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Welcome to the Benton Foundation
Headline Highlights September 2008
October 2, 2008 Sure, we get it -- September is hurricane season. But did anyone predict the storms we've seen in the past month? Hurricane Hanna got every one's attention, especially federal regulators overseeing Wilmington, North Carolina's transition to (almost) all digital television broadcasting. No one saw the technical problems on the DTV radar, however. In was late August when Sen John McCain picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin to be his Vice President. The selection led to what some called "Hurricane Palin," a storm that forever changed the dynamics of the 2008 election. These stories nearly drowned out some carry-over issues from August like the FCC's first major Network Neutrality decision. The biggest tempest, however, is a financial crisis is interrupting the 2008 campaign.
The Civil Rights Imperative
September 25, 2008 On September 18, Charles Benton was invited to speak at the annual conference of the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors. Benton was asked to appear on a panel titled "The Future of Communications: What is Coming in a New Administration and Beyond?" In these uncertain times, however, maybe it is too much for anyone or any one panel, to predict what our telecommunications future will look like. We can - and we should - however, take this moment to define our communications goals. Benton writes, "Our number one national communications policy priority must be the eradication of racial and gender discrimination in media and telecommunications."
Children Now: The stakes are too high to sell children's needs short
September 23, 2008 Children Now's Patti Miller testified before the US Senate on food marketing to children. She said that because there is no uniform nutrition standard; because unhealthy products creatively labeled as "better for you" are being passed off as healthy food for children; and because the media companies refuse to play a role in protecting children from the advertising of unhealthy food products, current voluntary industry initiatives to curb unhealthy food marketing to kids are not enough.
Why Broadband Matters
September 15, 2008 The Senate Commerce Committee meets September 16 to hear testimony on the consumer benefits of broadband service. The question of the day is Why Broadband Matters? Broadband matters for every American. Luckily, the Senate's hearing focuses on people rather than pipes. Because even as we come to recognize that broadband networks are the essential communications medium of the 21st century, those who could benefit the most from this economically empowering technology are also those most likely to be left without access because of where they live or how much money they make.
Headline Highlights for August 2008
Sept 3, 2008 Ah, August. Time to relax, to vacation. Washington shuts down and heads to the beach. Presidents go to ranches. Nothing important happens in August. But not this year. With the only major test of the digital television transition waiting in the wings, the Federal Communications Commission did not take the month off and issued what may be the most important regulatory decision ever concerning the Internet. And there's no way to forget that this is an election year including telecom policy positions from Republicans and Democrats.
"This" Is Our Digital Future?
August 21, 2008 Chicago has a rich media history. Chicago has been an innovator and provider of high-quality content when new capacity demands new content. The question now is: As broadcast television migrates toward digital technology is Chicago media situated to be an innovative leader again? Unfortunately, the answer is "no."
Saving Red Lion
August 5, 2008 Last week, television broadcasters told the Supreme Court that the FCC's efforts to enforce US broadcast indecency law are invalid because today's families subscribe to cable and satellite television services and surf the Internet. To make the point clearer: in order to reserve the right to broadcast "dirty" words and the occasional image of a naked female breast when children might be in the audience, broadcasters are challenging the right of the public to demand public interest programming -- educational programming for children, local civic and election affairs, and public safety information.
Headline Highlights July 2008
August 1, 2008 Picnics, baseball, and mosquitos -- what else do you expect from relaxing summer months? Anyone expecting a summer lull may have been surprised by the fireworks displayed in telecommunications policy in July. Communications surveillance, media ownership, and Internet policy grabbed the headlines. Also, see July's most-read Headlines.
The Future of Universal Service is Broadband
June 23, 2008 On Tuesday, a House hearing will consider the future of communications in America. The question of the day is whether America's future communications system should be based on 19th century technology - the telephone - or on 21st century digital broadband.
Accelerating the Great Broadband Migration
June 12, 2008 When it comes to the Internet, we've become an “also ran” on the international scene. On June 2, the Benton Foundation offered the FCC a comprehensive, equitable plan to make universal, affordable broadband in the U.S. a reality.
Senate Votes to Block FCC's Media Ownership Rule Change
May 15, 2008 Despite a veto threat from the Bush Administration, the US Senate voted, without debate, to invalidate the Federal Communications Commission's Dec. 18 decision to loosen the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule. The measure passed on a voice vote.
Benton to FCC: Use USF to Accelerate Transition to Broadband
April 18, 2008 In comments filed at the Federal Communications Commission, the Benton Foundation argues that the federal Universal Service Fund (USF) is a crucial element in reaching the nation's goal of ubiquitous, affordable high-speed Internet service.
Media Power in Wrong Hands Brings Neither "Peace of Mind nor Serenity of Spirit"
April 16, 2008 In the second of a series of interviews published by the Benton Foundation, Minority Media & Telecommunications Council Executive Director David Honig asks, "What could be a more inefficient deployment of resources than having the entrepreneurial, managerial and creative wealth of a third of the country unable to find expression in the nation's most powerful industries?"
Intersection of Race and Telecomm Policy: Andrew Schwartzman
March 24, 2008 In this Q&A with Media Access Project President & CEO Andrew Jay Schwartzman, we ask about the US's history of legalized discrimination the effects that can still be seen today. We invite you to add your voice to the discussion.
Universal Service Reform and Universal Broadband
February 1, 2008 On January 29, 2008, the FCC launched 3 proceedings asking for public comment on reforming the Universal Service Fund and recommendations made by the Federal-State Joint Board on Universal Service (Joint Board) in November. The Joint Board’s proposal includes a recommendation that the current definition of services supported by the federal USF be expanded to include high-speed, broadband Internet access.
More than Rhetoric Needed to Close Broadband Gap
January 31, 2008 On January 30, 2008, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration released Networked Nation: Broadband in America, a report that concludes that "a reasonable assessment of the available data indicates" that President Bush's 2004 objective of affordable access to broadband for all by 2007 has been realized "to a very great degree." The Administration's "mission Accomplished" rhetoric does not match reality.
