MAP IN THE NEWS (2007)
Posted: Thursday December 27, 2007
FCC Loosens Ownership Rules
Forbes Brian Wingfield and Louis Hau: December 18, 2007
“It is hard to understand why the chairman has been so stubborn about pushing through such an extreme and unjustified change in rules which have long protected the public’s right to have access to diverse sources of information,” Media Access Project President and Chief Executive Andrew Jay Schwartzman said in a statement.
Minority concerns fuel push to delay FCC consolidation vote
Austin American-Statesman Whitney Boyd: December 5, 2007
As president and CEO of Media Access Project, a media advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., Schwartzman said the new rules are vaguely packaged and the public is unaware of the significance of the changes. "These rules appear more benign than what they really are," Schwartzman said. "The FCC has portrayed it as a modest change when in fact it is a very major change."
NAA’s Sturm Tells House Panel FCC Cross-Ownership Proposal Offers Little Help For Newspapers
Editor & Publisher Mark Fitzgerald: December 5, 2007
But at the same hearing, Media Access Project President and CEO Andrew Jay Schwartzman argued that Martin’s proposal “deceptively packaged to conceal the fact that it is actually a radical repeal of existing rules.” The FCC, he argued, “is rushing to judgment based on a manipulated and flawed research record. The commission continues to suppress information, has failed to comply with the peer review requirements of the Data Quality Act and evidently intends to adopt a rule which cannot possibly take into account thousands of pages of new information which has just been filed.”
Supreme Court Extends Deadline for Profane Responses
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: December 3, 2007
The extension applies to all of the parties including MAP, which hopes to file jointly with Fox and will oppose cert, according to MAP president Andrew J. Schwartzman.
Cable lobby acts in regards to Martin’s regulatory initiative
Broadcast Engineering December 3, 2007
And the lobbyists are ready. “It’s a textbook example of how a sophisticated trade association can mobilize resources on short notice and stave off a major defeat, Andrew Schwartzman told the Washington Post. Schwartzman is president of the Media Access Project, a consumer advocacy group opposed to the cable industry position.
Verizon boosts access to wireless network
Financial Week Matthew Scott: December 3, 2007
Harold Feld, senior vice president of the Media Access Project, also noted that Verizon would not guarantee that all devices would be able to access all services, and “without the certainty that comes from making open platforms a right rather than a privilege at the mercy of a provider’s business plan, innovation and choice in the wireless world will continue to lag behind Europe and Asia.”
Airwave sale sparks a scramble
Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera & Jessica Guynn: December 1, 2007
“This auction potentially opens up mobile computing from something that’s very expensive and very limited to something that comes into everyday use,” said Harold Feld, senior vice president of the Media Access Project, a public interest law firm that has pushed for more open use of the airwaves.
Net neutrality may not resolve Comcast vs. BitTorrent
CNet News.com Anne Broache: November 30, 2007
Harold Feld, senior vice president for the Media Access Project, which lobbies for Net neutrality laws, is also skeptical about whether Rep. Ed Markey’s legislation would do much. If Comcast announced, “‘We are absolutely going to prohibit peer-to-peer on our network or even manage our network so when we reach some unspecified capacity restraint, we’re going to start messing with everybody’s BitTorrent uploads, but it’ll be totally random…’ that is arguably permissible under the Markey bill,” Feld said.
FCC Waivers Given Tribune; Deal May Close Before ’08
CNN Money Corey Boles, Dow Jones Newswire: November 30, 2007
Andrew Schwartzman, president and CEO of public interest group Media Access Project, criticized the FCC’s move. “The fact that this action was expected makes it no less outrageous,” he said in a statement. “Tribune was given more than it requested in a decision which is deceptively packaged to make it seem more reasonable than it really is.”
Fox Station Challenged on Renewal of License
New York Times Elizabeth Dwoskin: November 29, 2007
Federal law prohibits most companies from owning both a newspaper and a television station in the same metropolitan area. But Fox is one of 11 companies nationwide that hold a temporary waiver of the prohibition, said Andrew J. Schwartzman, president of the nonprofit Media Access Project.
WWOR license under fire
The Record Kevin G. DeMarrais: November 29, 2007
“Based on the evidence provided by Voice for New Jersey [another opponent] and the obvious branding of Channel 9 as a station dedicated to New Yorkers, the commission cannot seriously conclude that Channel 9 broadcasts in the interest of New Jersey residents,” Desai said.
Martin Proposes Waiver in Tribune Deal
Television Week Ira Teinowitz: November 28, 2007
Andy Schwartzman, director of the Media Access Project, said he was worried the waiver would open the door to more deals, including some in smaller markets. “My initial reaction is not positive. Count me troubled,” he said. “It’s hard to justify giving this to the Tribune and not everyone else”
Comcast, Cable Stocks Gain as FCC Puts Off New Rules
Bloomberg.com Molly Peterson: November 28, 2007
Consumer advocates say the FCC should expand its oversight to spur competition among pay-TV providers. Existing data “strongly support’‘ the finding that cable companies have surpassed the 70/70 threshold, said Andrew Schwartzman, president of the Washington-based Media Access Project.
FCC watching cable TV closely
Marketplace Radio November 27, 2007
“The Media Access Project’s Andrew Schwartzman says companies breached that threshold several years ago: It’s long past time when the FCC should be cracking down on cable ownership, diversity of programming and making the cable industry more responsive.”
Bad reviews pile up for FCC chief’s plan
Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera: November 19, 2007
“The way in which Martin has handled this has reignited the citizen groups,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project. “Their membership is riled up and there is a real sense of ‘They’re doing it to us again.’ “
NFL calls screen play, or is it an end around?
Los Angeles Times Greg Johnson: November 18, 2007
“ Right now, the NFL clearly is the underdog in the fight against Comcast and other big cable companies,” said Harold Feld, executive vice president with Media Access, a Washington public interest group that says big cable companies are discriminating against the NFL and other independent programmers. “It’s clear that [sports networks are] getting the snot beat out of them by the big cable companies and that’s not right.”
Public needs FCC to step up
The Peoria Journal Star Steve Tarter: November 18, 2007
Both ideas are applauded by the Media Access Project, the Washington, D.C.-based consumer group. “We’re hoping (the rule changes) will allow more individual programs to get access on cable, especially programming for minorities and females,” said assistant director Parul Desai.
Media Access Project Data Back Martin’s 70/70 Claim
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: November 16, 2007
Media Access Project Friday provided Republican Federal Communications Commission members Robert McDowell and Deborah Taylor Tate with information supporting FCC chairman Kevin Martin’s contention, based on data supplied to the FCC, that cable has met the 70/70 reregulatory threshold.
Things getting hot on the Comcast front
ZDNet Government Blog Richard Koman: November 16, 2007
Harold Feld of the Media Access Project told me, “At the very least, the FCC should make it clear that this is not appropriate,” but really Congress should pass net neutrality legislation. That’s what it would take, he said, so that “broadband providers will stop trying to mess with traffic”
FCC Chief: End Big-Market Ownership Ban
Associated Press John Dunbar: November 14, 2007
Andrew Schwartzman, president of public interest law firm Media Access Project, said the proposed rule contains a provision that “vastly liberalizes the waiver process” which could result in cross-ownership in smaller markets, a charge Martin disputed.
Martin: Let’s Ease TV-Newspaper Rule
Multichannel Ted Hearn: November 13, 2007
Andrew Schwartzman, president the Media Access Project, a public interest law firm that helped scuttle the 2003 rule, said Martin’s proposal could use some tightening. “It’s not as modest as Martin seems to be letting on,” Schwartzman said. “It greatly liberalizes the policy for granting waivers in all 210 markets in the U.S.”
FCC’s Martin: Only Change Cross-Ownership Rule
Dow Jones Corey Boles: November 13, 2007
But according to Andrew Schwartzman, president of the public-interest group Media Access Project, there is no case for any change to the rules. “The fundamental problem I have with the changes that Martin proposes is the notion that newspapers in the top 20 markets are moribund,” said Schwartzman. “On an operating basis, these are among some of the most profitable media properties in the country.”
Reaction mixed to media ownership idea
Marketplace Radio Bob Moon: November 13, 2007
Andrew Schwartzman heads the Media Access Project. He argues the relaxed rules for newspapers will actually reduce the diversity of news coverage for no real reason. “These are mature businesses. They’re highly profitable businesses. They’re not growing businesses, but they are not in distress.”
Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera: November 13, 2007
“These guys play fast and loose with their numbers,” said Harold Feld, senior vice president of the Media Access Project, a public-interest law firm. The group last year cited unexplained changes in the statistics on the cable group’s website, where the total number of basic cable subscribers nationwide for 2005 changed from 73.2 million to 65.4 million within a few months.
Why FCC Head Aims to Broaden Access to Spare Cable Channels
Wall Street Journal Corey Boles: November 13, 2007
Andrew Schwartzman, president of Media Access Project, a public interest group that has long advocated the rates be reduced, said that only about 1% of cable companies’ channels are leased out. “There are scores of minority and niche programmers as well as low-powered television stations clamoring for leased access channels who have been unable to afford it until now,” said Schwartzman
FCC Untangling Industry Norms
Philadelphia Inquirer Bob Fernandez: November 13, 2007
Schwartzman said the proposed regulations could make it cheaper for independent programmers to buy time on cable channels by lowering so-called channel lease rates. Right now, the programmers that can most afford the lease rates, he said, are shopping networks and religious groups.
FCC’s Martin Seen Likely To Soon Release Media-Ownership Plan
Dow Jones Corey Boles: November 12, 2007
“We don’t think any change is justified. The market data overwhelmingly shows that there’s no justification for changing the rules,” said Andrew Schwartzman, president of Media Access Project, a public-interest group.
Martin Says FCC Has More Power to Regulate Cable
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: November 12, 2007
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin says the commission plans to invoke the so-called 70/70 threshold to justify new regulations on the cable industry. That would put the deregulatory-minded Republican chairman on the same page with anti-consolidation groups like Media Access Project, (MAP) which has pushed the FCC to invoke the rule, saying the cable industry has become sufficiently dominant.
Hands off the Internet asks FCC to look into Comcast bandwidth delays
ZDNet Government Blog Richard Koman: November 12, 2007
Comcast, which directly competes with Verizon, would like to have a network as stable and fast as Verizon’s FIOS. But they don’t. Instead, they have a network that has serious problems keeping up with the way customers want to use it. Comcast could spend the money to upgrade to fiber the way Verizon did and actually have a network that works like Verizon’s FIOS system. But Comcast doesn’t want to do that either.
Net neutrality foes back FCC investigation into Comcast traffic blocking
Ars Technica Nate Anderson: November 12, 2007
“Particularly with applications tolerant of minor delays (like downloading static web pages), it was easy for cable operators to share capacity among their subscribers while claiming a very fast always on speed based on the average user load for the system,” says Feld, but notes that the system doesn’t work well when users start saturating their links by using high-bandwidth applications.
F.C.C. Planning Rules to Open Cable Market
New York Times Steve Labaton: November 10, 2007
“The 70/70 finding is enormous,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, an advocacy organization devoted to diversity of voices and ownership that has opposed consolidation in the media. “It gives the commission a blank check to regulate an industry that Congress had largely deregulated.”
Report May Spur Oversight of Cable TV
Associated Press John Dunbar: November 10, 2007
“It’s never been invoked before,” said Andrew Schwartzman, president and CEO of the Media Access Project, a public interest law firm. What powers the FCC could assume is “a matter of some dispute,” he said.
Copps, a liberal voice on the FCC, knows how to get his message out
Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera: November 5, 2007
“He’s the first FCC commissioner-rock star,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a public policy law firm that has fought media consolidation.
Time Running Out for Tribune
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: November 5, 2007
Schwartzman opposes allowing Tribune to maintain any of the cross-ownerships post-deal, though he says there is a distinction between the grand fathered Chicago combo and the four waivers of the former Times Mirror properties. “With respect to the [Times Mirror] properties, Tribune was supposed to sell off those properties,” he says. “I have a serious problem with regulatory self-help”
Media ownership issue stirs industry concerns
Broadcast Engineering November 5, 2007
Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, said that in the wake of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, “the number of good broadcasters is diminishing, and the number of mediocre broadcasters is increasing”
Groups Press FCC on Comcast, Net Neutrality
Washington Post.com Kim Hart: November 3, 2007
“Now we come to the acid test,” said Harold Feld, senior vice president of Media Access Project. “Will the FCC, which vowed to protect our freedom to run the applications of our choice, stand up for citizens in the face of Comcast?”
FCC urged to stop Comcast Internet blocking
CNet News Blog Marguerite Reardon: November 1, 2007
“Last year, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and opponents of Net neutrality told Congress that the FCC has all the authority it needs to prevent exactly this sort of customer abuse by a major provider,” Harold Feld, senior vice president of Media Access Project said in a statement.
Critics Turn Out To Protest Media Consolidation
Washington Post.com Frank Ahrens: November 1, 2007
But local media still matter, said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, which succeeded in overturning the FCC’s attempted ownership rules changes in 2004. “The wonderful new media platforms we now have supplement, but do not supplant, the traditional media, especially at the local level,” Schwartzman said after testifying at the hearing. “Over-the-air TV and daily newspapers are still, by far, the most important forces shaping public opinion. Democracy suffers when one company has too much influence over what happens in a community.”
The writers’ strike and media consolidation
TV Barn Aaron Barnhart: November 1, 2007
Fast forward a year. The FCC is still holding hearings, and voices of reason are still being politely listened to (and, I suspect, ignored). And that’s where Andy Schwartzman comes in.
FCC gets earful on ownership rules
Variety William Triplett: October 31, 2007
Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of watchdog group Media Access Project, pleaded similarly. Of some 2,000 broadcast stations in the U.S., he said, fewer than 800 originate any newscasts. The rest rely on syndicated feeds.
FCC Gets Earful on Media Ownership
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: October 31, 2007
Schwartzman also made a pitch not just for local programming, but for local ownership and ties to the community. “Effective local service requires institutional and personal attachments to the community,” he said in prepared testimony. “It requires a diverse work force that is capable of conveying the many different perspectives found in each community. There is no way to document the qualitative impact of having a station operated locally by individual citizens who live in the community and expect to remain there.”
FCC Votes Down Deals Between Cable Operators, Multiple-Dwelling Units
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: October 31, 2007
Media Access Project was happy as well: “Ending exclusive contracts for cable services will ensure that all Americans can enjoy the benefits of choice, such as lower prices and better service, wherever they live,” said MAP VP Harold Feld.
For rent: Apt. w/ choice of TV service
Marketplace Radio Lisa Napoli: October 29, 2007
Because the phone company isn’t just about phone service any more. Andy Schwartzman of the Media Access Project says that desire to diversify is sure to translate, in this case, into good news for the public.
FCC Asked to Cut Leased-Access Rate
Mulitchannel Ted Hearn: October 29, 2007
In the meeting, MAP senior vice president Harold Feld endorsed a rule that would determine a single, national leased access rate “using price information from Los Angeles and New York City, currently the two most competitive leased-access markets”
Airwaves Auction Still Faces Challenge
Associated Press John Dunbar: October 26, 2007
Harold Feld, an attorney with the public interest group Media Access Project and a proponent of the open access concept, is skeptical. “I don’t think it’s at all odd or coincidental that we had Verizon drop its petition and CTIA file instead,” he said. If a party wants to challenge an FCC order, it may do so administratively or go straight to the courts. But it may not do both, Feld said.
FCC eyes push vs. owner rule
Boston Herald Jay Fitzgerald: October 22, 2007
But Andrew Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, said it’s simply wrong to say the rule is outdated due to new technologies. He said newspapers and television stations “remain by far” the most powerful news distributors in any given city – and relaxing the rule will make media companies that much more powerful.
FCC Moves on Ownership
Wall Street Journal Corey Boles and Sarah Ellison: October 19, 2007
Mr. Martin “is very focused in getting something on the books that would survive judicial review,” says Harold Feld, senior vice president at Media Access Project, a public-interest group.
AP: Comcast Blocks Some File-Sharing
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: October 19, 2007
Media Access Project criticized Comcast and took the opportunity of the AP story to make a pitch for network neutrality. “When a broadband provider can deliberately disrupt traffic without telling subscribers, no one’s content is safe,” MAP senior vice president Harold Feld said. “Comcast’s actions to target BitTorrent traffic without telling customers interferes with the many legitimate users who pay extra for broadband connections so they can move large files they have every legal right to send.”
Senators Urge Slower Timetable for FCC Review of Media Ownership Rules
TV Week Ira Teinowitz: October 18, 2007
Andy Schwartzman, director of the Media Access Project, the public-interest law firm that won the last appeal, also warned that a quick conclusion would put the FCC on the same path as last time. “Proposing rules in mid-November, accepting comments in early December and voting on Dec. 18 certainly gives rise to a sense of deja vu,” Mr. Schwartzman said.
Time running out on Bush’s FCC
Variety Brian Lowry: October 9, 2007
“ If you had asked me a couple of years ago … I would have thought we would have gotten a lot further,” acknowledged Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the nonprofit Media Access Project, which successfully used the courts to scuttle the Federal Communications Commission’s last stab at revising the ownership guidelines — under the imperious reign of then-chairman Michael Powell — in 2004.
FCC cleared by own inquiry
Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera: October 6, 2007
“The report bends over backward to give the benefit of the doubt to the commission management,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a public interest law firm that filed the suit that halted the FCC’s 2003 media ownership rule changes.
Court won’t expedite VZW’s challenge to open access
RCR Wireless News Jeffrey Silva: October 4, 2007
The Public Interest Spectrum Coalition, whose representatives met with Martin and his staff yesterday, stated they told FCC officials “they believed that, as a general matter, no clarification of the [700 MHz] order was necessary, and that specifically, the order was clear on the obligations of the network providers with regards to devices and applications. Further, efforts to clarify the order in response to hypothetical concerns could have unintended consequences, such as the creation of ‘safe harbors’ for discriminatory conduct”
FCC Profanity Crackdown in Limbo
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: September 29, 2007
Andrew J. Schwartzman, president of Media Access Project, said he was puzzled by the government’s decision to seek the review of a case that was decided narrowly on procedural grounds and concerning the application of established law. He said the court was not likely to take the case. “We will oppose the Supreme Court review because it only prolongs the uncertainty for our clients,” said Schwartzman, who represents Hollywood’s interest (technically, the Center for Creative Voices in Media) in the case.
It’s FCC vs. CBS in Bowl Battle
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: September 17, 2007
Andy Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, which represented Hollywood (the Center for Creative Voices) in its amicus filing in support of CBS, shared that assessment. While he, too, cautioned that it was tough to handicap oral arguments, he said it “certainly looked like a bad day for the FCC. The court was extremely skeptical about the commission’s position on whether CBS should be held accountable for what Jackson and Timberlake did on their own, and they seemed unreceptive to the commission’s claims that it was relying on established precedent”
FCC Draws Fire for Emmys Bleeping
TVWeek Ira Teinowitz: September 17, 2007
Andy Schwartzman, president-CEO of the Media Access Project, which has filed friend of the court briefs in challenges to the FCC crackdown, said the bleeping “is precisely the kind of overly defensive behavior which we warned about in our brief. Not only was some of the bleeping unnecessary from a legal standpoint, but it seems that [Fox] also deleted the video images for fear of offending the lip readers among us”
Super Bowl exposure has its day in court
Philadelphia Inquirer John Shiffman: September 12, 2007
Andrew Jay Schwartzman, a public interest lawyer who represents writers, producers and directors, said his clients are struggling with what he called the vagueness of the FCC’s new rules.” The uncertainty forces creative artists to err on the side of overcaution,” he said after attending yesterday’s hearing. “This adversely affects the creative process. . . .”
CBS rallies against FCC fine
Variety William Triplett: September 11, 2007
“The judges showed considerable skepticism toward the FCC’s position, much more so than to CBS,” said Andrew Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project watchdog group. “If I had to put money on it, I’d say some sort of reversal will happen.”
3rd Circuit to Hear CBS’ Appeal Over Indecency Fine for Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl Stunt
Legal Times Jeff Horowitz: September 10, 2007
The network’s choice of venue was likely strategic, Schwartzman says, noting that the 3rd Circuit has issued opinions strongly protecting First Amendment claims in the past. Its judges twice struck down the Child Online Protection Act for free speech reasons, and they upheld Playboy Television’s First Amendment rights against a government challenge in another.
Guess Who’s Afraid of an Open Internet?
The Huffington Post Timothy Karr: September 9
“The filing parrots the industry arguments that adopting a rule that would prevent telephone and cable companies from monitoring and filtering internet traffic would harm investment and innovation,” Feld writes, “despite mounting evidence from Europe and Asia that the opposite is true.”
Is The FCC Blocking Wireless Competition?
webpronews.com Jason Lee Miller: September 7, 2007
But Harold Feld, Senior Vice President of Media Access Project, a 35-year-old nonprofit organization dedicated to free speech in media issues and, more recently, opening up spectrum bands for unlicensed public use, says that the FCC granting a license allowing a network operator to filter content would be “an outright violation of the First Amendment.”
Listen to interview
Bush Administration Restates Position on Proposed Internet Traffic Policing Rules
Wired Blog Network Sarah Lai Stirland: September 6, 2007
“The DOJ Antitrust division comments look like the “Cliffsnotes version” of the AT&T filing,” wrote Harold Feld, a senior vice president at the Media Access Project and long-time telecom policy analyst in Washington DC.
Bush Administration Takes Aim at Network Neutrality
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: September 6, 2007
“It would seem that the president and the Justice Department cannot do enough for AT&T and the other companies that agreed to spy on the American people,” said Harold Feld, senior vice president of Media Access Project, referring to reports of phone company cooperation with government information collection operations related to homeland security. “Without network neutrality, companies are free to turn over user information without a warrant or to block users from desired content, as AT&T recently did ‘accidentally’ by blocking Pearl Jam’s criticism of the president during a concert performance carried on AT&T’s broadband service.”
FCC rejects free Wi-Fi start-up’s spectrum plans
CNET News Blog Anne Broache: September 1, 2007
The filing, penned by the Media Access Project, said the group wasn’t convinced the band even needs to be licensed, but if it is, the group urged the FCC to impose Net Neutrality requirements on those who license that slice of spectrum and require that they sell it on a wholesale basis.
Tribune vote a sure thing; firm’s future not as certain
Chicago Tribune Phil Rosenthal: August 21, 2007
Andrew Schwartzman, president and chief executive of Media Access Projects, which opposes the FCC granting Tribune Co. temporary waivers in the five markets where it owns both broadcast outlets and papers, noted that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has signaled he would like to repeal or loosen the prohibitions on media cross-ownership.
White-space spectrum debate rages
CNET News.com Marguerite Reardon: August 16, 2007
“The 700MHz spectrum is not enough to compete against a service like Verizon’s Fios,” said Harold Feld, senior vice president of public-interest nonprofit Media Access Project, in reference to Verizon Communications ‘ high-capacity network featuring fiber-optic connections to the home. “It’s only 62MHz of spectrum. So you’re going to need a lot more. That’s why it’s important to provide access to licensed as well as unlicensed spectrum.”
FCC Auction May Benefit Single Company
Wall Street Journal Cory Boles: August 14, 2007
bq. “It would have been very wise to include such a rule, because even if it would be unlikely, the fact that a big player would have to choose between one strategy or another would have bolstered other potential participants,” said Harold Feld, senior vice president of Media Access Project, a public-interest group.
Is The ‘Fairness Doctrine’ Fair?
Technology Daily David Hatch: August 13, 2007
bq. “Until recently this was a bipartisan issue,” Andrew Schwartzman, president and CEO of the Media Access Project, a nonprofit law firm, said in an interview. “This is all about feeding the fundraising beast.”
Dow deal stirs skeptics
The Hollywood Reporter Brooks Boliek: August 3, 2007
bq. “There is no question that the circumstances around the purchase of the Wall Street Journal are contributing to a renewal of interest about the concentration of media ownership,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president and CEO of Media Access Project.
Panel named for Wall Street Journal
LA Times Joseph Menn and Jim Puzzanghera: August 2, 2007
bq. Andrew Jay Schwartzman, chief executive of the Media Access Project, a public interest law firm that opposes media consolidation, said he didn’t see how the FCC could hold up the Dow Jones deal because there are no TV station licenses that need to be transferred. But he said the purchase could affect the waivers for the two stations.
FCC’s Copps wants review of News Corp./DJ deal
Reuters Jeremy Pelofsky: August 1, 2007
bq. “There is no precedent specifically holding that ownership of the WSJ and a N.Y. television station, much less two, is okay under the cross-ownership rule,” said Andrew Schwartzman, head of the consumer advocacy group Media Access Project.
FCC Meets Google Only Halfway
eWEEK.com Carol Pinchefsky: August 1, 2007
According to Harold Feld, vice president of Washington-based nonprofit Media Access Project, “One thing the FCC did do is state that operating real-time auctions for access did not violate the existing rules. [Google] can still offer wholesale services if they want.”
FCC Cruises Down Middle of the Spectrum
TechNewsWorld Chris Maxcer: July 31, 2007
“This sort of a half-measure eats up a lot of competition. If you had the wholesale condition we had asked for, you’d see companies who would offer a plain, straightforward wireless connection where you could bring any device, because they know that’s what people want,” he explained.
Murdoch grew up on ‘ritual feuding with other media’
USA Today David Lieberman: July 31, 2007
“His success has been at the expense of the public interest,” says Andrew Schwartzman, president of Media Access Project, a consumer advocacy law firm. “The concentration he has achieved is antithetical to Federal Communications Commission media policy and bad for free speech.”
Auction May Not Be a Boon for Consumers
Washingtonpost.com John Dunbar, Associated Press: July 30, 2007
Harold Feld, who studies spectrum issues for the Media Access Project, a nonprofit public interest group, said chances of a wholesale provision passing are virtually nil. “Politics both inside and outside (the agency) make it a thousand-to-one against a wholesale open-access provision,” he said.
Upcoming rules could break open wireless market
USA Today Paul Davidson: July 30, 2007
“My feeling is this is a positive step forward,” says Harold Feld, senior vice president of the Media Access Project, a public-interest group.
The Flawed Debate about the Fairness Doctrine
BlogHer Kim Pearson: July 22, 2007
The major reason for the rise of national talk personalities like Limbaugh, [Media Access Project analyst Andrew] Schwartzman believes, was a change in the cost of national satellite distribution. Syndicated programming meant that stations no longer had to develop their own local talent.
Media Expert Predicts Digital ‘Train Wreck’
National Journal’s Insider Update David Hatch: July 17, 2007
“This really calls for a [sweeping] governmental program. The public isn’t going to pay a lot of attention to these voluntary efforts,” Andrew Schwartzman, president of the nonprofit law firm Media Access Project, said in reference to industry-led initiatives.
FCC wants open access to spectrum
Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera: July 11, 2007
“This is a baby step in the right direction, but it is not nearly enough,” said Feld, whose firm is part of the Save Our Spectrum coalition of public interest and consumer groups.
Tribune faces key tests to seal deal
Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera: July 5, 2007
“It runs the risk of creating an appearance of favoritism that would be very counterproductive for Kevin Martin,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a public interest law firm that is representing the United Church of Christ and the Media Alliance in their opposition to Tribune’s waiver request.
‘Media Tracker’ Database Made Available For Noncommercial Use
InformationWeek K.C. Jones: July 3, 2007
“Because public advocates generally cannot afford commercial data, public advocacy suffers a serious disadvantage against industry — especially when federal agencies rely on proprietary data that public advocates cannot access, and therefore cannot test or rebut,” Harold Feld, senior VP of the Media Access Project, said in a statement.
Bush Official in ‘Shouting Match’ with Open Access Supporters
The Huffington Post Timothy Karr: June 26, 2007
These “free market” industry lobbyists have no problem demanding the federal government leverage its muscle for themselves, Feld says.
Maine shows Internet resolve
The Seattle Times Ryan Blethen: June 22, 2007
“The question is, can a state legislate in this area? That is a good and untested question,” said Harold Feld, of the Media Access Project, an organization that has been pushing for net neutrality.
Guarding The Beachfront
Multichannel News Ted Hearn: June 18, 2007
“We think it makes excellent sense just to keep the incumbents out of this auction,” said MAP senior vice president Harold Feld. “If we really want a genuine third pipe — that is to say, one that competes against telephone [digital subscriber line] and the cable broadband platform — keep those guys out.”
Notes From The Future Of Radio
ConsumerAffairs.com Martin H. Bosworth: June 15, 2007
Feld agreed, saying that the lack of availability of new music and artists was driving away listeners and killing the industry’s business model. “No one is listening to what [they’re] playing,” he said.
Wireless auction grabs attention from all sides
The Hill Jessica Holzer: June 15, 2007
“There is a great need for access to spectrum,” said Harold Feld, senior vice president of the Media Access Project, a member of the coalition.
FCC Denies Challenge To Chicago, Milwaukee TV Stations
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: June 13, 2007
Citing a Study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs, the Media Access Project, representing Chicago Media Action (CMA) and the Milwaukee Public Interest Media Coalition (MPIMC), had argued that less than 1% of their regularly scheduled newscasts and public affairs shows in a one-month period leading up to the November 2004 election were devoted to non-federal races.
Tribune Deal Challenged With FCC
Houston Chronicle Dave Carpenter, Associated Press: June 11, 2007
Andy Schwartzman, the group’s president, noted that Tribune had several opportunities to sell its broadcast and newspaper properties separately. “The underlying concern that drives this is that media concentration is bad for the public and diversification of media promotes democracy”
Tuning Out the Left
Los Angeles CityBeat Mindy Farabee: June 7, 2007
But “what’s troubling is that what’s carried on the set-asides is often duplication of what’s already airing on the pay channels,” says Andy Schwartzman, president and CEO of the Media Access Project.
Analysis: Ruling Drives Indecency Debate
Washington Post.com John Dunbar, The Associated Press: June 6, 2007
Schwartzman said the Supreme Court does not review dicta. He called the case a “garden-variety application of routine administrative law principals” where the “constitutional issue is simply not raised.”
FCC chairman not mincing words
Variety Cynthia Littleton: June 5, 2007
Schwartzman’s guess is that the FCC’s next stop is Congress, throwing lawmakers the election-year red meat of asking it for legislative cover to protect children from bad language on TV and bad “New York” court decisions.
Broadcasters Win Appeal Of FCC’s Profanity Ruling
Washington Post.com Frank Ahrens: June 5, 2007
In a statement, Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a public-interest group specializing in the media, said: “It’s a shame that citizens and broadcasters had to seek protection from the courts, but it is very reassuring to know that one branch of the government can rise above demagogy.”
Court rejects FCC ruling on indecency
Chicago Tribune Jim Puzzanghera: June 5, 2007
Schwartzman said the decision isn’t immediately operative, as the FCC weighs an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Eventually, the ruling will force the agency to nullify “almost all” of the changes it announced in March 2006, he said.
2nd Circuit Finds FCC’s Policy on ‘Fleeting Expletives’ Arbitrary
New York Law Journal Mark Hamblett: June 5, 2007
Schwartzman said his client is pleased with the decision. “The vagueness and uncertainty this created was interfering with the creative process and we certainly hope this decision will force the FCC back to square one and straighten this thing out”
FCC Indecency Rules Dealt Serious Blow by Appeals Court
Wall Street Journal Corey Boles: June 4, 2007
“It is statutory and very narrow so it will be very difficult for the government to pursue it in the Supreme Court, therefore the FCC will have to go back to the drawing board,” said Andy Schwartzman, of public interest group Media Access Project.
Fox TV Wins Challenge Over FCC’s Indecency Policy
Bloomberg.com Christopher Stern and David Glovin: June 4, 2007
“Score one for the First Amendment,’‘ said Andrew Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a Washington based public interest law firm who represented Hollywood creative professionals in the case.
FCC Broadband Auction Rules Called ‘Fundamentally Flawed’
CNSNEWS.com Monisha Bansal: June 4, 2007
“The only chance to create a competitive market is here at the initial licensing stage,” stated Harold Feld, senior vice president of the Media Access Project, who added that smaller companies are likely to invest more in new uses for broadband since they are unlikely to be able to compete in the voice and data industries.
Groups call for competitive spectrum auction
InfoWorld Grant Gross, IDG News Service: June 1, 2007
“If we do nothing — if we take the [auction] rules we’ve used for the last 10 years, the same incumbents are going to win,” added Harold Feld, senior vice president of the Media Access Project, an open media advocacy group.
XM Scolds `Opie& Anthony’ Hosts Over Crude Comments
Bloomberg.com Christopher Stern: May 11, 2007
“It is likely that any approval of the transaction is going to require concessions and the price tag just went up,’‘ said Andrew Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a Washington-based public interest law firm that specializes on media related issues.
Democrats are aiming to scrutinize Murdoch’s $5B bid for Dow Jones
The Hill Elana Schor: May 8, 2007
“If I were a conservative, I’d be unhappy about going from two conservative voices to one on the editorial side,” Schwartzman said.
GOP run could impact actor’s TV time
Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera: May 4, 2007
“It is an odd artifact of a set of principles that for the most part have worked extremely well,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a public-interest law firm.
Murdoch’s offer for Dow Jones launches its shares
Newsday.com Richard J. Dalton Jr. & Susan Harrigan: May 1, 2007
Regulations prohibit ownership of local television stations and newspapers in the same metropolitan market. But The Wall Street Journal is a national newspaper, so it doesn’t fall under the regulations, said Andrew Schwartzman, president of Media Access Project, a nonprofit public interest law firm.
Critic: Open Bids Stymie Newcomers
Multichannel News Kent Gibbons: April 30, 2007
“No half-measure or compromise can hope to address the blocking and signaling problems,” Rose said in a Media Access Project release about the studies. “The 700 MHz Auction is the last chance for the FCC to bring wireless broadband competition to all Americans.”
Reports: AWS Auction Was Gamed, 700 MHz Sale Must Be Protected
TelecomWeb April 25, 2007
“It is hard to escape the conclusion that incumbents ‘gamed’ the rules to make sure that the FCC used open bidding rather than anonymous bidding,” he says, concluding that only adoption of anonymous bidding can solve the blocking and signaling problems.
FCC to reveal spectrum auction plan
CNET News.com Marguerite Reardon: April 25, 2007
“Pretty much everyone agrees this is the last big piece of spectrum to be auctioned off for the foreseeable future. And if you don’t get the rules right, the existing players could control the auction and then nothing in our wireless broadband future will change.”
FCC to unveil auction plan on Wednesday
Washingtonpost.com Rachelle Younglai, Reuters: April 25, 2007
The 700 Mhz is the largest block of the most desirable spectrum to be made available in this generation. The future of broadband service in this country will be determined by the outcome of this auction,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of Media Access Project.
Studies: Incumbents Blocked New Rivals in Spectrum Auction
Multichannel News Kent Gibbons: April 23, 2007
Public-interest law firm Media Access Project said incumbent broadband carriers, including large U.S. cable and phone companies, successfully blocked potential key new competitors — including direct-broadcast satellite companies — from winning wireless-broadband-spectrum auctions last year.
Martin to Stations: Put Public Records Online
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: April 16, 2007
Andrew Schwartzman, of watchdog group Media Access Project, says “Putting this information online is essential for meaningful public participation.”
Bidders get online for piece of the Web
The Star Ledger Katherine Reynolds Lewis: April 15, 2007
A consortium of consumer groups has asked the FCC either to structure auction bidding so incumbents can’t shut out competitors, or to designate half the frequencies as wholesale broadband service, known as open access, said Harold Feld, one of the attorneys representing the consortium.
What the Tribune Sale Means
Broadcasting & Cable Paige Albiniak: April 9, 2007
Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president and CEO of Washington-based public-interest law firm Media Access Project, says, “A sale to Zell will have to surmount fierce opposition to obtain approval.”
FCC chief avoids missteps of predecessor
Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera: April 8, 2007
“Michael Powell just had an arrogance about public participation … and failed to realize this is an inherently political process,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a public interest law firm that filed the lawsuit that sent the 2003 media ownership rules back to the FCC. “Martin understands the politics of it.”
FCC could force company breakup
Chicago Tribune Susan Chandler: April 5, 2007
“They’ve got pretty difficult obstacles to surmount,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president and chief executive of Media Access Project, a non-profit telecommunications law firm that said it will fight the Tribune-Zell deal because it is not in the public interest.
Congress Nudges an FCC on Hold
Washingtonpost.com Charles Babington: April 4, 2007
With Democrats running Congress, FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin is “responding to the sense that Dingell doesn’t like backlogs,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the nonprofit Media Access Project.
‘Law and Order’ may face real law
CNN.com April 3, 2007
$8 billion deal takes Tribune private
USA Today David Lieberman and Bruce Horovitz: April 3, 2007
“Under FCC rules, which have been upheld by the Supreme Court, Tribune may not sell its co-located properties to a single purchaser,” says Andrew Jay Schwartzman of the Media Access Project, a public interest law firm. “That means Zell will have to obtain five waivers from the FCC.”
Zell plan must leap legal hurdles
Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera: April 3, 2007
“Zell needs five waivers and can’t make the same argument as Tribune” about his qualifications, said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, chief executive of Media Access Project, a nonprofit advocacy law firm in Washington that plans to oppose the transfer.
Chicagoan Puts Up $315 Million to Win $8.2 Billion Tribune Co.
New York Times Katharine Q. Seelye and Richard Siklos: April 3, 2007
“The basis on which they have always sought their exemptions is that the Tribune Company has a special tradition of quality in journalism,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, an advocacy group that has been critical of efforts to deregulate the industry. “Zell can’t make those claims. He has no tradition of promoting journalism and he’s a cost cutter.”
Tribune Accepts $8.2B Offer From Zell
Washingtonpost.com Ashley M. Heher, The Associated Press: April 2, 2007
“There will be fierce opposition to the sale and it will be used as a vehicle to underscore the fight over media consolidation at the FCC and in Congress,” said Andy Schwartzman, president of Washington-based Media Access Project.
Zell Buys Tribune Co., Plans to Sell Cubs
TelevisionWeek Michelle Greppi: April 2, 2007
“A sale to Zell will have to surmount fierce opposition to obtain FCC approval,” Mr. Schwartzman said. “This sale will face a long and difficult battle to obtain regulatory approval.”
Fred Thompson’s Presidential Hopes Could Put ‘Law’ Reruns in Lockup
Washingtonpost.com Michael D. Shear: March 30, 2007
“As a practical matter, [the television stations] would in all likelihood have to pull all of the Fred Thompson shows for the duration of his candidacy,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project.
‘Net Neutrality’ Strikes Chord With Coalition Of Musicians
Technology Daily Michael Martinez: March 28, 2007
Media Access Project President Andrew Schwartzman said that for musicians, network neutrality is just as much about uploading content as it is downloading. “It really involves people’s right to speak as much as it involves their ability to receive information,” he said.
FCC OKs Study of Internet Service
Washingtonpost.com Christopher S. Rugaber, The Associated Press: March 22, 2007
Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a consumer advocacy group, said the study is a way for the FCC to avoid tackling the issue. “Kicking the can down the road with just another study is a low-tech but effective means of delaying action on a critical high-tech question,” he said.
FCC Gives OK To Digital Audio Broadcasting
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: March 22, 2007
MAP was also unhappy that there was not explicit encouragement to broadcasters to use the multicast channels to increase the number of diverse voices—particularly those of women and minorities— in the market.
FCC’s Martin Pushes for Digital Fix
The Deal Bill McConnell: March 13, 2007
“We’re willing to listen. But if this becomes excuse to set up a satellite dishes and lease channels to national programmers, it’s not going to be acceptable,” Schwartzman said.
FCC Makes It Easier For Telcos To Offer TV Services
Information Week W. David Gardner: March 6, 2007
The new rules evoked opposition from a variety of consumer organizations. Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, says the FCC decision will destroy local control over cable TV access.
Comcast Fights Ownership Limits
*Multichannell *Ted Hearn: February 26, 2007
Andrew Schwartzman, president of the public-interest law firm Media Access Project, said that the FCC should keep cable ownership on a separate track. “Mucking them up together is just going to delay both of them,” Schwartzman said.
Call’s out: Open cellular nets
EETimes.com Rick Merritt: February 26, 2007
“Tim Wu’s paper certainly provides a strong foundation for a petition to the FCC to mandate network attachment rules and network neutrality for wireless,” said Harold Feld, senior vice president of MAP.
FCC hurdles loom for XM, Sirius merger
BusinessWeek.com John Dunbar, The Associated Press: February 20, 2007
“My guess is this Justice Department will be willing to accept any plausible argument that is presented to it,” he said. “The FCC is a much tougher case.”
Paper-TV ties stall sale of Tribune
Los Angeles Times Jim Puzzanghera: February 19, 2007
Yet even in the Internet age, most Americans depend on their hometown media for the local news, said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of Media Access Project, a public interest law firm. “When people decide for whom they wish to vote for city council, for mayor, they rely on over-the-air television and daily newspapers,” he said.
FCC, FTC Challenged To Protect Net Neutrality
ConsumerAffairs.com Martin H. Bosworth: February 15, 2007
Media Access Project’s Harold Feld bemoaned the panel makeup, saying it was dominated by industry apologists. “So the pro and con industry reps and pro and con academics each have their own panel, but the “consumers” (i.e., us regular folks actually using broadband) have to share “our” panel with two industry reps and two academics,” he said on his blog.
NEW COP FOR HIGH-SPEED NET?
San Francisco Chronicle Tom Abate: February 11, 2007
But Howard Feld, who will speak at the FTC panel on behalf of the pro-neutrality Media Access Project, said the FCC estimates greatly overstate the extent of competition because it counts as broadband new wireless services that deliver 200 kilobits per second — which is not much faster than old-fashioned dial-up service and far slower than phone or cable company lines.
Diversity Debate Shapes Media Ownership Rules
CQ Weekly Joelle Tessler: January 29, 2007
Harold Feld, senior vice president for the public interest law firm Media Access Project, said minority owners are less likely to present minorities as stereotypes in news and entertainment programming, which can play an important role in shaping public perceptions.
View of media ownership limits changes
USA Today David Lieberman: January 29, 2007
That’s “his top priority among the media ownership rules,” says Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a public interest law firm. “So we have a big fight on our hands.”
Web Extra: The State of the Media
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: January 29, 2007
We have the world’s best and most innovative media infrastructure. I think this is because of — not in spite of — regulation of the electronic media.
Making Airwaves: Goodbye Old-Fashioned Revival Hour. Hello ‘safe for the whole family.’ Meet the company that’s transforming Christian radio.
Christianity Today Madison Trammel: January 26, 2007
“Within the Christian community, there are debates that people should be having, [such as], ‘What is an appropriate way to be looking at war and politics and local affairs through a Christian perspective?’” Feld says. “So to have a company that creates just one perspective, and brands it as the Christian perspective—and this is the only Christian perspective you will find on the air—creates a very serious problem.”
Maybe Record Companies Should Be Losing Money
WIRED Blogs: Listening Post Eliot Van Buskirk and Sean Michaels: January 23, 2007
Harold Feld at Public Knowledge (PK) presents a novel idea in regard to music sales figures: maybe record companies aren’t supposed to be making as much money as they did with CDs.
The Movement in Memphis
Broadcasting & Cable Harold Feld: January 22, 2007
Can a movement that thrived on fighting defense against powerful forces successfully go on the offensive? As someone who attended the NCMR in Memphis, I strongly believe it can.
Democratic Gains Alter Media Ownership Debate
National Journal’s Telecom Update David Hatch: January 18, 2007
“If Martin had known the Democrats were going to take over Congress, certainly he would have moved things along faster,” quipped Andrew Schwartzman, president and chief executive officer of the public-interest law firm Media Access Project, which opposes easing the rules.”
Martin Wants FCC to Review Cable Ownership
Television Week Ira Teinowitz: January 17, 2007
Andy Schwartzman, executive director of the Media Access Project, a public-interest law firm specializing in FCC issues, said today that the FCC should immediately move forward on the cable rule. “They have been waiting on this for five years. They should finish it off,” he said.
Adelstein Slams ‘Faith-Based Regulation’
Broadcasting & Cable John Eggerton: January 11, 2007
Harold Feld, senior VP, Media Access Project, who was attending a “pre-conference before the three-day Free Press Media Reform Conference that begins Friday in Memphis, says that, borrowing from Al Gore, Adelstein urged activists and academics to spread the “inconvenient truth” about the impact of consolidation to the FCC and Capitol Hill.
Sinclair clash may lead to larger cable fights
Baltimore Sun Hanah Cho: January 9, 2007
“The retransmission consent issue, in general, has became a means of leveraging over-the-air broadcasters’ market power to obtain concessions from the cable industry,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president and chief executive of the Media Access Project.
Comcast raises its cable TV rates
Courier-Post Eileen Stillwell: January 7, 2007
“Duopolies don’t always generate competition. Sometimes they create a conscious parallelism, which means they maintain the status quo in the market, instead of competing in it. With only two players, it would be irrational to start a price war because it becomes an avoidable race to the bottom. They both lose,” said Schwartzman.
AT&T deal saves ‘net neutrality’
Inside Bay Area Barbara Grady: January 3, 2007
Harold Feld, senior vice president of the Media Access Project, added, “As a practical matter, we gained here a very clear definition of network neutrality that can be clearly implemented in legislation.”