily unlicensed spectrum—and the need for access to more and better unlicensed spectrum in the form of vacant TV channels (“white spacesâ€). Chris Guttman-McCabe of CTIA will discuss emerging 3G cellular and fixed wireless (WiMax) services operating on licensed spectrum (much of which was acquired by carriers at auction). Panelists will also discuss the role of Universal Service reform in furthering wireless broadband deployment.
To RSVP, send an email to communications@newamerica.net. If you have questions about this event, please call or email Elizabeth Wu at (202) 986-2700 ext.315 or wu@newamerica.net.
VIOLENCE = INDECENCY, FCC TO TELL CONGRESS
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
According to industry and FCC sources, the agency will soon issue a report concluding a two-year inquiry into TV violence and what to do about it. Apparently the findings are that the FCC should be able to regulate violence just as it does indecency and asks that Congress mandate “other forms of consumer choice†for cable subscribers -— a la carte programming menus, family tiers and channel blocking. The report finds "strong evidence" that TV violence is harmful and a correlation between TV violence and aggressive behavior in children. Despite large First Amendment obstacles, the FCC report contends that Congress has “the ability and authority†to craft a sustainable regulatory regime for TV violence. The report has bipartisan support at the FCC. Republican Chairman Kevin Martin and Democratic Commissioner Michael Copps are said to be working closely in drafting the report. A likely third vote -- all that is necessary at the five-person Commission -- is Republican Deborah Taylor Tate, a vocal proponent of cleaning up the airwaves. It is unclear where Commissioners Robert McDowell and Jonathan Adelstein stand, whether they will want to go as far as their peers in trying to curb TV violence.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/02/14/daily.2/
Also see --
* Report Urges FCC to Limit TV Violence
A new draft report from the Federal Communications Commission suggests the government may be able to limit violence on TV in a way that does not violate the Constitution.
http://www.newsvine.com/_news/2007/02/15/570660-report-urges-fcc-to-limi...
* FCC report suggests violence on TV could be regulated
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070216/fcc16.art.htm
* FCC Report suggests TV Violence Limits
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-violence16feb16,1,222...
* FCC wants to regulate TV violence
http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=televisionNews&story...\
Violence = Indecency, FCC to Tell Congress
DINGELL APPLAUDS INDUSTRY'S DTV MOVES
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
The cable, broadcasting and equipment-manufacturing industries united Wednesday behind a digital-TV consumer-education campaign that won quick praise from House Energy and Commerce Committee chairman John Dingell (D-MI). The three industries promised to use various communications strategies to inform consumers about maintaining TV service when analog-TV signals are terminated by law Feb. 17, 2009. Backing the consumer campaign were the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, the National Association of Broadcasters and the Consumer Electronics Association. The presidents of all three groups -- the NCTA’s Kyle McSlarrow, the NAB’s David Rehr and the CEA’s Gary Shapiro -- sent a joint letter to Dingell and other congressional leaders in telecommunications policy Wednesday about their commitment to a fully informed public leading up to the analog cutoff. "Our goal is to ensure that no American loses the ability to view over-the-air television signals due to a lack of accurate information about the transition," the trade groups’ letter said.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6416632.html?display=Breaking+News
* Rep. Dingell: No TV Viewer Left Behind
http://www.tvpredictions.com/dingell021507.htm
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6416632.html?display=Breaking%20News