Guidomedia Benton internet news digest archive

March 6

DIGITAL DIVIDE
MONTI BACKS MOVES TO EASE DIGITAL DIVIDE
Europe's Competition Commissioner Mario Monti recently given member states the go-ahead to invest millions of euros in high-speed Internet and mobile networks in poor and rural regions. Around EUR10 billion has been set aside by the commission for investment in projects that would reduce the digital divide, including the upgrading of infrastructure to support broadband. The commission is set to issue guidelines shortly on the use of these funds.
[SOURCE: Electricnews.net, AUTHOR: Andrew McLindon]
(http://www.electricnews.net/news.html?code=9351529)
COMMERCE LAUNCHES PARTNERSHIP TO SPUR TECHGROWTH IN DEVELOPING NATIONS
Yesterday, US Commerce Secretary Bill Evans helped launch the Digital Freedom Initiative (DFI), which aims to promote economic growth in the developing world through information and communication technology. Key elements of the initiative include promoting pro-growth regulatory structures and deploying volunteers to share business knowledge and technology expertise. The DFI will be piloted in Senegal; if successful, it could be rolled out to 20 countries in the next five years.
[SOURCE: US Department of Commerce]
(http://www.commerce.gov/opa/press/2003_Releases/March/04_Digital_Freedom_release.htm)
TELEHEALTH
CYBERSPACE SURGERY TRANSFORMS MEDICINE
Tomorrow, a pioneering Canadian surgeon will remove a piece of cancerous bowel from a patient hundreds of kilometers away in a hospital-to-hospital telerobotics-assisted surgery. The procedure will involve the use of
three-armed robot named Zeus to directly translate Dr. Mehran Anvari's natural hand, wrist and finger movements to instruments inside the patient. Experts say Anvari's landmark laparoscopic, or minimally invasive, surgeries will transform medicine the way the Industrial Revolution changed the 19th century. The goal is to help train physicians to conduct such surgeries in remote areas. With the ongoing difficulties of attracting specialized surgeons to Canada's north, health-care experts see this technology as a way to bring necessary services to those communities.
[SOURCE: Torstar News Service, AUTHOR: Paul Morse]
(http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1035778639381&call_pageid=968332188492&col=968793972154)
(long URL may need to be pasted together if broken)
INTERNET
WHO'S MINDING THE E-STORE?
Recently, the US Justice Department has added Internet domain names to the types of property seized in crime busts. In the past, websites simply vanished once the computer servers were seized, but in the recent weeks, the sites remained active, greeting visitors with stern warnings from government agencies. Some civil liberties advocates fear the government could use the new method to spy on Web surfers who visit confiscated sites. Among issues that remain unresolved in the courts is whether a domain name constitutes property.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,57910,00.html)
CONTENT
CASE TESTS CONGRESS' ABILITY TO MAKE LIBRARIES BLOCK PORN
This week the Supreme Court will hear the government's appeal as it tries to revive a law that forces public libraries receiving federal funds to block access to online pornography and obscenity. The Children's Internet Protection Act of 2001 has never taken effect because a lower court ruled that its filtering requirement forces public libraries to violate the First Amendment rights of users. Paul Smith, a lawyer representing the American Library Association, the American Civil Liberties Union and other challengers, says the Children's Internet Protection Act is censorship. "A library, after all, is an institution that exists to enable private citizens to access whatever information they may seek," he says. Users should be able to decide for themselves "where to go in cyberspace and why," he says.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Joan Biskupic]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2003-03-03-library-porn-usat_x.htm)
COMMUNITY MEDIA
ON THE ROAD
Jon Alpert, Co-founder of Downtown Community Television Center (DCTV) in New York City, one of the nation's most honored nonprofit media centers, has figured out a way to bring to bring his media empowerment show on the road. With the help of numerous grants and in-kind donations, including a National Endowment for the Arts' prestigious Leadership Projects for the Millennium Challenge Grant, DCTV turned a touring bus into a mobile television studio. As part of its first project, the Cybercar visited 26 cities in 25 days to create a one-hour show entitled Speak Up New York! for PBS. In each town, the Cybercar hosted a series of youth civic engagement seminars in, which led up to a live televised youth Q&A with the state's gubernatorial
candidates on the week before Election Day. Eleven PBS stations broadcast the dialogue, which had been recorded at the Cybercar. In 2004, Alpert hopes to take the Cybercar to all 50 states in a Speak Up campaign geared around the presidential elections.
[SOURCE: Video System, AUTHOR: Cody Holt]
(http://videosystems.com/ar/video_road/index.htm)
INTERNET
CAMBODIA GOES ONLINE
A project underway in Cambodia is on its way to opening community information centers in 22 provincial capitals around the country. With the help of $1.2 million in aid money from the United States, the centers will use wireless technology to enable many Cambodians to go online for the first time. Project organizers hope that the effort will give Cambodian voters better access to information ahead of the general election in July. However, organizers will have to confront considerable technological challenges and the low standard of voter education.
[SOURCE: BBC Online, AUTHOR: Simon Montlake]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2814387.stm)
EUROPEANS LIVE LIFE ONLINE
The Internet is transforming the social habits of Europeans, according to a recent study by AOL examining the online habits of surfers in the UK, France and Germany. The study found that Internet is having an especially profound impact in the area of personal relationships. One in two people online in Europe has asked someone out on a date via e-mail and nearly half say they have sent or received an e-mail only invite to a party or social event. Philip Rowley, President of AOL Europe, says the Internet is "transforming how they come together, organize their social lives and even share personal news. There is no mistaking the profound impact it is having on our social norms."
[SOURCE: BBC Online, AUTHOR: Cody Holt]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2815007.stm)

March 4

INTERNET
CIVIL SOCIETY WINS A PLACE AT WSIS TABLE
Nonprofit organizations celebrated an important victory after delegates to the preparatory committee meeting of the World Summit on the Information Society decided that non-governmental organizations will participate, for the first time, on equal footing with governments and business at this year's summit. Alongside government and private sector representatives, civil society and international inter-governmental organizations will be the main actors involved in preparing for and participation in the December summit, where the mandate is to establish policies to bridge the global digital divide. Committee chairman Adama Samassékou of Mali went so far as to say that the creation of the Civil Society Bureau was the most important achievement of the sessions.
[SOURCE: Inter Press Service News Agency, AUTHOR: Gustavo Capdevila]
(http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=16394)
LAWMAKERS' WEB SITES IMPROVING, REPORT FINDS
Members of Congress have increased the utility of their respective Web sites, offering more constituent services and less member "advertising," according to a Congress Online Project report to be released today. The report notes a marked increase in "A" and "B" grades from last year's study, up to roughly half of the sites surveyed from only 10 percent a year ago. Members now offer services ranging from links to district news to a how-to page for finding federal educational assistance. The report also states that the number of substandard sites has only decreased nominally, still hovering around 25 percent.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian D. Faler]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30578-2003Mar2.html)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
PONDERING VALUE OF COPYRIGHT VS. INNOVATION
Two conferences in California last weekend pitted copyright owners and academics against technologists and legislators over the issue of public use of original works and public ownership of spectrum. At the first conference, at the University of California/Berkeley, attendees discussed the future of digital rights management (DRM) software, which is used to protect copyrighted materials against reverse engineering as per the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. Critics argue that DRM software is headed down a dangerous path, discouraging innovation by companies who learn to create the next generation of technologies based on deconstructing current inventions. The second conference, held at Stanford University, featured a discussion of the public nature of spectrum and whether the license system ought to be scrapped in favor of outright sales, which proponents say could result in lower prices and the prevention of bandwidth interference. Critics contend that emerging technologies such as software-enabled radios will reduce or eliminate the interference problem without altering the public-commons notion of spectrum ownership.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Amy Harmon]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/03/03/technology/03COPY.html)

March 3

INTERNET
KIDS.US DOMAIN AGREEMENT REACHED
The Department of Commerce and Neustar, Inc. reached an agreement on February 14, 2003 regarding the implementation and operation of the second level domain, .kids.us, in the .us domain pursuant to the "Dot Kids Implementation and Efficiency Act of 2002." The agreement sets forth the guidelines under which Neustar will administer the domain and set criteria for an entity's registration under kids.us, including child safety restrictions and content provisions.
[SOURCE: National Telecommunications and Information Administration]
View Agreement At:
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/usca/kidsus_02142003.pdf)
TIGHTENING THE NOOSE ON SPAM
Unsolicited e-mail messages, known as spam, have been the target of various unsuccessful regulatory efforts. While federal legislative efforts have been blocked, states have taken innovative steps to empower their citizens and increase their jurisdictional reach over spammers. Meanwhile, tech companies have offered support in the form of legal action as well as technological enhancements to help consumers block spam and protect their addresses. To this point, however, these efforts have not produced tangible results, and spammers have taken their own steps to stay ahead of the prevention curve. Attorney Eric Sinrod of Duane Morris in San Francisco provides a breakdown of these efforts and a look to the future.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Eric Sinrod]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/ericjsinrod/2003-02-27-sinrod_x.htm)

OWNERSHIP
FCC TESTS RECEPTION FOR LIFTING OWNER LIMITS
Yesterday's Federal Communications Commission hearing in Richmond, VA provided an opportunity for both sides of the media ownership debate to air their opinions before the Commission. A DJ for a small independent radio station in Philadelphia claimed that "[l]isteners are turning off the radio in huge numbers and the media companies don't care."  Clear Channel Communications President Mark Mays argued to the contrary, stating that the company's extensive research yields formatting that listeners to its 1,200+ stations want to hear. Mays and Richmond locals presented divergent views on the effect of CCC's presence in that city, where the company owns 6 stations. Testimony revealed that CCC has also hosted "local" talk shows from thousands of miles away, with DJs using the Web to keep up on events in that town. Although much of the focus centered on radio, the effects of consolidation on television content was also discussed at length.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Mark Fisher]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A14162-2003Feb27.html)

February 28

INTERNET
'VIRTUAL MARCH' FLOODS SENATE WITH CALLS AGAINST AN IRAQ WAR
In another display of how technology plays a role in activism, anti-war protestors participated in a "Virtual March" on Washington yesterday, inundating Senate phone lines with calls and emails. Sen. Edward Kennedy's (D-Mass.) office fielded an estimated 1,800 calls and 4,000 e-mails, and the Washington Post estimates that some 100,000 people were able to register their opinions with Senate staffers. Tom Andrews, whose Win Without War organization coordinated the effort, said that march "exceeded our expectations." Some lawmakers, however, reported that the calls failed to change their views on the situation.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Juliet Eilperin]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8107-2003Feb26.html)
FCC
FCC MEMBER DEFENDS STANCE ON STATE POWERS
FCC Chairman Michael Powell and Commissioner Kevin Martin faced harsh criticism as they testified before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet yesterday. House Republicans are disappointed with last week's local telephone ruling that gives state officials broad powers to regulate local telephone competition. Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.) called it "a devastating blow to an already sick telecom sector." Martin defended his position, explaining that "The barriers competitors face in deploying equipment and trying to compete for residential customers in Manhattan, Kansas, are different from the barriers faced to compete for business customers in Manhattan, New York." He said the rules would pass muster in federal court.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Christopher Stern]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8020-2003Feb26.html)
UNREALITY TV AND YELLOW JOURNALISM
[Commentary] Today's FCC hearing in Richmond, VA will not give the public a clear view of the issues regarding media ownership deregulation. Instead, media conglomerates will provide the same scripted arguments aimed at misleading the public, according to the Center for Digital Democracy. Media company claims that current regulations stifle competition and are unnecessary due to existing anti-trust rules and the rise of the Internet are bogus, says the Center. Furthermore, the FCC's timid contention that federal courts and the Telecommunications Act of 1996 require the removal of the rules is nothing more than Michael Powell's attempt to "distort the legal record to suit his own ideological beliefs."
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
(http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/washingtonwatch/Richmond.html)

February 26, 2003

FIRING LEAFLETS AND ELECTRONS, U.S. WAGES INFORMATION WAR
US military officials are hoping that any war in Iraq is primarily a war of information, as the Pentagon has implemented a coordinated information salvo with the goal of convincing Iraqi soldiers to surrender. "The goal of information warfare is to win without ever firing a shot," said James R. Wilkinson, a spokesman for US Central Command in Tampa, Florida. "If action does begin, information warfare is used to make the conflict as short as possible." Communication technology has been part of the assault. Cyber-warfare experts used email and direct cell phone contact to persuade Iraqi leaders to abandon the Hussein regime. Meanwhile, radio transmissions from Air Force Special Ops planes are aimed at impressionable young soldiers, spreading the message, "Any war is not against the Iraqi people, but is to disarm Mr. Hussein and end his government."
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Thom Shanker And Eric Schmitt]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/24/international/middleeast/24MILI.html)

February 25, 2003

OWNERSHIP/DIVERSITY
FORMER GANNETT CEO NEUHARTH CRUSADES FOR MEDIA DIVERSITY
Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today and former CEO of Gannett Co., Inc., called for newspapers to make a renewed commitment to a diverse staff and to find ways to attract young readers. In a speech at Rochester Institute of Technology, Neuharth noted that newspapers are failing to attract "our increasingly diverse potential audience," adding that "[too] many middle-aged white men still make the decisions. And too many of them still don't get it."
[SOURCE: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, AUTHOR: Matthew Daneman]
(http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/0221story19_news.shtml)
FCC TURMOIL LEAVES SOME GUESSING ON MEDIA RULES
FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin's departure from his Republican colleagues on last week's vote on broadband regulations has raised questions about his stance on other issues, including changes in the rules governing media ownership. Martin maintains that no future behavior should be inferred by last week's decision, and he has publicly agreed with Chairman Michael Powell that the rule preventing a company from owning a television station and newspaper in the same market may be unnecessary. However, Martin's public silence on other issues, such more flexible market share caps on cable and television operators, has left the door open to speculation from lobbyists and observers.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Jeremy Pelofsky, Reuters/Variety]
(http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/nm/20030224/media_nm/fcc)
INTERNET
DSL CUSTOMERS BRACE FOR HIGHER PRICES
Small broadband Internet service providers around the US already fear the potential fallout from the Federal Communication Commission's decision on Thursday to deregulate part of the broadband industry. Groups such as the 18-member Ruby Ranch Internet Co-op in Colorado may see their monthly lease rates for lines provided by Qwest Communications increase six fold over the next three years. The measure enacted by the FCC was intended to increase competition and lower prices while stimulating investment in broadband infrastructure development in underserved areas, a proposition that the Bells see as unlikely. "This decision will result in less choice and increased prices for consumers and small businesses," Covad Chief Executive Charles Hoffman said in a statement Thursday.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Ben Charny]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1033-985601.html?tag=fd_top)
TECH FOR ELDERS MUST HAVE PURPOSE
Assistive technology could be a boon to senior citizens, as long as it is both easy to use and comes in familiar packages, researchers say. Developers are experimenting with technologies that will help seniors' motor skills and cognitive abilities. Some applications include a personal GPS system to ensure that the user takes the proper path on public transportation, and a robot that can interact with patients while walking them through a nursing home, reminding them of appointments and responding to questions.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Mark Baard]
(http://www.wired.com/news/gizmos/0,1452,57429,00.html)

February 7, 2003

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
POWELL DOWNGRADES MEDIA HEARINGS
Republican FCC Chairman Michael Powell abruptly downgraded a pair of FCC hearings on media ownership regulations scheduled by fellow commissioner Michael Copps -- a Democrat -- changing them from official FCC hearings to unofficial "field" hearings. Powell, who is pushing for a quick decision regarding the deregulation of media ownership rules, ordered the FCC to issue a press release in response to Copps' announcement that he would hold two FCC hearings to give the public a greater chance to debate the impact of the proposed deregulation. In recent days, Powell has been seen as frustrated by recent outcries against both the deregulation proposals and the review process itself. Copps, meanwhile, is pushing forward, participating last week in a media ownership forum at Columbia University. Another public forum is scheduled at the University of Southern California; all the FCC commissioners except Powell are planning to participate.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Pamela McClintock, Reuters/Variety]
(http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=599&ncid=738&e=8&u=/nm/20030207/media_nm/fcc)
INTERNET
MAJOR DOT-COM RETAILERS BEGIN LEVYING SALES TAX
Some of the nation's largest online retailers have agreed voluntarily to levy sales taxes on their sales in certain states. The move comes as a result of an agreement between the firms and 38 states plus the District of Columbia. The states agreed in return not to pursue back taxes from the firms; they also have not released the companies' identities to the public for fear that not-participating states will seek unpaid taxes. Despite the secrecy, some firms have gone public with their intent to collect taxes.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman Cynthia Lin said that the move was the right thing to do. "Many states are struggling with tax revenue shortages that affect funding for everything from schools to fire and rescue," she said. "This is our effort to help customers and the states they live in."
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Krebs]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31210-2003Feb5.html)
UK INTERNET ACCESS HITS THE WALL
According to UK telecom watchdog Oftel, half of the country's population remains offline, and Internet adoption rates are beginning to flatten. The British government intends to launch a publicity campaign in May that will attempt to encourage citizens, especially senior citizens, women and ethnic minorities, to take advantage of the country's 6,000 UK Online telecentres.
Dr. Jyoti Choudrie, a researcher at Brunel University, says the UK must learn from South Korea's successful broadband Internet deployment and find ways to apply those lessons to encouraging broadband adoption in the UK. "We need to understand how to harness broadband to successfully cater for end users' changing needs and preferences," she said.
[SOURCE: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2734035.stm)
WI-FI AS SAVIOR? FRANCE'S FARM DWELLERS HOPE SO
On Ginette Sybille's farm in western France, her high-volume livestock sales must be reported to the government online. While her dial-up connection is passable, both she and French government hope that things will change dramatically when her area becomes a testing ground for rural broadband Internet deployment. Noting the lack of willing private infrastructure
providers to invest in their area, the people of Sillé-le-Guillaume and a neighboring community agreed to set up a wireless network linked to a satellite receiver. As one local man put it, "[W]e are the people who need broadband the most. Without it, our businesses are ruined."
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Kristen Hinman]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/06/technology/circuits/06fran.html)
COPPER LINES REGAINING LUSTER
Not long ago, fiber optic cable was the darling of the telecom world, offering potentially limitless broadband applications. But high roll-out costs and regulations on infrastructure companies slowed the process to nearly a standstill. Since then, advances in technology have made old copper wire a more viable -- and powerful -- alternative. "I'm amazed and encouraged with what we can do with our copper network," says BellSouth CTO William L. Smith. However, copper technologies have not been discussed in
policy debates at the FCC and in Congress.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jonathan Krim]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38106-2003Feb6.html)
STATES STILL TRYING TO STOP SPAM
The US states of Colorado and Missouri have devised what may prove to be a novel approach to fighting spam: the creation of a "do no email" list similar to the "do not call" lists that have been successful against telemarketers. Both states have laws on the books dictating how solicitors would access the list as well as the penalties for violating the law. Critics suggest that the law is toothless, arguing that the burden of opting out should not be placed on private citizens who did not wish to be placed
on bulk mailing lists in the first place, adding that it is difficult to bring a claim against spammers in court.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Julia Scheeres]
(http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,57585,00.html)

COPYRIGHT
COPYRIGHT LEGISLATION UNLIKELY, BOTH SIDES SAY
The entertainment industry and digital device manufacturers have finally found common ground in their battle over copyright protection: no meaningful legislation is likely to be introduced this year. Observers believe that fear over a war in Iraq as well as the nation's slowing economy have contributed to a less-than-ripe policy environment. At an investor conference in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Assistant Commerce Secretary Bruce Mehlman said that there was only a 10 percent chance that a major bill would
pass, but noted that a possible exception could be a measure promoting broadcast flag technology, which would prevent retransmission of content over the Web.
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Edmund Sanders]
(http://www.latimes.com/la-fi-copy5feb05,0,6925505.story)
WEB SITE CHANGES NAME AFTER NEWSPAPER COMPANY COMPLAINS
Yesterday, one of the most popular online sources for journalism industry news announced that it was changing its name. Jim Romenesko's MediaNews (http://www.poynter.org/romenesko) will now simply be known as Romenesko,
due to complaints by newspaper conglomerate MediaNews Group, Inc, which owns 50 news outlets around the country. Romenesko's Web log, produced daily at 6am by its namesake, is enormously popular among media elites, who rely on
its thorough coverage of industry news and debate. MediaNews Group alleged that the site "constitutes trademark infringement and unfair competition," forcing Romenesko and his employers, the Poynter Institute, to rename the site.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&ncid=1212&e=3&u=/nm/20030206/wr_nm/media_medianews_dc&sid=95573503)
EDTECH
CSU HAYWARD STUDENTS TO VOTE ON TECHNOLOGY FEE
Administrators at California State University/Hayward have scheduled a campus-wide referendum in which students will have to make a difficult choice: either pay a quarterly "technology fee" to use the university's IT
resources or watch those resources get scaled back. The university, facing significant budgetary woes, says the fee is necessary if it is going to maintain computer labs and Internet access on campus. If passed, the fee
would be the first of its kind in the Cal State system. The fee, which would reach $45 per quarter after three years, may not seem like an enormous cost to many, but given the fact that the university is also expected to raise
tuition by 25 percent this fall, some students are concerned about the extra financial burden. "We shouldn't have to pay for it," says student Ilde Gomez, who was recently laid off from her job. Other students, though, sympathize with the plight of university administrators. "I like the idea of it being up to the students," says Kevin Finn. "I suppose I'm going to vote for it out of necessity."
(SOURCE: BayArea.com, AUTHOR: Carrie Sturrock, Contra Costa Times]
(http://www.bayarea.com/mld/cctimes/living/education/5128000.htm)

February 6, 2003

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
DEREGULATION OPPONENTS SILENCED BY FEAR, SAYS FCC'S COPPS
Media professionals who oppose deregulation of media ownership have been silent out of fear of retribution, said FCC Commissioner Michael Copps in a speech at Fordham University yesterday. "There are media professionals with strong feelings about the downsides of consolidation for the American people who are afraid to speak for fear of retribution," he said. "We need to find a way for them to be heard." Copps intends to hold additional public
hearings in Durham, North Carolina and Seattle, Washington in order to provide voices for those without lobby representation in Washington. He also said FCC legal advisors are looking for ways in which media professionals in
fear of industry blackballing can make their opinions know for the record.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Craig Linder, States New Service]
(http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/bpihw/20030206/en_bpihw/copps__silenced_by_fear)
PRIVACY
BUSH DATA MINING PLAN IN HOT SEAT
The Pentagon's proposed Total Information Awareness System, which faced a setback in the Senate last month, has drawn a new challenge from public interest groups. A broad coalition of organizations and academics, including ACLU and the conservative Eagle Forum, have united to lobby for legislation that would require strict oversight for the system, which would be designed to search the Web as well as public and private databases for patterns indicative of terrorist activities. Critics argue that the privacy of law-abiding Americans would be compromised by such a system, while proponents claim that TIA is necessary to prevent future attacks. Senator
Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced an amendment that withheld funding from the project until the administration provided evidence that it would satisfy privacy concerns. The measure passed unanimously.
[SOURCE: Wired.com, AUTHOR: Julia Scheeres]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,57568,00.html)
EDTECH
DAVID WARLICK: BRING THE WORLD INTO THE CLASSROOM
Newsobserver.com profiles online educator David Warlick, developer of the pioneering edtech Web site Landmarks for Schools (www.landmark-project.com). Warlick, a former schoolteacher, district technology director and staffer at
the North Carolina State Department of Public Instruction, is one of the leading online voices advocating effective uses of the Internet in schools. "We're doing a very good job of making our students teachable," Warlick explains. "What we need to be doing is making them self-taught. And new technology is really core to that. The computer, the Internet, multimedia devices -- these tools are ready-made to make people self-learners." Warlick worries, though, that the digital divide between students who have a computer at home and students who do not is worsening, and will exacerbate educational inequities in this country. "I would say that if, five years from now, we do not see every child walking into the classroom with their computer under their arm, then we will have failed at this challenge that I think is fundamental to a democratic society in this day and age," he says.
[SOURCE: NewsObserver.com, AUTHOR: Christina Dyrness]
http://newsobserver.com/business/story/2171037p-2057671c.html
21ST CENTURY SKILLS
COMPUTER GIANTS MAKE BEELINE FOR KERALA VILLAGES
The sleepy south Indian district of Malappuram will soon experience a high tech shopping spree as computer vendors from all over India converge there on February 7, hoping to be chosen to fill the purchase orders for over
6,000 computers. Malappuram, in the Indian state of Kerala, is hosting the event as part of the state-wide Akshaya initiative, which will set up 600 multi-purpose telecentres in the coming months. Launched in November, the
Akshaya initiative strives to make Kerala the first state in India to provide 21st century skills to all of its citizens. The director of the program hopes that the telecentres will be so pervasive that at least one member of each family in Kerala will be computer literate within the first 100 days of telecentre operations.
[SOURCE: The Indian Express]
(http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=17919)
UAE WOMEN SURGE AHEAD TO ESTABLISH THEIR REPUTATION
IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
The nation of the United Arab Emirates is breaking new ground as women increasingly gain opportunities to develop information technology skills. The UAE, which already boasts one of the highest female literacy rates in
the Middle East, has actively encouraged women to pursue higher education, especially in IT-related fields: 72 percent of students enrolling into UAE's universities are now women. Internet access in the UAE is much more
prevalent than it is in most of the Arab world, with a nationwide penetration rate of more than 25 percent. The UAE is also believed to be the first nation in the region to open cybercafes open to both men and women. These new opportunities are opening new doors for women to develop new skills and even become successful entrepreneurs. "Businesswoman may be a relatively a new term here, but judging by recent trends we shall certainly see more of businesswomen in the UAE in the near future," said Hussain Al Mahmoudi, Manager of External Affairs for Shell Companies in Dubai and Northern Emirates.
[SOURCE: DIT.net]
(http://www.dit.net/news/news.php?id=EpuuVkZuVAoLrsUoFD)

February 5 2003

BROADCASTING/OWNERSHIP
CDD, CU, CFA AND MAP FILE REPLY COMMENTS IN MEDIA OWNERSHIP PROCEEDING
The Center for Digital Democracy, Consumers Union, the Consumer Federation of America and the Media Access Project filed a reply today with the FCC in response to comments submitted by major media companies regarding media ownership deregulation. The coalition argued that the industry comments
"share a legal and analytical approach that we believe is fundamentally flawed and cannot support the repeal or relaxation of the current rules on media ownership." The filing examines empirical evidence presented by the industry and discusses how media companies have attempted to obscure the
current level of market concentration.
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
Link to the Filing (requires Adobe Acrobat):
(http://www.democraticmedia.org/resources/filings/CFACUmediareplies020303.pdf)

BUSH PLAN CUTS PUBCAST FUNDING
The president's budget proposal includes a $10 million cut for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a move that could cripple its ability to provide services. CPB President Robert Coonrod stated that CPB can ill
afford budget reductions if public stations are to convert to digital while continuing to provide content as required by law. Bush's proposal would require any broadcaster using the analog spectrum after Congress' 2006 deadline for digital conversion to pay the FCC $500 million for use of the spectrum.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Craig Linder, States New Service]
(http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&u=/bpihw/20030204/en_bpihw/bush_plan_cuts_pubcast_funding)
See Also:
CORPORATE FUNDING SQUEEZING PUBLIC TELEVISION
[SOURCE: The Ledger Online, AUTHOR: Elizabeth Jensen, Los Angeles Times]
(www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2003302050310&Profile=102

PRIME-TIME SHOWS ARE GETTING SEXIER
According to a Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation study, one in seven shows features either latent or implied sexual intercourse, doubling the figures from a similar study four years ago. Two-thirds of all shows from 7 a.m. to
11 p.m. have some sexual content, ranging from talk to actual depictions; this figure is also nearly twice the mark observed four years ago. As parents' groups and health professionals call for change, the FCC's media
ownership review takes on a new twist. "Is there a relationship between the rising tide of indecency on the airwaves and the rising tide of industry consolidation?" asks FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps, suggesting that
localism gives stations more control of the content they design and carry.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Alessandra Stanley]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/05/arts/television/05WATC.html)

BROADBAND
HIGH-SPEED NET FINDS WAY TO SMALL-TOWN USA
Despite being left out of the tech investment boom of the late 1990s, there is some hope for rural US residents yearning for high-speed Internet. The Department of Agriculture's plan to pump $1.5 billion into loans for
high-speed infrastructure start-ups, as well as Senator John McCain's prioritization of rural broadband access, both signal the federal government's interest in bridging the gap. Additionally, venture capitalists have shown interest in supporting rural start-ups, who boast less expensive technology and a focus on lower margins to sell the service where the larger companies would not go.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Jim Hopkins]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2003-02-04-ruralnet_x.htm)

February 4, 2003

DIGITAL DIVIDE
VIETNAM WRESTLES WITH INTERNET GROWTH
The explosion of Internet use in Vietnam has prompted a mixed reaction in Hanoi. On one hand, the government plans to quadruple the current number of Internet users to four million by 2005 and inject $100 million into the
country's IT sector over the next two years. Yet Vietnam's pro-Internet development policies are tempered by its tight control over use and content. Web sites with pornography, violence, and especially political dissidence
are all deemed "poisonous and harmful." The government blocks access to several of these sites, and violators have faced imprisonment.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2003-02-03-vietnam_x.htm)

THE CULTURAL AND POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT OF ICT PROJECTS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
[Abstract] "While most of today's ICT projects involve several organizations, each can have different views on how to attain the project's goals. When designing an ICT-enabled development project, analysis of its cultural and political dimensions allows us to understand how the project team functions and to anticipate problems well ahead."
[SOURCE: iConnect Online, AUTHOR: Rutger Rosendaal]
(http://www.iconnect-online.org/base/ic_show_news?sc=107&id=2009)

OWNERSHIP
FCC AND RIGHT-WING RADIO HELPING U.S. PRESS FREEDOM SLIP AWAY
[Commentary] America has already seen the detrimental effects of media deregulation and consolidation, according to columnist Molly Ivins. The elimination of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987 has had "a stunning effect on
political debate," and the 1996 deregulation of radio has created giant companies such as Clear Channel Communication, who own several radio stations in the same market. "What is so perfectly loony about the FCC's
proposal," says Ivins, "...is that it is being done in the name of `the free market.'" She concludes by noting that the US now ranks 17th, behind Costa Rica and Slovenia, in an index of press freedom established by Reporters
Without Borders.
[SOURCE: The Salt Lake Tribune, AUTHOR: Molly Ivins]
(http://www.sltrib.com/2003/feb/02032003/commenta/25802.asp)

November 26, 2002

OWNERSHIP
FCC MEMBER TO HOLD HEARINGS ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP RULES
Democratic FCC Commissioner Michael Copps has announced that, despite a lack of support from FCC's Republican chairman, he will hold hearings on the impact of relaxing media ownership rules. The FCC is trying to rewrite the rules governing media ownership in cable, broadcasting and cross-ownership of broadcast stations and newspapers to pass muster at the U.S. Court of Appeals. The rules were intended to limit the reach of any one company both nationwide and in individual markets in order to ensure that no one media "voice" would dominate. But the courts have demanded that FCC justify its limits with empirical evidence. Copps says that hearings will elicit comments from the groups that may not otherwise be heard at the agency, which is besieged daily by industry lobbyists.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Mark Wigfield]
(http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,BT_CO_20021121_004850,00.html)
(requires subscription)

DIGITAL DIVIDE
THE PAYOFF FOR INVESTING IN POOR COUNTRIES
"Multinationals can do plenty to help the world's poor," according to C.K. Prahalad and Allen Hammond, "and in the process help themselves." The authors claim that investment and entrepreneurial activity in developing countries would let corporations to benefit from the large aggregate buying power of poor communities, while also stimulating an era of intense innovation and competition. They say that information technology and communications infrastructures-especially wireless-could be an inexpensive
way to establish marketing and distribution channels in these communities.
And despite the perception that people in developing markets cannot use such advanced technologies, the authors argue, "poor communities are ready to adopt new technologies that improve their economic opportunities or their quality of life." In fact, they urge multinationals to "deploy advanced technologies at the bottom of the pyramid while, or even before, deploying them in advanced countries."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: C.K. Prahalad and Allen Hammond]
(http://hbsworkingknowledge.hbs.edu/pubitem.jhtml?id=3180&sid=0&pid=0&t=nonp
rofit)

ARGENTINA BETS ON CYBERSPACE
Despite the ongoing economic crisis, Argentina is continuing to see in an increase in the number of users getting online and there is optimism about the many entrepreneurial opportunities available. The country has seen an increase of more than 14 percent of citizens online compared to last year.
"We have the opportunity to show that we have a lot of people with bright ideas and entrepreneurial spirit," according to Dot.com entrepreneur Roberto Cibrian. Argentines are using the Internet to bank online and some Argentines living abroad visit local supermarket websites to buy food for their impoverished relatives in Argentina. While more people are going online, there is a continual effort to bridge the digital divide - only 5 percent of citizens outside the country's capital of Buenos Aires have
access to the Internet
[SOURCE: BBC News, AUTHOR: David Jamieson]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2502669.stm)

INTERNET
INTERNET FORCES SCHOOLS TO GRAPPLE WITH SPEECH, COPYRIGHT ISSUES
As universities' computer network capacity become overrun by file-sharing students, so too have schools' president's offices been deluged by complaints from the recording industry. With an estimated 2.6 billion music and video files shared illegally each month on college campuses, four entertainment industry groups sent a joint letter to over 2,000 university presidents last month urging them to crack down on copyright infringement.
The challenge for the schools lies in the fact that they hope to avoid a monitoring role in the students' Internet use, especially at large state institutions with tens of thousands of students. But as monitoring software becomes more efficient and readily available, schools may be hard-pressed to stay out of the copyright policing fray much longer.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2002-11-25-schools-internet_x.htm)

NET ACTIVISM OFFERS LESSONS FOR MINISTERS
As political activists in the United Kingdom increasingly flock to the Internet to organize protests and maintain contact with each other, the British government is looking to this grassroots model for help in getting citizens more engaged in the political process online. At a summit of ministers, business leaders and net experts in London this week, officials acknowledged that use of the Internet by political activists could provide valuable lessons for the UK Government. "I am very interested in using the advantage of the Internet for richer political engagement," Trade and Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt told the conference.
[SOURCE: BBC News, AUTHOR: Jane Wakefield]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2496363.stm)

INTERNET

HALF OF U.S. INTERNET USERS HAVE A TELEVISION AND PC IN THE SAME ROOM
A report released on Tuesday by comScore Media Metrix details the increasing number of people who have access to a PC and television in the same room. Of the 45.1 million adult Internet users who have both TVs and PCs, 48 percent frequently use the Internet while watching television. Peter Daboll of
comScore says the study is a "wake-up call for media companies," as it reveals "a startling connection between television and the Internet." The report also documents the top activities of simultaneous usage, including NBC and FOX as the most watched television networks by Internet users.
[SOURCE: Internet Wire]
(http://www.mediaconference.com/p/9c/9090c6ac5074.html?id=efccf8)

WHITE HOUSE PLAN TO PROTECT COMPUTER SYSTEMS UNVEILED
In an effort to protect computer systems from future cyber attacks, the White House announced a plan that will rely highly on recommendations and cooperation from the technology industry. The plan, which will be debated for 60 days, calls for increased spending to protect computer systems, recruitment for more US-born security experts and a national early-warning system to monitor suspicious Internet activity. An estimated $12 billion was lost last year due to cyber attacks; since September 11, there have been
attacks on the Pentagon, as well as labs run by the Energy Department and banks in New York.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHORS: Jon Swartz and Tom Squitieri]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/2002-09-17-cyberterror_x
.htm)

EDTECH

NU SHORTCUTS IN SCHOOL R 2 MUCH 4 TEACHERS
As more and more teenagers turn towards digital communication, teachers increasingly are seeing an abbreviated form of Internet English jump from email into schoolwork. High school and middle school teachers say that papers are being written with shortened words, improper capitalization and
punctuation, and characters like &, $ and @. With email, cell phone text messaging, Weblogs and instant messaging becoming popular means for teens to talk to one another, abbreviations are a natural outgrowth of this rapid style of communication. While some teachers see the abbreviations as part of
a continuing assault of technology on formal written English, others encourage students to use the shorthand to spark their creativity. "If this lingo gets their thoughts and ideas onto paper quicker, the more power to them," says Trisha Fogarty, a sixth-grade teacher from Houlton, Maine.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jennifer 8. Lee]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/19/technology/circuits/19MESS.html)
(requires registration)

JOURNALISM

NEWS STAFF TAKE ON TECH SKILLS
As a result of developments in technology and the high cost of covering international news, media outlets have become dependant on a new breed of tech-savvy journalist, according to CNN International President Chris Cramer. At the International Broadcast Convention in Amsterdam, Europe's biggest media trade fair, Cramer explained that reporters and technicians have become more skilled across the board and can work in the various forms of media to deliver stories, pictures and technical know-how. He told the
conference that there is also a downside to technology and the race to be first in the 24-hour news cycle, including the loss of accuracy and a rise in speculation. There is also less time to make editorial judgments when pictures are aired live. One particular development he noted was the democratization of news brought to the world by Web sites that push and pull news from the street at a grassroots level.
[SOURCE: BBC, AUTHOR: Chris McWhinnie]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2260955.stm)

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Communications-Related Headlines are compiled, summarized and edited by Rachel Anderson (rachel@benton.org), Andy Carvin (andy@benton.org) and Charles Meisch (charlie@benton.org) of the Benton Foundation -- we welcome your feedback. Based in Washington DC, the Benton Foundation's mission is to
articulate a public interest vision for the digital age and demonstrate the value of communications for solving social problems. Other projects at Benton include:
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