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DEMOCRATS ATTACK BUSH'S ANTI-TERRORISM STRATEGY
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Christine Hauser and David Stout]
Democrats went on the offensive as President Bush, speaking in Atlanta, urged Congress to pass legislation that would give his administration the surveillance tools he said it needed to fight terrorism. The President is seeking Congressional approval for his Terrorist Surveillance Program, which has provoked fierce legal and political debate since it was disclosed last December that the National Security Agency was wiretapping the international communications of some Americans without a court warrant. “The terrorists who want to harm America can now buy disposable cell phones, and open anonymous e-mail addresses. Our laws need to change to take these changes into account,†President Bush said today. “If an Al Qaeda commander or associate is calling into the United States, we need to know why they’re calling. And Congress needs to pass legislation supporting this program.†But as the president was speaking, Senate Democrats were holding a news conference on Capitol Hill to denounce his anti-terrorism policies as “tough but empty rhetoric†and to offer a package of proposals of their own.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/07/washington/08prexycnd.html
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* Bush presses Congress to pass antiterrorism laws
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID...
*
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/07/AR200609...
Bush Calls For Greater Wiretap Authority
EAVESDROPPING BILL STALLS IN COMMITTEE
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Laurie Kellman]
President Bush's support proved insufficient to push a bill authorizing his warrantless wiretapping program through the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday. Sen. Arlen Specter, the committee's chairman, said the bill stalled because of election-year obstructionism. The target of his ire was Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) who spoke against the bill for about a quarter of the panel's two-hour meeting and offered four amendments. Sen Feingold, a possible presidential candidate, said Specter's bill would give the White House too much power to eavesdrop without a warrant in some circumstances.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_EAVESDROPPING?SITE=MIHOL...
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_EAVESDROPPING?SITE=MIHOL&SECTION…
EAVESDROPPING BILL STALLS IN COMMITTEE
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Laurie Kellman]
President Bush's support proved insufficient to push a bill authorizing his warrantless wiretapping program through the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday. Sen. Arlen Specter, the committee's chairman, said the bill stalled because of election-year obstructionism. The target of his ire was Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) who spoke against the bill for about a quarter of the panel's two-hour meeting and offered four amendments. Sen Feingold, a possible presidential candidate, said Specter's bill would give the White House too much power to eavesdrop without a warrant in some circumstances.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_EAVESDROPPING?SITE=MIHOL...
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/C/CONGRESS_EAVESDROPPING?SITE=MIHOL&SECTION…
Democratic senators are blocking Republicans from potentially using a pending "enhanced 911" bill as a vehicle for passing major telecommunications legislation, multiple Capitol Hill sources said. The goal is to keep the E911 measure from potentially being conferenced with House-passed telecom legislation. Such a maneuver would bypass the need for Senate floor action on a broader telecom measure spearheaded by Commerce Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska). The panel narrowly approved that language earlier this year, but it appears stalled now. The numerous challenges hampering Stevens' bill are fueling speculation that its supporters want to sidestep Senate floor action. In early August, a few Democrats anonymously placed procedural "holds" on the E911 bill when efforts were made to pass it by voice vote shortly before Congress adjourned for the summer. The legislation, S. 1063, would require the FCC to ensure that E911 service is available to Internet telephone customers but also would permit temporary waivers if compliance is not technically feasible.
Senate Democrats Block Efforts To Advance Telecom Proposal
MARTIN RENOMINATION HEARING SCHEDULED
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Senate Commerce Committee will hold a renomination hearing for FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. Chairman Martin was renominated April 25 for a term that expired June 30. Martin’s renomination will almost certainly pass the committee, but he could face some tough questions from Democrats on a variety of topics, including the network neutrality issue that was initially triggered by the FCC's decision to change the definition of broadband service and exclude networks from mandatory Internet access requirements. If Martin's nomination is approved, the full Senate would still have to vote it. The nomination will be considered with that of John Kneuer to head the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). Assistant Sec Kneuer was nominated for the post in May.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6369553.html?display=Breaking...
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6369553.html?display=Breaking%20News
COURT PUTS HOLD ON FCC RULING ON TV PROFANITY
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Jeremy Pelofsky]
The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit put on hold the Federal Communications Commission's ruling that four television broadcasts of profanity violated decency standards. The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit stayed enforcement of the agency's ruling in March that profanities uttered on ABC's "NYPD Blue," CBS's "The Early Show" and the 2002 and 2003 Billboard music awards shows on Fox were indecent. The FCC did not propose any fines for the incidents. The four major television networks, ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC, argued the FCC's rulings were unconstitutional, arbitrary and capricious and asked the appeals court in New York to throw them out.
"It cuts the heart out of the FCC's strengthened enforcement effort for the time being," said Andrew Schwartzman, president and chief executive of the Media Access Project, a consumer advocacy group. The FCC now gets two months to reconsider the profanities uttered on ABC's "NYPD Blue," CBS's "The Early Show" and the 2002 and 2003 Billboard music awards shows on Fox.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=televisionNews&story...
* FCC gets 2 months to reconsider ruling
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060907/ap_en_tv/fcc_tv_indecency
* FCC Gets To Reconsider Profanity Rulings
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6369535.html
* Court Stays Indecency Findings; Grants FCC Time to Mull Same
http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=10031...
* Court Allows FCC to Clarify Indecency-Policy Enforcement
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115763716170056308.html?mod=todays_us_ma...
* FCC's Indecency Rules Put on Hold
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-fcc8sep08,1,3563393.s...
Court puts on Hold FCC ruling on TV Profanity
FCC RELEASES PROCEDURES IN CONNECTION WITH COURT REMAND
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission announced a two-week filing period for parties wishing to submit comments concerning the four indecency decisions noted above that were remanded to the Commission by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Several parties complained to the Commission that they were not provided with an opportunity to be heard by the Commission before the decisions of the Order were adopted. Accordingly, on July 5, 2006, the Commission asked the Court to suspend its briefing schedule for 60 days and remand the case to the Commission to give any interested parties an opportunity to comment on the broadcasts and ensure that all licensees are afforded a full opportunity to be heard before the Commission issues a final decision. On September 7, 2006, the Court granted the Commission's motion. Under the Court's Order, the case has been remanded to the Commission for a period of sixty days "for the entry of a further final or appealable order of the FCC following such further consideration as the FCC may deem appropriate in the circumstances."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-06-1739A1.doc
FCC Releases Procedures in Connect with Court Remand
FRESH AIR LENDS EAR TO INDECENCY DEBATE
[SOURCE: Fresh Air/National Public Radio, AUTHOR: Terry Gross]
* A TV Producer's View of FCC Indecency Policy
Louis Wiley is executive editor of the PBS documentary series Frontline, which has been affected by the Federal Communications Commission's crackdown on indecency in broadcasting. The FCC has increased fines tenfold for material they deem indecent.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5781899
* FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein Discusses Crackdown
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5781902
* Attorney Describes Challenge of Indecency Rules
Attorney Stephen Weiswasser advises stations on what material may be deemed indecent. He is a partner in law of Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C. He says the FCC guidelines are difficult to interpret.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5781905
* Interest Group Files Complaint Over Emmy Language
Tim Winter is executive director of the Parents Television Council (PTC). Last week, the PTC filed an indecency complaint with the FCC over the NBC broadcast of the Emmy Awards because of language used by actresses Helen Mirren and Calista Flockhart.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5781908
INDECENCY COMPLAINTS DOWN
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
According to the FCC, indecency and obscenity complaints were down sharply in the second quarter to 52,067 from 275,131 in the first quarter, though up slightly from the third quarter of 2005 (44,109). June saw only 741 complaints, down from 40,000 in May and 11,326 in April. Some of the complaints in April or May could have come from the American Family Association, which targeted a NASCAR broadcast with an errant swear.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6369775.html?display=Breaking...
* Quarterly Report on Informal Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Released
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-267246A1.doc
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6369775.html?display=Breaking%20News
DEMOCRATS URGE ABC TO WITHDRAW 9/11 MOVIE
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Richard Cowan and Thomas Ferraro]
Amid an election-year debate over who can best defend America, U.S. congressional Democrats urged ABC-TV on Thursday to cancel a miniseries about the September 11 attacks that is critical of former Democratic President Bill Clinton and his top aides. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada denounced the television movie, set to air in two parts on Sunday and Monday nights, as "a work of fiction." ABC issued a statement saying the production, "The Path to 9/11," was still being edited and that criticism of the film's specifics were thus "premature and irresponsible."
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID...
* Passions Flare as Broadcast of 9/11 Mini-Series Nears
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/08/washington/08film.html
ABC SAYS CRITICISM OF 9/11 FILM UNJUSTIFIED -- BUT SCHOLASTIC DROPS COMPANION GUIDE
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher]
ABC is rejecting criticism of an upcoming miniseries about the events leading to the 9/11 terror attacks, but Scholastic, which had agreed to widely distribute a companion guide to schools, announced Thursday afternoon it had changed its mind. A Scholastic statement read: "Scholastic, the global children's publishing, education and media company, today announced that it is removing from its website the materials originally created for classroom use in conjunction with the ABC Television Network docudrama, 'The Path to 9/11,' scheduled to air on the ABC Television Network on September 10 and 11, 2006. A new classroom discussion guide for high school students is being created and will focus more specifically on media literacy, critical thinking, and historical background. "'After a thorough review of the original guide that we offered online to about 25,000 high school teachers, we determined that the materials did not meet our high standards for dealing with controversial issues,' said Dick Robinson, Chairman, President and CEO of Scholastic."
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
* ABC and Scholastic release skewed Path to 9/11 "Discussion Guide" for high school teachers to assign to students
http://mediamatters.org/items/200609060008?src=action200609070001
* Scholastic Pulls Teaching Material For 9/11 Show Faulted as Biased
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB115766710703256826.html?mod=todays_us_ma...
* ABC to Alter Show on Pre-9/11 Run-Up
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/07/AR200609...
* ABC Will Only Make Minor Changes to Path to 9-11
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6369782.html
* 9/11 Miniseries Is Bunk
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Barbara Bodine, U.S. ambassador to Yemen from 1997-2001]
[Commentary] The ABC miniseries, "The Path to 9/11," opts for fiction when fact is needed and chooses mythmaking when the candor of history is called for. The 9/11 commission report tells the story with clear-eyed honesty, precision and studious impartiality. The ABC drama does not. The 9/11 commission spent hours interviewing virtually everyone connected not just with the events of that day but those involved in counter-terrorism over 25 years -- Republican as well as Democrat. ABC did not.
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-bodine8sep08,1,37...
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