Media Reform Headlines for March 20, 2008 Date: Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:33:43 -0500 (CDT) Media Reform Daily http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=YFfA805hqHwihxo1uEZNgA.. News of the movement for March 19, 2008 Please bear with our formatting issues as we transition to a new content management system. We're delivering the same great news content, but still working out the kinks with our new tools. Check out the redesigned freepress.net http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=jME68KIR4BEs3K1Mp9ki6Q.. SAVE OUR SPECTRUM FCC Asked to Probe Auction The failure of a FCC auction to draw sufficient bids to build a wireless network for emergency responders provoked sharp criticism by members of Congress, consumer groups and leaders of the 9/11 Commission. It also prompted a call to investigate whether auction rules were broken. Spencer Hsu and Cecilia Kang, Washington Post http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=J39zUWXVNW0fDefXMwfZKQ.. PISC Asks Martin to Investigate D Block Failure to Sell Media Access Project, on behalf of the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition, sent a letter today to FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, asking that the agency conduct a thorough investigation into why the D Block did not attract bidders in the recent spectrum auction Media Access Project http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=j-3XJCX_tLtTBwlkmAKteg.. 700 MHz Auction: FCC Decision Coming on Public Safety Block The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) closed its auction of 700MHz spectrum late Tuesday, but it faces a major decision on what to do with a block of spectrum designated for use by public safety agencies that did not meet the minimum bidding requirements. Grant Gross, IDG News Service http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=uhJTsnWk1wtTUwRCESJMvw.. Airwaves Bidders Await Word From FCC A majority of the Federal Communications Commission is in favor of a measure that will allow for the quick release of the names of the winners of a record airwaves auction. John Dunbar, Associated Press http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=jC567tBnWXu_GMJEapZQjw.. SAVE THE INTERNET FCC Expands, Improves Broadband Data Collection An Order adopted by the FCC will increase the precision and quality of broadband subscribership data collected every six months from broadband services providers. Improvements include collecting detailed subscribership information on a local level and more detailed information about the speed of broadband service. Federal Communications Commission http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=nZLAKGGKHCUhig70uPMmuA.. Free Press Reacts to FCC's Broadband Data Order At the FCC's "open meeting" today, the agency passed new rules that change how Internet service providers report data about their broadband services. The agency also released an updated assessment of America's broadband marketplace. Free Press http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=zFtr3AnOpvSrtQ96BhQv4w.. Public Knowledge Gives FCC Mixed Review on Broadband Actions Background: The FCC approved its first report in four years on the deployment of broadband, and said it would collect more detailed information on the deployment of broadband. Public Knowledge http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=oSsq72SGQD3m0dv4k15SkQ.. FCC Overhauls Its Broadband Data as EU Points and Laughs That chortling you hear is the sound of Brussels bureaucrats. The EU released new data on broadband availability across the region and concluded that eight European countries (including Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, and Sweden) have better broadband penetration than the United States. Nate Anderson, ars technica http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=FTt9H6AgbXFGSnz_ra6jjA.. FCC Releases Data on High-Speed Services for Internet Access The FCC released new data on high-speed connections to the Internet in the United States. Federal Communications Commission http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=CReenjxAoGSfWsUcEQsTtA.. FCC Commissioner: Net Neutrality Shouldn't Extend to Illegal Acts While key players are slugging it out over ISP content filtering, the FCC has released a slew of decisions and announcements about broadband. Matthew Lasar, ars technica http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=CRhjRG0d84hM26dl2F-03A.. Comcast Accuses FCC of Impotence Comcast has told the chairman of FCC that he has no legal right to prevent the company from busting BitTorrent. Cade Metz, The Register http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=ASZJWZ-zIA-sIX5Em17r_g.. Support the Internet Freedom Preservation Act http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=8N7GJeSvkBYoS-QTeczv9A.. ALSO IN THE NEWS EU Sets 30 Percent Broadband Target for 2010 The European Commission wants to raise broadband Internet penetration in the European Union to 30 percent in 2010 from 20 percent today in an effort to drive economic growth, its top telecoms regulator said. Huw Jones, Reuters http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=SnAqVWO0gNtlOBxsMll-CA.. Sweden Proposes Law, Seeks Open Broadband Market Sweden proposed its telecom regulator be given extra powers to ensure the country's broadband market was open, legislation that could require TeliaSonera to make structural changes. Reuters http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=Or0MdBFziZ6nl1KXDfvkog.. Canadian Public TV to Try Out BitTorrent Following closely on the heels of Norway, Canada's public broadcasting service is adopting DRM-free BitTorrent distribution for a major prime-time show. Chris Soghoian, CNet http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=xYJWboZO_XFRvUYyWv7mCw.. Canada;s Next Great Prime Minister to Be Found on P2P Broadcasters in Europe aren't the only ones experimenting with BitTorrent as a means of distributing TV shows. Canadian broadcaster CBC is now hopping on board with P2P in an attempt to see how well the BitTorrent works for distributing legal video content. Jacqui Cheng, ars technica http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=i1J0lPCUw7P0jNbH35LbBg.. Sony Launches Web Video Service Sony subsidiary Sony Marketing will launch a video service for Internet users on March 31, the company said Monday. Mark Schilling, Variety http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=38haGfliQtAkMpY4ZvT5OA.. Bush Picks Security Aide with Wiretap Background U.S. President George W. Bush named a Justice Department official with experience in terrorism wiretap programs as his White House homeland security adviser on Wednesday. Randall Mikkelsen, Reuters http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=MeyJfkheOIJNx9lYPNW8Sw.. FCC Bans Exclusive Contracts for Telecommunications Services in Apartment Buildings In an order adopted today, the FCC banned carriers from entering into exclusive contracts to provide telecommunications services in residential apartment buildings, and prohibited enforcement of existing contracts that contain exclusivity provisions. Federal Communications Commission http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=3S6cRwWjoszj3iLx9NpeSA.. Deletion of Agenda Items from March 19, 2008, Open Meeting The following items have been deleted from the list of Agenda items scheduled for consideration at the March 19, 2008, Open Meeting and previously listed in the Commission's Notice of March 12, 2008. Federal Communications Commission http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=irYzWgr0pYYz5XQhmECxlA.. Five Years of the War in Iraq: Where's the Media Coverage? This week marks the fifth anniversary of the war in Iraq, but you wouldn't know it from what you see on TV. Paul Rieckhoff, Huffington Post http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=yiMqnsGVoVbBeR2KZ3r7Qw.. Believe It or Not -- 5 Years Ago Many Top Newspapers Opposed the War You may be surprised to learn that, precisely five years ago, at least one-third of the top newspapers in this country came out against President Bush taking us to war at that time. Greg Mitchell, Huffington Post http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=88S-kbIhbMer6Mw4Hle_Pw.. Penn's War: Media Lap Dogs Backed Iraq Mess Sean Penn, the actor-director-turned-political-activist, narrates a new anti-war documentary that alleges U.S. presidents since Kennedy have manipulated the public to wage wars. Susan Donaldson James, ABC News http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=D936lZPEuMFHMTcwykJOSw.. Many of these articles are copyrighted material. We make such material available to advance understanding of public issues, which we believe constitutes a "fair use" of copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this email is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=38qs4QnXycQa_CpMs-JeBg.. Free Press is a national organization working to increase informed public participation in crucial media policy debates. The ultimate aim of Free Press is to generate a range of policies that will produce a more competitive and public-interest-oriented media system with a strong nonprofit and noncommercial sector. Please send comments or other feedback to newswire@freepress.net. Donate Now www.freepress.net http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=GEnRzYDbziiqo-aK5vj6HA.. http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=_0UGNjVxDzJOG_V-tbAZDg.. http://free.convio.net/site/R?i=xi4gCZXRq0QRbtjDpTLJHg..