Benton's Communications-related Headlines For Thursday October 26, 2006
For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org
MEDIA & ELECTIONS
Bush, Republicans Turn to Talk Shows for Help
A New Campaign Tactic: Manipulating Google Data
In Tight Race, Ad on Black Candidate Stirs Furor
TELECOM/NEUTRALITY
Foes, Friends of Telecom Deal Offer last Words
FCC likely to Avoid 'Net Neutrality' debate in AT&T-BellSouth Merger Decision
Time For Merger, Not Debate, Says AT&T
Southern House Democrats urge FCC to OK AT&T-BellSouth Merger
Telecom: Bulking Up to Take On Cable
Diller Argues for Strong Network Neutrality Law
FUTURE OF MEDIA
Survey: One in 10 Watching TV Online
NFL taking Internet In-House
Stations Must Think 'Hyperlocal' on Websites
Citizen Journalists: Key to Stations' Future?
QUICKLY -- Broadcast Workers Oppose Dereg; Jack Welch and Partners
Ponder Buying the Boston Globe; Public radio seeks recall of FM
devices used in cars; Bay Area Wireless Project Stalls; Next eRate
filing window opens Nov. 14
MEDIA & ELECTIONS
BUSH, REPUBLICANS TURN TO TALK SHOWS FOR HELP
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Andrea Hopkins]
American radio talk-show hosts have become frontline warriors in a
drive by President George W. Bush and his Republicans to pull off a
surprise and maintain control of Congress in November 7 elections. In
the face of opinion polls favoring Democrats and bad news from Iraq,
Bush turned to the powerful hosts of talk radio two weeks before
Americans a new Congress. Radio personalities and programs play a
political role in many countries. In America, they have become
largely a powerful ally for conservatives, even as the rise of
Internet blogs has broadened the spectrum of voter voices being
heard. Analysts said the rise of other populist media -- most notably
the Internet -- along with growing schisms among conservatives over
immigration, the Iraq war, budget deficits and social policy will
make it tougher this year for talk radio to help Republicans chalk up
an election win.
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID...
A NEW CAMPAIGN TACTIC: MANIPULATING GOOGLE DATA
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Tom Zeller Jr]
Fifty or so other Republican candidates have also been made targets
in a sophisticated "Google bombing" campaign intended to game the
search engine's ranking algorithms. By flooding the Web with
references to the candidates and repeatedly cross-linking to specific
articles and sites on the Web, it is possible to take advantage of
Google's formula and force those articles to the top of the list of
search results. The articles to be used "had to come from news
sources that would be widely trusted in the given district," said
Chris Bowers, a contributor at MyDD.com (Direct Democracy), a liberal
group blog. "We wanted actual news reports so it would be clear that
we weren't making anything up." Each name is associated with one
article. Those articles are embedded in hyperlinks that are now being
distributed widely among the left-leaning blogosphere. In an entry at
MyDD.com this week, Mr. Bowers said: "When you discuss any of these
races in the future, please, use the same embedded hyperlink when
reprinting the Republican's name. Then, I suppose, we will see what
happens." An accompanying part of the project is intended to buy up
Google Adwords, so that searches for the candidates' names will bring
up advertisements that point to the articles as well. But Mr. Bowers
said his hopes for this were fading, because he was very busy. It is
far from clear whether this particular campaign will be successful.
Much depends on the extent of political discussion already tied to a
particular candidate's name.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/26/us/politics/26googlebomb.html
(requires registration)
IN TIGHT RACE, AD ON BLACK CANDIDATE STIRS FUROR
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Robin Toner]
The Tennessee Senate race, one of the most competitive and
potentially decisive battles of the midterm election, became even
more unpredictable this week after a furor over a Republican
television commercial that stood out even in a year of negative
advertising. The commercial, financed by the Republican National
Committee, was aimed at Representative Harold E. Ford Jr., the black
Democrat from Memphis whose campaign for the Senate this year has
kept the Republicans on the defensive in a state where they never
expected to have trouble holding the seat. The spot, which was first
broadcast last week and was disappearing from the air on Wednesday,
featured a series of people in mock man-on-the street interviews
talking sarcastically about Mr. Ford and his stands on issues
including the estate tax and national security. The controversy
erupted over one of the people featured: an attractive white woman,
bare-shouldered, who declares that she met Mr. Ford at a "Playboy
party," and closes the commercial by looking into the camera and
saying, with a wink, "Harold, call me." Critics asserted that the
advertisement was a clear effort to play to racial stereotypes and
fears, essentially, playing the race card in an election where Mr.
Ford is trying to break a century of history and become the first
black senator from the South since Reconstruction.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/26/us/politics/26tennessee.html?ref=today...
(requires registration)
TELECOM/NEUTRALITY
FOES, FRIENDS OF TELECOM DEAL OFFER LAST WORDS
[SOURCE: Atlanta Journal-Constitution, AUTHOR: Scott Leith]
Opponents of the AT&T-BellSouth deal took their last, best shots this
week, submitting comments to regulators that at times blistered the
huge telecommunications merger. AT&T and BellSouth, meanwhile, cited
more reasons the Federal Communications Commission should approve the
deal, including support from some Democratic members of Congress and
even the Rev. Jesse Jackson. The ongoing debate is part of the
give-and-take as the FCC continues to evaluate the AT&T-BellSouth
deal. AT&T's purchase of BellSouth can't be closed without FCC
approval, and a vote is currently set -- though it could be changed
-- for Nov. 3. Already, the FCC has delayed its vote twice and
reopened the public comment period. Republican FCC Chairman Kevin
Martin probably will need to round up bipartisan support. Though
Martin wants to approve the sale without conditions, he faces a 2-2
tie if he can't get at least one Democrat on board. With the issue
still up in the air, groups on both sides are lobbying furiously. A
look at the latest filings with the FCC, some of which arrived
Tuesday night, shows a broad array of worries over the deal,
countered by calming words from AT&T.
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/business/stories/2006/10/25/1026bizb...
FCC LIKELY TO AVOID 'NET NEUTRALITY' DEBATE IN AT&T-BELLSOUTH MERGER DECISION
[SOURCE: San Antonio Express-News, AUTHOR: Sanford Nowlin]
As the Federal Communications Commission mulls conditions on AT&T's
$83 billion merger with BellSouth Corp., the commission faces
pressure to turn the process into a fight over network neutrality,
the concept that Internet service providers like AT&T should treat
all traffic the same. It's pressure, experts add, that the FCC is
likely to resist. Analysts said they would be surprised if the FCC
deviates too far from the conditions AT&T has already offered up --
especially into territory as controversial as net neutrality. So far,
the Justice Department and 18 states have approved the transaction,
making the FCC its last regulatory hurdle to clear. "I think pretty
much what AT&T proposed will be accepted," said Patrick Comack,
telecom analyst for Zachary Investment Research in Miami. "The
Democrats on the FCC want to show they won something for consumers,
but they aren't going to end up pushing AT&T around too much,
especially on net neutrality." While the FCC faces pressure to do
something about net neutrality, analysts say the AT&T-BellSouth
merger is unlikely to be the forum where it chooses to do so.
Congress debated net neutrality this year amid heavy lobbying from
the telecom and tech industries but never brought legislation to a
floor vote. "The FCC is not going to set policy for a whole industry
based on concessions on one merger," Frost Bank analyst Le Keough said.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/business/stories/MYSA102606.01E.BIZfcc.vote....
TIME FOR MERGER, NOT DEBATE, SAYS AT&T
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
AT&T says that its merger with BellSouth is not the proper venue for
an extended policy debate on network neutrality. AT&T Executive VP
External and Legislative Relations Jim Cicconi said Wednesday, "The
proper place to be debating the pros and cons of net neutrality is in
the U.S. Congress or in an industry-wide proceeding at the FCC. It is
not appropriate or justified to set policy in this area based on
applying merger conditions on only one company."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6384513.html?title=Article&sp...
SOUTHERN HOUSE DEMOCRATS URGE FCC TO OK AT&T-BELLSOUTH MERGER
[SOURCE: MarketWatch, AUTHOR: Siobhan Hughes]
House Democrats from the nine-state region into which AT&T plans to
expand through its $81.7 billion purchase of BellSouth are urging the
Federal Communications Commission to approve the transaction when it
meets next week. In a letter to the FCC, the lawmakers asked the
Commission to move "expeditiously." AT&T has offered concessions,
including offering to provide high-speed Internet service to all
residences within its expanded service area by the end of 2007, free
modems and $10-a-month broadband service to new customers in
BellSouth's southeastern region. Consumer advocates have called the
concessions "short-term candy" and have warned that consumers
ultimately will wind up paying higher prices if the merger is
approved. The House Democrats view AT&T's concessions as "significant
new benefits." In the letter, the lawmakers wrote that "most
importantly, AT&T-BellSouth has made a commitment to deploy
high-speed Internet service to rural areas and lower-income living
units. It is time we bridge the digital divide in these communities,
and these consumer-focused offerings would go a long way to that
end." The letter was signed by Reps. Robert "Bud" Cramer, D-Ala.;
Artur Davis, D-Ala.; F. Allen Boyd Jr., D-Fla.; Alcee Hastings,
D-Fla.; Kendrick Meek, D-Fla.; Robert Wexler, D-Fla.; Sanford Bishop,
D-Ga.; David Scott, D-Ga., Ben Chandler, D-Ky.; Bart Gordon, D-Tenn.;
Brad Miller, D-N.C.; and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla.
http://www.marketwatch.com/News/Story/Story.aspx?guid=%7B6F326F85%2D90EE...
TELECOM: BULKING UP TO TAKE ON CABLE
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Steve Rosenbush]
[Commentary] None of the fears surrounding telecom consolidation
appear to have been realized. AT&T and Verizon are doing better
financially; investors are being rewarded. And while consumer groups
fret about phone prices, the public is benefiting from an infusion of
innovative new technologies, from cheap Internet phone service to
high-speed phone lines hauling voice, data, and video. The fact is,
AT&T and Verizon must invest in new technology. Cable TV operators
such as Comcast and Time Warner are selling high-quality digital
phone services loaded with features. "It's easier for the cable
companies to expand into phone service than it is for the phone
companies to expand into TV, so for now the cable companies have the
edge," says Richard Siderman, a telecom credit analyst at Standard &
Poor's. That balance of power is unlikely to change for the next few
years, until the phone companies can gain some traction in the video
market. Without national scale and scope, they wouldn't have much
chance of competing against the cable companies. But it is through
the mergers of the past years that they have now achieved that scale
and scope.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2006/tc20061025_463844...
DILLER ARGUES FOR STRONG NETWORK NEUTRALITY LAW
[SOURCE: Hollywood Reporter, AUTHOR: Paul Bond]
Media mogul Barry Diller plead the case Tuesday for lawmakers to
enable "network neutrality" on the Internet, a concept that could
guarantee "the final convergence" of TV and computer. Speaking to
Michael Eisner at the Forbes magazine Media, Electronic
Entertainment, Technology conference at the Beverly Hills Hotel,
Diller blasted those who would upset the status quo. "We have lucked
into a system that is currently neutral," said Diller, chairman and
CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp. Eisner, the former Walt Disney Co. CEO,
agreed with Diller, likening Internet development to the rollout of
the railroad system and even electricity, where consistent standards
and access were crucial.
http://hollywoodreporteresq.com/thresq/government/article_display.jsp?vn...
FUTURE OF MEDIA
SURVEY: ONE IN TEN WATCHING TV ONLINE
[SOURCE: Multichannel News]
The Conference Board's Consumer Internet Barometer survey said about
one in 10 US online consumers now watches television broadcasts
online, mostly for convenience and to avoid commercials. Three out of
four online views said their traditional TV-viewing habits haven't
changed, a small percentage said it had decreased and a smaller
number said it had increased. More than two-thirds of online
consumers log on daily for entertainment purposes, and 16% seek
entertainment online several times per week. News broadcasts are the
most popular go-to content online, drawing more than 62% of online TV
viewers, followed by entertainment viewing (nearly 50%). Other
popular content: missed favorite shows; previews; sports; and seeing
entire episodes of shows, each drawing a yes vote from more than 25%
of online TV viewers.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6384652.html?display=Breaking+News
NFL TAKING INTERNET IN-HOUSE
[SOURCE: SportsBusiness Journal, AUTHOR: Terry Lefton]
Unable to land the lucrative rights deal that it had twice before,
the NFL is taking its Internet production in-house, combining it with
its NFL Network. The move continues the league's transformation from
a sports property to a media company and presages the not-too-distant
day when broadband Internet video will rival traditional television
as a distribution network for valuable rights, like NFL games. "This
allows the NFL to build something for the evolving multimedia
world,'' said former NFL, NHL and AOL marketer Tom Richardson, who
now heads Convergence Sports & Media, Westport, Conn. "Nobody really
knows how it is changing, but when you own content, building a large
media asset is a good bet. It will only get more valuable. They've
already invested a lot in the NFL Network, and much of that
infrastructure and knowledge is applicable in the Internet world."
http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.feature&f...
STATIONS MUST THINK 'HYPERLOCAL' ON WEBSITES
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Harry A. Jessell]
If TV broadcasters do nothing else next year to enhance their Web
presence, they ought to use their Web sites to cover local high
school football, says Richard Warner, CEO of What's Up Interactive,
which builds and maintains Web site for TV stations. Citing the
Friday Night Blitz section on the Web site of KMOV, the Belo station
in St. Louis, Warner said high school football is just the kind of
"hyperlocal" content that all broadcasters should be looking for.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2006/10/25/daily.18/
CITIZEN JOURNALISTS: KEY TO STATIONS' FUTURE?
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Kathy Haley]
TV stations searching for a way to capitalize on their localism in a
changing, multimedia world may well find the key in citizen
journalism, according to a panel of experts at the RTNDA News &
Technology Summit track at NAB New York. Stations need to move
quickly, however, the panelists said, and they need to overcome the
inertia created by traditional TV news staffers who feel threatened
by the trend, and by management that isn't yet aware of how quickly
Internet video is transforming journalism.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2006/10/25/daily.14/
QUICKLY
BROADCAST WORKERS OPPOSE DEREG
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
While broadcast station owners have generally been asking the FCC to
loosen their ownership rules, unions representing thousands of their
employees have been asking for just the opposite. In filings with the
FCC on its media ownership review, the American Federation of
Television and Radio Artists, the Communications Workers of America
and the AFL-CIO have asked the FCC to retain or tighten its rules.
The unions represent more than 80,000 reporters, anchors,
sportscasters, talk show hosts, producers, writers and many other
workers in front of and behind the cameras.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6384906.html?display=Breaking...
JACK WELCH AND PARTNERS PONDER BUYING THE BOSTON GLOBE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sarah Ellison
sarah.ellison( at )wsj.com and Julia Angwin]
GE ex-Chairman Jack Welch has been talking to prominent Bostonians
about launching a bid for the Boston Globe, making it the latest
target of wealthy locals seeking to own their hometown paper.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB116178625889603334.html?mod=todays_us_ma...
(requires subscription)
PUBLIC RADIO SEEKS RECALL OF FM DEVICES USED IN CARS
[SOURCE: Baltimore Sun, AUTHOR: Frank Roylance]
Citing widespread interference on broadcast frequencies used by its
member stations, National Public Radio has asked the Federal
Communications Commission to order recalls of millions of FM
modulators that drivers use to play satellite radios and iPods
through their car stereos. A field study by NPR Labs found that
nearly 40 percent of those devices have signal strengths that exceed
FCC limits, enabling them to break into FM broadcasts in nearby cars
with unwanted programming. A separate investigation by the National
Association of Broadcasters found that more than 75 percent of the
devices it tested violated the power limits.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-te.radio26oct26,0,13454...
BAY AREA WIRELESS PROJECT STALLS
[SOURCE: Technology Daily 10/23, AUTHOR: Michael Martinez]
An ambitious high-speed Internet project in San Francisco has been
bogged down lately by political disputes among city officials, and
two major technology firms could get cut from the initiative before
the argument is resolved. The city's Board of Supervisors last month
called for a study into the feasibility and cost of an alternative to
a proposal submitted by EarthLink and Google to build a citywide
wireless network. The board wants to determine whether it would be
cheaper for the city to build and operate the network on its own,
rather than contracting the project to private firms. The study is
not expected to be competed until December.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-CHLQ1161802774053.html
NEXT ERATE FILING WINDOW OPENS NOV 14
[SOURCE: eSchool News, AUTHOR: Corey Murray]
Schools and libraries may begin applying for 2007 eRate discounts on
Nov. 14, the Federal Communications Commission has announced. All
applications must be received by Feb. 7. The agency also has issued a
revised version of the Eligible Services List, or items that are
eligible for eRate support.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=6660
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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.
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