Media Bureau Announces the Release of Requests for Quotation for Media Ownership Studies...[FCC]

PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12thSt., S.W. Washington, D.C.20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322

MEDIA BUREAU ANNOUNCES THE RELEASE OF REQUESTS FOR QUOTATION FOR MEDIA OWNERSHIP STUDIES AND SEEKS SUGGESTIONS FOR ADDITIONAL STUDIES IN MEDIA OWNERSHIP PROCEEDING

Requests for Quotation for Media Ownership Studies. As part of the Commission’s 2010 Quadrennial Media Ownership proceeding,1the Commission is commissioning nine economic studies to evaluate the current marketplace and the state of the media industry.

Toward this end, today the Commission issued a Request for Quotation (RFQ) for each of the nine studies, which are available at the Federal Business Opportunities website, located at http://www.FedBizOpps.gov.

Additional information on the RFQs, including copies of the Statement of Work for each solicitation, is available at the FBO website. In addition, the Commission will provide a link to the FBO website on the FCC’s media ownership web page, at http://www.fcc.gov/ownership/.

Each of the studies will define a relevant performance metric with respect to one or more of the three public interest goals of competition, localism, and diversity that the Commission seeks to promote through its media ownership rules. The studies will then examine how results vary across markets with differing ownership structures. The Commission’s primary but not exclusive focus is on empirical work. When the studies have been completed, the Commission will release the studies to the public subject to the terms and conditions of a protective order, seek formal comments, and provide for a formal peer review process. Full descriptions of the studies are listed in the RFQs, and for ease of reference, we are providing brief descriptions of the studies in this Notice:

A bit Off Thread Topic, but interesting:

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/thirdway/index

Quote:

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/68003

“FCC Moves to Regulate Internet—Even Though the Law Calls for Internet to be ‘Unfettered by Federal or State Regulation’”
Friday, June 18, 2010
By Matt Cover, Staff Writer

(CNSNews.com) –

SNIPPET: “This last approach, presented at the hearing as the “third way,” is the preferred avenue of Genachowski, who unveiled the plan in May.

The “third way” approach would still allow the government the authority to heavily regulate the Internet because it would be classified as a telecom service. However, under this approach, the FCC claims it will exercise “forbearance,” a regulatory doctrine whereby the government promises not use its regulatory authority in most cases.

Commissioner Michael Copps, at the FCC, sought to frame the issue in terms of consumer protection, claiming that “consumers find themselves in quite a box” because government, he claimed, had been “all but shorn” of the authority to regulate Internet service.

Copps said he was “worried” about relying purely on the private sector for Internet-based innovation, saying that the problems of such an approach could be seen in the 2008 financial collapse and the recent Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

“We need to reclaim our authority,” Copps said.”

ADDING to post no. 5:

Quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2473564/posts

Statement from the President on the National Broadband Plan
Whitehouse.gov ^ | March 16, 2010 | n/a
Posted on March 17, 2010 11:15:41 PM PDT by Cindy

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/statement-president-national-broadband-plan

Home • Briefing Room • Statements & Releases

The White House

Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release March 16, 2010 Statement from the President on the National Broadband Plan

America today is on the verge of a broadband-driven Internet era that will unleash innovation, create new jobs and industries, provide consumers with new powerful sources of information, enhance American safety and security, and connect communities in ways that strengthen our democracy. Just as past generations of Americans met the great infrastructure challenges of the day, such as building the Transcontinental railroad and the Interstate highways, so too must we harness the potential of the Internet. Expanding broadband across the nation will build a foundation of sustained economic growth and the widely shared prosperity we all seek.

I commend Chairman Julius Genachowski, the Commissioners, and the FCC staff for their hard work in developing the National Broadband Plan.

My Administration will build upon our efforts over the past year to make America’s nationwide broadband infrastructure the world’s most powerful platform for economic growth and prosperity, including improving access to mobile broadband, maximizing technology innovation, and supporting a nationwide, interoperable public safety wireless broadband network.

###

Quote:

stepping back in time...

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2374198/posts

Net Neutrality For Campaign Donors ( Top Donor awarded FCC chairman position )
Big Government ^ | October 28, 2009 | Capitol Confidential
Posted on October 29, 2009 6:35:38 PM PDT by opentalk

Just how far is the Obama administration willing to go to reward big donors? In the wake of yesterday’s explosive report regarding “scores of top Democratic donors” being rewarded with “VIP access to the White House, private briefings with administration advisers and invitations to important speeches and town-hall meetings,” it’s a question that’s on the minds of many politically-engaged Americans, and one likely to grab yet more attention, thanks to this article in today’s USA Today. It notes that:

“More than 40% of President Obama’s top-level fundraisers have secured posts in his administration, from key executive branch jobs to diplomatic postings in countries such as France, Spain and the Bahamas, a USA TODAY analysis finds.”

USA Today goes on to report that one top-level fundraiser apparently awarded with a plum job is Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski.

The paper reports that Genachowski raised more than $500,000 for Obama—which critics charge may have helped him “buy” a position that now puts him at the center of one of Washington’s most heated policy debates, namely that regarding net neutrality.

Genachowski, a strong proponent of the policy and a darling of far left groups like Save The Internet, has recently garnered criticism for what some see as an effort to ram net neutrality through with little to no debate. The proposed policy has recently become the focus of criticism and concern from everyone from internet service providers to groups typically regarded as Obama administration-friendly, such as the Asian American Justice Center, National Council of La Raza, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the National Urban League. 72 House Democrats and three Democratic Governors have also raised concerns about the proposed policy.

Last week, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) introduced legislation to block the FCC, led by Genachowski, from enacting net neutrality rules. In a statement, McCain suggested that net neutrality amounted to a “government takeover of the Internet.” He added that enacting the regulation favored by Genachowski, which he dubbed “oppressive,” would “stifle innovation, in turn slowing our economic turnaround and further depressing an already anemic job market.” On Tuesday, Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced similar legislation to block net neutrality in the House. Genachowski critics argue that her move evidences further existing forceful, bipartisan opposition to Genachowski’s preferred policy, and will enhance scrutiny of the FCC Chairman’s agenda—as may the USA Today revelations.

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