Benton RSS Feed

LAWMAKERS HINT AT CONDITIONS ON AT&T-BELLSOUTH MERGER
[SOURCE: Technology Daily 9/28, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
Sens. Mike DeWine (R-OH) and Herb Kohl (D-WI) urged the FCC and Justice Department to consider imposing conditions on the proposed AT&T and BellSouth telecommunications merger. In letters to the agencies, the senators said divestitures of company assets may be needed, along with curbs on the ability of the merged parties to "warehouse" spectrum, thus restricting it from competitors. They also offered this warning: "The significant expansion in size and scope heralded by this merger makes it important for your agencies to be mindful of the general competition policy concern" of maintaining open markets. Their proposals are at odds with last week's recommendation from Republican FCC Chairman Kevin Martin that no conditions be placed on the transaction, which would create the nation's largest telecom company.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-ONOQ1159551166617.html

CABLE COMPANIES SEEK AT&T-BELLSOUTH CONDITIONS
[SOURCE: Multichannel News 9/28, AUTHOR: Ted Hearn]
Five major cable companies Wednesday asked for conditions on AT&T’s merger with BellSouth to ensure that the combined phone giants can't discriminate against cable’s competing digital-phone service. The cable companies seeking conditions were Advance/Newhouse Communications, Charter Communications, Cablevision Systems, Cox Communications and Insight Communications. Each has introduced voice over Internet protocol to cable subscribers. The cable companies said in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission that some of the conditions they want should apply to all cable VoIP providers, meaning cable’s biggest players -- Comcast and Time Warner Cable -- would benefit without actually having to take a public position at the FCC.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6376281.html?display=Breaking+News

MARTIN NOMINATION VOTE ON HOLD
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
According to several sources, there is a hold on the nomination of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin to a second term on the Commission. The Senate Commerce Committee voted earlier this month 21 to 0 to approve the renomination, but an expected floor vote before the election break did not materialized before the Senate adjourned. The read over at the FCC is that it is a policy issue, not a personal one, that prompted the hold. The hold could be lifted at any time. One theory is that the hold was placed by Senator John Sununu (R-NH), though he was one of the 21 who voted for the nomination in committee, over the issue of e911. That is the requirement, pushed by the FCC, that interconnected VOIP services -- ones that permit calls to begin and end on traditional public switched telephone networks (PSTN) -- deliver 911 calls to a local emergency operator as a standard feature rather than an option. Senator Sununu's office had not confirmed or denied the hold.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6376515.html

PARENTS HAVE CONTENT-CONTROL INFO, SAYS STEVENS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) took to the Senate floor Thursday night to praise the pan-media parental education campaign headed by former Motion Picture Association of America chief Jack Valenti and suggest that it was working. Citing the "Be the Boss" campaign's two PSA's and www.thetvboss.org Web site, Sen Stevens said, "Parents now have information about the V-chip, cable and satellite controls, and television ratings." Sen Stevens also advised his colleagues to join the education effort. "Earlier this week, kits containing information about this campaign were delivered to every Member of Congress," he said, "I urge my colleagues to share these valuable resources with their constituents." While Sen Stevens has said something must be done to curb the "indecent" content on broadcast and cable TV, he has pushed for industry solutions rather than regulation.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6376735.html?display=Breaking...

BROWNBACK TRIMS THE FAT
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Editorial Sraff]
[Commentary] B&C applauds Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) and the FCC for creating a new joint task force on the media and childhood obesity. "The government does not get to intervene in speech unless there is a compelling government interest. Well, a nation of children developing diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems, and potentially living shorter, sicker lives than the generation before, sounds pretty compelling from here."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6376819.html?display=Opinion