Subject: [Benton's Communications-related Headlines] July 27, 2007 (DTV transition)

From: Kevin Taglang <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2007 07:00:15 -0500

** Headlines will be on a break next week and 
will return Monday August 6, 2007. To follow 
media policy developments while we're gone, 
please consider trying the Free Press news 
service at http://www.freepress.net/news/ **

BENTON'S COMMUNICATIONS-RELATED HEADLINES for FRIDAY JULY 27, 2007
For upcoming media policy events, see 
http://www.benton.org/?q=event/2007/07/01/month/all/all/1

BROADCASTING
	Many in the dark about TV switch: U.S. lawmakers
	Martin Reinforces Opposition To Fairness Doctrine

SPECTRUM POLICY
	Martin Rejects Google's Proposal
	Is Verizon's flip-flop on the 700MHz auction rules for real?
	NAB, MSTV: Unlicensed Devices Could Affect Converter Boxes

INTERNET/BROADBAND
	The Tortured Road To Ubiquitous Broadband Wireless
	Urban wireless networks set to surge
	Net access tax compromise: A short extension?
	With Tools on Web, Amateurs Reshape Mapmaking

QUICKLY -- Wiretap Debacle; YOUTUBE, TAKE TWO Few 
GOP Candidates Commit to Debate; An Open 
Knowledge Base for the National Broadband 
Project; AT&T Is Cable Operator, Says Connecticut 
Court; NSL Bill Would Restore Critical Privacy Protections

BROADCASTING

MANY IN THE DARK ABOUT TV SWITCH: US LAWMAKERS
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Stephanie Beasley]
Not enough is being done to let American 
consumers know that soon they will be unable to 
watch their favorite shows on their old 
television sets because they can't receive the 
new digital signals, members of the Senate 
Commerce Committee said on Thursday. "The time to 
act is now -- before the digital transition 
devolves into a digital disaster," Senate 
Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye 
(D-Hawaii), said at a panel hearing on public 
readiness for the switch. U.S. television 
stations are required to switch to digital only 
broadcasts by February 17, 2009. People who do 
not own digital sets will need to buy a converter 
box or subscribe to digital or satellite cable to 
be able to watch television. John Kneuer, 
assistant secretary of the National 
Telecommunications & Information Administration, 
and Cathy Seidel, chief of consumer and 
governmental affairs for the Federal 
Communications Commission, said that they are 
working with other organizations to target 
specific communities that are less likely to know 
about the transition. Sen. Gordon Smith (R-OR) 
and others expressed concern about the elderly 
being able to make the switch and possibly 
falling victim to scams. Sen. Claire McCaskill 
(D-Missouri) suggested a tried and true method of 
preparing the public for the change. "It's not 
hard to educate the United States of America -- 
it's called: 'You do it over television."'
http://tv.yahoo.com/news/article/urn:newsml:tv.reuters.com:20070726:usa_television_congress_dc__ER:77344;_ylt=AldFOIAE_hKKJv_CmrOVqaj6o9EF
* Lawmakers fret over digital TV transition
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2738723820070727
* Inouye: Congress Will 'Do Something' to Address DTV Concerns
The term "disaster" was used twice and "train 
wreck" only once in a Senate Commerce Committee 
hearing Thursday that discussed how well 
consumers are being prepared for the 
analog-to-digital TV transition. The transition 
is now a little over 18 months away.
* Senators Worried About TV 'Train Wreck' (Associated Press)
http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=116&sid=1201006
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6463359.html?rssid=193
* Lawmakers decry digital-TV notification efforts
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-digitaltv27jul27,1,6802314.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-business
* NAB: DTV PSAs To Launch in December
National Association of Broadcasters President 
David Rehr says the lobbying organization is 
identifying target populations so PSA campaigns 
can be tailored to them, opening a DTV speakers 
bureau; and doing outreach to other countries 
running campaigns. Rehr said the PSA package, at 
a minimum, would include: four to six 30-second 
spots and at least one 60 for "all 1,169" member 
station; a couple of 30-second donut spots (no, 
not plugging the new Simpsons' movie) with a hole 
in the middle for a sound bite from an official 
or anchor; "teaser" copy to plug the transition 
in newscasts and send viewers to 
www.DTVanswers.com; B-roll footage of towers, 
converter boxes and more to illustrate stories 
about DTV; a 25-minute special; and foreign 
language spots. Rehr also said NAB will work with 
networks to agree on the use of crawls during 
programs to give viewers the heads-up.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6463538.html?rssid=193
* Rehr Outlines NAB's Transition Efforts
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/07/26/daily.9/
* FCC Proposes DTV Education Campaign Benchmarks
The FCC last Saturday approved a notice of 
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on 
various proposals to hold the broadcast and cable 
industries to benchmarks for DTV education 
campaigns. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin revealed the 
NPRM to legislators at an FCC oversight hearing 
in the House Telecommunications & Internet 
subcommittee this week. The FCC proposals were 
prompted by a letter from Subcommittee Chairman 
Ed Markey and Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell  (D-MI).
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6463462.html?rssid=193
* Link to webcast and testimony
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Hearing&Hearing_ID=1888
* NTIA testimony
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/congress/2007/Kneuer_SenateCommerce_072607.htm

MARTIN REINFORCES OPPOSITION TO FAIRNESS DOCTRINE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has reasserted his 
opposition to reinstating the fairness doctrine, 
which once required broadcasters to cover both 
sides of issues of public importance. In a letter 
to Rep. Mike Pence (R-IL), Chairman Martin says: 
"In my judgment, the events of the last two 
decades have confirmed the wisdom of the 
Commission’s decision to abolish the Fairness 
Doctrine. Discussion of controversial issues over 
the airwaves has flourished absent regulatory 
constraints, and the public now enjoys access to 
an ever-expanding range of views and opinions. 
Indeed, with the continued proliferation of 
additional sources of information and 
programming, including satellite broadcasting and 
the Internet, the need for the Fairness Doctrine 
has lessened ever further since 1987. In short, I 
see no compelling reason to reinstate the 
Fairness Doctrine in today’s broadcast 
environment, and believe that such a step would 
inhibit the robust discussion of issues of public 
concern over the nation’s airwaves."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6463549.html?rssid=193
* See Pence press release:
http://mikepence.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=70110
* Martin Sees ‘No Compelling Reason’ to Revive Fairness Doctrine
http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/07/martin_sees_no_compelling_reas.php
(requires free registration)
* FCC chair: Fairness Doctrine not needed (Associated Press)
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070726/ap_on_go_ot/fairness_doctrine_1

SPECTRUM POLICY

MARTIN REJECTS GOOGLE'S PROPOSAL
[SOURCE: webpronews.com, AUTHOR: Jason Lee Miller]
Time's running out for FCC Chairman Kevin Martin 
to set rules for the 2008 spectrum auction, and 
it looks like he's sticking with the 
half-concession he originally made regarding open 
access. And whether or not Google will bid is up 
in the air. Google made four demands in order to 
promise a bid of a certain amount. AT&T pitched a 
fit about it, Chairman Martin has agreed to half 
of them, and Verizon is okay with that. Martin's 
new rules come up for a vote on July 31st, and 
the auction is in early 2008, which is why, some 
say, Chairman Martin is willing to make some 
concessions in the first place. Tick tock. The 
four demands Google made were that whoever bought 
a particular slice of the spectrum, acridly 
called "the Google Block" by detractors, open up 
their network to any device, allow any 
application consumers desired that didn't harm 
the network, allow third parties to acquire 
spectrum on a wholesale basis, and allow third 
parties like ISPs to connect anywhere in the licensee's network.
http://www.webpronews.com/topnews/2007/07/26/martin-rejects-googles-proposal-what-next
* Wireless spectrum auction presents unique opportunity, says FCC’s Martin
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Jessica Holzer]
A Q&A with FCC Chairman Kevin Martin on rules for 
the upcoming 700 Megahertz (MHz) spectrum auction.
http://thehill.com/the-executive/wireless-spectrum-auction-presents-unique-opportunity-says-fccs-martin-2007-07-27.html

IS VERIZON'S FLIP-FLOP ON THE 700 MHz AUCTION FOR REAL?
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Marguerite Reardon]
[Commentary] Verizon Wireless says it will go 
along with proposed Federal Communications 
Commission rules for the upcoming 700Mhz spectrum 
auction that would require the company to permit 
subscribers to bring any device to its network. 
But are AT&T and Verizon really compromising 
anything? Combined, they have more influence in 
Washington, D.C., than any other set of 
technology or communications companies in the 
entire country. They don't need to be making 
conciliatory gestures that could hurt their 
businesses. So why are they doing it? My guess is 
because the proposal that Martin has touted won't 
have much impact on the market anyway. Martin's 
proposal, which few people have actually seen 
yet, only would require the "any device rule" to 
apply to a small sliver of the 700MHz spectrum. 
So if Verizon won these licenses, the requirement 
would be only for areas where those licenses are 
used. The rest of the Verizon Wireless network 
would be just as closed off as it always has 
been. What would this mean for consumers? Well, 
if you're a Verizon customer, you could 
theoretically bring your own phone to the 
network, but it would only work in regions where 
Verizon has won and built out its network using 
the 700MHz licenses. If you want to use the rest 
of Verizon's nationwide network, you'd still have 
to use a Verizon phone, because the company is 
not required to adhere to this rule for any other 
spectrum licenses that have been used to build 
its nationwide network. So at the end of the day, 
this rule by itself is completely meaningless for 
the average consumer, and it does nothing to 
promote true open access for devices. What Google 
and others, like Frontline Wireless, really want 
to see is for the FCC to also adopt rules that 
would guarantee open access to wholesalers.
http://news.com.com/8301-10784_3-9750580-7.html
* AT&T and Verizon Endorsement Should Set Off 
Alarm Bells On Airwave Auction Proposal
http://www.consumersunion.org/blogs/hun/2007/07/now_hear_this_electronic_newsl_6.html

NAB, MSTV: UNLICENSED DEVICES COULD AFFECT CONVERTER BOXES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
In a letter from National Association of 
Broadcasters President David Rehr and Maximum 
Service Television President David Donovan to 
National Telecommunications & Information 
Administration chief John Kneuer, broadcasters 
said allowing portable unlicensed devices to 
operate in the DTV band, as computer companies 
like Google and Microsoft are pushing for, would 
be a "monumental mistake" that would have a 
dramatic negative impact on the transition to 
digital TV. NTIA is charged with overseeing the 
distribution of digital-to-analog converters for 
analog-only TVsets, and Rehr and Donovan warned 
that those boxes are likely to be susceptible to 
the interference the devices could cause.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6463551.html?rssid=193

INTERNET/BROADBAND

THE TORTURED ROAD TO UBIQUITOUS BROADBAND WIRELESS
[SOURCE: RedOrbit, AUTHOR: Michael Finneran, dBrn Associates]
[Commentary] The analyst community appears to 
have come to the decision that municipal Wi-Fi is 
a dead issue. You'll recall that municipal Wi-Fi 
is the idea of building city-wide networks based 
on Wi-Fi mesh technologies to provide broadband 
Internet access to the general public. While the 
business model was flawed, it's important that we 
don't overlook the goal and the potential to use 
mesh technology in conjunction with business 
plans that do make sense. To those of us in the 
wireless business, the muni Wi-Fi idea was a 
loser from day one. Wireless offers a number of 
advantages, in particular mobility and access to 
communications facilities quickly or in areas 
where it is difficult to install wires. 
Nevertheless, for the foreseeable future, 
wireless technology will not be as reliable as 
wire-based facilities, so if you can get a wire, 
save yourself the aggravation and do it with 
wires! Muni wireless has all the inherent 
shortcomings of wireless- particularly in indoor 
environments where the customer needs a repeater 
to make it work effectively-and none of the 
advantages. So if you're looking for home or 
small office Internet access, you still get a 
better value proposition with DSL or cable modem 
service. The longer-term goal should be to at 
least have reliable, high capacity, ubiquitous 
wireless Internet access available at a 
reasonable price. Given the nature of wireless 
technology, that "reliable" part will probably 
require a mix of technologies and a user device 
that is smart enough to sense the radio 
environment and access the most appropriate network that is available.
http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1012679/the_tortured_road_to_ubiquitous_broadband_wireless/index.html?source=r_technology

URBAN WIRELESS NETWORKS SET TO SURGE
[SOURCE: CNET Networks, AUTHOR: Natasha Lomas]
Explosive expansion in the number of citywide 
wireless networks is being predicted as local 
government and ISPs get switched on to the 
opportunities ubiquitous wi-fi can offer - 
economic and otherwise. The report The Future of 
Municipal Wireless Networks from analyst 
Datamonitor forecasts spending on citywide wi-fi 
in the UK and the US will swell from $900m this 
year to $6.4bn in 2012 - a year-on-year growth 
rate of 48 per cent. According to Datamonitor, 
municipal wi-fi can help local governments 
deliver on efficiency targets by lowering 
communications costs, facilitating mobile working 
and enabling the emergency services to have 
on-the-spot access to information. But different 
regions inevitably have different priorities in 
mind for a wireless blanket, said the analyst -- 
whether it's expanding Internet access to more 
disadvantaged citizens or attracting new 
businesses to their area - therefore there are a 
range of business models in play.
http://networks.silicon.com/mobile/0,39024665,39167961,00.htm

NET ACCESS TAX COMPROMISE: A SHORT EXTENSION?
[SOURCE: C-Net|News.com, AUTHOR: Anne Broache]
A political compromise could temporarily, but not 
permanently, renew the Internet access tax ban 
when it expires on November 1.  At a hearing 
convened Thursday by a U.S. House of 
Representatives Judiciary subcommittee, a 
National Governors Association lobbyist said his 
group would support a "reasonable" -- as opposed 
to infinite -- extension of the ban, provided 
that it makes clear what services states can and 
cannot tax and gives them the freedom to collect 
taxes that were in effect before Congress adopted 
the original 1998 federal ban.
http://news.com.com/Net+access+tax+compromise+A+short+extension/2100-1028_3-6199043.html?tag=nefd.top

WITH TOOLS ON WEB, AMATEURS RESHAPE MAPMAKING
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Miguel Helft]
With the help of simple tools introduced by 
Internet companies recently, millions of people 
are trying their hand at cartography, drawing on 
digital maps and annotating them with text, 
images, sound and videos.  In the process, they 
are reshaping the world of mapmaking and 
collectively creating a new kind of atlas that is 
likely to be both richer and messier than any 
other. They are also turning the Web into a 
medium where maps will play a more central role 
in how information is organized and found. 
Already there are maps of the best BBQ joints in 
Manhattan, yarn stores in Illinois and hydrofoils 
around the world. Many maps depict current 
events, including the detours around a collapsed 
Bay Area freeway and the path of two whales that 
swam up the Sacramento River delta in May.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/27/technology/27maps.html?ref=todayspaper
(requires registration)

QUICKLY

WIRETAP DEBACLE
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Editorial staff]
[Commentary] The U.S. homeland hasn't been struck 
by terrorists since September 11, and one reason 
may be more aggressive intelligence policies. So 
Americans should be alarmed that one of the best 
intelligence tools -- warrantless wiretapping of 
al Qaeda suspects -- has recently become far less 
effective and is in danger of being neutered by Congressional Democrats.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118549840246979803.html?mod=todays_us_opinion
(requires subscription)

YOUTUBE, TAKE TWO FEW GOP CANDIDATES COMMIT TO DEBATE
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jose Antonio Vargas]
Four days after the Democratic debate in 
Charleston, S.C., more than 400 questions 
directed to the GOP presidential field have been 
uploaded on YouTube, as Republicans are scheduled 
to take their turn at video-populism on Sept. 17. 
But only Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and Rep. Ron 
Paul (Tex.) have agreed to participate in the 
debate, co-hosted by the Republican Party of Florida in St. Petersburg.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/27/AR2007072700283.html
(requires registration)

AN OPEN KNOWLEDGE BASE FOR THE NATIONAL BROADBAND PROJECT
[SOURCE: DrewClark.com]
[Commentary] The Well Connected Project at the 
Center for Public Integrity has been engaged in a 
joint effort with Congresspedia — we call it Well 
Connected on SourceWatch -- to "map out" 
knowledge about the policy aspects of telecom, 
media and intellectual property at this portal. 
We "seeded" the portal with a variety of key 
articles, including broadband availability, 
digital copyright and spectrum policy. But anyone 
can read, edit and adapt these articles, and we 
welcome everyone's collaboration!
http://www.drewclark.com/2007/07/open-knowledge-base-for-national.shtml

AT&T IS CABLE OPERATOR, SAYS CONNECTICUT COURT
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
A Connecticut U.S. District Court has ruled that 
AT&T's Lightspeed IPTV video service is a cable 
service subject to local franchising laws. The 
summary judgment was a victory for the New 
England Cable & Telecommunications Association, 
and the cable industry at large. It was a defeat 
for the Connecticut Department of Public Utility 
Control (DPUC), which had ruled that AT&T's 
service was an information service, like other data services.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6463465.html?rssid=193

NSL BILL WOULD RESTORE CRITICAL PRIVACY PROTECTIONS
[SOURCE: Center for Democracy & Technolgy]
The National Security Letters Reform Act -- 
introduced in the House of Representatives by 
Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Jeff Flake -- takes some 
vital first steps in restoring basic privacy 
protections to law-abiding Americans, while still 
providing the government with the tools it needs 
to pursue real threats, CDT said today. In 2001, 
the PATRIOT Act drastically expanded the FBI's 
authority to obtain the business and personal 
records of Americans by issuing National Security 
Letters (NSLs). The National Security Letters 
Reform Act would limit the reach of this powerful 
tool by, among other things, requiring that NSLs 
only be used to obtain records that pertain to 
suspected spies or terrorists. Although the 
legislation does not require prior judicial 
approval of NSLs -- a key reform -- CDT supports 
the bill and looks forward to working with lawmakers to make it even stronger.
Press Release: Nadler-Flake Bill: http://www.cdt.org/press/20070726press.php
--------------------------------------------------------------
...and we are outta here. See ya in the Big Apple and at the YearlyKos.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online 
news summary service provided by the Benton 
Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday 
through Friday, this service provides updates on 
important industry developments, policy issues, 
and other related news events. While the 
summaries are factually accurate, their often 
informal tone does not always represent the tone 
of the original articles. Headlines are compiled 
by Kevin Taglang [email-masked] -- we welcome your comments.
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The Benton Foundation (www.benton.org) works to 
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Kevin Taglang
Editor, Communications-related Headlines
Benton Foundation
Communications in the Public Interest
1625 K Street, NW 11th Floor
Washington, DC 20006
headlines AT benton DOT org 

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