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