A service of the Benton Foundation (www.benton.org)
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
McCain Eyes Media Regulation
Media Take FCC, Ensure Continuation of Nonsense
PRIVACY
Super Diary Worries Privacy Activists
DIGITAL DIVIDE
ICTV, One Economy Partner to Bring Essential Living Content to
Low-Income Homes
Web Site Shows Food Stamp Eligibility
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
MCCAIN EYES MEDIA REGULATION
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) said Wednesday that he
would push for legislation aimed at allowing the FCC to reinstate the
ownership limits it rolled back on Monday. McCain's committee questioned the
five Commissioners on Wednesday morning, evaluating the process and logic
used to reach its conclusions. "I intend to include specific language ... to
clarify that the commission may, and should, re-impose ownership
restrictions as part of its biennial review where it finds such action would
be in the public interest," McCain said at the hearing. Any such measure
will face significant opposition in the House of Representatives, where
legislators supported FCC Chairman Michael Powell's efforts to relax
existing rules. Both McCain and his House Commerce counterpart Rep. Billy
Tauzin (R-LA) oppose reverting the broadcast ownership cap to its previous
35% level, though McCain expressed willingness to allow that provision in a
Senate bill currently under debate.
[SOURCE: CNN Money; AUTHOR: Reuters]
http://money.cnn.com/2003/06/04/news/fcc_mccain.reut/
MEDIA TAKE FCC, ENSURE CONTINUATION OF NONSENSE
[Commentary] The FCC's media ownership ruling ignores the impact of media on
our culture, argues Joseph Bechard. "We identify ourselves through culture.
We understand the world with what we glean from the media. They help us
decide who we are." Bechard provides a list of the various holdings of media
conglomerates and notes the high level of influence they had over the FCC
throughout the process - FCC officials met with industry lobbyists on more
then 70 occasions and received nearly $3 million in travel money. In
contrast, the Commission met with public interest groups five times and held
one public forum in Richmond, VA. As Bechard put it, "These corporations
lobby long and hard for industry deregulation, and they get what they want.
Maybe we, the people, ought to hump the commission's metaphorical leg as
hard as the industry has."
[SOURCE: Oregon Daily Emerald; AUTHOR: Joseph Bechard]
http://www.dailyemerald.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/06/05/3edf8ea247602
PRIVACY
SUPER DIARY WORRIES PRIVACY ACTIVISTS
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has solicited bids for
LifeLog, a project to develop a "digital super diary" that records vital
signs, travel, web-based transactions, communications, media influences, and
other personal daily happenings. The project could enhance the memory of
military commanders and improve military training. It is not connected with
DARPA's Terrorism Information Awareness data-mining project and is intended
for those who agree to be monitored, according to DARPA's Jan Walker. But
defense analyst John Pike of Global Security.org has doubts. "I have a much
easier time understanding how Big Brother would want this than how [Defense
Secretary Donald H.] Rumsfeld would use it," Mr. Pike said. "They have not
identified a military application." In spite of privacy concerns, James
Dempsey of the Center for Democracy and Technology sees a silver lining in
the government taking the lead. "If government weren't doing this, it would
still be done by companies and in universities all over the country, but we
would have less say about it," he said. With the government involved, "you
can read about it and influence it."
[SOURCE: globeandmail.com; AUTHOR: Associated Press]
http://www.globetechnology.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030603.gtlifelogjun...
NStory/Technology
DIGITAL DIVIDE
ICTV, ONE ECONOMY PARTNER TO BRING ESSENTIAL LIVING CONTENT TO LOW-INCOME
HOMES
One Economy Corporation, a national non-profit, is partnering with ICTV to
deliver content designed to elevate standards of living for low-income
households. ICTV's HeadendWare, a platform for delivering interactive
television services, will be used to provide essential living advice to
cable television subscribers via a digital set-top box. The venture
addresses the low penetration of Internet access in low-income homes. "Cable
television holds the potential of jump-starting the lives of millions of
individuals across the country," said Ben Hecht, president and COO of One
Economy. The television-based interactive content, written for users with
limited literacy, will be available in English and Spanish and will cover
topics such as finances, health, career and family. "This is a genuine
opportunity for cable to use its reach to deliver much-needed public
services that can drive real change in the communities the industry serves,"
said Ed Forman, senior vice president of marketing for ICTV.
[SOURCE: Business Wire; CONTACT: Paul Schneider]
http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/cb_headline.cgi?&story_file=bw.06050...
1565262&directory=/google&header_file=header.htm&footer_file
WEB SITE SHOWS FOOD STAMP ELIGIBILITY
A new website, Food Stamps Step 1 ( http://www.foodstamps-step1.usda.gov),
could help low-income families learn whether they qualify for federal food
stamps and how much assistance they could get. "This isn't really targeted
to people who have computers in their own home per se," said Agriculture
Secretary Ann Veneman. She explained the needy families who believe they
qualify could go to food banks and other centers or to government offices to
get assistance with the Internet site. The government has sometimes been
accused of overlooking low-income citizens in efforts to reach out online to
the public, but Agriculture Department officials said the website will not
take away from other efforts to inform low-income families about the food
stamp program.
[SOURCE: Kansas City Star; AUTHOR: Emily Gersema]
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/breaking_news/6021949.htm
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