Benton RSS Feed

Coverage Type 

FOR FUTURE READERS, PAPERS SHOULD LOOK ONLINE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Sara Kehaulani Goo]
The newspaper industry may be afflicted with declining circulation, falling stock prices and for-sale signs, but two reports issued yesterday suggest newspapers can find new hope in their Web sites. Newspapers continue to attract huge increases in their online readership, particularly among younger, affluent audiences who are probably not picking up the printed version on their doorstep, according to a report issued by the Newspaper Association of America. And preliminary results of a second study, conducted by market research firm Scarborough Research, found more evidence that younger people are interested in news, just not the print version. The study found, for example, that 37 percent of adults who visited The Washington Post's Web site in the past 30 days were ages 18 to 34, while only 26 percent of the newspaper's print readers fall into the same age bracket.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR200604...
(requires registration)


For Future Readers, Papers Should Look Online
Coverage Type 

SEXY MEDIA A SIREN CALL TO PROMISCUITY?
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Michael Conlon]
Sexually charged music, magazines, TV and movies push youngsters into intercourse at an earlier age, perhaps by acting as kind of virtual peer that tells them everyone else is doing it, a study said Monday. "This is the first time we've shown that the more kids are exposed to sex in media the earlier they have sex," said Jane Brown of the University of North Carolina, chief author of the report. Previous research had been limited to television, said the study which looked at 1,017 adolescents when they were aged 12 to 14 and again two years later. They were checked on their exposure during the two years to 264 items -- movies, TV shows, music and magazines -- which were analyzed for their sexual content. In general it found that the highest exposure levels led to more sexual activity, with white teens in the group 2.2 times more likely to have had intercourse at ages 14 to 16 than similar youngsters who had the least exposure. The effect was not as pronounced for blacks, the study said, perhaps because the black youngsters in the study were already more sexually experienced than the whites were when the research began and thus were less influenced by media exposure over the two-year period. The study was published in the April issue of "Pediatrics," the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. A portion of the data was previously published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyID...



Coverage Type 

TEACHING KIDS TO DRIVE THE NET
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Stefanie Olsen]
Do children need training wheels for the digital world? For a growing number of educational groups and companies with youth-friendly Internet services, the answer is a resounding "yes." "Kids are the ones who spend more time on the Internet--it's very much an extension of their real world," said Warren Nightingale, a media education specialist at the Media Awareness Network, a children and technology educational nonprofit in Canada. "It's important to get the skills in place so they don't put themselves at risk for unwanted attention or give out personal information." Though children always seem to have a leg up on parents when it comes to adapting to new technology, experts say few of them have been taught the do's and don'ts online. But parents and educators are more concerned than ever with dangers presented by the Internet, given reports of privacy invasions and predators targeting children through chat rooms and blogs. Research shows that 94 percent of kids access the Internet from home. Some of them are already well-versed in using the Internet by the time they're in fourth grade, or 8 years old, according to a study from the Media Awareness Network, which is funded largely through government grants, conducted in Canada. Eight years old is a pivotal age for children developmentally because that's the time they seek out social networks and start to get a sense of who they are, Nightingale said.
http://news.com.com/Teaching+kids+to+drive+the+Net/2009-1041_3-6057231.h...


Teaching kids to drive the Net

Benton's Communications-related Headlines For Tuesday April 4, 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

NEWS AT THE FCC
New FCC Data on High-Speed Internet Access
Spitzer Accuses Feds of Secretly Undermining his 'Payola' Case
Bishops Push for Leased Access Review
New FCC Data on Local Telephone Competition

INTERNET
Judiciary Committee To Seek A Piece Of House Telecom Bill
A Tiered Internet ... The New Digital Divide
Net Gain on Campaign Finance Rules
New Trends In Online Traffic
For Future Readers, Papers Should Look Online
On IM, Keeping Tabs and Keeping Up Appearances

KIDS & MEDIA
Sexy media a siren call to promiscuity?
Teaching kids to drive the Net
Web Ads Appear On Racy Sites Despite Checks

QUICKLY -- NAB Debate Tracker Up and Running;=20
Assets of Foundations Sprint Past Milestone, but=20
Lower Payout Is Foreseen; 3 Verizon Caribbean=20
Units Sold to Mexican Magnate; Blogging and=20
Education; Free 411 info on call if you'll listen=20
to ads; NTL seals $1.7 billion deal for Virgin=20
Mobile; Terminate Public Broadcasting; Violent=20
video games often not properly labeled; NAB Opposes Sideline Camera Ban

NEWS AT THE FCC

NEW FCC DATA ON HIGH-SPEED SERVICES FOR INTERNET ACCESS
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
On Monday the FCC released new data on high-speed=20
connections to the Internet in the United=20
States. Twice a year, facilities-based broadband=20
providers report the number of high-speed=20
connections in service pursuant to the FCC's=20
local telephone competition and broadband data=20
gathering program. Statistics reflect data as of=20
June 30, 2005. For reporting purposes, high-speed=20
lines are connections that deliver services at=20
speeds exceeding 200 kilobits per second (kbps)=20
in at least one direction, while advanced=20
services lines are connections that deliver=20
services at speeds exceeding 200 kbps in both=20
directions. The June 30, 2005 data provide more=20
information about the "speeds" of advanced=20
services lines and finer distinctions among=20
technologies than previously reported. They also=20
enable, for the first time in this data=20
collection, estimation of the extent to which=20
high-speed Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)=20
connections are available to households residing=20
in the areas served by incumbent local exchange=20
carriers (ILECs) and the extent to which=20
high-speed cable modem service is available to=20
households residing in the areas served by cable=20
TV systems. Highlights of the report include: 1)=20
there are 37.7 million advanced service lines in=20
the US, 61.8% of which were at least 2.5 mbps in=20
the faster direction; 2) of the 37.7 million=20
advanced services lines, 34.3 million served=20
primarily residential end users. Cable modem=20
service represented 64.9% of these lines while=20
33.9% were asymmetric DSL (ADSL) connections; 3)=20
As a nationwide average, the FCC estimates that=20
high-speed DSL connections were available to 76%=20
of the households to whom ILECs could provide=20
local telephone service as of June 30, 2005, and=20
that high-speed cable modem service was available=20
to 91% of the households to whom cable system=20
operators could provide cable TV service.; 4) 98%=20
of US zip codes have at least one high-speed=20
provider -- The most widely reported technologies=20
by this measure were satellite (with at least=20
some presence reported in 86% of Zip Codes), ADSL=20
(in 78% of Zip Codes), and cable modem (in 62% of=20
Zip Codes). ADSL and/or cable modem connections=20
were reported to be present in 85% of Zip Codes.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-264738A1.doc
* See the report at:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-264744A1.pdf
* Martin Touts Dereg Drivers of Broadband Gains
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321372?display=3DBreaking+News

SPITZER ACCUSES FEDS OF SECRETLY UNDERMINING HIS 'PAYOLA' CASE
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Devlin Barrett]
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer accused=20
federal regulators Monday of going behind his=20
back to negotiate with radio companies caught in=20
a "payola" scandal, and saying the move undercuts=20
the case he's been building for years.=20
Negotiations between radio companies and the=20
Federal Communications Commission have included=20
possible payments of about $1 million per=20
company, said an official familiar with the=20
talks. The official spoke on condition of=20
anonymity because the talks are secret and have=20
not been finalized. Spitzer's lawyers, by=20
contrast, have been seeking a figure closer to=20
$20 million from each company, the official said.
http://www.silive.com/newsflash/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-16/1144081453...
410.xml&storylist=3Dsimetro
* Spitzer Criticizes Talks Between FCC, Stations
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-spitzer4apr04,1,41809...
story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
* Free Press Pushes Tough Payola Fines
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321354?display=3DBreaking+News
* FCC Must Crack Down on Payola Broadcasters
http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=3D125

BISHOPS PUSH FOR LEASED ACCESS REVIEW
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops,=20
the Center for Digital Democracy and the Benton=20
Foundation are taking the FCC to task for what=20
they say is the FCC's "neglect" of its oversight=20
role, which they argue has negative impacted=20
program diversity. In comments filed at the FCC,=20
they argue that current FCC leased-access rules=20
setting aside 10%-15% of cable channels for=20
unaffiliated entities--have instead "deterred=20
non-affiliated programmers from using leased=20
access, further entrenched cable operators' hold=20
on video programming, and have not resolved the=20
harms that the leased access provisions were=20
designed to address, such as cable operators'=20
lack of incentive to provide programming with=20
divergent interests." The religious leaders are=20
concerned about access to those channels for=20
religious programming. The comments came in=20
response to the FCC's annual state of video=20
competition report, which was released last=20
month. In the report, the FCC concluded that=20
consumers now have a choice, on average, of=20
broadcast, cable, and two satellite services for=20
their TV, as well as increased offers of bundled=20
services -- TV, Internet access, phone. It also=20
concluded that rather than necessarily lowering=20
cable prices, wired incumbents have responded by adding more services.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321463?display=3DBreaking+News
* See press release:
http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/washingtonwatch/FCCleasedaccess.html

NEW FCC DATA ON LOCAL TELEPHONE COMPETITION
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
On Monday the FCC released new data on local=20
telephone service competition in the United=20
States. Highlights include: 1) "End-user=20
customers obtained local telephone service by=20
utilizing approximately 144.1 million ILEC=20
switched access lines, 34.1 million CLEC switched=20
access lines, and 191.3 million mobile telephony=20
service subscriptions at the end of June 2005;=20
and 2) At least one CLEC was serving customers in=20
83% of the nation's Zip Codes at the end of June=20
2005. About 98% of United States households=20
resided in those Zip Codes. Moreover, multiple=20
carriers reported providing local telephone=20
service in the major population centers of the country.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-264743A1.doc
* See the FCC report at:
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-264742A1.pdf

INTERNET

JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO SEEK A PIECE OF HOUSE TELECOM BILL
[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
The House Judiciary Committee plans to request=20
sequential referral over portions of a=20
telecommunications bill released last week by=20
House Energy and Commerce Chairman Joe Barton=20
(R-TX). The Judiciary panel's involvement would=20
be significant because Judiciary Chairman James=20
Sensenbrenner (R-WI) is a vocal critic of the=20
regional Bell operating companies who is=20
concerned about the possibility of=20
anti-competitive conduct. The referral, if=20
approved by House leaders, would come after the=20
full Commerce panel approves the Barton-authored=20
measure, which is viewed as favorable to the Bell=20
companies. Meanwhile, the Judiciary Committee is=20
quietly drafting legislation based on a bill=20
introduced in 2004 by Chairman Sensenbrenner and=20
Judiciary ranking member John Conyers (D-MI). The=20
measure would clarify that antitrust laws apply=20
to the telecom sector regardless of court=20
decisions suggesting otherwise. Depending on the=20
outcome of the referral request, the Judiciary=20
panel's legislation may include restrictive=20
"network neutrality" provisions banning telecom=20
and cable companies from acting as Internet=20
gatekeepers and offering faster speed service to preferred Web sites.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-OWSR1144093846528.html

A TIERED INTERNET... THE NEW DIGITAL DIVIDE
[SOURCE: Diary of a Community Technology Advocate, AUTHOR: Angela Stuber]
[Commentary] If this "pay to play" is legislated,=20
our Internet service will be tiered like our=20
cable and we will have created a new Digital=20
Divide. I have enough work trying to bridge the=20
current Digital Divide=85 a tiered Internet will=20
keep even more folks from accessing portions of=20
the "Information Superhighway". Oh wait, there=92s=20
more=85 it will not only create inequal access from=20
the consumer side but also make new business=20
entry to the Internet more difficult. =91Cause we=20
know most new small businesses will not have the=20
funds to =93pay to play=94. E-commerce is providing=20
folks from all arenas an equal business=20
opportunity, including folks with disabilities.=20
Withdrawing that level playing fields just to=20
boost bottom line of the Internet providers seems=20
anti-economic development and downright Un-American.
http://angelastuber.blogspot.com/

NET GAIN ON CAMPAIGN FINANCE RULES
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: E. J. Dionne Jr]
[Commentary] The new FEC rule is not that=20
complicated, but it did involve some careful=20
balancing. The commission, under pressure from a=20
court decision, decided that paid advertising on=20
the Internet should be subject to the same=20
regulations as paid advertising on television,=20
radio or in newspapers. The restrictions on the=20
use of unregulated "soft money" that apply to the=20
old media would apply to the new media, too. At=20
the same time, bloggers won what they had long=20
sought: exemptions from regulations on what they=20
can say that are akin to those that apply to what=20
is now quaintly called the "old media." For=20
bloggers, it was a Let Freedom Ring moment. The=20
decision could be looked at as a classic=20
political compromise: Campaign reformers got=20
something they wanted (the Web would not be=20
allowed to become the loophole that ate all=20
campaign finance regulations), while bloggers got=20
something they wanted (freedom to inform, opine,=20
fulminate and enrage, i.e., to speak their=20
minds). But the decision was better than your=20
usual split-the-difference Washington=20
sausage-making because it acknowledged that two=20
serious principles are at stake and because it=20
sought to make sure that regulations would be=20
applied uniformly across media outlets. The two=20
principles are free speech and the ability of our=20
democratic political system to protect itself=20
from corruption. That's why Congress should=20
resist any bill that would overturn the FEC's=20
shrewd ruling and let money slosh around freely on the Internet.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR200604...
1611.html
(requires registration)

NEW TRENDS IN ONLINE TRAFFIC
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Leslie Walker]
While growth is slowing at most top Internet=20
sites, it is skyrocketing at sites focused on=20
social networking, blogging and local=20
information. The dramatic success of those=20
Internet categories is apparent from a recent=20
online-traffic analysis provided by market=20
research firm ComScore Media Metrix, which=20
examined visitor growth rates among the 50 top=20
Web sites over the past year. Top-ranked sites=20
growing the most, ComScore's data showed, were=20
Blogger.com, a personal publishing site;=20
MySpace.com, where young people do virtual=20
preening and share musical tastes; Wikipedia, an=20
open reference site jointly edited by millions of=20
people; and Citysearch, a network of local guides=20
focused on cities. The number of monthly visitors=20
to each site rose at rates ranging from 185=20
percent (Citysearch) to 528 percent (Blogger.com)=20
between February 2005 and February 2006. Their=20
growth far exceeded the 4 percent increase in=20
overall Internet visitors in the United States=20
during that period. The traffic analysis shows=20
the Internet is still a space where new brands=20
such as MySpace can suddenly break into the upper=20
ranks, where older brands such as Citysearch can=20
revive themselves after languishing for years,=20
and where established outfits such as Google=20
often wind up as beneficiaries because they buy=20
or copy services pioneered by upstarts.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR200604...
1692.html
(requires registration)

FOR FUTURE READERS, PAPERS SHOULD LOOK ONLINE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Sara Kehaulani Goo]
The newspaper industry may be afflicted with=20
declining circulation, falling stock prices and=20
for-sale signs, but two reports issued yesterday=20
suggest newspapers can find new hope in their Web=20
sites. Newspapers continue to attract huge=20
increases in their online readership,=20
particularly among younger, affluent audiences=20
who are probably not picking up the printed=20
version on their doorstep, according to a report=20
issued by the Newspaper Association of America.=20
And preliminary results of a second study,=20
conducted by market research firm Scarborough=20
Research, found more evidence that younger people=20
are interested in news, just not the print=20
version. The study found, for example, that 37=20
percent of adults who visited The Washington=20
Post's Web site in the past 30 days were ages 18=20
to 34, while only 26 percent of the newspaper's=20
print readers fall into the same age bracket.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR200604...
1595.html
(requires registration)

ON IM, KEEPING TABS AND KEEPING UP APPEARANCES
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Yuki Noguchi]
Instant Messenger (IM) users have learned that=20
the technology's basic tools can serve as=20
real-time windows into the comings and goings of=20
others. The simple icons that show whether a=20
person is available for a chat -- a green check=20
mark, a do-not-enter sign, an away message --=20
make it possible to juggle relationships or=20
maintain social ties. Users who know their=20
friends' and families' online routines come to=20
understand that the availability icon stands for=20
something going on in that person's life. A=20
roommate who logged off late in the afternoon=20
must be headed home for the day, or a sibling who=20
hasn't been seen online for a few days might be=20
traveling. Instant messaging, users say, makes=20
lives more transparent than other technologies, like e-mail or cellphones.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR200604...
1691.html
(requires registration)

KIDS & MEDIA

SEXY MEDIA A SIREN CALL TO PROMISCUITY?
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Michael Conlon]
Sexually charged music, magazines, TV and movies=20
push youngsters into intercourse at an earlier=20
age, perhaps by acting as kind of virtual peer=20
that tells them everyone else is doing it, a=20
study said Monday. "This is the first time we've=20
shown that the more kids are exposed to sex in=20
media the earlier they have sex," said Jane Brown=20
of the University of North Carolina, chief author=20
of the report. Previous research had been limited=20
to television, said the study which looked at=20
1,017 adolescents when they were aged 12 to 14=20
and again two years later. They were checked on=20
their exposure during the two years to 264 items=20
-- movies, TV shows, music and magazines -- which=20
were analyzed for their sexual content. In=20
general it found that the highest exposure levels=20
led to more sexual activity, with white teens in=20
the group 2.2 times more likely to have had=20
intercourse at ages 14 to 16 than similar=20
youngsters who had the least exposure. The effect=20
was not as pronounced for blacks, the study said,=20
perhaps because the black youngsters in the study=20
were already more sexually experienced than the=20
whites were when the research began and thus were=20
less influenced by media exposure over the=20
two-year period. The study was published in the=20
April issue of "Pediatrics," the journal of the=20
American Academy of Pediatrics. A portion of the=20
data was previously published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DdomesticNews&storyID=
=3D2006-04-03T160021Z_01_N29389676_RTRUKOC_0_US-SEX.xml&archived=3DFalse

TEACHING KIDS TO DRIVE THE NET
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Stefanie Olsen]
Do children need training wheels for the digital=20
world? For a growing number of educational groups=20
and companies with youth-friendly Internet=20
services, the answer is a resounding "yes." "Kids=20
are the ones who spend more time on the=20
Internet--it's very much an extension of their=20
real world," said Warren Nightingale, a media=20
education specialist at the Media Awareness=20
Network, a children and technology educational=20
nonprofit in Canada. "It's important to get the=20
skills in place so they don't put themselves at=20
risk for unwanted attention or give out personal=20
information." Though children always seem to have=20
a leg up on parents when it comes to adapting to=20
new technology, experts say few of them have been=20
taught the do's and don'ts online. But parents=20
and educators are more concerned than ever with=20
dangers presented by the Internet, given reports=20
of privacy invasions and predators targeting=20
children through chat rooms and blogs. Research=20
shows that 94 percent of kids access the Internet=20
from home. Some of them are already well-versed=20
in using the Internet by the time they're in=20
fourth grade, or 8 years old, according to a=20
study from the Media Awareness Network, which is=20
funded largely through government grants,=20
conducted in Canada. Eight years old is a pivotal=20
age for children developmentally because that's=20
the time they seek out social networks and start=20
to get a sense of who they are, Nightingale said.
http://news.com.com/Teaching+kids+to+drive+the+Net/2009-1041_3-6057231.h...
?tag=3Dnefd.lede

WEB ADS APPEAR ON RACY SITES DESPITE CHECKS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Julia Angwin julia.angwin( at )wsj.com ]
Most big companies have strict rules to prevent=20
their ads from appearing alongside sexual,=20
political, illegal or hateful material on=20
television and in newspapers and magazines. But=20
these days, the free-wheeling content on the=20
Internet is sorely testing those restrictions=20
because of the way many ads for small sites are=20
sold through middlemen that don't always=20
carefully monitor where the ads are posted.=20
Companies and their ad agencies over the years=20
have developed ways to monitor their print and TV=20
ads. For TV, advertisers have lists of shows they=20
won't buy into -- often those with controversial=20
content. In both print and TV, marketers buy ads=20
on condition their spots don't run adjacent to=20
certain content -- such as news of a tragedy.=20
Advertising on the Internet isn't as clear-cut.=20
Marketers typically place ads directly with=20
Google, Time Warners AOL, Microsoft's MSN and=20
Yahoo. But for tens of thousands of smaller Web=20
sites that accept ads, companies or their ad=20
agencies turn to online advertising networks.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB114411164282216016.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
ketplace
(requires subscription)

QUICKLY

NAB DEBATE TRACKER UP AND RUNNING
[SOURCE: National Association of Broadcasters]
The National Association of Broadcasters is=20
urging member stations to report to the lobbying=20
organization on efforts to give air time to=20
political candidates. Why? "As the election=20
season heats up, activist groups can be expected=20
to renew their unfounded criticism that=20
broadcasters fail" to do so. The NAB will=20
tabulate the data and include in NAB's "Free Air=20
Times" publication. The link below is the online=20
form stations use to report offers of free air time.
http://www.nab.org/publicservice/electionslog.asp

ASSETS OF FOUNDATIONS SPRINT PAST MILESTONE, BUT LOWER PAYOUT IS FORESEEN
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Stephaine Strom]
Foundation assets climbed above $500 billion for=20
the first time last year, according to estimates=20
issued yesterday by the Foundation Center.=20
Nonetheless,while 59 percent of foundations=20
responding to the center's annual survey said=20
they would increase their giving this year, 30=20
percent said they intended to cut it. The=20
Foundation Center, a research and educational=20
group that tracks grants, expects total giving by=20
foundations to fall this year as concerns about=20
the national deficit, higher oil prices,=20
volatility in the stock market and the war in=20
Iraq weigh on the minds of foundation managers.=20
Inflation is also playing a role, eroding assets=20
and the value of foundation giving; assets have=20
not grown since 2000, after adjustment for=20
inflation. Similarly, while giving among=20
foundations reached an estimated record level of=20
$33.6 billion last year, in inflation-adjusted=20
terms that was slightly less than the peak amount=20
reported in 2001. The nation's independent and=20
family foundations, which together are generally=20
known as private foundations, number more than=20
67,000 and continue to account for a vast=20
majority of foundation giving. But the rate of=20
growth among private foundations last year was=20
the lowest since 1990, and giving by newer types is increasing rapidly.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/us/04foundation.html
(requires registration)
* Justice O'Connor to Join Rockefeller Foundation Board
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/washington/04oconnor.html

3 VERIZON CARIBBEAN UNITS SOLD TO MEXICAN MAGNATE
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Elisabeth Malkin]
Verizon announced Monday that it was selling its=20
interests in phone companies in Venezuela, Puerto=20
Rico and the Dominican Republic for $3.7 billion,=20
saying they no longer fit in with its business=20
focus. All three transactions involved Am=E9rica=20
M=F3vil, a large cellular telephone service=20
provider controlled by the Mexican=20
multibillionaire Carlos Slim Hel=FA that has grown=20
steadily across Latin America as global=20
telecommunications companies withdrew from some=20
national markets. Verizon's move fits in with a=20
broader shift by phone companies in the United=20
States, which are concentrating on their domestic=20
wireless and Internet businesses. Companies=20
including BellSouth, AT&T and the Vodafone Group=20
have left Latin America in recent years, either=20
because their business strategies there failed or=20
because they were struggling at home. Analysts=20
say Am=E9rica M=F3vil, which reported revenue of $17=20
billion last year, has achieved much of its=20
success through its ability to sell cellphones to=20
Latin America's fast-growing working class.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/business/worldbusiness/04verizon.html
(requires registration)

BLOGGING AND EDUCATION
[SOURCE: Washington Post]
Blogs can offer teachers and students=20
unprecedented ways to reach new audiences, foster=20
broader discussions and allow both sides to learn from each other.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR200604...
1349.html
(requires registration)
* Blogs Sidestep Classroom Constraints
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR200604...
1348.html
* N.J. Teacher Makes Blogs A Staple at High School
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR200604...
1350.html
* Blackboard Blogging
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/03/AR200604...
1351.html

FREE 411 CALLS IF YOU'LL LISTEN TO ADS
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
A new crop of 800 services is offering free=20
directory assistance. The catch: You first have=20
to listen to a commercial for up to 15 seconds.=20
The newest of the three entrants, 1-800-411-SAVE,=20
is launching nationwide today after trials in=20
Chicago and San Francisco. The others,=20
1-800-FREE-411 and 1-800-411-METRO, rolled out=20
last fall. Typical landline directory-assistance=20
from the big phone companies costs $1.25 a call,=20
but out-of-region listings are often $1.99 and=20
can range as high as $3.49, says Kathleen Pierz=20
of the Pierz Group, a research company. A=20
wireless 411 call generally costs $1.50.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20060404/1b_free411_04.art.htm

NTL SEALS $1.7 BILLION DEAL FOR VIRGIN MOBILE
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: Mark Odell,=20
Emiko Terazono and Helen Thomas]
Virgin Mobile, the UK-based mobile phone operator=20
controlled by Sir Richard Branson=92s Virgin Group,=20
on Tuesday accepted cable group NTL=92s takeover=20
offer valued at $1.7 billion. The deal creates=20
the UK=92s first media company to offer =93quadruple=20
play=94, comprising television, broadband and=20
fixed-line and mobile phone services.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/226b9780-c3a6-11da-9ad1-0000779e2340.html
(requires subscription)

TERMINATE PUBLIC BROADCASTING
[SOURCE: Accuracy in Media, AUTHOR: Cliff Kincaid]
[Commentary] The public broadcasting=20
establishment is in a state of apoplexy over the=20
fact that the Bush Administration has proposed a=20
modest cut in federal funding of public TV and=20
radio. But the Republican Study Committee has=20
gone further, advocating the complete de-funding=20
of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).=20
This is the position advocated by AIM.
http://www.aim.org/media_monitor/4461_0_2_0_C/

VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES OFTEN NOT PROPERLY LABELED
[SOURCE: Reuters]
Most video games rated "M" for mature audiences=20
fail to disclose violent content on their labels=20
and can easily fall into the hands of children,=20
according to a study released on Monday.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=3DtechnologyNews&sto...
D=3D2006-04-03T201556Z_01_N31367734_RTRUKOC_0_US-VIDEOS.xml
* Judge nixes Michigan law aimed at 'violent' games
A federal judge has overturned a Michigan law=20
restricting the sale of violent video games, the=20
most recent in a series of decisions that have=20
gutted similar laws on free-speech grounds.
http://news.com.com/Judge+nixes+Michigan+law+aimed+at+violent+games/2100...
43_3-6057287.html?tag=3Dhtml.alert

NAB OPPOSES SIDELINE CAMERA BAN
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
National Association of Broadcasters President=20
David Rehr has called on the NFL to reverse its=20
decision to ban local TV station cameras from the=20
sidelines of NFL games, calling it "wrongheaded,"=20
and showing an "appalling lack of appreciation," for broadcasters.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321587?display=3DBreaking+News
--------------------------------------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Advocates File Comments with FCC on Leased-Access Cable Channels

April 3, 2006 The Benton Foundation joined he Center for Digital Democracy and the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops in comments filed with the FCC today on the commission's Annual Assessment of the Status of Competition in the Market for the Delivery of Video Programming.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Independent Panel Reviewing the Impact of Hurricane Katrina on Communications Networks will hold its next meeting on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at 9:00 a.m. in the Commission Meeting Room, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW, Room TW-C305, Washington, DC.

The Panel will hear presentations from its three informal working groups (IWG-1 Infrastructure Resiliency, IWG-2 Recovery Coordination and Procedures and IWG-3 Emergency Communications) regarding their work to date. The informal working groups’ presentations will form the framework for discussion of the specific issues, findings and recommendations to be addressed in the Panel’s report to the FCC which must be submitted by June 15, 2006. The report will address the impact of Hurricane Katrina on communications infrastructure, including public safety communications, and recommendations for improving disaster preparedness, network reliability and communications among first responders. The Panel may take action on any of the issues raised during the meeting. The Panel may also hear presentations and/or demonstrations from invited representatives of government agencies and/or other entities that address emergency response and disaster preparedness issues.
Members of the general public may attend the meeting.

Real Audio access to the meeting will be available at www.fcc.gov. Open captioning will be provided for this event.

The public may submit written comments before the meeting to: Lisa M. Fowlkes, the Commission’s Designated Federal Officer for the Independent Panel, at lisa.fowlkes@fcc.gov or by U.S. Postal Mail (Lisa M. Fowlkes, Designated Federal Officer, Hurricane Katrina Independent Panel, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW, Room 7-C737, Washington DC 20554).
Further information regarding the Independent Panel, including publicly available documents, may be found on the Panel’s website at www.fcc.gov/eb/hkip.

Coverage Type 

WHY EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD HAVE BROADBAND ACCESS
[SOURCE: Financial Times, AUTHOR: FCC Chairman Kevin Martin]
[Commentary] Today we are living through a technological revolution. Broadband and the ability to communicate at increasing speeds are increasing our productivity, helping drive our economy and affecting every aspect of daily life. As chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, my priority is speeding the deployment of fibre infrastructure and broadband services. Today, the FCC issues its most recent broadband development report, and we are closing in on President George W. Bush’s goal of providing broadband access to every US household. With 42.9 million subscribers, the US has more people connected to broadband than any other country, and the report notes that the number of broadband subscribers continues to grow rapidly. Advanced services lines increased by 60 per cent in 2005. The report also indicates that about 91 per cent of those with access to cable television services have access to cable broadband and about 76 per cent of those with landline telephones have access to a residential DSL (digital subscriber line) service. All this means that more than 85 per cent of the country has access to cable, DSL or both. There is still more we can do to encourage competition and speed broadband deployment. We must ensure that government regulations do not unreasonably stifle further investment and market entry. The FCC has taken several steps to create a policy environment that encourages network providers to invest in further broadband deployment. Last summer, the commission deregulated DSL services. This decision allows broadband platforms to invest in their networks without having to provide their rivals with access at unfair discounts. The commission is working to facilitate broadband throughout America. This country has a longstanding history of equal opportunity, an underlying value that once compelled us to work to connect everyone to the telephone network. Now it must mean providing the ability to connect with broadband. Since 2001 when I came to the commission, the number of high-speed lines has increased more than sixfold. We stand ready to tackle the remaining challenges to our goal of universal, affordable broadband access for all Americans.
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/837637ee-c269-11da-ac03-0000779e2340,_i_rssPage...
(requires subscription)


Why Every American Should have Broadband Access
Coverage Type 

UPTON COUNTS ENOUGH VOTES TO OK FRANCHISE BILL
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
In an interview with C-Span, House Telecommunications Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI) said his panel will begin a mark-up of a national video franchising bill on Tuesday at 5pm, moving toward a consideration of amendments and final vote on the legislation on April 5. The full Commerce Committee would then consider the bill after the Easter break. Even without support of top Democrats on the Commerce Committee, Rep Upton said he thought the bill would still pass out of subcommittee and committee, and said, "I suspect that we have way more than enough votes to pass it with a decent margin on the House floor, and I suspect we will get there by May." He added that both telephone and cable companies are close to endorsing the bill.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321103?display=Breaking+News

* Franchise Bill To Get Stronger 'Anti-Red Lining' Language
Maybe Rep Bobby Rush (D-IL) is crazy like a fox. According to House Telecom Subcommittee Chairman Fred Upton, Rep Rush and Rep Albert Wynn (D-MD) are working together on strong language to add to the national franchise bill to insure against "red lining" -- not providing service to less lucrative customers, often rural or poorer areas. Chairman Upton said he and others on the committee will be able to support the language when the bill is marked up on Wednesday.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321147?display=Breaking+News

* Upton: Video Franchise Bill Could Rate With Consumers
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321107?display=Breaking+News

* Barton Bullish on Telecom Bill
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321201?display=News

* Barton: Bush Will OK National Franchising
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6321256.html?display=Top+Stories

* Rep. Joe Barton and Co. destroy “Community Communications”
http://www.democraticmedia.org/jcblog/?p=15

* USTA’s “TV Freedom”: You Can Fool Almost All the Politicians All of the Time
http://www.democraticmedia.org/jcblog/?p=17

* Following the money on the net neutrality issue: meet Joe Barton's friend$$
http://blogs.zdnet.com/ip-telephony/?p=1000

* Voices From Everywhere On The Barton Bill
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6321222.html?display=Opinion


http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321103?display=Breaking%20News
Coverage Type 

COMPETITION, NOT CONSENT
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA)]
[Commentary] As we move steadily into the 21st century, many have begun to question if the current television regulations allow our media companies sufficient freedom to meet the demands of their viewers. Under the current regime, whenever an individual or family chooses to sign up for a cable or satellite service, they are presented with a relatively limited number of bundled packages. These packages consist of a predetermined set of channels, ranging from family friendly cartoons to controversial gay and lesbian programs. It is a take-it-or-leave-it deal, with the viewer forced to accept stations they would never watch nor support. In an ideal, free-market based economy, consumer demand would dictate the television programming supplied. Unfortunately, such a scenario is unlikely to unfold in today's market, due to a federal regulation known as retransmission consent. Retransmission consent rules initially proved beneficial in increasing access to programs such as the news and weather. As the media market expanded, though, they became more hindrance than help. Broadcast monopolies, whose very existence relies on taxpayer-owned broadcast airwaves, backed cable and satellite providers into either paying overly steep prices for their local stations or taking extra programming produced by the parent company which either owned or affiliated the local channel. By the end of negotiations, dozens and dozens of extra channels were forced upon the cable and satellite companies. End result: consumers are left with a package full of channels they would never have requested. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that the top six programming conglomerates, of which four are broadcasters, own or have interest in 153 cable channels, including nearly 75% of the top 50 channels, leading to a combined revenue of $149.6 billion. It is time our telecommunication laws be based on free-market principles where demand dictates supply. Currently, demand is harnessed by retransmission consent rules, thus preventing new and inventive programming services.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6321223.html?display=Opinion


http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6321223.html?display=Opinion
Coverage Type 

MICHIGAN CITIES CRY FOUL
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Haugsted]
Municipal officials from across Michigan are stepping up in a very public way to oppose state House and Senate versions of an AT&T-backed franchise-reform bill that city officials say will wrest power from the local communities. These representatives from municipalities stress that their towns are open for business to any competitive providers -- and argue that their local rules are not a barrier to entry. The local leaders are responding to proposed bills which state that current franchising rules and buildout requirements create a barrier to entry at a time when speed to market is critical. The bill declares there is “minimal competition in facilities-based video programming,” even though Michigan was one of the states that best fostered cable competition last decade, during the telephone industry's prior push into cable. Ameritech New Media earned several franchises in the Detroit suburbs before the regional Bell company gave up on the business and sold out to WideOpenWest LLC, which continues to operate in the state in head-to-head competition with cable operators, including Comcast. The AT&T-backed bill would allow for statewide certification of new providers, who would agree to pay a 5% fee to local governments, plus a 1% fee on gross revenues to support public-access activities. Both fees are passed through to consumers. Though new providers are required to pay these fees, they can also qualify for a credit equal to the amount they spend on rights-of-way maintenance in local communities.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6321213.html?display=Top+Stories


http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6321213.html?display=Top%20Stories