Benton RSS Feed

Coverage Type 

STATES' RIGHT-OF-WAY
[SOURCE: Wired in Washington, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
Two significant telecommunications developments took place last Friday: Congress adjourned without passing its sweeping re-write of communications law. And California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation that does pretty much the same thing. With Gov Schwarzenegger’s signature, 33 percent of Americans now live in states that have overhauled their telecommunications laws. In coming months, more states may follow the example first set by Texas, which enacted video-franchise legislation in September 2005. States including New York, Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan are considering bills. If all of them followed suit, 53 percent of the U.S. would be covered by such laws. When confronted with a do-nothing Congress on this issue, the states are doing a do-around. This is odd, particularly at time when there seems to be near-universal agreement that telecommunications policy is an issue for the federal government, and not the states. Why is this happening? The answer is politics, telecom-style.
http://www.wiredinwashington.com/20061002.htm


States' Right-of-Way
Coverage Type 

THE TELECOM SLAYERS
[SOURCE: Salon, AUTHOR: Daniel W. Reilly]
A profile of public interest advocate and compassionate dog-lover Ben Scott of Free Press. Mr Scott is a leading advocate for Net Neutrality, which would prohibit Internet service providers from charging Web sites for faster delivery of data. Scott is grinning in victory. He knows he has succeeded in tripping up the lobbying goliaths with a simple weapon that couldn't be more appropriate in the battle over the Internet: a low-budget video posted on YouTube.com. He heads up the free Press policy team in Washington, which is dedicated to monitoring and analyzing media policymaking to increase public awareness and participation. Before joining Free Press, he worked as a legislative fellow handling telecommunications policy for Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is also in the final stages of his doctoral degree in communications from the University of Illinois. He is the author of several scholarly articles on American journalism history and the politics of media regulation, as well as co-editor of Our Unfree Press and The Future of Media.
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2006/10/02/slayers/index.html
See also: http://freepress.net/content/people


The Telecom Slayers
Coverage Type 

TV'S ELECTION COVERAGE PALTRY
[SOURCE: Rocky Mountain News, AUTHOR: Jason Salzman]
[Commentary] The upcoming election is barely registering a blip on Denver's 10 p.m. news shows, according to analysis of weeknight programs from Sept. 19-25. On those nights, Salzman counted 11 stories about candidates and ballot issues. That's the total for 15 35-minute shows over five days on all three network affiliates (ABC, CBS, NBC). But 67 political ads ran during those programs. (About half were about the governor's race and 22 about U.S. House races.) So, for every election story, there were about six political ads, during the 10 p.m. newscasts alone. It's tough for journalism to compete with political advertising under any circumstances, because the number of ads is so overwhelming. But if TV news shows dedicated serious time to the election, at least there would be more hope that truth, not propaganda, would prevail. Here's the sad part: More U.S. citizens get their news from local TV news shows than any other source, according to polls. These programs are our country's No. 1 news source.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/news_columnists/article/0,1299,DRM...


TV's Election Coverage Paltry
Coverage Type 

COMEBACK TRAIL: BROADCAST TV STORMS INTO FALL
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Claire Atkinson]
Broadcast TV is alive and kicking harder than it has in years. Audiences have shown up in droves for the start of the fall season; 30-second-spot prices are reaching some of the highest levels of all time; marketers are throwing more money at the medium; and Wall Street is betting on CBS over cable stronghold Viacom. Doesn't sound much like a business in decline, does it? Broadcast's reach is still unrivaled and is spiking this fall season. In total viewers, the networks have already outperformed last year for the first week of the season -- 42.3 million viewers showed up for premiere week, compared with 40.7 million last year.
http://adage.com/article?article_id=112228


http://adage.com/article?article_id=112228
Coverage Type 

CAB: SCREENS NOT EQUAL
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Moss]
Despite the proliferation of computers and iPods, consumers overwhelmingly prefer to watch video on traditional TV sets, and they have a low tolerance for ads on devices other than the boob tube, according to a survey commissioned by the Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau. indicated that while about one-half of its respondents considered computers a “must-have” item, only 21% said watching video on the machine was a primary function. In fact, watching video -- and short clips, not longer-form content, at that -- on the PC ranked seventh out of nine choices. Respondents also had much more limited duration receptivity to ads on mobile devices than on TV. Users were willing to watch an ad with a maximum length of nine seconds on cell phones, 13 second on mobile devices, 18 seconds for computers and 42 seconds on TV. The survey also shot down some of the hype about the prevalence of mobile-video-device ownership: Among respondents, 54% had only a TV and computer, with no mobile screens; 30% had a TV and computer, plus one extra screen, like an iPod or cell phone; 10% had a TV, computer and two extra screens; and only 6% had a TV, computer and three extra screens.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6376886.html?display=Top+Stories


http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6376886.html?display=Top%20Stories
Coverage Type 

WHY ONLINE VIDEO SITES ARE HOT TARGETS
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Steve Rosenbush]
As TV viewing habits change, media companies -- and advertisers -- are looking elsewhere: They've set their sights on a new breed of startups. While the value of each company clearly depends on its particular performance, the factors that are proving important for Net video players are quite different from those of traditional media companies. In traditional TV, more viewers mean more money. The correlation is direct, although advertisers pay a bit more for younger viewers. That's not necessarily so online. A smaller audience may be more valuable than a big one, if the small one does the sorts of things that advertisers like -- such as clicking on ads, buying products, or visiting related content. The bottom line is that Net video companies can be judged on a wider range of factors than traditional media companies, which makes some of them worth more and some worth less.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2006/tc20061002_663643...


Why Online Video Sites Are Hot Targets
Coverage Type 

100 LEADING MEDIA COMPANIES REPORT; REVENUE HITS $268 BILLION
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: R. Craig Endicott]
Internet and cable were the growth locomotives behind the 6.6% increase in 2005 U.S. media revenue, reaching $268.48 billion for the 100 Leading Media Companies. In some ways, broadcast TV and newspaper executives must have seemed more like captives tied to the tracks. Time Warner, powered by its Internet and cable offerings, retained its position as the No. 1 media company in the U.S. at $33.73 billion, up 0.9%, far ahead of the $22.08 billion from Comcast Corp. As runner-up, Comcast replaced Viacom, the media-entertainment company that split early this year into CBS Corp., No. 7 at $11.80 billion, and a much-reduced No. 9 Viacom that drew $8.25 billion from its movie and cable network properties. Media, defined in this annual report as information and entertainment distribution systems in which advertising is a key element, takes in the obvious traditional media companies but also Hollywood as film clips have become product placements.
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=112235


http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=112235
Coverage Type 

EU WELCOMES AUTONOMY PLAN FOR INTERNET GOVERNANCE
[SOURCE: Reuters]
The European Commission welcomed on Monday U.S. government moves to make the company that manages Internet domain names independent by 2009, but said it would monitor the process carefully. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), which controls addresses including ".com" and country domain names such as ".cn" for China, now reports to the U.S. Commerce Department. On Friday, the Commerce Department said it would retain oversight for three more years, renewing an agreement that was scheduled to expire last weekend. But a lighter regime was introduced, with ICANN no longer having to file reports with the Commerce Department every six months or having its work prescribed for it, the European Commission said.
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=internetNews&storyID...



Coverage Type 

UN CONVENES BROADCAST TREATY TALKS IN 2007
[SOURCE: Reuters]
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) agreed on Monday to convene a conference late next year to complete negotiations on a new international broadcasting treaty, ending eight years of wrangling. The WIPO general assembly, the United Nations agency's top decision-making body, called the so-called diplomatic conference for November 19-December 7. The need to update the existing treaty has been made more acute by a growing signal-piracy problem in many parts of the world, WIPO officials said. But some question whether the broadcasters need any further protection than that already given to them by international copyright and other existing intellectual property provisions. The scope of a future treaty, as well as the duration of any protection granted, are amongst issues to be decided at the 2007 conference.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=industryNews&storyID...



Benton's Communications-related Headlines For Tuesday October 3, 2006

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.
For upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org

OWNERSHIP
FCC Is Set to Revisit Rules on Ownership
Canberra to amend Media Ownership Bill
FCC approves Alltel deal for Midwest Wireless
Cingular Finishes Absorbing Network of AT&T Wireless
Telecom Deal by Singapore Roused Thais

LEGISLATION
The Decreasing Chances of Telecom Reform
Congress Adjourns with Tech Bills Unfinished
States' Right-of-Way
The Telecom Slayers

MEDIA & ELECTIONS
TV's Election Coverage Paltry

MEDIA
Comeback Trail: Broadcast TV Storms Into Fall
CAB: Screens Not Created Equal
Why Online Video Sites Are Hot Targets
100 Leading Media Companies Revenue Hits $268 Billion

INTERNATIONAL
EU Welcomes autonomy Plan for Internet Governance
U.N. convenes broadcasting treaty talks in 2007
Telecom Italia Convergence Is Derailed

QUICKLY -- Courts are asked to crack down on=20
bloggers, websites; Spectrum Policy Wonderland;=20
NAACP Opposes Set-Top Integration Ban; Laws ban=20
explicit e-mails; Media and Politics

OWNERSHIP

FCC IS SET TO REVISIT RULES ON OWNERSHIP
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Jim Puzzanghera and James S. Granelli]
The Federal Communications Commission comes to=20
Los Angeles today to kick off the newest=20
installment of its controversial deliberations=20
into loosening ownership restrictions on the=20
broadcast industry. But, like many sequels, this=20
one may have trouble matching the drama of the=20
2003 original. Major media companies are focused=20
more on increasing their Internet presence than=20
on buying TV stations. In addition, the FCC is=20
now barred from easing nationwide ownership=20
limits. And broadcasters are distracted by the=20
complex conversion to digital signals. "It's not=20
as hot an issue as it was in 2003," FCC Chairman=20
Kevin J. Martin said. Nonetheless, a number of=20
issues -- including whether the parent companies=20
of newspapers should own TV stations in the same=20
market -- remain controversial, and public=20
interest groups are mobilizing to fight any=20
efforts to ease regulations. "The only local news=20
available on the Internet is repurposed news from=20
the same newspapers and television stations,"=20
Media Access Project President Andrew Jay=20
Schwartzman said. With the national ownership=20
limits off the table, some of the biggest media=20
companies, such as CBS Corp. and Walt Disney Co.,=20
have less at stake and are sitting out the public=20
debate. "The media companies that are lobbying=20
for it aren't lobbying with the same intensity as=20
a few years ago," said Blair Levin, an analyst at=20
brokerage Stifel, Nicolaus & Co. He said the FCC=20
was likely to make smaller revisions. Levin=20
expects the FCC to allow companies to own a TV=20
station and newspaper in the same market.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-fcc3oct03,1,221045.st...
?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)
* Media Ownership Issues Return to Spotlight
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Media-Ownership.html

CANBERRA TO AMEND MEDIA OWNERSHIP BILL
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Raphael Minder]
The Australian government Tuesday indicated that=20
it was likely to amend its planned overhaul of=20
the country=92s media ownership rules to ensure=20
support from lawmakers concerned about media=20
diversity in regional areas. Helen Coonan, the=20
communications minister, said she would=20
=93consider=94 any =93worthwhile=94 amendments proposed=20
by parliamentarians to help overcome their=20
concerns, which she said were not=20
=93insurmountable.=94 The media legislation, a=20
central plank in the government=92s industry=20
deregulation efforts, is being reviewed by an=20
inquiry committee of the Senate, the upper house,=20
which will soon submit its recommendations ahead=20
of a parliamentary vote. The centre-right=20
coalition government has a majority in both=20
parliamentary houses, but of only one seat in the=20
Senate, where two coalition senators from the=20
National party have threatened to cross the floor and block the legislation.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/75ebf7a8-52c4-11db-99c5-0000779e2340.html
(requires subscription)

FCC APPROVES ALLTEL DEAL FOR MIDWEST WIRELESS
[SOURCE: Reuters]
The Federal Communications Commission on Monday=20
approved rural telephone operator Alltel Corp.'s=20
(AT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) $1 billion=20
acquisition of Midwest Wireless Holdings. Last=20
month, the U.S. Justice Department said it would=20
not oppose the deal after imposing conditions=20
which require Alltel to sell some assets in four=20
areas of rural Minnesota. Alltel provides=20
wireless communications services to about 11=20
million wireless customers in 35 states, while=20
Midwest Wireless has more than 400,000 customers=20
in southern Minnesota, northern and eastern Iowa,=20
and western Wisconsin. The FCC said it=20
unanimously approved the transfer of licenses=20
held by Midwest Wireless to Alltel, except for=20
the four areas where divestiture is required. FCC=20
Commissioner Michael Copps, who approved the=20
merger, said in a separate statement that he was=20
concerned about Alltel's "disappointing=20
penetration rate" of E911-enabled handsets. "Our=20
merger standards require us to look at=20
"citizenship, character, financial, technical,=20
and other qualifications" and I believe that a=20
corporation's compliance with our public safety=20
regulations fit squarely under this rubric," Commissioner Copps said.
http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=3DbusinessNews&storyid=
=3D2006-10-02T205020Z_01_N02395460_RTRUKOC_0_US-TELECOMS-ALLTEL.xml
* FCC Order:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-267729A1.doc
* Statement by Commissioner Copps:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-267729A2.doc

CINGULAR FINISHES ABSORBING NETWORK OF AT&T WIRELESS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Amol Sharma amol.sharma( at )wsj.com]
Cingular Wireless is expected to announce today=20
it has finished integrating its cellular network=20
with that of AT&T Wireless, the carrier it=20
acquired two years ago in a $41 billion deal.=20
Cingular, a joint venture of AT&T and BellSouth,=20
leads all wireless carriers in the U.S. with 57.3=20
million subscribers. After closing its deal with=20
AT&T Wireless in October 2004, Cingular faced the=20
challenge of integrating and upgrading AT&T=20
Wireless's creaky network, which generated many=20
consumer complaints prior to the merger over=20
dropped calls and other problems. Cingular took=20
some hits on Wall Street in the months=20
immediately following the merger, when=20
integration costs were being incurred but the=20
combination hadn't yet yielded tangible benefits=20
for consumers. Now the company says coverage has improved significantly.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115984186629680838.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)

TELECOM DEAL BY SINGAPORE ROUSED THAIS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Wayne Arnold]
Among the many measures of a successful foreign=20
investment, helping to set off a coup d=92=E9tat is=20
definitely not one of them. In hindsight, the=20
$1.9 billion purchase of a controlling stake in=20
Thailand=92s dominant telecommunications=20
conglomerate early this year by a group led by=20
the Singapore government=92s investment arm,=20
Temasek Holdings, was less than ideal, analysts=20
and people close to the deal say. Buying the=20
company, called Shin, provoked nationalist=20
outrage in Thailand. Buying it from the family of=20
a prime minister widely accused of corruption,=20
moreover, touched off extensive street protests=20
that culminated on Sept. 19 in the military=20
ouster of Thaksin Shinawatra as the Thai leader.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/business/worldbusiness/03singapore.html
(requires registration)

LEGISLATION

THE DECREASING CHANCES OF TELECOM REFORM
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Kim McAvoy]
[Commentary] Passage of controversial=20
communications reform legislation appears=20
increasingly unlikely this year. And if the=20
measure ends up on the towering junk heap of=20
partially built law, TV broadcasters should count=20
it as a blessing. The Senate version of the=20
legislation has the potential for doing more harm=20
than good for them. The legislation would permit=20
unlicensed wireless devices in so-called =93white=20
spaces=94 between TV channels that broadcasters=20
fear would create serious interference problems,=20
and it would allow cable systems to=20
degrade broadcasters=92 DTV signals so that they=20
could fit more channels on their systems. Plus,=20
the so-called broadcast flag provision fails to=20
protect news and public affairs content. That=92s a=20
serious issue for TV stations.
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2006/10/02/daily.3/

CONGRESS ADJOURNS WITH TECH BILLS UNFINISHED
[SOURCE: InfoWorld, AUTHOR: Grant Gross, IDG News Service]
When the U.S. Congress adjourned in the early=20
morning hours Saturday, it left a number of=20
technology-related bills unfinished, including=20
two bills addressing fraudulent access to=20
personal telephone records. Congress also failed=20
to pass a wide-ranging broadband bill that would=20
replace local franchise rules with a national=20
system for telecom providers launching Internet=20
Protocol-based television services in competition=20
with cable TV. Several civil liberties groups had=20
opposed the broadband bill as it lacked=20
protections for so-called net neutrality. Net=20
neutrality advocates want a law that would=20
prohibit broadband providers from blocking or=20
slowing service to Web sites offering competing=20
content, and they have successfully halted the=20
Senate version of the broadband bill, despite=20
heavy lobbying from large broadband providers.=20
And although U.S. President George Bush called on=20
Congress to pass legislation authorizing a=20
controversial National Security Agency (NSA)=20
surveillance program, two bills making it easier=20
for the government to conduct surveillance=20
without court-ordered warrants also stalled.=20
Congress still has more time to act on the=20
telecom legislation this year, however. After a=20
month-plus break allowing lawmakers to focus on=20
the Nov. 7 election, Congress will return for a lame-duck session Nov. 9.
http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/10/02/HNcongressadjourns_1.html?source=
=3Drss&url=3Dhttp://www.infoworld.com/article/06/10/02/HNcongressadjourns_1=
.html

STATES' RIGHT-OF-WAY
[SOURCE: Wired in Washington, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
Two significant telecommunications developments=20
took place last Friday: Congress adjourned=20
without passing its sweeping re-write of=20
communications law. And California Gov. Arnold=20
Schwarzenegger signed legislation that does=20
pretty much the same thing. With Gov=20
Schwarzenegger=92s signature, 33 percent of=20
Americans now live in states that have overhauled=20
their telecommunications laws. In coming months,=20
more states may follow the example first set by=20
Texas, which enacted video-franchise legislation=20
in September 2005. States including New York,=20
Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan are=20
considering bills. If all of them followed suit,=20
53 percent of the U.S. would be covered by such=20
laws. When confronted with a do-nothing Congress=20
on this issue, the states are doing a do-around.=20
This is odd, particularly at time when there=20
seems to be near-universal agreement that=20
telecommunications policy is an issue for the=20
federal government, and not the states. Why is=20
this happening? The answer is politics, telecom-style.
http://www.wiredinwashington.com/20061002.htm

THE TELECOM SLAYERS
[SOURCE: Salon, AUTHOR: Daniel W. Reilly]
A profile of public interest advocate and=20
compassionate dog-lover Ben Scott of Free Press.=20
Mr Scott is a leading advocate for Net=20
Neutrality, which would prohibit Internet service=20
providers from charging Web sites for faster=20
delivery of data. Scott is grinning in victory.=20
He knows he has succeeded in tripping up the=20
lobbying goliaths with a simple weapon that=20
couldn't be more appropriate in the battle over=20
the Internet: a low-budget video posted on=20
YouTube.com. He heads up the free Press policy=20
team in Washington, which is dedicated to=20
monitoring and analyzing media policymaking to=20
increase public awareness and participation.=20
Before joining Free Press, he worked as a=20
legislative fellow handling telecommunications=20
policy for Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) in the=20
U.S. House of Representatives. He is also in the=20
final stages of his doctoral degree in=20
communications from the University of Illinois.=20
He is the author of several scholarly articles on=20
American journalism history and the politics of=20
media regulation, as well as co-editor of Our=20
Unfree Press and The Future of Media.
http://www.salon.com/tech/feature/2006/10/02/slayers/index.html
See also: http://freepress.net/content/people

MEDIA & ELECTIONS

TV'S ELECTION COVERAGE PALTRY
[SOURCE: Rocky Mountain News, AUTHOR: Jason Salzman]
[Commentary] The upcoming election is barely=20
registering a blip on Denver's 10 p.m. news=20
shows, according to analysis of weeknight=20
programs from Sept. 19-25. On those nights,=20
Salzman counted 11 stories about candidates and=20
ballot issues. That's the total for 15 35-minute=20
shows over five days on all three network=20
affiliates (ABC, CBS, NBC). But 67 political ads=20
ran during those programs. (About half were about=20
the governor's race and 22 about U.S. House=20
races.) So, for every election story, there were=20
about six political ads, during the 10 p.m.=20
newscasts alone. It's tough for journalism to=20
compete with political advertising under any=20
circumstances, because the number of ads is so=20
overwhelming. But if TV news shows dedicated=20
serious time to the election, at least there=20
would be more hope that truth, not propaganda,=20
would prevail. Here's the sad part: More U.S.=20
citizens get their news from local TV news shows=20
than any other source, according to polls. These=20
programs are our country's No. 1 news source.
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/news_columnists/article/0,1299,DRM...
6_5031716,00.html

MEDIA

COMEBACK TRAIL: BROADCAST TV STORMS INTO FALL
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: Claire Atkinson]
Broadcast TV is alive and kicking harder than it=20
has in years. Audiences have shown up in droves=20
for the start of the fall season; 30-second-spot=20
prices are reaching some of the highest levels of=20
all time; marketers are throwing more money at=20
the medium; and Wall Street is betting on CBS=20
over cable stronghold Viacom. Doesn't sound much=20
like a business in decline, does it? Broadcast's=20
reach is still unrivaled and is spiking this fall=20
season. In total viewers, the networks have=20
already outperformed last year for the first week=20
of the season -- 42.3 million viewers showed up=20
for premiere week, compared with 40.7 million last year.
http://adage.com/article?article_id=3D112228

CAB: SCREENS NOT EQUAL
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Moss]
Despite the proliferation of computers and iPods,=20
consumers overwhelmingly prefer to watch video on=20
traditional TV sets, and they have a low=20
tolerance for ads on devices other than the boob=20
tube, according to a survey commissioned by the=20
Cabletelevision Advertising Bureau. indicated=20
that while about one-half of its respondents=20
considered computers a =93must-have=94 item, only 21%=20
said watching video on the machine was a primary=20
function. In fact, watching video -- and short=20
clips, not longer-form content, at that -- on the=20
PC ranked seventh out of nine choices.=20
Respondents also had much more limited duration=20
receptivity to ads on mobile devices than on TV.=20
Users were willing to watch an ad with a maximum=20
length of nine seconds on cell phones, 13 second=20
on mobile devices, 18 seconds for computers and=20
42 seconds on TV. The survey also shot down some=20
of the hype about the prevalence of=20
mobile-video-device ownership: Among respondents,=20
54% had only a TV and computer, with no mobile=20
screens; 30% had a TV and computer, plus one=20
extra screen, like an iPod or cell phone; 10% had=20
a TV, computer and two extra screens; and only 6%=20
had a TV, computer and three extra screens.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6376886.html?display=3DTop+Stories

WHY ONLINE VIDEO SITES ARE HOT TARGETS
[SOURCE: BusinessWeek, AUTHOR: Steve Rosenbush]
As TV viewing habits change, media companies --=20
and advertisers -- are looking elsewhere: They've=20
set their sights on a new breed of=20
startups. While the value of each company=20
clearly depends on its particular performance,=20
the factors that are proving important for Net=20
video players are quite different from those of=20
traditional media companies. In traditional TV,=20
more viewers mean more money. The correlation is=20
direct, although advertisers pay a bit more for=20
younger viewers. That's not necessarily so=20
online. A smaller audience may be more valuable=20
than a big one, if the small one does the sorts=20
of things that advertisers like -- such as=20
clicking on ads, buying products, or visiting=20
related content. The bottom line is that Net=20
video companies can be judged on a wider range of=20
factors than traditional media companies, which=20
makes some of them worth more and some worth less.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/oct2006/tc20061002_663643...

100 LEADING MEDIA COMPANIES REPORT; REVENUE HITS $268 BILLION
[SOURCE: AdAge, AUTHOR: R. Craig Endicott]
Internet and cable were the growth locomotives=20
behind the 6.6% increase in 2005 U.S. media=20
revenue, reaching $268.48 billion for the 100=20
Leading Media Companies. In some ways, broadcast=20
TV and newspaper executives must have seemed more=20
like captives tied to the tracks. Time Warner,=20
powered by its Internet and cable offerings,=20
retained its position as the No. 1 media company=20
in the U.S. at $33.73 billion, up 0.9%, far ahead=20
of the $22.08 billion from Comcast Corp. As=20
runner-up, Comcast replaced Viacom, the=20
media-entertainment company that split early this=20
year into CBS Corp., No. 7 at $11.80 billion, and=20
a much-reduced No. 9 Viacom that drew $8.25=20
billion from its movie and cable network=20
properties. Media, defined in this annual report=20
as information and entertainment distribution=20
systems in which advertising is a key element,=20
takes in the obvious traditional media companies=20
but also Hollywood as film clips have become product placements.
http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=3D112235

INTERNATIONAL

EU WELCOMES AUTONOMY PLAN FOR INTERNET GOVERNANCE
[SOURCE: Reuters]
The European Commission welcomed on Monday U.S.=20
government moves to make the company that manages=20
Internet domain names independent by 2009, but=20
said it would monitor the process carefully. The=20
Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and=20
Numbers (ICANN), which controls addresses=20
including ".com" and country domain names such as=20
".cn" for China, now reports to the U.S. Commerce=20
Department. On Friday, the Commerce Department=20
said it would retain oversight for three more=20
years, renewing an agreement that was scheduled=20
to expire last weekend. But a lighter regime was=20
introduced, with ICANN no longer having to file=20
reports with the Commerce Department every six=20
months or having its work prescribed for it, the European Commission said.
http://today.reuters.com/News/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DinternetNews&storyID=
=3D2006-10-02T181903Z_01_L02930296_RTRUKOC_0_US-EU-INTERNET.xml&WTmodLoc=3D=
InternetNewsHome_C1_%5bFeed%5d-5

UN CONVENES BROADCAST TREATY TALKS IN 2007
[SOURCE: Reuters]
The World Intellectual Property Organization=20
(WIPO) agreed on Monday to convene a conference=20
late next year to complete negotiations on a new=20
international broadcasting treaty, ending eight=20
years of wrangling. The WIPO general assembly,=20
the United Nations agency's top decision-making=20
body, called the so-called diplomatic conference=20
for November 19-December 7. The need to update=20
the existing treaty has been made more acute by a=20
growing signal-piracy problem in many parts of=20
the world, WIPO officials said. But some question=20
whether the broadcasters need any further=20
protection than that already given to them by=20
international copyright and other existing=20
intellectual property provisions. The scope of a=20
future treaty, as well as the duration of any=20
protection granted, are amongst issues to be decided at the 2007 conference.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DindustryNews&storyID=
=3D2006-10-02T175644Z_01_L02127263_RTRIDST_0_INDUSTRY-TELECOM-WIPO-DC.XML

TELECOM ITALIA CONVERGENCE IS DERAILED
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Colleen Barry]
Telecom Italia took a detour from the road to=20
convergence that most mobile and fixed-line=20
operators have been treading, and wandered into a=20
controversy that has spread from the market to the parliament.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/I/ITALY_TELECOM_TIGHTROPE?SITE=3DMA...
&SECTION=3DHOME&TEMPLATE=3DDEFAULT

QUICKLY

COURTS ARE ASKED TO CRACK DOWN ON BLOGGERS, WEBSITES
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Laura Parker]
Blogs -- short for Web logs, the burgeoning,=20
freewheeling Internet forums that give people the=20
power to instantly disseminate messages worldwide=20
-- increasingly are being targeted by those who=20
feel harmed by blog attacks. In the past two=20
years, more than 50 lawsuits stemming from=20
postings on blogs and website message boards have=20
been filed across the nation. The suits have=20
spawned a debate over how the =93blogosphere=94 and=20
its revolutionary impact on speech and publishing=20
might change libel law. Legal analysts say the=20
lawsuits are challenging a mind-set that has long=20
surrounded blogging: that most bloggers=20
essentially are =93judgment-proof=94 because they --=20
unlike traditional media such as newspapers,=20
magazines and television outlets -- often are=20
ordinary citizens who don't have a lot of money.=20
Recent lawsuits by Banks and others who say they=20
have had their reputations harmed or their=20
privacy violated have been aimed not just at cash=20
awards but also at silencing their critics.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061003/1a_cover03.art.htm
* The blogging boom
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061003/1a_coverchart03.art.htm

SPECTRUM POLICY WONDERLAND
[SOURCE: JH Snider, New America Foundation]
A debate has raged in the telecommunications=20
policy literature over the comparative merits of=20
the property rights and commons models of=20
spectrum management. In this debate, the property=20
rights model has been treated as essentially=20
identical to the licensed model, and the commons=20
model as essentially identical to the unlicensed=20
model. But in making this linkage the debate has=20
been poorly specified. There are in fact two=20
types of property rights models=97an unlicensed and=20
licensed one=97with the unlicensed model=20
overlapping with the commons model. The debate=20
moving forward should shift focus from the=20
virtues of the property rights vs. commons models=20
to the licensed vs. unlicensed property rights=20
models. The key question to answer in this new=20
debate is whether spectrum is an asset that is=20
complementary to or independent of the possession=20
of tangible property. If it is complementary to,=20
then the appropriate model for spectrum=20
management is the unlicensed property rights=20
model; if it is independent of, it is the licensed property rights model.
http://www.jhsnider.net/MyWritings/06-09-30--TPRC--SpectrumPolicyWonderl...
.pdf

NAACP OPPOSES SET-TOP INTEGRATION BAN
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
A group representing the NAACP, the Congressional=20
Black Caucus, the Urban League and the Southern=20
Christian Leadership Congress, among others, has=20
asked the FCC to grant a temporary waiver of the=20
FCC's ban on digital set-top boxes that combine=20
surfing and security functions. The Black=20
Leadership Forum, which represents the above=20
groups and some 24 others, was one of several=20
organizations writing the Chairman Martin on=20
Monday to ask for a waiver. Others included=20
limited government/free market groups like=20
Americans for Tax Reform, Americans for=20
Prosperity, and The League of Rural Voters. In a=20
letter to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, the Forum=20
called the ban a "regressive tax on cable customers."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6377272.html?display=3DBreaki...
News
See also --
* Time to rethink set-top box regulation
http://news.com.com/Time+to+rethink+set-top+box+regulation/2010-1037_3-6...
443.html?tag=3Dfd_carsl

LAWS BAN EXPLICIT E-MAILS
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Wendy Koch]
Sending sexually explicit messages online to=20
children or adults can be a violation of federal=20
and state laws. Former congressman Mark Foley,=20
the Florida Republican who resigned Friday,=20
allegedly sent graphic e-mails and text messages=20
describing sex acts to teen boys who had worked=20
as congressional pages. At least 40 states,=20
including Florida, have laws against enticing=20
children online into sexual activity, according=20
to Mary Leary, a visiting law professor at=20
Catholic University in Washington. =93People are=20
taking this more seriously,=94 she says.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20061003/a_foleylegal03.art.htm

MEDIA AND POLITICS
[SOURCE: PollingReport.com]
Results of recent polls gauging public opinion on=20
the political leanings of journalists. 44% of=20
adults polled feel the news media are too liberal=20
while just 19% think they are too conservative.
http://www.pollingreport.com/media.htm
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------