[Medianews] New video of Intelsat 29e satellite reveals dramatic “anomaly”

[George Antunes]

Another satellite went out of service in geostationary orbit this week, at
least temporarily. New data now suggests the spacecraft may not be
recoverable.

The Intelsat 29e problem comes amid a string of satellite issues in
geostationary orbit.


https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/04/new-video-of-intelsat-29e-satellite-reveals-dramatic-anomaly/

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[Medianews] Is DirecTV planning to ditch the dish?

[George Antunes]

After 25 years as America’s most popular satellite TV service, DirecTV is
preparing for a future in which its programming will be delivered not via
satellite dish, but across the internet.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/fl-bz-is-directv-ditching-the-dish-20190329-story.html

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[Medianews] Orby Satellite TV

[George Antunes]

*Orby Satellite TV*

Orby TV was formed in 2018 by a group of TV industry veterans who became
disillusioned by the traditional pay TV model and wanted to offer a fresh
alternative.

Based in the Los Angeles area, the Orby TV team is working hard to offer a
reasonably-priced television option with no gimmicks or tricks.  The
company’s goal is to serve those who are fed up with paying the typical
$100+ per month for TV.

Orby TV is privately held, and is not affiliated with other TV providers.

https://orbytv.com/

https://orbytv.com/channel-lineup/

FAQ
https://orbytv.com/my-questions/

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[Medianews] Sen. Kennedy Urges Fcc To Reject C-Band Alliance Proposal. Says Open And Public Auction Is Way To Go

[George Antunes]

*Sen. Kennedy Urges FCC to Reject C-Band Alliance Proposal*
*Says open and public auction is way to go*

By John Eggerton
Broadcasting & Cable

March 15, 2019

https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/sen-kennedy-urges-fcc-to-reject-c-band-alliance-proposal


Count Louisiana Republican Sen. John Kennedy among those not supportive of
a satellite operator proposal to reallocate C-band spectrum via private
sales.

That came in a letter from Kennedy to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, in which he
said the FCC should reject that proposal.

The FCC is currently considering how to free up more C-band spectrum for 5G
wireless, but Pai told Multichannel News last week that the FCC had yet to
make any decision.

The band is used by cable operators and broadcasters for satellite
reception of network programming.

Kennedy said he was all for finding more spectrum to win the race to 5G and
that mid-band spectrum like the C-band is certainly suited to the task. But
he left no doubt he had major doubts about the C-Band Alliance plan. He
said the FCC spectrum search has to be fair, open and transparent and said
he was concerned the alliance plan met none of those benchmarks.

"A privately managed spectrum sale conducted behind closed doors will favor
certain parties, exclude others, and most importantly, lead to the
inefficient deployment of valuable 5G spectrum," he said, clearly casting
his lot with an FCC auction. "[A] public auction put on by the FCC would
allow for the most competitive allocation of licenses to best enable 5G
deployment. It will also permit a fair, open, and transparent process."

The C-Band Alliance, which includes Intelsat, SES, Eutelsat and Telesat,
said it will strike secondary-market deals for the spectrum within three
years of an FCC decision.

It argues that secondary-market transactions are the best and fastest way
to re-purpose the spectrum. "An FCC auction of mid-band spectrum could not
take place until 2021-2022 or later. Litigation with current satellite
operators could push that date much further into the future. By that time,
the United States would be a small object in China’s 5G rear view mirror."

Kennedy is anything but persuaded, calling the plan instead "a fundamental
reorganization of the C-band out of public view. The stakes are too high
for the FCC to outsource this critical function to unaccountable,
foreign-owned private parties.

“Luxembourg shouldn’t reap huge profits at the expense of Louisianans,"
Kennedy wrote. "A multi-billion dollar, closed-door spectrum deal would
mostly benefit foreign-owned satellite companies. The C-band needs to be
put up for public auction. Our rural families stand to lose the most when
only one or two giant corporations control all of the spectrum access.
Competition is what makes America the great nation that it is today.”

The FCC in July voted unanimously to find ways to open up the C-band
spectrum (3.7-4.2 Ghz) for terrestrial wireless use, either all of the 500
MHz or some portion of it, and through either an incentive or capacity
auction, a market mechanism where incumbents voluntarily strike deals to
reduce their footprint, or some other means.

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[Medianews] The government is using the wrong data to make crucial decisions about the internet

[George Antunes]

*The government is using the wrong data to make crucial decisions about the
internet*

*https://www.recode.net/2019/2/8/18211794/government-data-internet
*

Bad maps mean federal money isn’t being spent where it should be to build
out broadband connectivity.

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[Medianews] AT’s Mega Mergers Are Going Poorly, And You’re Footing the Bill

[George Antunes]

Jan 31 2019, 8:22am

AT’s Mega Mergers Are Going Poorly, And You’re Footing the Bill
Massive merger debt forced company to raise rates, only driving users to
cut the cord even faster.

By Carl Bode
Motherboard

https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/wjmdgb/atandts-mega-mergers-are-going-poorly-and-youre-footing-the-bill


The company lost a whopping 403,000 DirecTV satellite subscribers in a
single quarter. And while AT still serves 19.22 million satellite TV
customers, more than 1.4 million DirecTV customers have fled the satellite
TV provider in just the last two years.

Customers making the switch from cable or satellite TV to digital options
like Netflix—often called cord cutting—has hit numerous TV providers hard
as customers flee to modern streaming alternatives. Studies have shown
these defections are largely driven by skyrocketing pay TV rates, though
the industry’s historically-awful customer service also plays a role.

In 2016 AT launched its own streaming video service: DirecTV Now, at a
less expensive price point than the company’s traditional cable TV
offerings. But things aren’t going quite as AT planned there, either.
According to AT’s earnings breakdown, AT lost 267,000 DirecTV Now
subscribers last quarter, or a whopping 14 percent of its streaming
subscriber total.

Sector analysts believe these defections were largely thanks to a $5 price
hike imposed over the summer and the elimination of promotional discounts.
AT has made it clear that DirecTV Now subscribers should expect more
hikes and fewer promotions moving forward.

“As those customers come due, we’ll get closer to market pricing,” AT
executive John Donovan said last November. “We’ll be respectful of our
customers, but that will move up.”

Between the DirecTV Deal and the Time Warner acquisition, AT saddled
itself with a whopping $160 billion in debt in just three years.

"Our top priority in 2019 is driving down the debt from our Time Warner
acquisition," AT CEO Randall Stephenson told reporters on this week’s
call.

But longtime Wall Street analyst Craig Moffett of MoffettNathanson Research
told Motherboard he doesn’t believe AT’s current trajectory is
financially sustainable, given the price hikes are likely to just drive
further customer defections, creating a perfect circle of dysfunction.

“They’re doing exactly what they promised,” Moffett told me in an email
exchange. “They said they would prioritize free cash flow and paying down
debt, and now the market is getting an up close and personal look at just
what that looks like. Raising prices and losing subscribers even faster.”

AT’s made great headway in recent years killing consumer protections like
net neutrality and eroding FCC oversight, paving the way for
anti-competitive revenue generation efforts like exempting AT’s own
streaming content from usage caps while penalizing Netflix users.

But Moffett doubts if even this will be enough to right the AT ship. He
believes that while AT might make its 2019 financial targets, it could be
“at the cost of an even uglier 2020.”

“Interestingly, most of the most aggressive strategies, like trying to keep
key content from Time Warner exclusive for the benefit of either DirecTV or
their wireless business, would actually hurt near term results,” Moffett
said.

When contacted by Motherboard for comment, AT would only say that the
company has been clear about its plan to eliminate promotions and pay down
debt, noting the company has paid down $9 billion in debt since the Time
Warner deal closed. It was also quick to insist its current streaming
pricing is well in line with comparable services like Hulu + Live TV and
YouTube TV.

But as Motherboard has exclusively reported, some of this debt is being
eliminated courtesy of looming layoffs, despite AT receiving tens of
billions in tax cuts and regulatory favors from the Trump administration.
Many AT customers are particularly annoyed by the company’s assault on
net neutrality, a move also likely to drive up consumer costs.

Hammering already frustrated customers with yet more price hikes—to pay for
mergers nobody wanted—isn’t likely to improve AT’s image anytime soon.

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[Medianews] How Much ‘Star Trek’ Is Too Much? CBS All Access Boldly Tests Limits of Viewers’ Fandom

[George Antunes]

*How Much ‘Star Trek’ Is Too Much? CBS All Access Boldly Tests Limits of
Viewers’ Fandom*

“Star Trek: Discovery” is back, and reinforcements are on the way

*Tim Baysinger*
*TheWrap.com*

*Last Updated: January 18, 2019 @ 8:49 AM*

https://www.thewrap.com/how-much-star-trek-is-too-much-cbs-all-access-boldly-tests-limits-of-viewers-fandom/


CBS All Access will boldly go as far as it can to mine viewers from “Star
Trek.”

As the small-but-growing streamer tries to compete with Netflix and Hulu,
executives are looking to Gene Roddenberry’s creation to take CBS All
Access to the next frontier. The company will try to stretch the rabid
fandom for “Star Trek” all the way into the outer reaches of space. But the
streamer’s head of programming promises Vulcan-like logic and restraint.

“There’s no benefit to just pushing out into the marketplace tons of ‘Star
Trek content. That’s not our intention,” Julie McNamara, executive vice
president of original content, CBS All Access, told TheWrap. “We’re looking
to mine it wisely and effectively.”

Along with “Star Trek: Discovery,” which debuted its second season on
Thursday, CBS All Access has at least two more live-action series in
various stages of development. At the end of this year, Sir Patrick Stewart
will return as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, in a new series following his “Star
Trek: The Next Generation” character. Earlier this week, All Access put
into development a series centered around Michelle Yeoh’s Philippa Georgiou
character from “Discovery.”

CBS All Access also has the animated “Lower Decks” on the horizon, and is
developing a second animated series. Additionally, CBS All Access has
ordered two more installments of its “Short Treks” shortform series.

But McNamara assures that All Access won’t simply fill out their roster
with all things “Star Trek.” She points out that the CBS All Access has
plenty of non-Starfleet shows, including Marc Cherry’s “Why Woman Kill” and
Jordan Peele’s “The Twilight Zone” reboot in the pipeline.

“It really is important that we’re out there establishing a full-fledged
premium service and really add a lot of things that aren’t ‘Star Trek’ as
well,” McNamara said.

Last summer, CBS said that All Access had 2.5 million subscribers, with the
goal of upping that number to 4 million in 2019 and 8 million by 2022.
Netflix has nearly 60 million subscribers in the U.S. alone, while Hulu has
more than 25 million paying customers. And this year will see the streaming
space get even more crowded: WarnerMedia, Apple and Disney are all expected
to debut their own direct-to-consumer offerings. NBCUniversal plans to
follow in 2020.

Like WarnerMedia (which owns Turner and HBO) and Disney, CBS All Access is
banking a lot of its success on extracting new content from properties it
already owns. With “Star Trek,” the company has one of the most successful
franchises of the past 50 years.

Roddenberry’s original series, starring William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy,
ran for three seasons starting in 1966. It gained a cult following in
broadcast syndication in the 1970s, which led to a 1979 movie. In total,
“Star Trek” has spawned 13 feature films — which have collectively grossed
$1.4 billion domestically — and five subsequent TV series, before the ones
for CBS All Access.

That’s quite a bit of “Star Trek,” which means that All Access has to offer
fans something new and different to prevent the franchise from going stale.
“In an ideal world, ‘Star Trek’ fans would be interested in great ‘Star
Trek’ shows that could be a variety of talent and subject matter,” McNamara
says. “They have to real right, and the timing has to feel right.”

McNamara points out that the Picard series won’t be on the service until
the end of 2019, and that the Michelle Yeoh-led series is just in
development as of now. She’s still expected to be a major part of
“Discovery” during season 2, with McNamara adding that the season won’t
necessarily serve as a back-door pilot for Yeoh’s standalone show.

“Lower Decks” won’t air soon, either: the animation alone will take a year.

“When I look at how the schedule is theoretically laying out on my desk, it
does not feel like it’s one after another,” she said, adding that by the
time the Yeoh-led series premieres, “Discovery” may be over.

“Some of these can be considered as replacements as opposed to additions,”
she said. “These ‘Trek’ shows take a lot of incubation, because they’re
very prep heavy, visual effects heavy… we’re seeing it more as we’re
getting a good jump on making sure that there is a good fulsome stream of
‘Trek’ material.”

That CBS has such a steady flow of “Star Trek” content is no small feat,
considering the struggles it took to launch “Discovery.” When it was first
announced in 2015, “Discovery” was supposed to be the coming-out party for
CBS All Access. But the production was beset by behind-the-scenes drama,
including multiple showrunner changes, that resulted in delays.

Today, McNamara is confident their 

[Medianews] Reps. Ask FCC to Protect C-Band Incumbents

[George Antunes]

Reps. Ask FCC to Protect C-Band Incumbents
*Caution against harming cable, broadcast transmissions*
John EggertonBroadcasting & Cable
January 18,2019
https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/reps-ask-fcc-to-protect-c-band-incumbents


A bipartisan House Communications Subcommittee duo has called on the FCC to
protect incumbents in the C-Band. The C-band is currently used for
satellite delivery of cable and broadcast network programming to TV and
radio stations, satellite radio services, and cable head-ends. The FCC
wants to open it up to wireless broadband to help close the digital divide
and promote 5G, both prime directives for the commission.

In a letter
 to
the currently mostly shuttered FCC, Reps. Tony Cárdenas (D-Calif.) and Adam
Kinzinger (R-Ill.) said they had concerns about the proposed rulemaking to
expand operations in the band, part of the FCC's overall mission to free up
lots more spectrum, either through sharing or reclamation or both, for
next-gen wireless broadband.

They said they were all for expanding that high-speed broadband and closing
the digital divide, including looking for new uses for the C-Band, but not
at the expense of important existing services. The FCC voted unanimously back
in July 2018

to
find ways to open up the C-band spectrum (3.7-4.2 Ghz) — either all of the
proposed 500 Mhz or some portion of it — for terrestrial wireless use.

Those ways could include an incentive or capacity auction, a market
mechanism where incumbents voluntarily strike deals to reduce their
footprint, or some other means.In balancing incumbents with new users, the
legislators said this week, the FCC must consider protecting those cable
and broadcast incumbents.

That includes potential interference, other disruptions to service, and
tailoring new rules to avoid those.They said in the event the FCC does
reallocate portions of the band, it must at a minimum make those incumbents
whole for any costs incurred as a result.

Cable operators

 and broadcasters

have
both been telling the FCC it needs to do more study before taking a final
vote on the proposal.

“NAB, NCTA, ACA and NPR thank Reps. Tony Cárdenas (D-CA) and Adam Kinzinger
(R-IL) for their support in protecting incumbent C-band users from
interference, higher prices or service loss as the FCC considers new uses
for the spectrum band," said the broadcast and cable organizations in a
joint statement. "Tens of millions of Americans rely on the C-band to
receive news, entertainment, weather and sports content every day. It’s
critically important for the FCC to ensure that any changes to C-band
spectrum usage must preserve interference-free access to this popular radio
and TV content.”

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[Medianews] 65 Years Ago Today: The First Color TVs Arrive

[George Antunes]

 65 Years Ago Today: The First Color TVs Arrive
Stewart Wolpin 
Sound & Vision Magazine

Dec 30, 2018

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/65-years-ago-today-first-color-tvs-arrive

The RCA CT-100 and Admiral C1617A were the first color TVs offer for sale
on December 30, 1953. Both had a 15-inch screen.

Even though 4K TVs have been on the market for less than five years,
numerous companies will announce they’ll start selling 8K TVs at CES next
week. This despite the fact that less than half of U.S. homes own a 4K TV,
and there’s no 4K programming available yet on U.S. broadcast TV networks.

A mite premature? That’s how it must have seemed to the public 65 years ago
when, on December 30, 1953, Admiral and RCA put the first color televisions
up for sale. At the time, TV itself was only a few years old, less than
half of U.S. homes had a TV, and there was barely any color programming to
watch and wouldn’t be for nearly a decade.

>From its earliest imaginings in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, TV
innovators included color in their dreams and patent applications. In 1928,
Scottish inventor John Logie Baird
 was the first to
demonstrate color TV, a mechanical system employing a Nipkow wheel
, followed by a similar system
from Bell Labs in 1929 .
But most TV development over the next 10 years centered on establishing a
monochrome TV standard. In 1940, the FCC created a new body, the National
Television Systems Committee 
(NTSC), as an objective adjudicator to approve a unified electronic TV
system.

Just as TV standards were being negotiated, CBS, led by its star engineer Peter
Goldmark , made the
first mark in all-electronic color TV with a series of demonstrations in
1940-41. According to Susan Murray in her excellent and exhaustive recent
book, Bright Signals: A History of Color TV
,
it was “an effort to both boost their corporate image as a technological
innovator and hopefully delay the approval of the RCA-backed black and
white standard for television.” But the FCC went ahead and approved the
now-familiar 525-line NTSC standard in 1941. World War II then put a stop
to all further TV development, black-and-white and color.

Color TV development picked up immediately after the war. CBS and NBC,
along with a host of other color pretenders, refined their technologies,
ran myriad field tests, and made multiple presentations to government
committees. On October 11, 1950, the FCC approved the CBS system.

The CBS color standard required an ungainly color converter wheel, and it
was incompatible with the existing NTSC monochrome scanning system. To
overcome this incompatibility, the FCC required that TV makers produce sets
capable of receiving both black-and-white and non-compatible color signals,
a requirement that TV makers understandably loathed. A few days after the
FCC order, RCA — the nation’s leading TV manufacturer and the owner of NBC
— filed suit in federal court.

On May 28, 1951, the Supreme Court upheld the FCC’s decision. But while CBS
may have won the battle, it lost the color war. During the seven-month
court battle, publicity from the case made consumers aware of CBS’ system
incompatibility, while RCA increased its TV market share by 50 percent and
was able to refine its color system. On December 17, 1953, the FCC reversed
itself and announced a new NTSC color standard — essentially, the RCA
system.

Two weeks later, RCA rushed out 200 prototype 15-inch Model 5 sets to its
top dealers around the country for viewing parties of the upcoming New
Year’s Day Rose Bowl Parade. NBC was broadcasting the parade in living color
,
the first nationwide color broadcast. The Model 5, which can be seen — and
watched — at the Early TV Museum in Hilliard, OH,

would become the factory-produced CT-100
 priced at $1,000 — around
$9,500 today — when it went on sale the following spring. Admiral also
started selling its 15-inch C1617A
 color set the same day
for $1,175, around $11,000 today.

Not surprisingly, color was not nearly the hit that 4K is, or as 8K likely
will be. *Time* magazine proclaimed color TV to be “the most resounding
industrial flop of 1956
.” It
wasn’t until 1968 that most prime time shows on the three major networks
were broadcast in color, and not until 1972 that 

[Medianews] This Western Mass. town rejected Comcast and will build its own broadband network.

[George Antunes]

 This Western Mass. town rejected Comcast and will build its own broadband
network.
[image: Andrea Bernard is library director in Charlemont, where Tyler
Memorial Library is one of the few places in town with good Internet
access.]
Photos by Steven G. Smith for The Boston Globe
Andrea Bernard is library director in Charlemont, where Tyler Memorial
Library is one of the few places in town with good Internet access.
By Andy Rosen  Globe Staff

December 31, 2018

https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2018/12/30/here-why-this-western-mass-town-rejected-comcast-and-built-its-own-broadband-network/w8RdFWzwGLiRqWviYIBL2M/story.html


CHARLEMONT — The public library here, in a wing of the sturdy brick Town
Hall off of Route 2, isn’t necessarily the best spot for quiet study.

It’s one of the few places in this small town nestled in the northwest
corner of the state where residents can reliably get high-speed Internet
access. So when the library is open — parts of three days a week — patrons
are as likely to be immersed in a teleconference or a streaming movie as
they are in a good book.

“People are coming for all of the reasons that people use the Internet,”
said library director Andrea Bernard, who said she doesn’t mind a little
noise, given the circumstances. “I just want everybody to be able to get
the resources that they need.”

Like many of the small hill towns in the region, Charlemont has been
waiting years for reliable Internet access, stuck in an antiquated system
of dial-up and DSL that makes it hard to work remotely, buy stuff online,
and access government services that require online filings.
Get Talking Points in your inbox:
An afternoon recap of the day’s most important business news, delivered
weekdays.

After a generation of hoping someone would build a broadband network to
serve Charlemont’s farthest-flung corners, the community of about 1,100
people got an offer this year that might have been the answer to their
prayers. Comcast, in exchange for a subsidy from the state and local
governments, was willing to build connections to nearly all of the town’s
homes.

Instead, residents handed the communications giant a collective “No, thank
you.” At a Special Town Meeting on Dec. 6, they voted to build their own
$1.5 million broadband network — at an added cost of nearly $1 million over
the Comcast offer.
[image: The Tyler Memorial Library in Charlemont has web access
workstations available for the public.]
Steven G. Smith for The Boston Globe
The Tyler Memorial Library in Charlemont has web access workstations
available for the public.

Charlemont is one of several municipalities in Western Massachusetts
puzzling over how to ensure that decisions about connectivity stay in local
hands. Some residents are wary of trusting a big company to make decisions
about such a crucial service.

“I like the idea that it will be owned by the town. It’s something that the
town should be proud of,” said Trevor Mackie, a member of Charlemont’s
broadband committee, which has been examining the puzzle of how to network
the town for several years.

If something goes wrong with the town-built system, he said, “You can talk
to a person. You don’t have to talk to a corporation: Push 1 for this. Push
2 for that.”

But the town’s decision to hire a contractor to build out its system did
not come easily — largely because of the upfront cost. That’s what has
Karen Hogness, a resident who voted in favor of the municipal network,
still feeling uneasy.

“I have some problems with Comcast,” she said, citing concerns including
the company’s pricing and customer service. “But I also have some problems
with my decision.”

Other small towns have found themselves torn along similar lines amid a
yearslong effort by the state to expand broadband to remote, sparsely
populated areas that aren’t attractive to service providers.

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute was launched in 2008, when Governor
Deval Patrick cobbled together money from state coffers and the
recession-era federal stimulus program to pay for the major infrastructure
effort.

One big step was the $90 million construction of a broadband line to
connect 123 municipalities in the central and western parts of the state.
Next, the state encouraged them to arrange “last-mile” connections from the
main line directly into homes.

‘You don’t have to talk to a corporation: Push 1 for this. Push 2 for that.’
Trevor Mackie, of Charlemont’s broadband committee, on the pluses of local
control

While the broader connection has faced legal and economic problems, it is
up and running. The “last mile” projects, on the other hand, have proved to
be more time-consuming.

In part, this is because of a change in approach after Governor Charlie
Baker took over. Many towns, including Charlemont, had been moving toward
the formation of a joint effort called Wired West, which would own a shared
network.

But state officials questioned the financial 

[Medianews] Comcast rejected by small town—residents vote for municipal fiber instead

[George Antunes]

Comcast rejected by small town—residents vote for municipal fiber instead

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/12/comcast-rejected-by-small-town-residents-vote-for-municipal-fiber-instead/

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[Medianews] China is racing ahead in 5G. Here’s what that means.

[George Antunes]

China is racing ahead in 5G. Here’s what that means.

https://www.technologyreview.com/s/612617/china-is-racing-ahead-in-5g-heres-what-it-means/

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[Medianews] Netflix has a New Hit with ‘Dumplin’ Set to Dolly Parton’s Music

[George Antunes]

Netflix has a New Hit with ‘Dumplin’ Set to Dolly Parton’s Music

https://nocable.org/news/netflix-has-a-new-hit-with-dumplin-set-to-dolly-partons-music

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[Medianews] Locast: Free TV station streaming service rolling out in Houston

[George Antunes]

Locast Launching in Houston
Free TV station streaming service rolling out in third top market

John Eggerton
Broadcasting & Cable

Aug 20, 2018

https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/exclusive-locast-launching-in-houston


Locast, the local TV station streaming service, is adding its third market,
Houston, as of Aug. 20, according to the Sports Fans Coalition New York,
the nonprofit behind the service.

Locast launched Jan. 11 in New York without the knowledge or consent of, or
compensation to, the 13 TV stations, including stations owned by the Big
Four networks, whose signals it is delivering free to fixed and mobile
broadband devices. It is relying on copyright law that allows a nonprofit
to retransmit local TV station signals without getting a copyright license.

The service expanded to Dallas on Aug. 2, with a promise of more markets
soon.

Locast can charge a fee, but only to cover costs. It is asking for
donations to do just that.

“Houston, we have liftoff,” said coalition chair David Goodfriend. “This
great American city famous for rockets and energy is a perfect fit for
Locast. Now residents of Houston, even those who cannot receive an
over-the-air signal, can watch their local broadcast stations on any
Internet-enabled device.”

The plan is to add at least two more markets in the coming weeks.

Goodfriend says the services in New York and Dallas now have "tens of
thousands" of users.

To date, Goodfriend says broadcasters have not complained or tried to sue
them over the internet retransmissions.

The National Association of Broadcasters initially responded to Locast's
launch by likening it to the over-the-top services shot down or brought up
short by the courts--Aereo, FilmOn, services it said had tried and failed
to find "creative ways" to skirt laws that protect local broadcasters and
their viewers.

NAB had said at the time of Locast's launch that it sounded like the same
kind of thing--NAB last week would not comment on what it thought of the
expansion into new markets--but initially signaled it did not think the
service would survive legal scrutiny. That's the scrutiny it gave those
predecessors when NAB, which represents TV stations and the major networks,
joined with the studios to file suit.

But so long as the service is actually provided not-for-profit, Locast
appears to have found a creative way to retransmit TV station signals, so
long as over-the-internet is considered comparable to over-the-air
retransmissions.

Locasts relies on Title 17, Chapter 1, section 111 a)5 of the Copyright Act
— which, for those without a copy handy, covers exemptions from exclusive
rights to broadcast transmissions. It grants that exemption if “the
secondary transmission is not made by a cable system, but is made by a
governmental body, or other nonprofit organization, without any purpose of
direct or indirect commercial advantage, and without charge to the
recipients of the secondary transmission other than assessments necessary
to defray the actual and reasonable costs of maintaining and operating the
secondary transmission service.”

That is the same provision under which TV translators already boost
broadcast signals.

Locast is geofenced, which means it will not be available outside the
relevant DMA and thus does not run into contractual exclusivity issues.

The silence from broadcasters and studios may be because they have been
figuring out their legal strategy, but it could also be a split between the
network and station members of the association. That is because the
networks have made some deals to deliver their programming straight to
over-the-top services. TV stations may have decided that the free net
viewing Locast provides their content over the top could translate to more
eyeballs for their local advertising, eyeballs the networks aren't
delivering when they provide their shows over the top without local
commercials.

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[Medianews] Antenna sales are rising, in another sign of churn in TV watching

[George Antunes]

*Antenna sales are rising, in another sign of churn in TV watching*
But the number of local installers is shrinking.

By John Ewoldt, Star Tribune

AUGUST 20, 2018 — 7:57AM

http://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-spectrum-tv-local-news-20180818-story.html


The lowly, unsightly TV antenna, consigned to garages or forgotten
altogether when people switched to cable and satellite services for TV, is
rising again.

Once known as “rabbit ears” because of their shape, antennas pull in actual
broadcast signals to TVs, something that was once everyday knowledge but
got lost as people for more than a generation came to rely on cable and
satellite providers.

In the Twin Cities and much of Minnesota, antenna users can receive 10 to
60 TV channels, often in high-definition quality, over the air at no
expense. Local antenna installers say business has been rising about 20
percent to 25 percent annually for several years.

Tom McGlynn, owner of St. Paul-based Mr. HDTV Man, noticed the change about
three years ago. “It wasn’t just the traditional cost-cutter upset over the
latest cable bill who was calling,” McGlynn said. “I started getting calls
from affluent clientele in the western suburbs, seniors who have long
resisted change, and millennials who wanted local channels to add to their
streaming of Netflix and Sling.”

Twenty percent of homes in the U.S. use a digital antenna to access live
TV, up from 16 percent just two years ago, according to Parks Associates
market research in Texas. The Twin Cities has an even higher antenna
percentage. It’s the eighth largest broadcast-only market in the country,
with more than 22 percent of homes using antennas to get local TV,
according to TVb.org, a local broadcast trade association.

Duane Wawrzyniak, owner of Electronic Servicing in Silver Lake, Minn., near
Hutchinson, said his antenna business has doubled in the past five years.
“When Dish and DirecTV came out to the rural areas in 2000 to 2005, it was
a big deal. Our antenna business went away,” he said. “But people got tired
of having a $100 TV bill every month for channels they never watch.”

Yet even as sales rise, the number of antenna installers in the Twin Cities
is shrinking.

Installations can be dangerous work, especially on homes with steep roofs,
Wawrzyniak said. He sometimes asks himself what he’s doing on a roof at age
59. “I don’t see a lot of younger people getting into the business,” he
said. “They can do commercial or industrial electrical and make more money.”

Dave Fazendin, co-owner of Johnny’s TV in Stillwater, said he and his guys
don’t want to get on roofs anymore. “We’d rather do home theater, “ he
said. “It’s more lucrative.”

Most TV viewers can use a simple indoor antenna, priced as low as $20, that
is easy to set up themselves. Others encounter problems due to trees, tall
buildings or low-lying areas and will pay $300 to $400 for a professional
installer.

“You’ll pay for the cost of installation in five or six months compared to
the average cable bill,” said Mike Ness of Ness Electronics, an antenna
supplier in Burnsville.

Some local installers such as Mr. HDTV Man and Cable Alternatives reassure
skeptical customers by guaranteeing reception or they won’t charge for the
visit. “If we can’t get reception on the 28 channels from the Shoreview
towers, we won’t put the antenna up,” McGlynn said, referring to the sites
in the northeastern suburb from which all the local TV stations transmit
their signal.

Shaymein Ewer tried an antenna at his home in Richfield but couldn’t get
KARE 11 and returned to a cable subscription. After moving to Crystal
recently, he wondered if the reception would improve. He purchased a new
antenna online, tried again and is happy so far.

“Why should I pay an extra $10 a month for HD channels when I can get them
free over the air with an antenna?” Ewer asked. He pays extra for streaming
services that offer most of what he wants. “Even paying $35 a month for
streaming, I’m still saving money over cable,” he said.

John Brillhart, who started Cable Alternatives in Fridley four years ago,
is the rare newbie in the biz. He’s optimistic considering that the number
of households with antennas is increasing about 1 percent per year. That’s
about 10,000 households per year in this market, he said.

Cable companies, such as Twin Cities market leader Comcast, have evolved to
face the challenge by wrapping internet streaming services and cable
channels without the need to switch inputs or change remotes. For the
budget-conscious, it offers the relatively unknown Limited Basic package
(about 30 channels including local) for $25 or Digital Economy (about 50
channels including a dozen cable) for $40 plus fees, according to Comcast.

Some consumers wonder if the price of streaming services will eventually
rise to cost as much as cable or satellite service. DirecTV Now,
PlayStation Vue and YouTube TV each increased their cost this year by $5 a
month.

Brillhart thinks 

[Medianews] What the cord cutting naysayers still get wrong

[George Antunes]

*What the cord cutting naysayers still get wrong*
*Once more with feeling: Streaming TV is not cable all over again.*

By Jared Newman
TechHive

AUG 16, 2018 3:00 AM PT

https://www.techhive.com/article/3297935/data-center-cloud/what-cord-cutting-naysayers-still-get-wrong.html


Call me an optimist, but I’ve never been convinced by the idea that cord
cutting will leave consumers in worse shape than they were with cable TV.

We’ve heard a lot of arguments to that extent over the years. Cord
cutting’s naysayers have told us that streaming TV gives people too many
choices, won’t actually save money, will wipe out quality programming, and
could even cripple the internet, all to imply that we should be careful
about wishing for cable’s decline.

These days, I typically ignore such claims, having debunked them enough
times already. But after reading a recent piece by Graeme McMillan at The
Verge, which argues that media companies are “accidentally re-creating
cable TV,” I want to make one more point that’s often overlooked: Streaming
video has given us more to watch than we ever could have hoped for in the
cable era, to the point that it’s impossible to keep up. The idea that you
must pay for every conceivable streaming service isn’t just wrong, it’s
impractical.

*More, more, more*

Like other anti-streaming stories we’ve seen in the past, McMillan’s piece
bemoans the notion of “fragmentation.” Instead of having “one or two online
subscriptions” that cover most available content, cord cutters now must
consider a half-dozen or more options, even for a single genre such as
sci-fi:

Star Wars will live on Disney’s new proprietary service, but new episodes
of Star Trek (both Star Trek: Discovery and the upcoming Next Generation
sequel) are only available on CBS All Access. Meanwhile, The Expanse is
exclusive to Amazon Prime. If fans want to watch DC’s superhero shows, as
well, that’ll require a DC Universe subscription—although the CW shows
featuring DC characters will only be available via the CW app—or, for
patient fans who want a commercial-free option, Netflix. If they want to
catch up on classic Doctor Who, they’d better have a Britbox membership.

The problem with this argument is that it implies there was once a simpler
way to access all these programs. In fact, many of them only exist because
of greater competition between streaming services.

Would CBS have lured Patrick Stewart back to Star Trek if the network
wasn’t trying to bolster CBS All Access?

CBS wasn’t making new Star Trek shows until it launched All Access—let
alone one that will bring back Jean Luc Picard—and The Expanse was on
SyFy’s chopping block until Amazon saved the show from cancellation. DC
Universe hasn’t even launched yet, so its promise of original superhero
shows takes nothing away from existing services.

Because streaming services are competing directly for viewers’ dollars,
they’re producing ever-greater amounts of original television. Broadcast
networks, cable channels, and streaming services aired 487 scripted
original series last year, according to FX Networks Research. That’s more
than double the amount that aired in 2010, and most of the growth in the
past few years has come from streaming services, which alone put out 117
series in 2017.

The number of original, scripted TV shows keeps growing, mostly because of
streaming services.

It’s true that streaming services have lost some content along the way. You
can’t, for example, use Netflix to binge watch Doctor Who like you did
before, and a bunch of cable shows, such as FX’s Archer, have moved to
other services such as Hulu. But even when those shows’ back catalogs were
available on Netflix, you still needed a cable subscription to watch
current episodes. And while Star Wars films will eventually become
exclusive to Disney’s own streaming service, Netflix didn’t carry any of
them until a year ago with the arrival of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

In other words, those who fret about fragmentation among video services are
yearning for something that never existed. If TV seemed simpler under
cable’s reign, it was only because we had less of it to go around.

*Too much TV*

Whenever someone argues that the cost of streaming services sure adds up,
the obvious response is that no one’s making you subscribe to them all. But
given how much original programming these services keep pumping out, I’m
not sure that subscribing to them all would even make sense. You’d never be
able to keep up.

The same phenomenon has already happened with music, podcasts, books,
articles, video games, and social networking feeds. Without unlimited free
time, consuming everything that’s of interest at a given time is
impossible. We merely drink what we can from the firehose, and then move on.

Unlike cable TV, streaming video provides more control over that firehose.
If you want to watch a critically acclaimed show on HBO or Showtime, you no
longer need a pay TV package to do it. If that service stops 

[Medianews] TV Isn’t Dying—Subscriptions Are Changing From Cable to Broadband Instead

[George Antunes]

TV Isn’t Dying—Subscriptions Are Changing From Cable to Broadband Instead

Virtual MVPD users are expected to grow to over 25 million by 2022

By Alan Wolk
Ad Week

August 9, 2014

https://www.adweek.com/tv-video/tv-isnt-dying-subscriptions-are-changing-from-cable-to-broadband-instead/


It’s become an article of faith among people who write about the television
industry from a distance that a massive wave of cord cutting is upending
television as we know it and the entire ecosystem is in its death throes.

This is perplexing (to put it mildly) for those of us who actually work in
the industry, as nothing could be further from the truth. Pay TV is a
mature industry without a lot of room for growth, but from quarter to
quarter, the number of people actually abandoning pay TV has rarely, if
ever, exceeded 1 percent of the total user base.

So where does this “TV is dead!” narrative come from, and how did it start?

There are two issues: numbers and definitions. We’ll start with the former.

Pay TV in the U.S. has a penetration rate in excess of 80 percent–85
percent. That’s because we’re a very large country with bad over the air
reception, and so somewhere in the range of 100 million households have pay
TV subscriptions. When 600,000 of those households decide they no longer
want pay TV, it certainly sounds like a hefty number. But in reality, it’s
only 0.6 percent of the pay-TV population. In most industries, 0.6 percent
of all users would be a rounding error, but given the number of clicks a
good “TV is dead” headline can get, you’ll often see headlines that trumpet
“Cable companies lose over half a million subscribers this quarter alone!”
And since numbers of that size can certainly create the impression that
people are fleeing en masse, they’ll get a whole lot of clicks.

The other issue is around the definition of cord cutting. The industry
defines a cord cutter as someone who completely abandons any sort of pay TV
subscription in favor of on-demand only services like Netflix and/or old
school over the air broadcasts.

The problem is that the people creating the “TV is dead” narrative don’t
differentiate between cord cutting and a more common behavior known as cord
shifting.

>From quarter to quarter, the number of people actually abandoning pay TV
has rarely, if ever, exceeded 1 percent of the total user base.
A cord shifter is someone who has given up linear pay TV delivered via a
set-top box for linear pay TV delivered via the open internet. So rather
than Comcast or Verizon or Dish, they’re getting their linear TV from
services like Hulu, YouTube TV, DirecTV Now, Sling TV, FuboTV, PlayStation
Vue and the like.

You may have heard these services (the industry term is vMVPD, or virtual
MVPD) referred to as “skinny bundles,” but the truth is they’re more like
mesomorph bundles these days—80 to 100 channels for around $40 to
$50/month, with cloud DVR and the ability to add on HBO and Showtime.

A recent study by the Wall Street analyst firm MoffettNathanson revealed
that around 70 percent of those giving up their traditional pay-TV
subscriptions are actually switching to these vMVPDs. And if you’re paying
AT $60/month to watch 80 channels worth of live network TV on DirecTV
Now, that’s not really cutting the cord—it’s shifting it from cable or
satellite to broadband.

The vMVPDs are widely predicted to grow like kudzu over the next few
years—I postulate that vMVPD subscriptions will exceed 25 million by 2022.
(They are currently at close to 6 million.)

>From a consumer POV, these virtual services are actually a better
experience than traditional cable, regardless of price. They provide a true
TV Everywhere experience, with the same line-up and interface available
across devices and the ability to start watching on one device and then
finish watching on another, days later. That functionality has been
available from the likes of Netflix for years now, but for various legal
and UX reasons, it has not been available through the MVPDs.

They generally have well-designed interfaces (Hulu Live TV’s library-based
interface is actually quite revolutionary), which solves one of the
industry’s bigger problems, something we call “paying Nordstrom prices for
Kmart service”—the disconnect between paying over $100 each month for a
service with an interface that hasn’t been updated since the 1990s. That’s
a disconnect that screams, “We don’t care about our customers” and creates
a whole lot of dissatisfaction with the industry.

The other reason vMVPDs are so popular is that they’re easy. There’s one
bill. One app. One overriding interface that allows you to manage most of
your television viewing. The app-based ecosystem has none of that, and many
users quickly become frustrated with the hassle of cobbling together a
solution as they try and manage a dozen different apps. vMVPDs also have
sports—not just ESPN, but the regional sports networks that fans like. The
ones that carry, say, every single Red Sox game and 

[Medianews] Comcast, Charter dominate US; telcos “abandoned rural America

[George Antunes]

*Comcast, Charter dominate US; telcos “abandoned rural America,” report
says. AT and Verizon have generally built fiber only where they face
competition.*

By JON BRODKIN
Ars Technica

7/31/2018, 9:30 AM


You already knew that home broadband competition is sorely lacking through
much of the US, but a new report released today helps shed more light on
Americans who have just one choice for high-speed Internet.

Comcast is the only choice for 30 million Americans when it comes to
broadband speeds of at least 25Mbps downstream and 3Mbps upstream, the
report says. Charter Communications is the only choice for 38 million
Americans. Combined, Comcast and Charter offer service in the majority of
the US, with almost no overlap.

Yet many Americans are even worse off, living in areas where DSL is the
best option. AT, Verizon, and other telcos still provide only
sub-broadband speeds over copper wires throughout huge parts of their
territories. The telcos have mostly avoided upgrading their copper networks
to fiber—except in areas where they face competition from cable companies.

*Read the rest of the article with numerous analytic graphics:*
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/02/fcc-report-finds-almost-no-broadband-competition-at-100mbps-speeds/


*FURTHER READING FCC report finds almost no broadband competition at
100Mbps speeds*
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/02/fcc-report-finds-almost-no-broadband-competition-at-100mbps-speeds/

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[Medianews] FCC Votes to Open C-Band For Wireless Broadband

[George Antunes]

*FCC Votes to Open C-Band For Wireless Broadband*
Invoking 'Jaws,' Pai talks up need for bigger spectrum 'boat'

*John Eggerton*
*Broadcasting & Cable*

*July 12, 2018*

https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/fcc-votes-to-open-c-band-for-wireless-broadband


The FCC has unanimously voted to find ways to open up the C-band spectrum
(3.7-4.2 Ghz) for terrestrial wireless use, either all of the 500 Mhz or
some portion of it, and through either an incentive or capacity auctions, a
market mechanism where incumbents voluntarily strike deals to reduce their
footprint, or some other means.

The C-band is currently used for satellite delivery of cable and broadcast
network programming to TV and radio stations and cable head-ends. The FCC
wants to open it up to wireless broadband to help close the digital divide
and promote 5G, both prime directives for the commission.

The combination order and notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) would do
four things: 1. collect information from those broadcast and cable
operators to help guide the repurposing/sharing; 2. propose to add a mobile
allocation to the entire 500 Mhz, which is currently designated for
nonexclusive fixed satellite use; 3. seek comment on allowing shared fixed
use in a portion of the band; and 4. seek comment on service and technical
rules.

FCC chairman Ajit Pai, a big fan of movie and song references, likened the
FCC's search for more spectrum to the observation in Jaws once the size of
the shark became obvious: "We're going to need a bigger boat."

Pai said the item was another recognition that the U.S. needs a bigger
spectrum pipeline.

Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel agreed, but said the FCC is playing
catch-up in the midband spectrum clearing space, and needed to be less
opaque about what spectrum it is freeing up, and when.

"With today’s rulemaking and order we are doing something about it. We
explore a variety of mechanisms for clearing the 3.7-4.2 GHz band for 5G
use," she said. "And if we make headway here, we can start to reclaim lost
leadership in spectrum that is critical for success in 5G networks."

Commissioner Michael O'Rielly supported the item, but had some issues,
including with an auction route. He said it made more sense to let market
players resolve the issue among themselves rather than through FCC mandates
and mandatory clearing.

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[Medianews] Sinclair Station Sales Risk New Scrutiny as Part of Tribune Deal

[George Antunes]

*Sinclair Station Sales Risk New Scrutiny as Part of Tribune Deal*

*By Todd Shields*
*Bloomberg*

*July 2, 2018, 3:00 AM CDT*

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-03/comcast-races-clock-to-wrest-at-least-part-of-fox-from-disney


* Texas stations go to partner after shift from mother’s estate*

 *Sinclair selling stations to stay under U.S. TV ownership cap*



Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.’s bid to become a broadcasting powerhouse by
purchasing Tribune Media Co. hinges on spinning off TV stations to comply
with U.S. limits on broadcast ownership.

Yet its proposals to sell stations from Pennsylvania to California are
drawing fresh scrutiny, as critics including business rivals say some of
the transactions are designed to evade the ownership rules.

In one case, two Texas stations are to be sold to a partner company that
until recently was controlled by the estate of the mother of Sinclair’s
controlling shareholders. And the flagship Tribune station in Chicago,
WGN-TV, is going to an automobile executive who’s a business partner of
Sinclair Chairman David D. Smith.

“They’re not really arms-length. They’re not really divestitures,” Chris
Ruddy, chief executive officer of Newsmax Media Inc., which offers TV news
that competes for viewers with Sinclair, said in an interview. “It’s just
really an insult to the public, to the rules, and to fairness.”

Sinclair says the station buyers are independent businesses, and that it’s
working diligently to follow the rules as it seeks to close the $3.9
billion Tribune deal proposed in May 2017. The Justice Department and the
Federal Communications Commission are scrutinizing the transaction, with a
decision possible in coming weeks. The FCC has asked for comments through
July 12, and could move toward a decision soon after.

“Ownership rules are not being evaded; they are being complied with,”
Sinclair said in a statement.

At issue is whether Sinclair, which grew from a single TV station in
Baltimore in 1971, can win approval for the purchase of Tribune’s 42
stations, including outlets in New York and Los Angeles. The purchase would
lift Sinclair’s station total above 200.

The resulting growth spurt is so great that Sinclair has proposed selling
stations in 18 markets in order to keep below ownership limits designed to
protect the public interest by ensuring competition and diversity of voices
on the airwaves.

Criticism has arrived from groups including the American Civil Liberties
Union, which in an FCC filing called the proposed deal “anticompetitive to
its core.” The attorneys general of Illinois, Iowa and Rhode Island told
the agency that “massive consolidation proposed in these applications
violates the law.”

Among other things, Sinclair’s expansion would amplify the reach of voices
including Boris Epshteyn, a former aide to President Donald Trump whose
commentaries run on its stations. Epshteyn drew notice with a recent
segment about the separation of children from parents illegally crossing
the southern U.S. border in which he said, “while some of the concern is
real, a lot of it is politically driven by the liberals in politics and the
media.”

Once all its proposed purchases and sales are completed, Sinclair
calculates it would reach almost 59 percent of the U.S. audience -- or less
than 38 percent using a discount allowed under FCC rules. That snugs it up
against the U.S. national cap of 39 percent.

The discount, which lets station owners count only half the audience of
some stations, is under challenge in a court case, and a ruling expected by
August could leave Sinclair above the cap. Some policy groups and
Democratic lawmakers have asked the FCC, led by Chairman Ajit Pai, a Trump
appointee, to delay action on the Sinclair deal until the court rules.

Pai also may act independently to raise the ownership limits, even as
Sinclair’s deal remains under consideration. Sinclair has called for
eliminating the national limit on ownership, and other broadcasters have
asked for an increase to 50 percent.

For now, Sinclair’s deal is to be judged against the limit of 39 percent,
and to help stay under that cap it’s proposed selling KDAF in Dallas and
KIAH in Houston to Cunningham Broadcasting Corp. -- a partner with a shared
history.

Purchase terms include generous rights for Sinclair to buy back the Texas
outlets. Elsewhere, Sinclair provides programming or services to more than
a dozen Cunningham stations, in Baltimore, Salt Lake City, and other
locations.

“Cunningham is operated completely separately from Sinclair,” Sinclair said
in the statement. “Sinclair will have no involvement in the operations of
the Dallas and Houston stations being sold to Cunningham.”

Not everyone agrees. The deals “scream out contrived, bogus and sham,”
Howard Weiss, an attorney for Herndon Reston Indivisible, a Washington-area
viewers’ group that objects to the merger, said in a filing.

Cunningham until recently was controlled by a trust held by Carolyn C.
Smith, 

[Medianews] We’re In an Epidemic of Mistrust in Science

[George Antunes]

*We’re In an Epidemic of Mistrust in Science*
Academia isn’t immune to the scourge of misinformation


*By Gleb Tsipursky*
*Medium.com*

*Jun 27, 2018*

https://medium.com/s/trustissues/were-in-an-epidemic-of-mistrust-in-science-4cac447fa4ed


Dozens of infants and children in Romania died recently in a major measles
outbreak, as a result of prominent celebrities campaigning against
vaccination. This trend parallels that of Europe as a whole, which suffered
a 400 percent increase in measles cases from 2016 to 2017. Unvaccinated
Americans traveling to the World Cup may well bring back the disease to the
United States.

Of course, we don’t need European travel to suffer from measles. Kansas
just experienced its worst measles outbreak in decades. Children and adults
in a few unvaccinated families were key to this widespread outbreak.

Just like in Romania, parents in the United States are fooled by the false
claim that vaccines cause autism. This belief has spread widely across the
country and leads to a host of problems.

Measles was practically eliminated in the United States by 2000. In recent
years, however, outbreaks of measles have been on the rise, driven by
parents failing to vaccinate their children in a number of communities. We
should be especially concerned because our president has frequently
expressed the false view that vaccines cause autism, and his administration
has pushed against funding “science-based” policies at the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention.

These illnesses and deaths are among many terrible consequences of the
crisis of trust suffered by our institutions in recent years. While
headlines focus on declining trust in the media and government, science and
academia are not immune to this crisis of confidence, and the results can
be deadly.

Consider that in 2006, 41 percent of respondents in a nationwide poll
expressed “a lot of confidence” in higher education. Fewer than 10 years
later, in 2014, only 14 percent of those surveyed showed “a great deal of
confidence” in academia.

What about science as distinct from academia? Polling shows that the number
of people who believe science has “made life more difficult” increased by
50 percent from 2009 to 2015. According to a 2017 survey, only 35 percent
of respondents have “a lot” of trust in scientists; the number of people
who trust scientists “not at all” increased by over 50 percent from a
similar poll conducted in December 2013.

This crumbling of trust in science and academia forms part of a broader
pattern, what Tom Nichols called the death of expertise in his 2017 book of
the same name. Growing numbers of people claim their personal opinions hold
equal weight to the opinions of experts.


Should We Actually Trust Scientific Experts?

While we can all agree that we do not want people to get sick, what is the
underlying basis for why the opinions of experts?—?including
scientists?—?deserve more trust than the average person in evaluating the
truth of reality?

The term “expert” refers to someone who has extensive familiarity with a
specific area, as shown by commonly recognized credentials, such as a
certification, an academic degree, publication of a book, years of
experience in a field, or some other way that a reasonable person may
recognize an “expert.” Experts are able to draw on their substantial body
of knowledge and experience to provide an opinion, often expressed as
“expert analysis.”

That doesn’t mean an expert opinion will always be right—it’s simply much
more likely to be right than the opinion of a nonexpert. The underlying
principle here is probabilistic thinking, our ability to predict the truth
of current and future reality based on limited information. Thus, a
scientist studying autism would be much more likely to predict accurately
the consequences of vaccinations than someone who has spent 10 hours
Googling “vaccines and autism.”

This greater likelihood of experts being correct does not at all mean we
should always defer to experts. First, research shows that experts do best
in evaluating reality in environments that are relatively stable over time
and thus predictable, and when the experts have a chance to learn about the
predictable aspects of this environment. Second, other research suggests
that ideological biases can have a strongly negative impact on the ability
of experts to make accurate evaluations. Third, material motivations can
sway experts to conduct an analysis favorable to their financial sponsor.

However, while individual scientists may make mistakes, it is incredibly
rare for the scientific consensus as a whole to be wrong. Scientists get
rewarded in money and reputation for finding fault with statements about
reality made by other scientists. Thus, when the large majority of them
agree on something?—?when there is a scientific consensus?—?it is a clear
indicator that whatever they agree on accurately reflects reality.


The Internet Is for…Misinformation

The rise of the internet 

[Medianews] PBS and stations working on first ‘skinny bundle’ OTT agreement

[George Antunes]

*PBS and stations working on first ‘skinny bundle’ OTT agreement*

*By Dru Sefton, Senior Editor  *
*Current.org*

https://current.org/2018/06/pbs-and-stations-working-on-first-skinny-bundle-ott-agreement/


PBS is strategizing with stations on how to package national and local
content into an over-the-top “skinny bundle,” potentially creating an
entirely new channel for the younger viewers who are willing to pay for
live streaming services.

That partnership deal, a first for PBS, could come within the next six
months.

OTT streaming platforms such as Sling TV, Hulu Live TV and Sony Playstation
Vue deliver their content through internet-enabled broadband connections,
offering a lower-cost alternative to cable or satellite TV subscriptions.
The platforms, also called vMVPDs (virtual multichannel video programming
distributors), aggregate mainly live and some on-demand TV through devices
such as Roku or Amazon Fire, or a mobile app.

OTT skinny bundles are smaller and cheaper channel packages than those
available to cable or satellite subscribers. Some 5.3 million users
subscribe to the bundles; that’s expected to grow to between 10 million and
20 million by 2020, according to PBS.

Commercial networks already stream content into some type of OTT bundles.

PBS needs to break into the market for two important reasons, said OTT
industry analyst Alan Wolk. First, bundles “tend to attract a much younger
viewer; the average age for Hulu With Live TV is 31,” Wolk said. “Also, if
PBS is not there, people will just watch something else. With so many
options, that’s easy for them.”

The vMVPDs are not subject to noncom must-carry regulations that require
carriage of local stations on cable and satellite systems. That’s why PBS
must negotiate a private agreement.

“I believe, and others in the system believe, that we should be there,”
said PBS’ chief digital officer Ira Rubenstein. “It’s important for us to
be up with the other networks so that we are not forgotten. The question
becomes, how do we do it?”

Rubenstein wants a bundle deal that includes local station streams. PBS has
been talking with several OTT platforms — a few even before they launched,
he said. “Some don’t want to have to carry local station feeds,” he said.
“All they want is the national PBS feed. Obviously, that doesn’t work for
us.”

The patchwork of rights clearances among public TV’s distributors and
independent producers also complicate negotiations. Member stations
supplement PBS’ national feed with locally produced content and syndicated
programs from other distributors.

PBS has assembled a station advisory group to help tackle the quandary,
with representatives from Georgia Public Broadcasting; Lakeland PBS,
Bemidji, Minn.; Idaho Public TV; KUED, Salt Lake City, Utah; KQED, San
Francisco, WGBH, Boston; and WNET, New York City.

*Station survey underway*

Bill Sanford, GM of Lakeland PBS, expressed concerns about several issues
related to OTT bundles, including the time it could take for PBS to reach
an agreement. If PBS and its member stations don’t move into these
platforms soon, Sanford said, cable networks with similar programs, such as
Discovery, could make adding PBS less desirable to vMVPDs down the road.

That’s why Rubenstein hopes to close a deal this year. PBS has suggested
several approaches to the advisory group; Rubenstein declined to discuss
specifics.

Those options are fleshed out in a PBS document distributed to stations
Thursday and obtained by Current. The document, in FAQ form, stressed that
the approaches “are still conceptual in nature” and need station buy-in.
Stations may also opt out of the bundles, the document said.

The first approach would be to offer OTTs the existing 24/7 PBS Kids
channel. That “may be the fastest path to get a presence on these
platforms,” according to the document. The channel “is fully rights-cleared
for streaming and it can enable us to get started with a PBS footprint
while we work out the best approach for stations’ primary channels.”

Using stations’ primary channels is possible but would be more challenging,
the document said. Three possible solutions: A phased rollout, with each
member station launching a live stream when ready; a National Program
Service feed with station branding, replaced with local channels as
stations come online; or creation of a totally new channel to stream.

That new channel, “purpose-built for these platforms,” could include the
NPS lineup as well as programs that appeal to younger audiences, according
to the document. It might feature local shows and underwriter pods, and
look similar to the 24/7 PBS Kids channel.

“There may be other approaches to consider to best meet the needs of
stations, viewers and providers,” PBS noted in the document. An
accompanying survey asks stations to weigh in on their choice of those
options by June 29.

*Facing the complexities*

OTT platforms are proliferating. The first service, Dish Network’s Sling,
premiered in 2016, 

[Medianews] Skinny Bundles To Be 25% Of All Pay-TV Subscriptions By 2022

[George Antunes]

Skinny Bundles To Be 25% Of All Pay-TV Subscriptions By 2022 – Analyst

by Dade Hayes
Deadline.com

June 18, 2018 11:01am

https://deadline.com/2018/06/skinny-bundles-to-be-25-of-all-pay-tv-subscriptions-by-2022-1202412562/



A new report from UBS predicts a “steeper ramp” than previously forecast
for so-called “skinny bundle” services like Sling TV and DirecTV Now in the
coming years. By 2022, the financial institution’s media analysts predict,
they will represent 25% of all pay-TV subscriptions.

“As these offerings continue to improve—closing programming gaps, adding
features and improving transmission quality—and traditional TV consumption
falls, we expect the streamers to become increasingly attractive,” said the
report, which was written by a team headed by analyst John Hodulik.

UBS projects there will be 9.2 million online streaming TV subscribers by
the end of 2018, which had been its previous forecast. But based on new
findings and polling data in its Evidence Lab, UBS said it is increasing
its estimate for the end of 2020 to 17 million from 15 million and now
expects 24 million by the end of 2022.

Dish’s Sling, which was very early to market, leads the skinny field with
2.3 million subscribers, followed by DirecTV Now. Hodulik wrote that AT’s
DirecTV Now — a key strategic asset that got a lot of mentions during the
company’s courtroom battle with the government over the Time Warner merger
— has grown “faster than expected,” reaching 1.5 million customers in its
first 18 months. It should get further momentum from anticipated launches
of non-sports, basic bundle AT Watch and another package described by
Hodulik as “a higher-end, device-centric service.”

At 800,000 subscribers for its Live TV service, Hulu “could get a boost if
selected as Verizon’s OTT partner,” Hodulik writes. He estimates YouTube TV
at about 750,000 subs in its first year. Other skinny players include
Sony’s PlayStation Vue and a handful of offerings from traditional cable
operators.

In a survey by the UBS Evidence Lab, nearly one in three respondents said
they were likely or very likely to consider signing up for streaming TV.
Satisfaction with streaming TV remains high, with DirecTV Now leading the
pack. Satisfaction with traditional pay TV bundles and interest in
cord-cutting and cord-shaving held steady at about one in five and one in
four households, respectively.

“Doubling up, or subscribing to both traditional and streaming TV,
continues to decline, suggesting the recent boost to total pay TV subs will
taper off,” Hodulik wrote.

For the corporations behind the bundles, the economics are very different
between a traditional and a digitally delivered bundle. Long-term contracts
and equipment rentals are standard with traditional subscriptions, whereas
new packages have lower price points, no contract, no equipment and minimal
friction for subscribers looking to join and cancel. That can lead to
higher churn rates, and the not-infrequent outages that skinny-bundle
customers experience have also become a nuisance.

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[Medianews] Roku Plans to Launch Amazon Channels-Like Video Subscription Marketplace

[George Antunes]

*JUNE 18, 2018 11:29AM PT*

*Roku Plans to Launch Amazon Channels-Like Video Subscription Marketplace*

*By Janko Roettgers *
*Senior Silicon Valley Correspondent*

https://variety.com/2018/digital/news/roku-streaming-channel-store-amazon-1202849670/


Roku plans to launch a marketplace for video subscription services in the
coming months, which will allow consumers to sign up for and watch
subscription services without the need to download separate apps on Roku
devices, Variety has learned from multiple sources familiar with the
company’s plans. The marketplace is said to be similar to Amazon Channels,
a popular à la carte offering available on Fire TV devices.

A Roku spokesperson declined to comment.

Roku has long offered access to subscription services like HBO Now and CBS
All Access via its channel store. Consumers who want to access any of these
services need to download a dedicated app, also called channel in Roku’s
vernacular, onto their streaming device, and then sign up for the service
either through their TV or through the service provider’s website.

In the future, Roku plans to bring together a number of these paid services
in the same channel, making it easier to subscribe to, and then access any
premium content, without the need to download and launch different apps.
The company has also been working on the next generation of its billing
platform, dubbed Roku Pay, to make it easier for consumers to pay for these
services.

This approach closely mimics Amazon Channels, a subscription video
marketplace launched by the e-commerce giant in late 2015. Offered
exclusively to Prime members, Amazon Channels offers consumers the ability
to easily sign up for over 235 video subscription services directly from
their Fire TV device. Once a consumer signs up for any of these paid
channels, its content is not presented in a separate app, but right next to
Amazon’s Prime Video catalog.

The simplicity of Channels has led to Amazon becoming a major force in the
à la carte subscription business: The Diffusion Group estimated recently
that Amazon is selling more than 50% of all online HBO subscriptions in the
U.S., far surpassing resellers like Apple and Google. Operators of smaller
services have also told Variety in the past that Channels has become a
major part of their business.

Roku isn’t the only one taking a cue from Amazon: Bloomberg reported last
month that Apple is looking to resell video subscriptions via its TV app,
which is available on Apple TV and mobile devices. However, Apple’s
subscription marketplace reportedly won’t launch before 2019, whereas Roku
is looking to debut its service soon.

Roku’s business model has long been about growing its audience with
affordable streaming devices as well as partnerships with TV manufacturers,
and then monetizing that audience through ads and services. The company
does have some revenue share agreements with paid streaming services in
place, but its biggest revenue contributor has been advertising. Revenue
from ads and services surpassed Roku’s hardware revenue for the first time
in the company’s history in Q1 of this year.

One of the ways the company has grown its ad revenue has been the Roku
channel, a free, ad-supported service that aggregates catalog titles from
major Hollywood studios and other online content providers. In April, Roku
added news from ABC, Cheddar, and others to the Roku Channel, which has
since become one of the 10 most popular channels on the company’s devices.
At this point, it’s unclear whether paid subscription services would also
be directly integrated into the Roku Channel, or launch within a separate
channel.

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[Medianews] Broadcast, Cable to FCC: C-Band Sharing Needs More Study. NAB, NCTA, ACA, NPR defend their distribution 'backbone'

[George Antunes]

*Broadcast, Cable to FCC: C-Band Sharing Needs More Study*
*NAB, NCTA, ACA, NPR defend their distribution 'backbone'*

*John Eggertona*
*Broadcasting & Cable*

*June 16, 2018*

https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/broadcast-cable-to-fcc-c-band-sharing-needs-more-study


Broadcasters and cable operators are on the same page when it comes to the
FCC doing lots more looking before leaping into expanding terrestrial
wireless access to the C-band spectrum.

That came in a joint filing that included the American Cable Association
and NCTA-The Internet & Television Association, the National Association of
Broadcasters and NPR.

They point out in a joint letter to the commission that video and audio
programming delivered via the C-band serves 142 million Americans,
representing what they called "the backbone of the infrastructure for
delivering video content to American consumers.”

The FCC sought input on the band as part of the MOBILE NOW Act requirement
it produce a report on expanding access, as well as in its Notice of
Inquiry on expanding use of mid-band spectrum.

To make the point that the FCC still has a lot of questions to answer, they
listed more than 40 in their letter, including how interference risks would
be mitigated if the band is repacked; how the FCC determines whether or not
they will be effective; how big would the guard band between new wireless
users and incumbent broadcast and cable users; how incumbents would be
compensated if the band is repacked and spectrum auctioned to wireless;
what costs would be reimbursed; and the veritable host of others.

The bottom line, they say, is that "much more information is required
before the Commission can make an informed decision."

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[Medianews] Acorn TV Branches Off: SVOD service focused on British and international TV expands into Latin America

[George Antunes]

*Acorn TV Branches Off*
*SVOD service focused on British and international TV expands into Latin
America*

*JEFF BAUMGARTNER*
*Multichannel News*

*JUN 5, 2018*

https://www.multichannel.com/news/acorn-tv-branches-off


Marking its first move outside the U.S., Acorn TV, a subscription VOD
service focused on British and other international TV shows, has launched
in a dozen Latin American countries via Roku streaming devices.

Acorn TV’s initial launch into that region includes Argentina, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico,
Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru.

Consumers there can subscribe to Acorn TV via their Roku player or at
acorn.tv. The service for the Latin American region features content in
English with Spanish subtitles and runs $4.99 per month.

The move will expand Acorn TV’s reach and deliver into the region a mix of
British TV shows and other international fare, including Doc Martin, East
Wing 101, and BBC drama Line of Duty, among others.

Acorn TV, an SVOD service owned by RLJ Entertainment, recently gained
distribution on Comcast’s set-top box VOD platform, complementing its
direct-to-consumer sales strategy.

RLJ Entertainment announced in May that it ended Q1 with more than 750,000
subscribers for Acorn TV and UMC (Urban Movie Channel) combined in North
America, but has not broken out individual sub numbers for those two
services.

Rival SVOD service BritBox, an offering backed by BBC, ITV and AMC
Networks, announced it had crossed the 250,000 sub mark in February,
roughly a year after its U.S. debut.

“Acorn TV has built a fast-growing subscriber base of passionate and loyal
British and international TV fans in the U.S. and Canada, and we are
excited to bring our unique offering of premium entertainment to other
countries,” Matthew Graham, SVP and GM for Acorn TV, said in a statement.
“Latin America marks an excellent first step, and we’re delighted to work
with our valued partners at Roku who have been with us since the start of
Acorn TV in 2011.”

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[Medianews] ATSC 3.0: The future of free antenna TV is coming, eventually

[George Antunes]

Everything a cord cutter needs to know about free over-the-air 4K HDR
broadcasts.

https://www.cnet.com/news/atsc-3-0-the-future-of-free-antenna-tv-is-coming-eventually/

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[Medianews] FCC Claims Perfectly-Timed Regulatory Handout To Sinclair Is Just Quirky Happenstance

[George Antunes]

*Thu, May 31st 2018 3:23am*

*FCC Claims Perfectly-Timed Regulatory Handout To Sinclair Is Just Quirky
Happenstance*


*by Karl Bode*
*Techdirt.com*

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180525/09195139909/fcc-claims-perfectly-timed-regulatory-handout-to-sinclair-is-just-quirky-happenstance.shtml


The FCC remains under heavy fire for its mindless assault on popular net
neutrality protections. But the agency has also been facing widespread,
bipartisan criticism for the FCC's decision to gut decades-old media
consolidation rules -- specifically to help Sinclair Broadcast Group cement
its $3.9 billion acquisition of Tribune.

Like net neutrality, media consolidation rules traditionally enjoy
bipartisan support because they protect local opinion diversity and speech,
preventing one company from dominating smaller competitors. The Washington
Post recently offered a piece highlighting the very real, negative impact
mindless M mania in the broadcast sector has had on the quality and
diversity of local news, which in many towns is now little more than an
echo chamber of substandard drivel:

"The TV news has a familiar feel to it here in west-central Pennsylvania.
News stories broadcast on WJAC, the NBC affiliate in town, have appeared on
nearby station WATM, the ABC affiliate. And many of those stories are
broadcast on WWCP, the Fox station here, as well. Not just the same topics
— identical stories, reported by the same reporter or anchor, and repeated,
almost verbatim at times, by the other stations."

The Sinclair merger will give the company ownership of more than 230 local
broadcast stations, reaching 73% of the public. Given Sinclair's history of
reporting that's factually-dubious on a good day, those concerns are
looming larger than ever as the recent viral Deadspin video made abundantly
clear:


As Sinclair moved to gain regulatory approval for its latest deal, the FCC
quickly moved to block any and all regulatory obstacles. Like eliminating a
"main studio rule" requiring that a broadcaster actually have a physical
local presence in a city it operates in to help ensure a vested interest in
local issues. And when the Sinclair merger began to bump up against a
longstanding media rule preventing any one local broadcaster from reaching
more than 39% of households, the FCC quickly restored a discarded
regulatory loophole known as the UHF discount, letting Sinclair falsely
under-state its real household reach to slink in under the cap.

The FCC's regulatory attack on media ownership rules to aid Sinclair was so
blatant, it resulted in the FCC inspector general launching an
investigation into whether FCC boss Ajit Pai corruptly coordinated the
assault with Sinclair executives. There's really no doubt among Pai's
fellow Commissioners like Jessica Rosenworcel, who made her thoughts on the
matter perfectly clear recently:

"Every element of our media policy is custom-built for the business plan of
Sinclair Broadcasting,” says Rosenworcel. “That is stunning, it is
striking, and it looks like something’s wrong. And I’m not the only one to
think that. We’re burning down the values of media policy in this agency in
order to service this company."

Amusingly, FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly (fresh off of a recent Hatch Act
violation) recently tried to fire back with a blog post claiming that
nearly a dozen perfectly-timed initiatives that help Sinclair were all
entirely coincidental, and were simply part of the FCC's attempt to
eliminate "outdated regulations":

"Any benefit to Sinclair was residual and non-intentional. At the same
time, the entire debate misses the bigger picture that I witnessed
firsthand in Arizona this week: that the changing marketplace is causing
tremendous challenges to legacy broadcasters forced to abide by outdated
and irrelevant ownership limitations and Commission rules. My priority has
been to remove these outdated burdens imposed by the Commission that no
longer serve the public interest or make sense, so that broadcasters are
able to survive and thrive in the current competitive landscape. "

Like net neutrality, FCC evidence of the "burden" these longstanding rules
create for broadcasters is utterly absent. And the only thing the 39%
ownership cap was a burden to was Sinclair and its merger. That the
elimination of this rule might also help a few lumbering giants grow
impossibly larger isn't really much of a defense, and critics find the
timing just too perfect for O'Rielly's claims to be even remotely
believable:

“Everything that Sinclair needed to get done seemed to happen exactly when
they needed it to get done,” David Goldman, chief counsel for
communications issues for the House Energy & Commerce Committee told
Motherboard in a phone interview...

"O'Rielly can say this is all just part of the current majority’s plan to
deregulate everything under the sun, without regard for who benefits the
most, but that's missing the point,” argeed Matt Wood, Policy Director for
Free Press, one of 

[Medianews] Blind people say technology like Siri and VoiceOver is life-changing

[George Antunes]

*Blind people say technology like Siri and VoiceOver is life-changing*

*By Ben Lovejoy*
*9to5 Mac*

*May. 29th 2018 4:43 am PT*

https://9to5mac.com/2018/05/29/iphone-blind-users/


The WSJ has an interesting piece looking at how AI and other forms of
technology are transforming the lives of blind people.

Microsoft’s Seeing AI app is one particularly dramatic example – able to do
things like identify faces, recognize bank notes, read handwriting and so
on – but Apple’s tech is also said to be incredibly valuable …

As much as blind people need specialized technology, building accessibility
into mainstream products may be an even bigger need, say advocates such as
Mark Riccobono, president of the National Federation of the Blind.

He points to the iPhone, which had accessibility built into it from the
beginning.

“I can go down to the Apple store and pay the same price and triple-click
the home button and I have VoiceOver,” says Mr. Riccobono, referring to a
feature where the phone will describe aloud what is happening on the
screen. “That’s built in, it’s great, it doesn’t cost a penny extra.”

Blind users also rely on Siri and other intelligent assistants to do things
like dictate messages and control smart home devices.

Mr. Weihenmayer, for example, uses Comcast ’s voice remote to find TV
shows, Apple ’s Siri to send texts and Amazon’s Alexa to cue up his
favorite music.

Driverless cars are another form of tech expected to be life-changing for
blind people and those with other forms of disability.

In a white paper last year, the Ruderman Family Foundation, which advocates
for the inclusion of people with disabilities in society, claimed
self-driving vehicles “would enable new employment opportunities for
approximately two million individuals with disabilities, and save $19
billion annually in health-care expenditures from missed medical
appointments.”

Apple appears to have scaled-back any plans it had to make cars, but is
still believed to be actively involved in developing technology which can
be used in other cars.

The Cupertino company recently used its homepage to promote accessibility
features as it makes its Everyone Can Code program available to blind and
deaf students.

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[Medianews] Alan Bean, 4th Person to Walk on the Moon, Dies at 86

[George Antunes]

Alan Bean, 4th Person to Walk on the Moon, Dies at 86

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/26/obituaries/alan-bean-astronaut-dies.html

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[Medianews] FCC takes on the internet era's real criminals: Pirate radio pastors

[George Antunes]

*America's comms watchdog takes on the internet era's real criminals:
Pirate pastors*

*And helps cable industry tackle scourge of streaming boxes*

By Kieren McCarthy in San Francisco
TheRegister.co.uk

25 May 2018 at 21:38

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/05/25/fearless_fcc_pirate_radio_pastors/


US airwaves watchdog the FCC has taken a lot of flak in the past year for
its determined effort to roll back its own rules on net neutrality – but
that issue aside, the federal regulator has its finger on the pulse of
America in the internet era.

Which is why it is reassuring to see the hard line that continues to be
taken on the cutting edge of modern media consumption: pirate radio.

"Why do some pastors/churches think they can run illegal pirate radio
'stations'?" FCC Commissioner Michael O'Reilly roared on Friday, noting:
"There is no pastoral exemption in FCC rules. And they aren’t exempt from
other laws/rules."

That's right, at a time when the nation's lawmakers are focused on people's
private data being gathered and sold by companies like Facebook and Google,
with small businesses complaining that they could be put out of business by
Big Cable charging them access fees, and Puerto Rico still trying to get
back on its feet following a hurricane nine months ago, the FCC has pirate
radio firmly in its sights.

And O'Reilly in particular wants an even harder line to be taken on these
law-breaking ministers. "Thank you FCC enforcement personnel for seeking
compliance with FCC rules. Pirate radio is ILLEGAL," he noted [his caps]
this week before warning: "Need to get rid of 'warning' process: a giant
loophole/obstacle to enforcement."

That's right – these criminal churches know what they're doing is wrong.
There should be no notice – just send in the SWAT team and shut 'em down.

In this case it's pastor Francisco Guzman’s from the Iglesia La Nueva
Jerusalen church in Baton Rouge who is spitting in the face of everything
America holds dear by broadcasting messages about Jesus in his immediate
area on 87.9 FM and 1710 AM.

*Shameless*

Guzman's law breaking is shameless too: he even posts information about his
radio station on the church's website. And this is despite FCC enforcers
going easy on him and giving him a warning back in December – back when he
was broadcasting on 107.7 FM.

But there are others too. A station operating at 104.1 FM in West Palm
Beach was tracked back to the Omega Church International Ministries.
Another at the Gospel Tabernacle Church of Jesus Christ in Irvington, New
Jersey (93.3 FM).

And that follows the disgraceful pastor Yvon Grand-Champ who thought
nothing of breaking the law at The Revelation Pentecostal Holy Church in
Boston suburb Mattapan on 106.3 FM before the FCC shut him down.

The FCC is not taking such horrific behavior lying down however. Earlier
this month it announced the seizure of equipment in Manhattan – stopping
Rumba FM (95.3 FM) in its tracks.

The chief of the FCC's enforcement division, Rosemary Harold, was
unforgiving. "Pirate radio stations are illegal, as they operate without an
FCC license, and cause real harm," she told the jostling pack of reporters
eager to hear of any updates in this critical battle against unlicensed
radio stations.

"These stations can cause interference to legitimate, licensed broadcasters
and can prevent those broadcasters from delivering critical public-safety
information to listeners," she continued to rapturous applause before being
carried on the shoulders of citizens, many of whom had travelled for hours
just to hear the announcement in person.

*Brave*

This important crackdown is largely thanks to the brave leadership of FCC
chair Ajit Pai who boldly stated last month that "fighting unlawful
broadcasts is a top enforcement priority for the FCC."

He also pointed to the very real danger that pirate operators pose. They
can "interfere with important public safety announcements and hurt licensed
broadcasters’ business," he railed. "Consumers should be able to get the
news and information programming they count on."

The FCC has carried out twice as many investigations and actions against
pirate radio stations this year than last: an indication that the FCC under
Pai is spending less time focused on the distracting issue of the so-called
internet and more on the critical FM question.

Since January 2017, its enforcement team have carried out 306 pirate
investigations and issued 210 notices of unlicensed operation. Something
that will leave Americans sleeping more soundly in their beds.

That's not all either: the FCC is supporting new legislation that will
hopefully bring an end to this national disgrace through the Preventing
Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement Act – it spells "pirate."

"Pirate radio 'stations' are harmful for listeners as well as our nation’s
licensed broadcasters," O'Reilly told a packed room of god-fearing
Americans just this month.

"This bill rightfully increases the penalties, requires 

[Medianews] Getting Down To Business With ATSC 3.0

[George Antunes]

*Getting Down To Business With ATSC 3.0*

*By Glen Dickson*
*TVNewsCheck*

*May 24, 2018 11:03 AM EDT*

http://www.tvnewscheck.com/article/113838/getting-down-to-business-with-atsc-30/


ATSC 3.0 is moving ahead as broadcasters, media technology vendors and
consumer electronics manufacturers tackle the nitty-gritty of implementing
the new digital standard in real-world trials and of developing
3.0-compliant professional equipment and receivers.

That was the message yesterday from Washington where stakeholders gathered
for the 2018 ATSC Next-Gen TV Conference.

While the mood was celebratory, given the progress 3.0 has made in the past
year, particularly in Phoenix and Dallas, the focus was on what still needs
to be done to broadcast robust 3.0 signals and create viable applications
and businesses.

Early 3.0 stations outlined their expansion plans for this year and beyond,
while ATSC “implementation teams” gave updates on key developments like
personalization and interactivity, interoperability and advanced emergency
alerting.

And the Society of Broadcast Engineers used the occasion to announce a
partnership with ATSC to create a new SBE certification program that will
identify a broadcast engineer as a “Specialist” in the IT-based ATSC 3.0
standard.

“While we are making great progress, we have not yet arrived,” said NAB CTO
Sam Matheny in a keynote address in which he compared the 3.0 rollout to
the massive road construction initiative in his home state of North
Carolina a century ago.

While broadcasters and vendors have done all the necessary planning and
design, Matheny said, they are still merely in the “earthwork phase” of the
3.0 rollout and both need to “double down” on their efforts to ensure the
standard’s success.

Matheny noted the broad support shown for the new standard at the NAB Show
in April, where more than 40 vendors demonstrated 3.0-compliant products.
But, he said, more product development and interoperability testing is
necessary, as evidenced by interoperability challenges faced by the 3.0
test station NAB and the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) are
currently running at Tribune’s WWJ Cleveland.

“In truth, you can’t test what hasn’t been built yet,” said Matheny.

Matheny credited South Korea, which began limited broadcasts with 3.0 in
Seoul in May 2017, with driving much of the standard’s development. That
point was echoed by Anne Schelle, managing director of the Pearl consortium
of leading station groups, which has established Phoenix as an “ATSC Model
Market” with the involvement of 12 stations.

“We wouldn’t be here without the Korean market driving this forward,” said
Schelle, who revealed that FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly visited the
Phoenix project last week to see the new standard in action on prototype
consumer receivers.

“We were able to show ATSC 3.0 services on all three sets last week, LG,
Samsung and Sony,” said Schelle. “To be honest, not everything worked. But
the video played and we didn’t have to do much [to make it happen].”

In Phoenix, Pearl is exploring what Schelle calls the “core buckets” of
what it sees as an early 3.0 service, including content protection and
conditional access; network simulcasting; addressable advertising and
audience data; and “modern application experiences and signal quality,”
including a user interface that is as intuitive as Netflix, Hulu or Roku.

To take advantage of 3.0’s broadband capability, Pearl is working with Cox
Cable in Phoenix, said Schelle, who added that the Pearl consortium hopes
to light up a second 3.0 stick by November.

While Schelle hopes to see 3.0 consumer receivers in meaningful volume by
2020 (and perhaps even in late 2019), that lags well behind the pace set by
South Korea.

Korean broadcasters SBS, MBC and KBS have deployed 3.0 to offer 4K UHD
service in four more cities last December, she said. The 2018 Winter
Olympics in PyeongChang also provided the opportunity to show the opening
and closing ceremonies and 10 sports in 4K UHD, as well as to test
interactive TV, with the Tiviva “home portal,” and mobile TV services.

In launching UHD services with 3.0, Korean broadcasters were keeping pace
with paid satellite and IPTV services that have been delivering UHD since
2014, said Jay Jeon, industry promotion manager for RAPA, the
government-funded organization that promotes broadcasting and associated
technologies (including TV set manufacturers) in Korea.

Today, one of out every two TVs sold in South Korea has UHD capability, and
by 2027 the country plans to shut off ATSC 1.0 completely, he said.

On the production front, about 15% of content in Korea is produced in
native UHD, says Jeon, and RAPA hopes to see that hit 50% by 2021 and 100%
by 2027.

RAPA is also busy promoting 3.0 technology to other countries looking to
upgrade their digital TV standards. Canada, Mexico and Brazil have all
expressed interest in 3.0, said Jeon. He had just traveled to Washington
from the Dominican Republic, 

[Medianews] Ariane chief seems frustrated with SpaceX for driving down launch costs

[George Antunes]

*Ariane chief seems frustrated with SpaceX for driving down launch costs*

*I cannot tell my teams: 'Goodbye, see you next year!'*


By ERIC BERGER
Ars Technica

5/21/2018, 10:25 AM

*https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/05/ariane-chief-seems-frustrated-with-spacex-for-driving-down-launch-costs/
*


The France-based Ariane Group is the primary contractor for the Ariane 5
launch vehicle, and it has also begun developing the Ariane 6 rocket. The
firm has a reliable record—indeed, NASA chose the Ariane 5 booster to fly
its multi-billion dollar James Webb Space Telescope—but it also faces an
uncertain future in an increasingly competitive launch market.

Like Russia and the US-based United Launch Alliance, the Ariane Group faces
pricing pressure from SpaceX, which offers launch prices as low as $62
million for its Falcon 9 rocket. It has specifically developed the Ariane 6
rocket to compete with the Falcon 9 booster.

But there are a couple of problems with this. Despite efforts to cut costs,
the two variants of the Ariane 6 will still cost at least 25 percent more
than SpaceX's present-day prices. Moreover, the Ariane 6 will not fly until
2020 at the earliest, by which time Falcon 9 could offer significantly
cheaper prices on used Falcon 9 boosters if it needed to. (The Ariane 6
rocket is entirely expendable).

With this background in mind, the chief executive of Ariane Group, Alain
Charmeau, gave an interview to the German publication Der Spiegel. The
interview was published in German, but a credible translation can be found
here. During the interview, Charmeau expressed frustration with SpaceX and
attributed its success to subsidized launches for the US government.

*$100 million launches*
When pressed on the price pressure that SpaceX has introduced into the
launch market, Charmeau's central argument is that this has only been
possible because, "SpaceX is charging the US government 100 million dollar
per launch, but launches for European customers are much cheaper."
Essentially, he says, launches for the US military and NASA are subsidizing
SpaceX's commercial launch business.

This may be so, but the prices that SpaceX has offered to the US Department
of Defense for spy satellites, and cargo and crew launches for NASA, are
below those of what other launch companies charge. And while $100 million
or more for a military launch is significantly higher than a $62 million
commercial launch, government contracts come with extra restrictions,
reviews, and requirements that drive up this price.
Even as he decries these so-called subsidies for SpaceX from the US
government, Charmeau admits that Ariane cannot exist without guaranteed
contracts purchased by European governments. To make the Ariane 6 vehicle
viable, Charmeau said Ariane needs five launches in total for 2021 and
eight guaranteed launches for 2022.

*No reusability*
During the interview, Charmeau also addressed reusability when the
interviewer raised this as a possibility for lowering the cost of launch.
In response, Charmeau asserts that the interviewer cannot know whether
re-flying boosters is less expensive, as SpaceX claims. "How do you know
that?" Charmeau asks. "Do you know their real cost structure?"

We do not, of course, as SpaceX is privately held. And it is highly
probable that SpaceX has lost money so far on its effort to develop a
reusable first stage. But now that it has begun flying the Block 5 variant
of the Falcon 9 rocket, the company seems well positioned both to lower its
prices as well as take profits from this research-and-development effort.

Charmeau said the Ariane rocket does not launch often enough to justify the
investment into reusability. (It would need about 30 launches a year to
justify these costs, he said). And then Charmeau said something telling
about why reusability doesn't make sense to a government-backed rocket
company—jobs.

"Let us say we had ten guaranteed launches per year in Europe and we had a
rocket which we can use ten times—we would build exactly one rocket per
year," he said. "That makes no sense. I cannot tell my teams: 'Goodbye, see
you next year!'"

This seems a moment of real irony. Whereas earlier in the interview
Charmeau accuses the US government of subsidizing SpaceX, a few minutes
later he says the Ariane Group can't make a reusable rocket because it
would be too efficient. For Europe, a difficult decision now looms. It can
either keep subsidizing its own launch business in order to maintain an
independent capability, or its can give in to Elon Musk and SpaceX, and
Jeff Bezos and Blue Origin. Charmeau seems to have a clear view of where he
thinks the continent should go.

"It is about future business," Charmeau said. "Why do all the billionaires
invest in space? Why does Jeff Bezos come to Germany and declares that the
country should not go to space? He makes money with your 

[Medianews] Comcast Still Makes A Killing, Even When You Cut The Cord

[George Antunes]

Wed, May 16th 2018 6:30am

*Comcast Still Makes A Killing, Even When You Cut The Cord*


*by Karl Bode*
*Techdirt.com*

https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20180515/08384839835/comcast-still-makes-killing-even-when-you-cut-cord.shtml


While the rate of cord cutting is expected to double for Comcast this year,
the phenomenon isn't having as dire an impact on the company's bottom line
as you might expect. That's thanks to Comcast's growing monopoly over
broadband in countless markets where the nation's phone companies are
simply refusing to upgrade their networks at any real scale. That lack of
competition lets the company not only jack up the standalone price of
broadband (starting at $75 in many markets), but it allows the company to
implement punitive and unnecessary usage caps and overage fees to drive up
your bill should you embrace streaming alternatives.

Speaking at a telecom conference in New York this week, Comcast cable CEO
Dave Watson very quietly acknowledged the fact that when a customer cuts
the cord, the fact that Comcast doesn't have to pay content licensing costs
for that user -- combined with the fact that they simply drive up the cost
of broadband for that user -- means that the company comes out ahead anyway:

"Watson added that while Comcast tries to keep customers through a variety
of programming and broadband packages, but added that when a customer
leaves as a result of price, the impact is actually favorable to the
company. "We segment the marketplace,” Watson said, adding that when a
low-end customer drops video service over price, but keeps their broadband
service – at a higher monthly charge – the company makes out better.

"It’s actually accretive when that happens,” Watson said. “It’s a
manageable transition."

Of course that wouldn't be the case if Comcast actually had to compete on
the broadband front, a problem we don't seem particularly intent on solving
anytime soon. Wall Street of course knows this and is very excited about
the prospect, with many analysts cheering Comcast toward boosting the cost
of standalone broadband from $75 (after a recent hike) upwards of $90 per
month or higher:

"We have argued that broadband is underpriced, given that pricing has
barely increased over the past decade while broadband utility has
exploded,” New Street said. “Our analysis suggested a ‘utility-adjusted’
ARPU target of ~$90. Comcast recently increased standalone broadband to $90
(including modem), paving the way for faster ARPU growth as the mix shifts
in favor of broadband-only households. Charter will likely follow, once
they are through the integration of Time Warner Cable."

New Street added that “broadband pricing could double from current levels."

How exciting. Of course while this firm tries to argue that broadband
pricing has "barely increased" over the last decade, it's important to
understand he's talking about the advertised price. Comcast has provided a
master class in the tactic of using hidden, sneaky, and/or entirely bogus
fees to covertly jack up the cost of service post sale, something both
Comcast and Charter are facing numerous lawsuits for. Then there's Comcast
usage caps and overage fees, which Comcast can also slowly but surely
squeeze with zero organic market or (for now) regulatory repercussions.

Of course Comcast still values the cash cow that is traditional television,
and in an added wrinkle has started only doling out the latest speed
upgrades to users that bundle television. But thanks to our refusal to
actually address limited competition in the broadband space, Comcast will
manage to grab its pound of flesh -- one way or another. That's why a
growing number of towns and cities see building their own broadband
networks as the only path forward out of this cycle of monopoly dysfunction.

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[Medianews] Windows is getting an update. Here’s what you need to know.

[George Antunes]

*Windows is getting an update. Here’s what you need to know.*

By Hayley Tsukayama
Washington Post

 April 27 at 9:01 AM

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/04/27/windows-is-getting-an-update-heres-what-you-need-to-know/


Microsoft said Friday that it has updated its flagship operating system
Windows to help us get more stuff done.

The new release — creatively called the “Windows April 2018 Update” —
introduces three major features. There's a new timeline view, a feature to
help you ignore distractions, and improved voice control.

“The spirit of this release is how it can help you get back time,” Yusuf
Mehdi, Microsoft’s corporate vice president of the Windows and Devices
Group, said in an interview with The Washington Post last month at
Microsoft’s Redmond, Wash., headquarters.

This is the first Windows release since Microsoft broke up the Windows and
Devices Group late last month, which has been one of the company’s core
departments for decades. That prompted a few people to declare the death of
Windows, which has been Microsoft’s flagship brand for years.

The cloud plays a major part in the new update to allow people to run
Microsoft's software on any machine, regardless of whether it's a Surface
or Apple Mac.

“Having Windows’s efforts align with the cloud will help us scale even more
broadly,” Mehdi said.

The Timeline feature fits into that trend, by creating a view that lets you
see what work you’re doing in Microsoft programs across devices. If you are
working on a Word document on your iPhone or your Android tablet on your
train ride into work, for example, Timeline allows for whatever you’re
working on in transit to show up on your work PC when you get into the
office.

With a new feature called “Focus Assist,” Microsoft is also riding a trend
with appeal to people evaluating how much of their life is spent with
screens: designing ways that technology can get you to use it less.

The feature will shut off your notifications for set periods of time to
keep you from getting distracted. Microsoft looked at research that said
switching tasks, even just to see a notification, can keep someone from
regaining their focus for 23 minutes, Aaron Woodman, general manager of
Windows marketing said.

You can flip the switch on at any time, or set times in your day when you
specifically want to focus. And, just in case you're worried you'll be
missing too much, you can set the feature to let through notifications from
certain people, such as your boss.

Windows is also looking, in some ways, to play a bigger part in your home
life, adding more features for its Cortana voice assistant. It's now
possible to control your Cortana-compatible smart-home devices from your PC.

The true place of Windows moving forward remains to be seen. It used to be
Microsoft's most lucrative product, a crown it has ceded to Office,
Microsoft's server business and even its gaming business in the past
decade. Under CEO Satya Nadella, there's been a marked shift on computing
in the cloud and on mobile devices, rather than on desktops and the
shrinking PC market.

But Windows still gives Microsoft half a billion users and drives its vital
personal computing unit, according to the company's latest earnings report.
So even if Windows is becoming more of a supporting player, rumors of its
imminent death seem greatly exaggerated.

The update will start rolling out Monday.

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[Medianews] As Netflix Goes Global, Can It Avoid Regional Politics?

[George Antunes]

*As Netflix Goes Global, Can It Avoid Regional Politics?*




*6:15 AM PDT 4/16/2018 by Scott Roxborough , Alex RitmanThe Hollywood
Reporter*

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/as-netflix-goes-global-can-it-avoid-regional-politics-1102121?ncid=newsltushpmgentertainment__Streamline__042118


*Scandals involving shows in Brazil, Israel and the Philippines highlight
the challenge for the streaming giant as it tries to grow internationally
while staying above the local political fray.*

Netflix has long since gone global.

The majority of Netflix's subscribers are already outside the United
States, and that global gap is only going to get wider.

Netflix will publish its fourth-quarter results after the market close
April 16, but management has already said it anticipates a net gain of 4.9
million subscribers outside the U.S., against a net increase of 1.45
million subscribers stateside, or year-over-year growth, respectively, of
41 percent internationally, compared with 11 percent domestically.

But as Netflix gets bigger — and more international — the company is
running up against a challenge more threatening than Facebook or Amazon
Prime: local politics.

Netflix is under fire, around the world, not for its disruptive business
model, but for the political content of its programming.

In Brazil, left-wing politicians, critics and journalists have called for a
boycott of the streamer to protest its new series The Mechanism, alleging
“lies and inaccuracies” in the loosely fictionalized docudrama about the
real-life corruption scandal that just saw former Brazilian President Luiz
da Silva imprisoned on a 12-year sentence.

Fauda, an Israeli political thriller that Netflix carries worldwide, also
sparked threats of a local boycott after a pro-Palestinian (and Nobel Peace
Prize-nominated) activist group accused the show, which depicts a secret
Israeli commando unit operating inside the West Bank, of being “propaganda
glorifying Israeli war crimes.” And the Asian director of Human Rights
Watch has called Amo, Netflix's fictionalized miniseries about Philippine
President Rodrigo Duterte's hugely controversial drug war, “a whitewashed
view” of the regime’s crackdown on alleged drug dealers that paints “a
ludicrous veneer of civility and lawfulness [over the] human rights
calamity that Duterte has inflicted on Filipinos.”

Netflix has so far declined to comment on any of the backlash facing some
of its international programming.

The streamer has encountered international controversy before, most
famously in its public spat with the Cannes Film Festival, which recently
banned Netflix films from official competition. Netflix responded by
refusing to submit any of its movies for Cannes screenings, even for
out-of-competition or sidebar events.

But Cannes' problem with Netflix is the company's disruptive business
model. The festival doesn't like it that the streamer bypasses local
theaters by putting its movies up online worldwide, day-and-date. Theater
owners around the world have similar complaints. Until very recently,
however, no one had any problem with what Netflix was showing, they just
griped about how they were showing it. The flare-ups over The Mechanism,
Fauda and Amo show that is changing.

Of course, some local controversy could have been expected given Netflix's
ambitious global expansion. In order to appeal to local audiences, the
company plowed money into local-language production in Rio, Manila, Tokyo,
Berlin and elsewhere. Typically, Netflix has gone in big, hiring
award-winning local directors — Brazil's Jose Padilha, Filipino auteur
Brillante Mendoza — to tell cutting-edge, often politically explosive
stories with a strong regional appeal. But what plays in the U.S. as
entertainment or simple artistic license — misattributing a quote to the
wrong politician (as Padilha is accused of doing in The Mechanism) or
depicting as law-abiding Filipino drug police who are accused of “wholesale
slaughter” and the killing of more than 12,000 people, as Mendoza does in
Amo — can be seen through a local lens as inaccurate at best and, at worst,
as deliberate propaganda.

Nowhere is this clearer than in Russia, where the country's culture
minister, Vladimir Medinsky, has gone so far as to accuse Netflix of “mind
control.”

Moscow took aim at Netflix over its 2016 Oscar-winning short film The White
Helmets. The British doc follows members of the Syrian volunteer rescue
group, who pull the dead and injured from the ruins of buildings bombed by
Syrian government forces in rebel-held areas. Russia, whose military forces
and air force are supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in his fight
against these same rebels, as well as ISIS and other extremists, consider
the White Helmets little more than “crisis actors” promoting a pro-ISIS
agenda. Kremlin-backed international media outlets, including RT and
Sputnik, have sharply criticized the Syrian volunteer group and singled out
the White Helmets film for 

[Medianews] FCC Freezes C-Band

[George Antunes]

*FCC Freezes C-Band*




*John EggertonMultichannel News*
*April 19, 2018*

https://www.multichannel.com/news/fcc-freezes-c-band


*Will collect info on who is where, with eye toward sharing*

The FCC has signaled the next spectrum band it is seriously eyeing to free
up for advanced telecom.

The Wireless Telecommunications, International, Public Safety and Homeland
Security bureaus said Thursday (April 19) that it was instituting a
temporary freeze on applications for new or modified fixed satellite
service earth stations and fixed microwave stations in the 3.7-4.2 GHz
spectrum bands (C-band) to "preserve the current landscape" as it looks
into possibly allowing mobile broadband and more "intensive" fixed use.

The fact that the public notice was issued by four different bureaus
suggests the band's future is clearly in play. The freeze also will prevent
speculators from trying to get in under the wire if the band is indeed
opened up.

But in a nod to cable operators who use the band for thousands of
receive-only earth stations, has also opened a 90-day window where for
current users of earth stations to file or register or license those or
modify their current registration or license. That will also give the FCC a
better idea of who is in the band, and where as it explores opening it up
to others. The notice suggests it may require "require all licenses [and]
registrants … to file a certification that the earth station was
operational as of the start of the freeze and remains operational at the
time of the certification along with additional technical details regarding
their operations to inform the Commission’s resolution of issues raised in
the inquiry.”

The FCC freeze follows its Aug. 3, 2017, Notice of Inquiry on Expanding
Flexible Use in Mid-Band Spectrum Between 3.7 and 24 GHz.

ACA was pleased with that window.

"ACA thanks the Bureaus for taking into account concerns raised by ACA that
the cost of registering the thousands of earth stations operated by ACA
members - upwards of $1,200

per station - is prohibitively expensive, particularly for the smallest
providers, and unnecessary as a practical matter," said American Cable
Association Matt Polka. "By providing a window in which multichannel video
programming distributors (MVPDs) can register their earth stations without
submitting an expensive spectrum coordination report, the FCC has lowered
the cost of registration by roughly $700 or 60%. Today's action also
greatly reduces the complexity of the process.

"As ACA previously explained to the FCC, this relief will motivate its
members to register their stations for the first time, which will
ultimately help the FCC understand where and how the C-Band is currently
used, and how the band can best be made available for other uses," said
Polka.

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[Medianews] U.S. broadband homes average more than 7 video devices, Parks Associates says

[George Antunes]

*U.S. broadband homes average more than 7 video devices, Parks Associates
says*

by Ben Munson
fiercecable.com

Mar 23, 2018 12:34pm

https://www.fiercecable.com/video/u-s-broadband-homes-have-average-more-than-7-video-devices-parks-associates-says


Households in the United States have an abundance of options when it comes
to choosing a device for watching video content, according to Parks
Associates.

On average, the study found that U.S. broadband households have more than
seven video devices, including TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones.

At the same time, Parks Associates revealed that U.S. broadband households
also have plenty of OTT service options.

“Nearly 40% of U.S. broadband households subscribe to multiple OTT video
services, and consumers expect to access their high-quality content on any
platform, at any location where they live or go for work or fun,” said
Elizabeth Parks, senior vice president of Parks Associates, in a statement.
“Demand for connected AV experiences is opening new business opportunities
for integrators and companies that can provide expert managed services
across multiple platforms and locations.”

RELATED: About 20% of U.S. broadband households get live TV through an
antenna, Parks Associates says

With high numbers of OTT services and devices on which to watch them, U.S.
broadband households are also opting more often to get live television via
antennas.

The percentage of U.S. broadband households that use digital antennas in
their homes increased to 20% near the end of 2017, up from 16% in early
2015, according to Parks Associates.

"Increasingly, consumers are cobbling together their own bundles of content
sources. Digital antennas are experiencing a resurgence as consumers
consider over-the-air TV and OTT video services as alternatives to pay TV,"
said Brett Sappington, senior director of research at Parks Associates, in
a statement. "The percentage of 'Never' households (households that have
never subscribed to pay-TV services) has held steady, and the percentage of
households actually cutting the cord has increased between 2015 and 2017.
Antennas are an affordable source for local channels to these households."

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[Medianews] Why Cord-Cutting Soared in 2017: High Cost of Pay TV Was No. 1 Factor

[George Antunes]

MARCH 16, 2018 2:31PM PT

*Why Cord-Cutting Soared in 2017: High Cost of Pay TV Was No. 1 Factor*

*By Todd Spangler*
*NY Digital Editor, Variety*

*http://variety.com/2018/biz/news/cord-cutting-2017-high-cost-cancellation-pay-tv-1202728922/
*


The cord-cutting numbers for 2017 are in, and they paint an increasingly
dreary picture for pay-TV providers — which experienced their worst losses
to date.

Analysts estimate U.S. cable, satellite and telco operators shed between
3.1 million and 3.5 million traditional TV subscribers last year. That’s a
significant acceleration over the 1.9 million the sector lost in 2016, per
Kagan, with the sub base shrinking 3.7% in 2017.

As of the end of 2017, combined cable, direct broadcast satellite and
telecommunication (telco) multichannel subscriptions fell to 94 million,
according to Kagan. That’s down 7.4 million from their peak in 2012, a drop
of more than 7%. And there’s no evidence to suggest the slide will slow
down anytime soon, as legacy pay TV’s “fat” bundles look more and more like
a luxury item.

Some of the losses are attributable to more American consumers downgrading
to cheaper “virtual” internet-TV skinny bundles. But those don’t account
for the full exodus: While traditional pay-TV declined by a net 3.3 million
subs in 2017, online pay-TV services added 2.6 million, according to Wall
Street firm MoffettNathanson. The latter category included Dish’s Sling TV,
AT’s DirecTV Now, YouTube TV, Hulu’s live TV package, and Sony’s
PlayStation Vue.

The chief culprit for the continued decline of subscription television?

No surprise: The high cost of cable and satellite TV services was the No. 1
reason cord-cutters said they cancelled pay-TV service, according to TiVo’s
Online Video and Pay-TV Trends Report for Q4 2017.

Among cord-cutters, 87% said they cancelled service because of its high
price, up about seven points from a year earlier, per the TiVo report. In
addition, of pay-TV subscribers who said they were unsatisfied, 83% chose
“Too expensive/Increasing fees for cable/satellite services” — the top
response. TiVo’s report was based on a survey of 3,330 adults in the U.S.
and Canada.

The average price U.S. consumers said they would pay for a package of
self-selected channels is $35.87 per month. That’s in line with the prices
of DirecTV Now, Sling TV and YouTube TV. By contrast, only 15% of pay-TV
customers say they pay less than $50 per month — and 56% said they shell
out $76 or more per month for cable or satellite TV.

Clearly, the newer internet-TV players are attracting customers with lower
prices. But it’s not a sustainable model, according to MoffettNathanson’s
Craig Moffett.

For the two big satellite operators in particular, trading traditional subs
for over-the-top TV customers has been a drag on earnings. For the fourth
quarter of 2017, Dish Network revenue dropped 5% — earnings before
interest, tax, depreciation and amortization tumbled 21.5%. At AT’s
Entertainment Group (which includes DirecTV) revenue slid 3.5% and EBITDA
dropped 11.2% for the period. “But at least they are adding subscribers. I
mean, that’s something, isn’t it?” Moffett noted archly in a research note
earlier this month.

True, the virtual pay-TV services may simply hike prices the same way
old-fashioned satellite and cable have for years. For example, Google this
week raised the price of YouTube TV by 14% over the intro price, to $40
monthly for new subscribers, after adding Turner networks (just in time for
March Madness).

For now, as long as internet-TV services price themselves at or below cost
— and there’s no reason to believe that will change dramatically — per
Moffett: “Being a vMPVD [virtual multichannel programming video
distributor] will remain a truly lousy business.”

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[Medianews] Facebook & Warner Music ink recorded & published music deal for videos & messages

[George Antunes]

*Facebook and Warner Music ink recorded and published music deal for videos
and messages*

by Ingrid Lunden
Techcrunch.com

https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/09/facebook-and-warner-music-ink-recorded-and-published-music-deal-for-videos-and-messages/


Just weeks after signing a large licensing deal with leading indy label
representative ICE, Facebook has continued its march into the world of
music with the news that it has now added Warner Music Group into the mix,
the last major label that was not yet working with the social network.

Facebook has signed a wide-ranging licensing deal that covers all of Warner
Music’s recorded and published music catalogs. Music from these can now be
used in “social experiences” on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and Occulus.
(WhatsApp for now is not included.)

The list of artists in the Warner stable is massive: it includes iconic
names like the Eagles and early Madonna (pre 2010) through to Ed Sheeran,
Nina Simone and Jay-Z.

Facebook has been working on a more comprehensive music licensing policy
for months, some believe as it gears up to take a bigger step into music
services itself.

But before anything like that can even be considered, though, it has had to
sort out royalties around music that appears on Facebook already. A Warner
spokesperson confirmed to me that it’s not disclosing any terms. But
reports have estimated that the prices of these deals are in the hundreds
of millions of dollars to cover Facebook’s 2.1 billion registered users.

Warner was the last big hold-out among the world’s “big three” biggest
labels, alongside Sony and Universal Music, which had yet to sign on to
working with Facebook, something it highlighted when commenting on today’s
deal.

“The team at Facebook is creating a truly innovative product and is showing
real commitment to its participation in the growth of the music business,”
said Eric Mackay, EVP, Global Digital Strategy, Warner/Chappell, in a
statement. “We’ve taken our time to arrive at the best possible deal, one
that recognises the value that music creates on social networks, while
empowering our songwriters to reach audiences around the world, in a way
that will spark creativity and conversation among their fans. Our
incredible catalogue of songs will be represented throughout Facebook’s
platforms and we’re excited to work together to create new opportunities
for both our songwriters and Facebook’s users.”

In addition to Warner/Chappell, labels associated with WMG include Asylum,
Atlantic, Big Beat, Canvasback, East West, Elektra, Erato, FFRR, Fueled by
Ramen, Nonesuch, Parlophone, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Sire, Warner
Bros., Warner Classics and Warner Music Nashville.

This is a very significant deal: it will mean that Warner Music will now be
able to collect royalties on tracks that are used in videos and messages;
and those posting content on Facebook and its network of social sites will
be doing so in the legal clear.

For now, this covers just organic content from consumer users, but it
sounds like the two will also be exploring how to bring this into
advertising and other paid posts as well.

“Under the partnership, WMG and Facebook will continue to work together to
develop new products that enable users to personalize their music
experiences across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram and Oculus,” Warner said
in a statement, with the commercial aspect highlighted specifically by Ole
Obermann, Warner Music Group’s Chief Digital Officer.

“Our partnership with Facebook will help expand the universe of music
streaming and create supplementary revenue for artists,” he said.
“Fan-created video is one of the most personal, social and often viral ways
that music is enjoyed, but its commercial potential is largely untapped.
This collaboration will lead to new possibilities for our artists, while
enhancing the user experience across Facebook, Instagram and Oculus, and
enabling people to communicate and express themselves using the music they
love.”

This is the latest in a string of music partnerships that Facebook has
signed in recent months. Others include an agreement with Universal Music
Group over user-generated videos; a deal with Sony/ATV; and a licensing
deal with Kobalt, HFA/Rumblefish and Global Music Rights.

Separately, Facebook also has also pursued a secondary route of giving
creators access to “no-name” music via a new service it’s launched called
Sound Collection.

Facebook has so far declined to comment on its longer-term ambitions in the
world of music, but it has long been rumored to be interested in building
its own streaming service, along the lines of Spotify, Pandora, and Apple
Music.

More generally, as Facebook has faced a drop-off in user growth in mature
markets, it’s been looking for more ways to engage those users it already
has, in competition with a plethora of rival social media services and
dozens of other digital distractions, from Netflix to games to fiddling
with your smart home appliances.

As 

[Medianews] CBS Launches Streaming Sports News Service. Free 24-Hour OTT Network CBS Sports HQ Is Ad Supported

[George Antunes]

*CBS Launches Streaming Sports News Service*

*Free 24-hour OTT network CBS Sports HQ is ad supported*

2/26/2018 8:34 AM Eastern

By: Jon Lafayette
Broadcasting & Cable

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/cbs-launches-free-sports-streaming-news-service/172027


CBS on Monday (Feb. 26) launched CBS Sports HQ, a 24-hour streaming sports
news network with updates, scores, highlights and analysis.

The service is accessible free and supported by advertising.

CBS Sports HQ follows on CBSN, a 24-hour free streaming news service. CBS
also has subscription streaming services in CBS All Access and a Showtime
OTT product that, combined, have about 5 million subscribers.

“CBS Sports HQ is another key step in the evolution of the CBS
Corporation,” CBS CEO Les Moonves said in a statement. “From CBS All Access
to Showtime OTT to CBSN, we are creating best-in-class direct-to-consumer
streaming platforms that are positioning us to be leaders in the future of
premium content distribution. Thanks to the collaboration of CBS
Interactive and CBS Sports, I am confident that CBS Sports HQ will become
our latest success story in that regard.”

The new network is a collaboration between CBS Sports and CBS Interactive
and employs the resources of CBS Sports, CBS Sports.com, 247Sports,
SportsLine, CBS Sports Fantasy and MaxPreps.

At launch, CBS Sports HQ is available on CBSSports.com; the CBS Sports app
for connected TV devices including Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV and Roku
players and Roku TVs; the CBS Sports mobile app for iOS and Android; CBSN;
and the CBS All Access subscription service.

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[Medianews] Turner Expands FilmStruck With Classic Warner Bros. Films; Warner Archive Streaming Service Folded

[George Antunes]

Feb 26, 2018 08:30 AM ET

*Turner Expands FilmStruck With Classic Warner Bros. Films*

*Warner Archive streaming service folded*

By Jon Lafayette
Broadcasting & Cable

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/turner-expands-filmstruck-classic-warner-bros-films/172003


Expanding one of Time Warner’s direct-to-consumer businesses, Turner is
adding classic movies from the Warner Bros. library to its FilmStruck
streaming subscription video-on-demand service.

Effective Monday, FilmStruck subscribers get access to hundreds of movies
from Hollywood’s golden age including Casablanca, Rebel Without a Cause,
Singin’ In the Rain, Citizen Kane, The Music Man and A Night at the Opera,
in addition to the art house, independent and cult films they had been
streaming.

The price of a FilmStruck subscription remains at $6.99 for its base tier.
It also offers FilmStruck and the Criterion Channel for $10.99 a month and
an annual subscription covering FilmStruck and Criterion Channel for $99 a
year.

Warner Archive, a streaming service started by Warner Bros. Digital
Networks is being folded and its subscribers will be transitioned to
FilmStruck.

With the additional movies, FilmStruck is launching a new featured called
TCM Select, a highlighted selection of iconic films. Each film will be
accompanied by an introduction from TCM host Ben Mankiewicz, archival
content and other bonus material.

Streaming has become a growth opportunity for many media companies. Earlier
this month, CBS  said it had 5 million subscribers between its CBS All
Access and Showtime OTT offerings. And the Walt Disney Co. is launching the
streaming subscription product ESPN Plus this spring and a Disney-branded
streaming product next year.

Time Warner execs noted that they are big in streaming. In addition to
FilmStruck, Turner and Warner Bros. work together on the Boomerang kids’
service. Warner Bros. also has Drama Fever, offering international films,
and HBO has its HBO Now OTT product. A soccer service is in the works, as
well as a D.C. Comics-based product.

“We may not be beating the drum as loudly as Disney is, but I think we’re
ahead of the game right now,” said Craig Hunegs, president, Warner Bros.
Digital Networks and president, business and strategy, Warner Bros.
Television Group.

FilmStruck was launched in 2016. Turner is not disclosing how many
subscribers it has, but Hunegs said it has five times the number of
subscribers of Warner Archive.

“We like what we’re seeing,” said Coleman Breland, president of Turner
Classic Movies, FilmStruck and Turner Content Experiences. “It’s high
engagement, very low churn. And our renewals on annual subscriptions are
wonderfully and shockingly high.”

Breland said FilmStruck heard from its subscribers that they wanted films
from the golden age of Hollywood added to the service and it made sense to
work with sister company Warner Bros.

"Warner Bros. had launched its Archive service back in 2013 and the
technology back then wasn’t what it is now. To make Archive a success,
Warner Bros. would have had to upgrade its technology, its user experience
and its curation—all strengths of FilmStruck,” Hunegs said.

“There was no question that the product they have is better than what we
had in Archive,” he said. “They had all the things we were lacking.”

Turner and Warner Bros. this month launched FilmStruck in the U.K. and will
be rolling it out in other countries over the course of the next year. “We
think this has enormous potential globally and so we’re really excited to
be doing this together,” Hunegs said.

Turner and other cable programmers are learning lessons about the streaming
business.

One mistake would be “to think that what made you successful in linear will
automatically make you successful in direct-to consumer,” Breland said.

Though both deal in classic movies. FilmStruck for example is very
different than TCM, he said. About 80% of the audience for TCM is 55 years
of age and older. FilmStruck, on the other hand, is targeted at 25- to
44-year-olds.

With a subscription service, “you’re constantly in touch with what they
want in terms of search and discovery and interface and feedback,” he said.

“You continually hone your business all the time, no matter what your
business is, but when you’re direct to consumer daily you’re looking at
what they are telling you,” he said, adding that retail and wholesale are
very different businesses.

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[Medianews] British Telecom told to share poles with ultrafast fibre internet

[George Antunes]

*BT told to share poles for ultrafast fibre internet*

*BBC News*

23 February 2018

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-43168564


BT must make it easier for rival internet providers to use its telegraph
poles, telecoms regulator Ofcom says.

Ofcom has published a list of new measures to make it cheaper for companies
to install ultrafast full fibre broadband infrastructure.

Connecting homes directly to the fibre network delivers much faster
internet speeds than copper cables.

Rivals Talk Talk and Hyperoptic welcomed the announcement. BT said it was
"considering the implications".

*What are the new measures?*

Ofcom says full fibre internet is currently available to 3% of UK homes and
offices. It hopes to see 6 million buildings connected by 2020.

It said BT must make it easier for rivals to install fibre on its telegraph
poles and in its underground tunnels.

It wants a clearer map of where there is capacity on the telegraph poles
and in the tunnels for rivals to do so.

Ofcom suggested streets could be connected to full fibre in "hours" rather
than days, as companies would no longer have to dig up roads to lay fibre.

It estimated that sharing infrastructure would halve the cost of connecting
a home to full fibre - from £500 to £250.

Additionally, BT will be banned from reducing its wholesale prices in areas
where rival networks are starting to lay infrastructure.

Openreach, which maintains most of the UK's telephone lines, will be
ordered to repair faulty infrastructure and clear the way for competitors
to access its tunnels.

"Openreach must ensure there is space on its telegraph poles for extra
fibre cables connecting homes to a competitor's network," Ofcom said in a
statement.

*How have BT and Openreach reacted?*

BT said it had "noted" the publication of Ofcom's proposals.

In a statement, it said the changes would have an "adverse financial impact
on Openreach's revenue and profit" in the region of £80m to £120m.

Addressing the restriction on varying its wholesale prices, BT said it was
"considering the implications for full and fair competition".

Openreach said Ofcom's statement gave the company "certainty on their
approach".

But it said it had already been letting rival companies use its telegraph
poles and tunnels.

"Our ducts and poles have been open since 2011 and we have been sharing a
digital map of this network for more than a year," it said in a statement.

It added that telecoms firms needed to "be certain they can secure a return
on their investment" if a nationwide rollout of full fibre was to be
realised.

*How have telecoms companies reacted?*

Talk Talk said the announcement was "good for consumers, competition and
investment". Hyperoptic said the move would strengthen the business case
for investment in full fibre networks.

"This will ultimately create a better digital future for the UK, not just
serve the interests of BT retail," said Hyperoptic chief executive Dana
Tobak.

Consumer magazine Which? said the changes needed to be made more quickly.

"Consumers are crying out for better broadband... steps to ensure more
investment in this vital service can't come soon enough," said spokeswoman
Alex Neill.


*Analysis*

by Rory Cellan-Jones, Technology correspondent

Suddenly everyone has gone full fibre. After years of insisting that laying
fibre right to the home was too expensive and a copper connection to a
kerbside fibre cabinet was absolutely fine, the government has changed its
mind.

Now the regulator Ofcom has come in behind the new thinking. To make the
sums add up, it is forcing BT to open up its network of tunnels and
telegraph poles to its rivals.

Cynics will point out that this was supposed to have happened years ago -
but at last the regulator is tightening the screw.

The really bold move would have been to split Openreach off from BT years
ago and turn it into a national "fibre to the home" utility.

But that ship has sailed. Ofcom now believes that overlapping fast fibre
networks built by BT and its rivals will deliver more innovation and a
better deal for consumers.

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[Medianews] NRA gives Ajit Pai “courage award” and gun for “saving the Internet”

[George Antunes]

*NRA gives Ajit Pai “courage award” and gun for “saving the Internet”*

*Killing net neutrality helps Pai win award for "standing up under
pressure."*

JON BRODKIN
Ars Technica

2/23/2018, 2:51 PM

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/02/nra-gives-ajit-pai-courage-award-and-gun-for-saving-the-internet/


The National Rifle Association (NRA) today gave its Charlton Heston Courage
Under Fire Award to Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications
Commission.

Pai was about to speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference
(CPAC) in Maryland when the award presentation seemed to catch him by
surprise. The award is a handmade long gun that could not be brought on
stage, so it will be housed in the NRA museum until Pai can receive it.

"Ajit Pai, as you probably already know, saved the Internet," American
Conservative Union (ACU) Executive Director Dan Schneider told the
audience. The ACU is the host of CPAC; Schneider made a few more remarks
praising Pai before handing the award presentation over to NRA board member
Carolyn Meadows.

Right Wing Watch posted a video of the ceremony:
https://youtu.be/cwaH6WAIyRI

Pai "fought to preserve your free speech rights" as a member of the FCC's
Republican minority during the Obama administration, Schneider said. Pai
"fought and won against all odds, but the Obama administration had some
curveballs and they implemented these regulations to take over the
Internet."

"As soon as President Trump came into office, President Trump asked Ajit
Pai to liberate the Internet and give it back to you," Schneider added.
"Ajit Pai is the most courageous, heroic person that I know."

The signature achievement that helped Pai win the NRA courage award came in
December when the FCC voted to eliminate net neutrality rules. The rules,
which are technically still on the books for a while longer, prohibited
Internet service providers from blocking and throttling lawful Internet
traffic and from charging online services for prioritization.

Schneider did not explain how eliminating net neutrality rules preserved
anyone's "free speech rights."

*Pai joins “distinguished pantheon” of winners*

After Schneider spoke, Meadows told Pai that "the Charlton Heston Courage
Under Fire award is sponsored by the National Rifle Association" in honor
of the former NRA president, and it's not given every year. It is only
awarded "when someone has stood up under pressure with grace and dignity
and principled discipline," she said.

Previous awardees included Rush Limbaugh, Phyllis Schlafly, Vice President
Mike Pence, Roy Innis, and Sheriff David Clarke, she said.

"We are honored to have you as part of this distinguished pantheon,"
Meadows told Pai.

"Thank you ma'am, I really appreciate it," Pai responded.

The actual award is a "Kentucky handmade long gun," Meadows said. "We
cannot bring it on stage," she said, noting that it would be housed in the
NRA's museum along with a plaque honoring Pai. "When you can receive it,
we'll give it to you," she said.

On the CPAC agenda, the segment involving Pai was titled, "American Pai:
The Courageous Chairman of the FCC." Pai and the other two Republican
members of the FCC then participated in a panel about "how the FCC is
paving the way for innovation."

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[Medianews] SpaceX launching its first test satellites to bring Internet to billions around the world

[George Antunes]

SpaceX launching its first test satellites to bring Internet to billions
around the world


*SpaceX will launch its first two test satellites next week, a postponement
from an initial liftoff that was scheduled on Sunday.*

*Elon Musk's space company aims to begin building its own constellation of
4,425 broadband satellites in 2019, with another 7,518 satellites to come
after.*

*The constellation may be able to bring 5G-like service to billions around
the world.*

Michael Sheetz
CNBC

Published 11:17 AM ET Sat, 17 Feb 2018

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/17/spacex-testing-its-own-satellite-broadband-internet-network.html


SpaceX is on a collision course with the world's biggest telecom and
satellite manufacturing companies, as it steps up development of its
"Starlink" network of satellites.

The company will soon test its first satellites, Microsat 2a and 2b, which
are headed for orbit aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 from Vandenberg Air Force
Base, California, according to documents filed by the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC). These satellites will take the next step
into space, which is critical for the network's progress.

On Saturday, SpaceX scrapped plans to launch on Sunday, in the interest of
performing "final checks', and rescheduled for February 21st. However, the
company's big ambitions remain on track.

Starlink – a name SpaceX filed to trademark last year – is an ambition
unmatched by any current satellite network. The largest existing
constellation is built by Iridium, with the company halfway through
launching its new 75 Iridium Next satellites to space, set to finish
deployment in the next year.

The stakes are high, with a space race for a new era viewed as a linchpin
to help make life better here on earth. According to the FCC there are
about 14 million rural Americans, as well as 1.2 million Americans on
tribal lands, who do not have access to even the slowest mobile broadband
services.

If realized, SpaceX's satellite constellation would transform a
traditionally high-cost, low-reliability service. The space industry is
estimated to expand rapidly over the next three decades, with the satellite
internet sector anticipated to grow at an exponential rate.

SpaceX will begin launching an initial constellation of 4,425 Ka/Ku band [a
term that indicates range on the electromagnetic spectrum] low Earth orbit
satellites in 2019, with the system becoming operational once at least 800
satellites are deployed, the FCC documents show. The two test satellites
will orbit about 700 miles above the Earth, in the same range as the
eventual constellation.

Starlink will offer broadband speeds comparable to fiber optic networks,
according to FCC documents, by essentially creating a blanket connection
across the electromagnetic spectrum. The satellites would offer new direct
to consumer wireless connections, rather the present system's
redistribution of signals.

The project is currently under consideration by the FCC. On Thursday,
itreceived backing from FCC chairman Ajit Pai, who said that Starlink would
be "on such innovation … to provide high-speed internet to rural
Americans." The license would give SpaceX six years to deploy all the
satellites, although the FCC is also looking at a petition from SpaceX to
waive the time constraint.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has touted Starlink's reach, saying it could bring
5G-like service to billions around the world while also handling up to 10
percent of the internet traffic in more congested regions "where people are
stuck with Time Warner or Comcast."

Starlink would be a "real enabler for people in poorer regions of the
world," Musk has said.

The Microsat 2a and 2b satellites will validate the design and
functionality of the platform over an anticipated 20 months of testing.
Weighing just under 900 pounds each, the SpaceX satellites are also much
smaller than some of the multi-ton behemoths currently in service. SpaceX
will also test six fixed-position ground stations and three mobile ground
stations, located across the U.S.

*Starlink against the world*

SpaceX is valued around $21.5 billion and has received at least $1 billion
in investment from Google-parent Alphabet, as well as Fidelity. The company
says it has over 100 missions on its upcoming launch manifest that are
worth more than $12 billion in contracts.

Despite the multibillion dollar valuation, SpaceX would be going up against
the ground-based systems of telecom giants Time Warner, Comcast and AT,
as well as competing with other expansive constellations planned from the
likes of Boeing, OneWeb and Telesat.

Current broadband satellites, such as those from DirecTV and Dish Network,
offer latency speeds around 600 milliseconds at best – many times slower
than the 25 to 30 millisecond speeds SpaceX is expected to offer, according
to FCC documents.

Competitor OneWeb, backed by Japan's SoftBank, has raised over $1 billion
to build a constellation of 720 Ku band satellites, also aiming to deploy
in 2019 

[Medianews] Project Loon engineer sees a tool for future disaster response in Puerto Rico

[George Antunes]

Project Loon team gave Puerto Rico connectivity—and assembled a helicopter
The number of people Loon connected in Puerto Rico has doubled since
November: 200k+.

NATHAN MATTISE
Ars Technica

2/18/2018, 10:00 AM

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/02/project-loon-engineer-sees-a-tool-for-future-disaster-response-in-puerto-rico/


AUSTIN, Texas—"So this happened—this is September 2017," Juan Ramírez Lugo,
president of the AAAS Caribbean division, tells the audience at the 2018
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Conference. The
slide that soon greets the room depicts an almost surreal reality: the
available power (or lack thereof) on the island of Puerto Rico in the
immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria.

"The island went dark; the Virgin Islands basically disappeared off the
map. This blew my mind to not have my cell phone in this day and age,"
Ramírez Lugo continues. "The routine eventually became get up in the
morning, then try to check the news and Status.pr to see how much service
has returned to normal."

Ramírez Lugo cited estimates that the cost of Hurricane Maria's damage will
total 34.1 percent of Puerto Rico's GDP, so calling the storm devastating
almost seems like an understatement. The routine Ramírez Lugo shared
highlighted another crucial (re)building block for disaster recovery, one
that's now joined general infrastructure and health needs: connectivity.
With the vast amount of electrical grid and ground towers damaged, FEMA
estimates put cell service availability at a mere 60 percent an entire
month after the storm.

That’s precisely when Project Loon stepped in. Project Loon is the
high-profile balloon Internet experiment from Alphabet's X (formerly Google
X); on October 20, project lead Alastair Westgarth wrote a blog post
revealing that it was working with AT and T-Mobile to support basic
communications on the island, including text messaging and Internet access
through LTE-compatible phones. This marks the first time Project Loon
pointed its machine-learning algorithms toward keeping balloons over Puerto
Rico—the island previously only hosted launch sites—and the first time its
leaders recognized that their goal of connecting underserved areas may mesh
perfectly with disaster response.
"We usually think about [Project Loon] in places with no existent network,
but when a network goes out, people who were served become underserved,"
says Sal Candido, a director and principal engineer at X, who presented
with Ramírez Lugo at this weekend's conference. "In the future, being
prepared for these kind of things is something we hadn't really thought of,
but it could be done in advance as a contingency."

Candido's video aid when the time came to explain how Project Loon
functions. "The team back in Mountain View knows presentations aren't my
strength."

Candido notes that the pace of partnerships made Project Loon's Puerto Rico
deployment so successful—the initiative delivered Internet to 100,000
Puerto Ricans by early November, and Candido says the number exceeds
200,000 now. Typical deployments require Project Loon to work out ground
network hardware with local governments, recruit existing carriers in the
area for service, and then acquire the rights to use the spectrum.

"This usually takes four to six months; spectrum licenses alone can take
years," he says. "We managed to get it all to happen within a couple of
weeks, much faster than we previously thought possible." And going forward,
Candido believes Project Loon may be able to help areas more susceptible to
natural disasters set up such contingency partnerships in advance.

Beyond the bureaucratic elements, another major challenge for Project
Loon's Puerto Rico deployment was quickly plotting effective balloon
patterns and then figuring out how to maintain them. The company simulates
30 million kilometers of potential navigation daily to better understand
how jet streams and weather patterns will impact balloon routes.
Eventually, the team settled on a path that launches from Winnemucca,
Nevada, and travels south. To date, balloons are still being launched on
this trajectory and as many as five to seven can be canvassing the island
at a time.

"Here's a nice picture, one when it's working really well," Candido says,
introducing a slide in which a handful of balloons can provide coverage for
a majority of the island. "[After a disaster] there's a lot of things
needed, but this was one very small thing that could help people out."

Although what Loon accomplished shows great potential for future use,
Candido remained quick to acknowledge it's just one small contribution to
the massive recovery efforts still needed in Puerto Rico. In fact, being on
the ground there during the planning stages of this Loon implementation
only further drove that point home for the engineer. He unexpectedly took
part in much heavier lifting.

"We quickly realized this was a situation with very mission-oriented tasks,
and many 

[Medianews] Pai Backs SpaceX's Broadband Play: Says FCC should approve application to launch satellite service

[George Antunes]

Feb 14, 2018 03:22 PM ET

Pai Backs SpaceX's Broadband Play
Says FCC should approve application to launch satellite service

By John Eggerton
Broadcasting & Cable

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/pai-backs-spacexs-broadband-play/171810


FCC chair Ajit Pai has recommended to the other commissioners that they
approve an application by SpaceX to launch a global, satellite-delivered
broadband service.

"Following careful review of this application by our International Bureau’s
excellent satellite engineering experts, I have asked my colleagues to join
me in supporting this application and moving to unleash the power of
satellite constellations to provide high-speed Internet to rural
Americans," Pai said in a statement.

Pai said the country would need innovative approaches like SpaceX's and
others, to bridge the digital divide, a key FCC priority, and to provide
broadband competition, another FCC goal.

"Satellite technology can help reach Americans who live in rural or
hard-to-serve places where fiber optic cables and cell towers do not
reach," Pai said. "And it can offer more competition where terrestrial
Internet access is already available."

The FCC has already approved applications by OneWeb, SpaceNorway and
Telesat to access U.S. markets to provide satellite-delivered broadband.

Google was a big investor in SpaceX, presumably to get in on the satellite
broadband play.

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[Medianews] Hulu Lost $920 Million in 2017, After Parents Invested $1 Billion

[George Antunes]

 FEBRUARY 8, 2018 9:12AM PTHulu Lost $920 Million in 2017, After Parents
Invested $1 Billion

   -  dropped deeper into the red last year as it boosted spending on
   originals and launched its live TV service — and the losses are expected to
   mount in 2018.

By Todd Spangler

Variety

http://variety.com/2018/digital/news/hulu-2017-losses-920-million-1202692000/


In 2017, Hulu

lost
$920 million, versus a loss of $531 million a year earlier. Its four owners
— Comcast, 21st Century Fox, Disney and Time Warner — invested $1 billion
in the streamer (versus $733 million in 2016, including $583 million from
Time Warner

).

The figures are based on Comcast’s 10-K disclosures
, which said it invested $300
million in Hulu last year and recorded a $276 million share of losses.
Comcast, Fox and Disney owns 30% of Hulu, and Time Warner holds 10%.

Hulu previously disclosed that it expected to spend around $2.5 billion on
content in 2017

.

According to estimates by BTIG Research analyst Rich Greenfield based on
the owners’ financial disclosures, Hulu’s losses will climb 80% in calendar
year 2018 to around $1.7 billion and the four parent companies will invest
an additional $1.5 billion in the venture.

Investors in Disney and 21st Century Fox should demand more disclosure
about Hulu’s financials, Greenfield says. That’s particularly relevant since
 Disney will acquire 21CF’s 30% stake in Hulu

 under the mammoth pact the media conglomerates announced late last year.

“When Hulu’s losses and parent-company investment were relatively small,
its ability to skew financials at its parent companies was modest,”
Greenfield wrote in a blog post. But despite the growing losses “we have
virtually no disclosure on the positive impact Hulu’s spending is having on
its parent companies.”

Hulu said that as of the end of 2017, it had more than 17 million
subscribers

 for its subscription on-demand and live TV packages, which are available
only in the U.S. But it didn’t disclose how many of those had the
$40-per-month live TV service (which includes access to the SVOD library).

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[Medianews] ID theft sets a new record high — and now, criminals are coming for ALL your accounts

[George Antunes]

 ID theft sets a new record high — and now, criminals are coming for ALL
your accounts

February 6, 2018

By Bob Sullivan

https://bobsullivan.net/gotchas/id-theft-sets-a-new-record-high-and-now-criminals-are-coming-for-all-your-accounts




https://bobsullivan.net/gotchas/id-theft-sets-a-new-record-high-and-now-criminals-are-coming-for-all-your-accounts/>
New kinds of identity theft — like points account takeovers — are soaring.

Identity theft was a bad news, even worse news story in 2017, a new report
has found.  Despite a painful transition to fraud-fighting chip-enabled
credit cards, and a series of other changes designed to stem the tide of
fraud, identity theft actually swelled to record highs last year. Making
matters worse, thanks largely to the Equifax breach, criminals stole more
Social Security numbers than credit card numbers for the first time —
putting consumers at even higher risk going forward.  Also, in a quietly
disturbing trend, ID fraudsters are more successfully attacking non-bank
accounts, such as cell phones, e-mail payment accounts, and even rewards
points accounts.

Overall, an estimated 16.7 million Americans were victims last year, up
from 15.4 million last year, the previous high. The only silver lining —
overall losses increased from last year to $16.8 billion in 2017, but
that’s still below the all-time record of $22 billion set in 2012.

“I like to have good news to share but the fact of the matter is I don’t
really,” said Al Pascual, research director and head of fraud & security,
Javelin Strategy & Research, which generates the annual report on incidence
of ID theft. “Criminals have so much information …and they’ve gotten really
good at using it.”

As expected, the switch to chip-enabled EMV credit cards has largely
eliminated card cloning and reduced “card present” fraud in retail stores.
But that has simply nudged criminals towards card not present fraud — such
as stealing from websites.  Card not present fraud is now 81 percent more
likely than point of sale fraud, the greatest gap Javelin has observed.

Existing account takeover fraud  — when a criminal hacks into a victim’s
account and changes contact information so their thefts go undetected —
nearly tripled last year, Javelin found. About 1.5% of Americans reported
being a victim of this crime, up from just 0.5% one year ago.  Criminals
also demonstrated their increased ingenuity by a sharp rise in
so-called cross account takeover, in which fraudsters hack their way into
multiple victim accounts — perhaps their PayPal account their cell phone.
It was up 32%.

Perhaps the most concerning element of the report are dramatic increases in
ID-based frauds beyond credit cards and traditional bank accounts — what
Javelin calls “existing non-card fraud.” Overall, it doubled last year.
Mobile account fraud doubled. Criminals now target cell phones so they can
defeat two-factor authentication that requires entering a code sent via SMS
text message. Attacks on alternative payment services like PayPal are up by
about 50%.  Brokerage account fraud incidents soared from 2% to 7% of all
existing non-card fraud reports. Meanwhile, attacks on “points” programs,
such as hotel loyalty programs, have tripled.  Such points can be bartered
and turned into e-gift cards in the computer underground. Meanwhile,
attacks on virtual currency wallets, like Bitcoin wallets, sat at 8% of
existing non-card fraud — they didn’t even register in last year’s survey.

Javelin’s report blames poor “controls” — financial security procedures at
non-traditional banking firms are simply not as robust.  Online retailers
are slower to react to account takeovers, for example.

“Large-scale compromise of existing non-card accounts in 2017 was clearly
facilitated by poor controls as
fraudsters capitalize on weak authentication.” the report says.
“Fraudsters use breached (personal information) or passwords to gain entry
to these accounts — sometimes on a large scale through credential stuffing
attacks — then monetized the accounts by 

[Medianews] ATSC 3.0 Rollout Can Begin Next Month

[George Antunes]

Feb 01, 2018 10:36 AM ET

ATSC 3.0 Rollout Can Begin Next Month
Federal Register to publish final Rule

By John Eggerton
Broadcasting & Cable

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/atsc-30-rollout-can-begin-next-month/171487


Broadcasters will soon get the green flag on their race to an interactive,
geo-targeted, video-on-demand future.

The FCC's framework for rolling out a new ATSC 3.0 advanced television
transmission standard will become effective the first week in March.

The Federal Register signaled Thursday (Feb. 1) that the final rule for
allowing broadcasters to roll out the standard on a "market-driven,
voluntary basis" will publish Feb. 2, with the rule going into effect 30
days after that, according to the FCC.

The new standard, which was championed by broadcasters, emergency alert
groups and the Consumer Technology Association, is expected to drive sales
of 4K TVs whose higher-resolution pictures can be delivered by the new
standard, and give broadcasters a competitive foothold in the interactive,
targeted advertising, IP world.

A politically divided FCC voted 3-2 on Nov. 16 to allow for the voluntary
rollout of the standard. That came over the objections of Democrats on the
commission and in Congress, who argued that it was a gift to Sinclair or a
rush to a standard that could leave viewers paying for the change through
new TV's or equipment of higher cable prices.

ATSC 3.0 will allow TV stations to do geo-targeted ads and emergency
alerts, video on demand and other interactive services using a broadband
return path for viewers with Internet access, and provide those high-high
definition 4K pictures.

While most of the rule will become effective in early March, three portions
will not because they require information collection, which must first get
the OK of the Office of Management and Budget per the Paperwork Reduction
Act, which requires new regs that entail new information collection to be
vetted to make sure those are not overly burdensome.

So, the portions of the rule that will not become effective until OMB signs
off on their info collection (and that sign-off is also published in the
Register) are those dealing with simulcasting agreements between stations
(sections 73.3801, 73.6029, 74.782)

As part of the rule, stations in a market that want to roll out the
transmission standard can join forces (a kind of Jack Spratt arrangement(,
with one transmitting both station's signals in ATSC 3.0, and the other
both signals in the current ATSC 1. format--ATSC 3.0 is not backward
compatible (it requires a new set or adaptor), so the FCC wants to make
sure that, for at least the first few years of the rollout--signals are
available in both formats.

Broadcasters will have a chance to make a case for flash-cutting to ATSC
3.0 rather than simulcasting, and Low Power TV's will be allowed to flash
cut without simulcasting. MVPDs must continue to carry ATSC signals but
don't have to carry the new 3.0 signals. Broadcasters can combine retrans
negotiations for new ATSC 3.0 and existing 1.0 signals, which cable
operators had opposed.

National Association of Broadcasters President Gordon Smith said following
the November vote: “Two decades ago, the FCC blessed the transition from
analog to digital television, which ushered in the broadcast-led era of
HDTV that dazzled consumers and was the envy of the technology world.
Today, the Commissioner endorses Next Gen TV, which marks the beginning of
a reinvention of free and local broadcast television in America.”

"ATSC 3.0 will deliver advanced emergency warnings and market-driven
flexibility, so consumers can be safer and enjoy the highest-quality, most
innovative over-the-air TV experience ever," CTA President Gary Shapiro has
said of the new standard.

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[Medianews] Why is Burger King better at explaining net neutrality than the FCC?

[George Antunes]

*Why is Burger King better at explaining net neutrality than the FCC?*
*Burger King’s new ad seeks to inform America what’s at stake with the net
neutrality repeal*


By NICOLE KARLIS
Salon.com

01.25.2018•4:52 PM

https://www.salon.com/2018/01/25/why-is-burger-king-better-at-explaining-net-neutrality-than-the-fcc/

Burger King released a new three-minute long commercial on Wednesday that
attempted to explain the concept of net neutrality using their trademark
burger, the Whopper, as a metaphor.

In the commercial, an unseen narrator polls people on the street for their
thoughts on the net neutrality repeal. All three passers-by express
uncertainty over what “net neutrality” means. The commercial then cuts to a
Burger King interior where Whoppers are sold in tiered packages, modeling
how Internet packages are sold in countries without net neutrality rules,
like Portugal. Customers hoping to purchase a Whopper are told that they
have to pay $26.99 for faster service, or pay less for a hamburger that
takes much longer to arrive.

The scenes are filmed reality-TV style, and a title at the end explains
that the customers are real people, not actors. Naturally, customers become
increasingly aggrieved at the wait times and the inequity over whose
Whopper gets delivered first.

“Burger King corporation believes that they can sell more and make more
money selling chicken sandwiches and chicken fries, so now they’re slowing
down the access to the Whopper” one of the employee-actors says.

Customers in the ad call the system a “bad dream” and “worst thing I’ve
ever heard of.”

At the end, Burger King interviews the customers. Some admit surprise at
how much they learned about net neutrality through their experience trying
to buy a Whopper.

“A Whopper taught me about net neutrality. It’s stupid, but true,” one says.

“I didn’t think that ordering a Whopper would really open my eyes up to net
neutrality,” says another customer.

It’s unclear which parts of the ad were staged and which ones weren’t, or
whether more informed customers were edited out. Still, the ad exemplifies
the degree to which many Americans are uninformed about internet access
politics.

Net neutrality advocacy has been ongoing since the Obama administration
passed an order that classified the Internet as a Title II entity under the
Communications Acts. That move established restrictions for Internet
providers that inhibited them from blocking content, accessing content, and
throttling Internet content — meaning when Internet Service Providers
intentionally slow (or speed) a specific Internet service. As President
Obama explained a few years ago, “no service should be stuck in a 'slow
lane' because it does not pay a fee.”

Once incumbent President Donald Trump appointed Ajit Pai as the chairman of
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has regulatory power
over communication media like the internet, Pai made it the FCC’s priority
to reverse Obama’s net neutrality rules. In his proposal, net neutrality
regulations would essentially become obsolete. The vote passed to repeal
them 3-2 along party lines on Dec. 14.

The FCC net neutrality vote wasn’t open to the public, and indeed, it is
not too late to demand a reversal of the repeal. Thus, Burger King points
its viewers to a Change.org petition at the end of commercial. Likewise,
some state officials are taking a strong stance against the FCC’s vote,
like New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

The current Trump-era FCC pushed an anti–net neutrality agenda from the
beginning, despite widespread (and ongoing) public opposition to repealing
net neutrality. Commissioner Pai made a video that purported to “explain
net neutrality” in December. The video, which was widely derided as
condescending and insulting to the American public, poked fun at
Millennials and typified them as ignorant, while highlighting how Internet
users would still be able to “[Insta]gram their food” and “stay part of
their favorite fandom.” It was also released on the day of the vote. Pai's
video didn’t explain how repealing net neutrality would change Internet
pricing packages, mention throttling, or any of the real concerns experts
had been raising before the vote.

It is odd that Burger King of all companies is engaged in educating the
public on what net neutrality is, and the implications of the December FCC
vote. But if the government isn’t going to take activists' concerns
seriously, at least somebody else is — even if that somebody is the
marketing team of a major fast food chain.

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[Medianews] Now Available: Advanced Recording Features for Tablo OTA DVRs

[George Antunes]

January 25, 2018

*Now Available: Advanced Recording Features for Tablo OTA DVRs*

https://www.tablotv.com/blog/advanced-recording-features-tablo-ota-dvrs

For the past few months, the Tablo team has been in the dev lab at Nuvyyo
HQ working on a secret project that we hope Tablo customers will be very
excited about...
*Advanced recording features! *

[image: excited]


Starting today, your Tablo hardware Over-the-Air DVRs – including 2-Tuner,
4-Tuner, and Tablo DUAL  – will be
eligible for a firmware update (2.2.18)

rolling
out over the coming week which brings more flexible scheduling and
recording management capabilities to your favorite Tablo apps.



[image: tablo advanced recordings][image: tablo advanced recordings options
bar]


*What’s New*Along with significant performance improvements, this Tablo
firmware release adds some highly requested advanced recording management
features including:



*Adjust Start/Stop Times for Recordings*

[image: tablo start stop]

You can now set recordings on episodes or full series to start up to 10
mins early and end as much as 3 hours after the scheduled program end-time.

This is especially useful for shows scheduled after events that typically
run long like sports, or when certain broadcasts regularly begin a minute
or two early.


*Keep X Recordings*

[image: tablo keep x]

Ideal for programs that air frequently like talk shows, game shows, and the
news, you can now preset your Tablo OTA DVR to retain all recorded
episodes, or only the most recent five, three, or single airings (plus any
protected recordings).


*Recording Channel Selector*

[image: tablo channel select]

Handy for those who live in between two broadcast areas, or on the
Canada-US border, you can now choose which channel Tablo will record from
if multiple channels are airing your favorite program.

This flexibility helps resolve recording conflicts, and allows you to
override Tablo’s smart scheduling (which automatically chooses the channel
with the best signal quality) so you can specify the source broadcaster for
each of your shows.



Adjust start/stop times for recordings and the recording channel selector
features are available for both individual airings and series recordings
(ALL or ALL NEW).

As you can imagine, keep X recordings is available only on series
recordings.



*How To Access New Features*

[image: tablo firmware update 2218]

Access to all new features requires an active Tablo subscription
 (or in-progress free
trial), the latest Tablo firmware (2.2.18), and the latest Tablo apps
.

For full firmware update details, including instructions on how to update
your Tablo, visit the Tablo Community
.




*Supported Tablo Apps*

[image: tablo apple tv advanced recording]

Once your Tablo firmware has been updated, advanced recording options will
be automatically visible within most Tablo apps
 including those for:

   - Roku
   - Amazon Fire TV
   - Android TV (for Nvidia Shield TV, Xiaomi Mi Box, Google Nexus Player)
   - Apple TV
   - iOS & Android mobile devices
   - PC/MAC

Over the coming months, these features will also be made available on
additional Tablo-supported devices like Xbox One and LG Smart TVs, as well
as the Tablo DVR ENGINE for NVIDIA SHIELD TV
.




*Advanced Recording FAQs *

[image: tablo advanced recordings android preview]

Since these new advanced recording features affect the default scheduling
functionality of Tablo OTA DVRs, there are a few changes our loyal Tablo
customers might notice.

   -
*Why do my recordings no longer have 5 minutes of extra time? *On firmware
   prior to 2.2.18, if a tuner was available, Tablo began recordings 60
   seconds before and ended them 5 minutes after the scheduled air time.

   Now, recordings set to start and stop ‘On Time’ will start 15 seconds
   before and end 1 minute after the scheduled air time.

   -
*I have ‘Extend Live Recordings’ checked in my settings screen. How will
   this affect recordings that I choose to extend by adjusting the
stop time? *Unless
   you specifically change the ‘Stop Recording’ time of an airing or series,
   the ‘Extend Live Recordings
   
’
   feature will continue to automatically extend recording of all airings
   marked as ‘live’ in your Tablo’s guide data by 50%, up to 2 hours.


   -
*What is the behavior of Keep X Recordings feature on older recordings? How
   does Tablo decide which recordings to delete? *If you select a ‘Keep’
   setting and you 

[Medianews] Amazon, Hulu, and the resilience of live TV

[George Antunes]

By Jared Newman, TechHive

JAN 25, 2018 3:00 AM PT

https://www.techhive.com/article/3250672/streaming-services/amazon-hulu-and-the-resilience-of-live-tv.html


Amazon, Hulu, and the resilience of live TV
Curated TV schedules still have staying power, even in the age of the
algorithm.




One of my theories about the rise of streaming video has been that live,
linear TV schedules would in most cases go away. Of course there’d be
exceptions for live events, such as news and sports, but for movies and TV
shows, a Netflix-style menu of on-demand video would suffice.

A couple of recent events have made me question that assumption. First came
the news that Hulu would be adding a traditional grid-based TV guide to its
$40-per-month channel bundle. It’s already in public beta on the web, and
it’s headed to TV devices in the spring. Shortly after that, Amazon added
its own live TV guide to Fire TV devices. Amazon doesn’t offer a bundle of
cable channels, but it sells premium ones, such as HBO and Showtime, as
standalone add-ons for Amazon Prime subscribers. The guide will let users
tune into live feeds from those channels and offshoots such as HBO Family
and Showtime Beyond.

It turns out that even in the age of streaming video—when algorithms can
learn from your viewing habits and predict what you’ll want to watch—the
live, curated TV schedule still has staying power.


*Just give me something to watch*

Even with the current version of Hulu, which emphasizes on-demand video
over live channels, scheduled programming remains popular. Hulu’s senior
vice president of experience, Ben Smith told me that Hulu TV bundle
subscribers spend 54 percent of their time watching on-demand video, which
means almost half of users’ time is still spent on live TV. While news and
sports make up the bulk of that viewing time, Hulu has also seen other uses
flourish as it tests the new live TV guide.

“The one that we’ve found particularly engaging for people are movies,”
Smith said. “It’s a behavior on the service where we’ve seen people have a
very simple request: ‘I just want to watch a movie.’ And this is where the
guide really helps.”

It’s worth noting that Hulu’s apps already have a section for movies, which
are either selected by algorithm or curated into lists by editors. Even so,
users seem to like the idea of picking from a list of live channels that
already have movies playing on them.

That behavior might also explain why Amazon added a live TV guide to its
Fire TV devices. Right now, Amazon’s guide doesn’t even offer breaking news
or sports channels. The guide is strictly a way to see what’s airing on
premium channels from HBO, Cinemax, Showtime, and Starz. And most of the
time, they’re airing movies that users could also access through an
on-demand menu. Again, there seems to be some allure in finding those
movies through a linear TV schedule.

Amazon and Hulu aren’t the only ones embracing live, linear TV in the
streaming age. Pluto TV mimics the cable guide with its scheduled lineup of
streaming video channels, and some individual apps, including CBS News, Red
Bull TV, and Comet, launch directly into live streams. Of course, the TV
guide remains alive and well on other streaming bundles, such as Sling TV,
PlayStation Vue, DirecTV Now, YouTube TV, Philo, and FuboTV.


*An escape from the machines*

In the past, I might have argued that live TV’s resilience is just a
failure of today’s on-demand interfaces, which if anything don’t go far
enough in recommending the right movie or show to watch. Netflix has talked
for years about improving its algorithms in pursuit of this goal, so that
one day the perfect video for you would start playing right when you open
the app. I agreed with that notion, figuring that linear TV schedules would
seem archaic once algorithms could determine exactly what you want to see.

But maybe what people really need are a break from those algorithms, which
already dictate so much of what we see in search results and on social
media. Perhaps there’s comfort in having a finite set of viewing options to
choose from, all endorsed by another human somewhere.

That doesn’t mean streaming video can’t improve on the linear format that
cable TV established. Unlike with cable, streaming services often allow you
to jump back to the beginning of a live movie or show so that you don’t
miss anything. They also create more opportunities for human curation
through user-made playlists and joint viewing sessions. Facebook recently
started testing this kind of synchronized viewing, and the streaming bundle
Philo plans to offer a similar feature this year. It’s not hard to imagine
someday launching your favorite TV app and just jumping into whatever movie
or show your friends are watching.

One of streaming video’s virtues is the promise of seemingly endless
choices on what to watch, often for less money than a traditional cable
bundle. But as Hulu and Amazon have helped make clear, there’s one thing
cable TV got 

[Medianews] Why are you still overpaying for pay TV? Ten years later, cord-cutting is still a crawl

[George Antunes]

Why are you still overpaying for pay TV? Ten years later, cord-cutting is
still a crawl

January 24, 2018

By Bob Sullivan
BobSullivan.net

[An excerpt from the new edition of my book Gotcha Capitalism, out this
month.]

https://bobsullivan.net/gotchas/why-are-you-still-overpaying-for-pay-tv-ten-years-later-cord-cutting-is-still-a-crawl-30-days-of-gotchas/


Ah, competition. It’s a beautiful thing. But it works in mysterious ways.

Cable TV has had an excellent run. The average cable bill pierced through
$100 a month in 2015, according to Leichtman Research Group. And I know
that sounds low to many of you. Calculated another way — average revenue
per user — cable firms soaked consumers for an average of $161 a month in
2015. From 2011 to 2015, cable bills soared 39 percent!  Sounds like an
industry that is killing it (and killing consumers), no?

But all is not well in Pay TV Land. During that same stretch, the very term
“cable” has started to become obsolete. Increasingly, Americans are cutting
the cord. Many find they can watch everything they want on Netflix or
Amazon. Others are subscribing to revolutionary “over-the-top” services
like Sling TV, which delivers ESPN to your living room over an Internet
connection for as little as $25 a month. And, really, it’s $25. And there’s
no set-top-box fee. And there’s no $480 early cancellation fee.

The change has been dramatic, and it’s forced wired carriers like Comcast
and FiOS to respond with so-called “skinny” packages that cost around $50 a
month. Advantage consumer.

The trend isn’t moving as fast as you’d think, however. While plenty of
people have added streaming services to their media diet, many still pay
for cable or satellite TV. A Deloitte survey in 2017 found that 49 percent
of Americans pay for a streaming subscription like Netflix, compared with
just 10 percent in 2009. But a steady 74 percent still pay for traditional
pay TV. One theory about why: Many consumers get their Internet and TV
service from the same provider, so bundling has slowed cord-cutting.

There are still 196 million U.S. adults who pay an average of $100 a month
or so for pay TV. Even if that number drops 2 percent or so each year, as
it has been, that’s a lot of revenue for the near future. Advantage
industry.

Behind the data lies a very ominous sign for the pay TV industry, however —
the “cord-nevers.” Plenty of young people today have never paid for cable
and have no intention of doing so. Fully 35 million adults, or about 6
percent of the population, have never subscribed to a pay TV service,
according to eMarketer. That’s a business with a perilous future.

What does this mean for you? Well, a wounded animal is a dangerous animal.
Cable and satellite firms aren’t going down without a fight. Their most
lucrative customers are the laziest ones. They love consumers who just keep
auto-paying their bills as rates soar, old fees rise, and new fees are
invented. (Have you spotted that $5.89 regional sports network fee?
Shouldn’t your subscription to the sports package pay for that? Guess not.)
To keep the gravy train running, pay TV firms are going to have to milk
their lazy subscribers for all they’re worth.

Don’t be one of them. Now, more than ever, “bid” out your pay TV service
frequently. Call to threaten that you’ll be a cord-cutter and get that bill
under $100. You’ll probably receive a discount with a time limit; make sure
you make a note in an electronic calendar well in advance of expiration so
you can call and demand a discount again.

Most important, take stock of your real TV habits. Could you make do with
Sling TV and Netflix? Do you need more exercise anyway? You might be
surprised at what you can watch with an old-fashioned antenna — I know
you’ll be surprised at how great the free picture is.

I’m here to tell you, that’s way better than a surprise pay TV bill. So
far, the over-the-top providers have avoided all the well-worn Gotcha
tactics, like DirecTV’s $480 early termination fee. They are trying to cast
themselves as hip, fun, fair enterprises to fit the millennial ethos. As
the industry shakes out, perhaps that will change. It almost has to.
Someone has to pay for those multibillion-dollar NFL rights contracts. Or,
perhaps not. ESPN, long the titan of pay TV, is itself in real trouble
because of those large contracts. Things will most certainly change. Will
that mean you pay more, or ESPN pays less, for football? I’m kind of
excited to find out. I’m very excited that my TV bill is $25.

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[Medianews] The Strange Copyright of Doctor Who

[George Antunes]

*The Strange Copyright of Doctor Who*
*Exterminate... Exterminate the copyright!*

By Jonathan Bailey
Plagiarism Today

January 18, 2018

https://www.plagiarismtoday.com/2018/01/18/the-strange-copyright-of-doctor-who/


Doctor Who is a 50-plus-year-old television series about a Time Lord known
as the Doctor who travels through time and space in a time machine
disguised as a police phone box that’s bigger on the inside.

To make matters even more complicated, the Doctor can regenerate, becoming
someone completely different upon his or her death. A death that happens
with frightening regularly during the character’s battles with a wide array
of villains including Cybermen, Daleks and Weeping Angels among others.

It’s a bizarre show, even for science fiction. However, a recent news story
highlighted an even stranger part of the series.

Shortly after the airing of the 2017 Christmas Special, which marked the
end of Peter Capaldi’s run as The Doctor and introduced Jodie Whittaker,
the series first female Doctor, a copyright controversy arose.

According to The Mirror, the estate of Marvyn Haisman, the creator of
Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, took issue with the episode introducing a new
character that turned out to be Lethbridge-Stewart’s grandfather.
Lethbridge-Stewart is popular character from the series that they hold the
rights to.

Though later reports have downplayed the dispute, the story raised an
interesting question: Why was one of the series’ most popular characters
not controlled by the BBC, which produces the show?

It turns out though that Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart is far from alone in
his bizarre copyright status. Many of the show’s iconic characters are
controlled, at least in part, by outside entities. The list includes both
the robotic dog K9 and even The Daleks themselves.

How did this happen? The answer is both complicated and simple at the same
time but it all centers around how the series was written during its early
years.

*A TARDIS Divided*
Modern TARDIS ImageThe copyright control for most TV shows, including
sci-fi shows, is pretty straight forward. Star Trek, for example, is
controlled by CBS and Paramount, and Star Wars is controlled by Disney
(following the purchase of Lucasfilm). While there are complications over
licensing and specific rights, there are no outside entities that control
Spock or the Sith.

This is because, with most TV shows, writers who work on it either work as
employees or sign work for hire contracts that ensure that everything they
create becomes the property of their employer.

In Doctor Who’s case, that’s not what happened, at least in the beginning.

For much of the show’s history, up until roughly the Fifth Doctor, writers
often retained copyright in what they created. So while the series,
including its lead character, and much of the core of the show is
controlled by the BBC, many of the characters that were added early on were
not.

Why this was the case is unclear but ultimately comes down to the contracts
between the writers (and other creatives on the show) and the BBC. However,
it likely has to do, at least in part, with the show’s infamously low
budget during its original run.

Regardless of reason, the outcome is the same, many of the show’s
characters remain out of the control of the BBC, often with some bizarre
consequences.

(Note: Despite my best searches, I’ve been unable to find a definitive
reason for this oddity. If anyone has any information as to why these
characters were not signed over initially, please either contact me
directly or leave a note in the comments.)

*Out of Control*
Due to the nature of the show, a complete list of all the characters not
owned (wholly) by the BBC is probably impossible to compile. The myriad of
characters and writers is simply too great, especially when one looks at
the expanded universe and the characters created for it.

That being said, there are several well-known characters and creations
still owned by their original creators.

*K9:* The Doctor’s iconic robot dog companion, first created in 1977, was
co-created by Bob Baker and Dave Martin, who still hold the rights. This
has resulted in K9 being featured in not just a 1981 TV special and a 2010
TV series, but he is also the subject of an upcoming movie.

*The Daleks:* Though the design of the Daleks is owned by the BBC, the
character of The Daleks is owned by estate of their creator, Terry Nation.
This results in something of a joint ownership of the characters, where
neither can really move forward without the other. In the 1960s, Nation had
written a pilot for and pitched a TV series about the species but it was
never produced.

*The TARDIS:* Though nothing is more iconic about Doctor Who than the
TARDIS, at least two outside entities have tried to lay claim to it. First
is the London Metropolitan Police, which attempted to claim it should hold
the trademark to the name due to the likeness of a police box. They lost
the case. In 2013 the 

[Medianews] Too Many Video Options? But Wait, There's More

[George Antunes]

Too Many Video Options? But Wait, There's More!

*by Wayne Friedman*

*Media Post Staff Writer*

*January 16, 2018*

*https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/312986/too-many-video-options-but-wait-theres-more.html
*


Do you have too many video choices to consume? Just wait. There is far more
to come.

Clearly, the warning about more scripted/original TV shows

is
not being heeded. It is estimated there will be 500 original scripted TV
shows -- up from the mid-400 level -- in the last two years.

And that’s not the whole story: in 2017, Netflix had 117 original shows.
Other big subscription video-on-demand services are looking to add to the
supply.

Netflix expects to spend $8 billion this year on new TV/movie content,
while Amazon will spend about $4.5 billion. Hulu will be close to $3
billion, while Apple will shell out more than $1 billion.

Traditional networks continue to amp up their efforts as well -- especially
for their digital platforms. CBS All Access, for example, continues with
its “Star Trek” franchise, among other programs to come.

Thanks to FX Networks Group Chairman John Landgraf’s research, these yearly
estimates keep coming. Numbers are also clear when it comes to consumption.
According to one estimate, consumers in the U.S. spend 5.1 hours consuming
video per day -- a number that is supposedly growing.

But what about the financial side of the equation? Are costs going down for
big premium TV productions? Are marketing costs going up to attract the
attention of consumers -- either for ad-supported or
non-advertising-supported platforms?

Not everyone is making money -- yet.

A research report from MoffettNathanson Research -- anticipating Fox’s 30%
stake in Hulu -- says Disney will register a net loss of $1.4 billion this
year for the premium digital video service. Currently, Disney -- along with
Comcast Corp and 21st Century Fox -- each own a 30% share of Hulu, and Time
Warner owns 10%.

Money aside, the question is: When will true video consumer saturation hit?

Right now, consumers are looking at more video than ever before -- not just
premium long-form TV shows -- but short-form, user-generated and other
content from an array of sources.

And with it, there is much more confusion and head-scratching blue-sky
estimates of where we are going next.

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[Medianews] Dish quietly launches Alliance Group to license video services to broadband-only providers

[George Antunes]

Dish quietly launches Alliance Group to license video services to
broadband-only providers
by Daniel Frankel  |
Fierce Cable
Jan 12, 2018 12:29pm
https://www.fiercecable.com/cable/dish-quietly-launches-alliance-group-to-license-video-services-to-broadband-only-providers
[image: satellite dishes on a roof]
Dish Network is quietly launching a new enterprise partnership group to
license its video service to broadband-only providers including smaller
cable operators. (Image: Rafael Castillo / CC BY 2.0)


Dish Network has quietly launched a new business unit it's calling the Dish
Alliance Group, which will seek out strategic enterprise partnerships for
Dish video services with broadband-only service providers.

“Many broadband companies offer their own video solution but increasing
programming costs and a large number of internet-only customers have left
many looking for alternate video solutions,” said a Dish marketing page
 touting the new division.

“Partnering with the Dish Referral Marketing Program through the Alliance
Group gives your company a new sales and marketing arm with which to sell
Dish video solutions to internet-only customers,” Dish added.

Dish PR reps didn’t immediately respond to Fierce’s inquiry for further
comment and context.

The new Alliance division appears headed by five-year Dish veteran Perry
Crider, who lists the unit on his LinkedIn page
 as
“the conduit for cable companies, telcos, broadband providers,
municipalities, utility, and tech companies to access the the full suite of
Dish's capabilities.  A partnership with Dish will allow you to grow your
customer base and ARPU.”

Listed Dish products and services available for licensing under the program
include not only the “flagship” Dish satellite TV service, but also virtual
MVPD service Sling TV and hardware complement AirTV.

“Increase broadband sales by partnering with Dish to sell your broadband
service to Dish’s new and existing customers in our industry-leading
customer service with dedicated customer experience centers,” reads a letter
from Crider

introducing
the service.

Limited to providing primarily satellite and IP-delivered video services,
Dish is struggling to maintain market share against cable rivals who, in
addition to wireline broadband and internet-based landline telephone
services, are beginning to also bundle in wireless services into what
they’re billing as value bundles to consumers.

Meanwhile, vMVPD rivals to Sling TV have identified an opportunity in the
market to tie video services to small cable companies who don’t want
anything to do directly with the increasingly expensive business of pay TV
program licensing.

Virtual MVPD fuboTV, for example, has a partnership to license its service
to small cable companies repped by the National Cable TV Cooperative.

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[Medianews] Starry to Offer 200 Mbps, $50 Fixed Wireless Broadband in 16 Markets

[George Antunes]

Starry to Offer 200 Mbps, $50 Wireless in 16 Markets

by Karl Bode
DSL Reports

Wednesday Jan 10 2018 10:00 EST

https://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Starry-to-Offer-200-Mbps-50-Wireless-in-16-Markets-141018


Related

   - The Rise and Fall of WiMax
   
   - Sprint Claims 65% Network Speed Boost Over Last Year
   

   - AT Applies to Conduct 3.5 GHz Wireless Broadband Tests
   

   - Starry's Uncapped 200 Mbps Wireless Hits Parts of DC, LA
   

   - New Microsoft Group to Lobby Harder for White Space Broadband
   

   - T-Mobile's Ultra Fast 5G Wireless Just Got One Step Closer
   

   - FCC Under Fire For Plan to Weaken the Definition of 'Broadband'
   

   - Verizon Raises Price of 'Total Mobile Protection' Plan
   


On the heels of the company's expansion into parts of DC and Los Angeles
,
wireless broadband provider Starry says the company should soon offer its
200 Mbps, uncapped $50 wireless broadband offering to parts of 18 cities
this year. A company press release

(pdf) indicates that the company will expand into parts of fourteen
additional markets this year, including New York, Cleveland, Chicago,
Houston, Dallas, Denver, Seattle, Detroit, Atlanta, Indianapolis, San
Francisco, Philadelphia, Miami and Minneapolis.
[image: Click for full size]

Starry says it's using pre-standard 5G, point-to-multipoint fixed wireless
technology to deliver gigabit-capable broadband to the home at speeds of
200 Mbps for $50 per month, without caps.

It is press release, Starry CEO Chet Kanojia (who you might recall from his
efforts with Aereo) promises that the company will be careful to operate a
neutral network in the wake of the FCC's recent repeal of net neutrality
rules.

"We take the privilege of being in your home and being your family’s ISP
very seriously," states the CEO. "From the way our customer care and
installation team interacts with you, to our pledge to never throttle,
block, or pick and choose what content you access, when we pledged to build
a better internet, we meant it."

Starry service uses "pre-standard 5G, point-to-multipoint fixed wireless
technology" utilizing millimeter wave spectrum to transmit data via the
company's "proprietary active phased array technology" at distances up to 2
kilometers. From there, transmissions will travel from the company’s
"Starry Beam" base station to the company’s "Starry Point" receivers
installed on the roofs of homes or multiple dwelling units (apartments,
condos, townhomes). Said receiver then connects to a “Starry Station” Wi-Fi
hub to reach the end user.
Those interested can find a little more detail over at the company's website
.

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[Medianews] Verizon removes Bloomberg TV, refusing to pay carriage fees

[George Antunes]

JANUARY 5, 2018

Verizon removes Bloomberg TV, refusing to pay carriage fees

By Jessica Toonkel
Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-verizon-bloomberg/verizon-removes-bloomberg-tv-refusing-to-pay-carriage-fees-idUSKBN1EU1ZK


(Reuters) - Verizon Communications Inc has pulled Bloomberg L.P.’s news
network, Bloomberg TV, from 4.6 million of its pay-TV customers after the
financial news provider asked the carrier to pay it for its content for the
first time ever.

Verizon said it took down the news network last month because it did not
want to pay for it when viewers can access it for free online. It remained
unclear whether the companies could come to an agreement allowing the
network to return to Verizon’s customers.

“Bloomberg is proposing that we pay for content that they make available to
all consumers for free on their website and mobile app,” the company said
in its alert to Verizon’s FIOS TV customers about the removal of Bloomberg
TV.

Verizon is advising customers to go to Bloomberg’s website and app to watch
Bloomberg TV, a Verizon spokeswoman said.

A spokesman for Bloomberg declined to comment.

Cable and satellite companies have been losing more subscribers, making
them much less willing to pay up for television programing that is also
available online.

Six U.S. cable providers, including Verizon, lost more than 1.6 million
subscribers through the third quarter of 2017.

Verizon is one of a growing number of distributors that are using a new
negotiating tactic with programmers by referring customers to the
programmers’ own streaming services. This week, Altice USA Inc, advised
customers to sign up for Starz’ online streaming service after it pulled
its channels from 3.4 million of its customers.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg has been focused on expanding its online viewership.
In December it launched a 24/7 news service with Twitter to reach the
microblogging service’s 330 million active users.

The service, called “TicToc by Bloomberg” is primarily new content
exclusive to the platform, but there is some overlap with Bloomberg TV,
according to sources familiar with the situation.

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[Medianews] Microsoft Pushes for TV White Spaces

[George Antunes]

Jan 02, 2018 11:34 AM ETMicrosoft Pushes for TV White Spaces

Move comes as broadcasters large and small eye new spectrum spaces  Adopting
a "CAN" do attitude, computer companies, edge providers and others have
banded together to push Washington to let them use the so-called TV white
spaces to close the rural digital divide.

By John Eggerton

Broadcasting & Cable

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/microsoft-pushes-tv-white-spaces/170844

Microsoft, which has long eagerly eyed the low-band TV spectrum, has joined
with ACT: The App Association and various rural and education groups to
form the Connect Americans Now
(CAN)
coalition.

That comes as full-power broadcasters are looking for more of that
broadcast spectrum to simulcast new ATSC 3.0 next generation signals and
low powers and translators displaced in the post incentive auction repack
are looking for new spectrum homes, so there is plenty of competing
interest in that low-band TV spectrum.

"Join our fight to bring broadband to all rural Americans," the coalition,
billed as "a Microsoft supported community of concerned citizens, local
organizations, rural advocates, and leading innovators," tells would-be
supporters on a slick new site
.
"tell Washington to take action to bridge the digital divide now!"

It argues that closing the digital divide, which is an FCC priority,
requires insuring there is enough unlicensed low-band spectrum in each
market to ensure connectivity.

National Association of Broadcasters president Gordon Smith
 told a
C-SPAN audience two weeks ago that it made no sense to push forward with
opening up more TV spectrum to unlicensed use before the FCC determined how
much would be needed for licensed broadcasters in the repack.
SEE ALSO:New Year, New Trump Attacks on Media


"Until we know the full consequences, intended and unintended, their
request for free [unlicensed] spectrum, is a little premature," Smith said
 given
that broadcasters have such a big public policy goal to achieve in the
post-auction repack.

Smith said he thought rural broadband should be part of an infrastructure
package and that there could be room for Microsoft once the technology is
more "proven up."

"We want rural broadband," Smith said, pointing out that the new ATSC 3.0
 standard would
allow broadcasters to be a broadband player, too, but added that he did not
want that at the price of doing something "too early."

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[Medianews] Amazon Echo Dot Tops All Holiday Sales

[George Antunes]

Amazon Echo Dot Tops All Holiday Sales

   - by Chuck Martin
    ,
   - Staff Writer, 6 hours ago

https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/312184/amazon-echo-dot-tops-all-holiday-sales.html


The Dot is hot.

Amazon’s mini Alexa-enabled voice device, the Amazon Echo Dot, outsold all
other products on Amazon over the holidays.

That’s saying a lot, since more than 1,400 electronic products were ordered
per second just on mobile devices, according to Amazon.

Second in sales was Amazon’s Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote, giving
a major boost to voice-activated assistants in the home.

Amazon also compiled an extensive and impressive list of stats, many
relating to its voice devices. Here are some:

   - Tens of millions of Alexa-enabled devices were sold worldwide
   - The Echo Dot was the number one selling Amazon device and the
   best-selling product from any manufacturer in any category across all of
   Amazon
   - The Echo Dot, Echo Spot and Echo Buttons all sold out over the holidays

The retail behemoth also tracked activities on its voice devices in the
market, whether consumers were listening to music or asking questions: Some
stats:

   - Alexa customers turned on their holiday lights more than a million
   times via Alexa
   - Alexa customers asked for tens of millions of jokes
   - The most requested movies via Alexa were *Trolls* and *Elf*
   - Music listening on Alexa was three times as much as last holiday season
   - Consumers asked Alexa for cooking related advice more nine times as
   much as last holiday season
   - Alexa usage on Fire TV in the U.S. was up 889% over the same period
   last year
   - Alexa customers set three times as many timers this year compared to
   last holiday season
   - Four times more music from Amazon Music was streamed over Alexa this
   holiday season compared to last
   - The most popular items purchased via voice were the Echo Dot, Fire TV
   Stick with Alexa Voice Remote and TP-Link Smart Plug Mini

The end result is that millions more consumers now have voice assistants in
their homes.

Thanks to Alexa, Amazon had quite a Merry Christmas.

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[Medianews] High-speed internet to bring big change in remote Alaska

[George Antunes]

High-speed internet to bring big change in remote Alaska

*In this Oct. 31, 2017 photo provided by Arctic Slope Telephone Association
Cooperative, crews with the Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative
install fiber distribution cable n Utqiagvik, Alaska, for the new
high-speed fiber-optic system launching in Alaska’s northern region, where
several of the telecom company’s communities are located. The new link by
Anchorage-based wholesaler Quintillion is Alaska’s piece of a planned
international fiber-optic system that would eventually connect London and
Tokyo via the Arctic. (Arctic Slope Telephone Association Cooperative via A*
P) (Associated Press)
By Rachel D'Oro
AP
*December 21, 2017*
*https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/high-speed-internet-to-bring-big-change-in-remote-alaska/2017/12/21/cf96f0d4-e627-11e7-927a-e72eac1e73b6_story.html
*

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Jeff Kowunna used his drone to record this year’s
celebration of another successful bowhead whaling harvest for one of the
oldest Alaska Native settlements.

The video from the three-day event in remote Point Hope, at the edge of the
Arctic Ocean, showed whaling captains sharing the flippers with residents,
traditional drumming and dancing, and the ever-popular blanket toss, where
villagers use seal skins to heave each other into the air.

But Kowunna’s plan to share this unique slice of Inupiat culture online was
thwarted by the area’s notoriously slow satellite connection.
This month, the 34-year-old whale hunter is ready to try again. His
community of 700 and several other isolated Alaska towns are getting a
commodity much of the U.S. has long taken for granted: high-speed internet.

“I’ve been counting the days,” Kowunna said of the broadband he hopes will
help him connect more immediately with the world with posts from gatherings
like the June whaling feast, or Qagruk, while updating folks who have moved
away. “I think it’s going to be a lot smoother sailing as far as streaming
to the web.”

The new service is part of a planned international fiber-optic system from
Anchorage-based wholesaler Quintillion that eventually will connect London
and Tokyo via the Arctic. It’s the result of several factors,
representative say, including technical advances, private investors willing
to bet on the system, and a warming Arctic environment that opened up a
limited construction season, allowing crews to bury hundreds of miles of
subsea cable off Alaska’s upper coast.

“Clearly, 20 years ago, even 10 years ago, the situation with the ice in
that part of the world would have made the progress much more difficult to
accomplish,” Quintillion spokesman Tim Woolston said.

The effect on far-northern Alaska — where many rely on a subsistence
lifestyle for food — could be dramatic: No more classroom computers
crashing during lessons, software taking an entire day to download, movies
buffering for hours, and sophisticated medical equipment sitting partially
unused.

“A project like this is critical,” said Mike Romano with NTCA-the Rural
Broadband Association, which represents 850 small telecom and broadband
service providers in the U.S. and Canada. Connecting rural communities
remains a significant broadband challenge because of the higher cost of
delivering service far from metropolitan hubs.

Alaska’s 1,400-mile (2,250-kilometer) portion of the international project
includes a land trunk line between Fairbanks and the Prudhoe Bay oil fields
that went live in the spring. Quintillion has not released plans or a
timetable for the larger project and will not say how much has been spent
so far in the private venture. New York private equity firm Cooper
Investment Partners is anchoring the financing.

Ship crews finished installing the last Alaska segment of subsea cable in
October, and the network became available to telecom providers Dec. 1.

The improved service won’t be cheap, said Jens Laipenieks, CEO of Artic
Slope Telephone Association Cooperative, which serves three of the affected
communities. Laipenieks expects the cost to drop when the final two phases
are built and more wholesale tenants join the system.

Still, commodities always cost more in the Arctic, where a gallon of milk
can carry a $10 price tag because everything has to be flown or shipped up.
Fiber-optic is no exception, but the expense has not dampened enthusiasm,
according to utility officials.

“That’s just the reality of being in an ultra-rural market,” Laipenieks
said. “But the technology will never be the limiting factor again.”

Not everyone is sold on the new link. In Utqiagvik, America’s northernmost
town, Inupiat whaling captain Gordon Brower balks at exposing his culture
to unnecessary criticism — from anti-whaling activists, for example.

“It’s unnecessary because we’re only just trying to provide 

[Medianews] New Channel Master Stream+ Android DVR can be yours for $99

[George Antunes]

The new Channel Master Stream+ Android DVR can be yours for $99

The Channel Master Stream+ is the first Android TV streamer to incorporate
a twin-tuner OTA recorder and lets users stream in 4K HDR.

BY TY PENDLEBURY

Cnet.com

DECEMBER 18, 2017 5:00 PM PST

https://www.cnet.com/products/channel-master-stream-plus/preview/

   -
   -
   -
   -
   -
   -

   


[image: Channel Master Stream+]

Sarah Tew/CNET

Move over, TiVo: There's a new contender for cord-cutter-friendly DVR in
town.

The Channel Master Stream+ is a new over-the-air DVR that doubles as an Android
TV -powered media
streamer. But the big news is the price: You will soon be able to preorder
it for $99. The final price hasn't been set, but will be closer to $150.
(If the product sounds familiar, it's because Channel Master was teasing it
on YouTube earlier
this year.)

The Stream+ is loaded with some impressive specs, including 4K and HDR
compatibility for streaming content, built-in Chromecast support and a
no-fee programming guide for the dual-tuner DVR. You need to provide the
storage in the form of a microSD card. But the biggest caveat (for now) is
on the app front: Android TV means a wealth of great apps are available,
but Netflix isn't yet certified for the Stream+, and Amazon Prime Video
isn't universally available. (Channel Master reps said the company is in
talks with both providers.)

Unlike the company's big, flat DVR+
 -- which the
Stream+ replaces -- the Stream+ is far more compact: It's roughly the size
of a upturned paper cup. There's no controls on the unit but you can use a
smartphone app or the included remote control (with microphone!).

Specifications for the Channel Master Stream+ include:

   -  802.11ac Wi-Fi and Ethernet
   -  4K and High Dynamic Range with HDR10
   -  HDMI connectivity
   -  Quad-core ARM CPU
   -  Dual ATSC tuner -- record one channel while watching another, or
   record two channels while streaming an app
   -  MicroSD slot for recording storage
   -  USB 3.0
   - Android TV 7.0 Nougat with Google  Play
   store, built-in Chromecast
    and Google Home
    ($79.00 at
   Crutchfield
   

   ) control

Channel Master told us that it hasn't produced any apps for the device
(yet), and is instead relying on Google's Live Channels app for the
electronic programming guide. We were treated to a demo of the device and
navigating the guide seemed fairly zippy.

We were impressed by the DVR+ back in 2014, and the Stream+ seems to
surpass it in most ways -- especially the flexibility that should come with
the Android TV app platform.
[image: Channel Master Stream+]

*It's got all of the ports you'll need. The MicroSD slot can be seen on the
bottom left.*
*Sarah Tew/CNET*

While there are plenty of 4K/HDR streamers on the market --  Apple TV 4K
, Nvidia Shield
, Roku
Streaming Stick Plus
 ($49.99
at Amazon.com

[Medianews] Netflix Has as Many Subscribers as Cable TV

[George Antunes]

 Netflix Has as Many Subscribers as Cable TV, New Study Says

Streaming giant has same amount of paid subscribers as cable, new report
suggests
Sean Burch TheWrap.com
https://www.thewrap.com/netflix-passing-cable/

Last Updated: December 19, 2017 @ 11:17 AM

[image: stranger things season 2 review]

Netflix

It’s officially Netflix vs. traditional TV — and Netflix is about to take
the lead.

A new report from PricewaterhouseCoopers highlights the decline of
traditional cable television, along with the increasing rise of streaming;
of the 2,000 people surveyed by PWC, 73 percent said they pay for
traditional pay TV — a 3 percent drop from 2016 — which matches the
percentage of respondents who said they subscribe to Netflix. (That sound
you heard was Netflix CEO Reed Hastings cackling on his way to the ATM
machine.)

Netflix added another 850,000 domestic subscribers during its last quarter,
and saw its total U.S. customer base swell to more than 50 million in 2017.
Coupled with its international subs, the home of “Stranger Things” and “The
Crown,” among other original shows, has about 110 million accounts across
the globe.

And streaming isn’t just for cool young people, either. The PWC report
called it a “streaming explosion for all ages,” with 63 percent of
respondents between 50-59 saying they access TV on the internet — a 15
percent jump from 2016. On the other end of the spectrum, 87 percent of
respondents 18-24, and 90 percent between 25-34 said they stream their
shows.

PWC’s survey indicated cord-cutting and cord-trimming continue to gain
traction, with a combined 46 percent of respondents shedding pay TV
accounts in 2017.

There is one sign customers are hitting a saturation point with streaming,
however. The use of several streaming platforms had many respondents
overwhelmed, with “just a quarter of consumers say they can handle using
more than four services in addition to Pay TV.”

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[Medianews] Why Did Disney Expand Its Sports Kingdom With Out-of-Favor Networks?

[George Antunes]

Why Did Disney Expand Its Sports Kingdom With Out-of-Favor Networks?

By ZACH SCHONBRUN
NY Times


https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/15/sports/disney-fox-sports.html

DEC. 15, 2017

*Disney’s chief executive, Robert A. Iger, now controls a massive portfolio
of sports broadcasting rights. ** Credit Drew Angerer/Getty Images*

Disney’s chief executive, Robert A. Iger, will wake up Friday morning as
the most powerful person in United States sports, with a massive portfolio
of media rights to the N.F.L., the N.B.A., tennis majors, college football
and more than 40 major American sports teams.

No one has ever controlled such a vast swath of the sports broadcasting
landscape at one time. But the portfolio, expanded this week in a megadeal

in which the Walt Disney Company bought most of 21st Century Fox, will not
necessarily make other sports media moguls envious.

Disney acquired 22 regional sports networks from 21st Century Fox valued at
about $20 billion. But their long-term viability is questionable given
consumers’ rapidly changing viewing habits and the ongoing disruption in
the pay-television market, experts say. The regional networks give Iger an
outsize sports kingdom, but many of them are widely considered undesirable.

“R.S.N.s seem to be the first thing that people want to get rid of, because
it’s so expensive,” said Joel Lulla, a longtime sports industry consultant
who teaches sports media at the University of Texas.

“When the bundle completely frays, how many people are really going to want
to pay that kind of money for R.S.N.s?”

The agreement adds properties throughout the country — Fox Sports Arizona,
Fox Sports Carolinas, Fox Sports Midwest, Fox Sports West, etc. — to
Disney’s widening ESPN umbrella. But it is unclear how much access ESPN
will gain to the broadcast rights for 44 professional teams in those local
markets.

Each regional network — including the YES Network, which broadcasts Yankees
games — has a series of complicated contracts with the teams and
pay-television distributors that places limits on how the owners of the
networks can exploit those rights. The contracts often make it especially
difficult for anyone who does not have a cable subscription to buy access
to the content, which is problematic as more and more consumers turn away
from cable subscriptions.

Fox retained ownership of its two national networks, Fox Sports 1 and Fox
Sports 2, as well as the Big Ten Network. Disney might also complete a $15
billion acquisition of Sky, and its international sports offerings, of
which Fox currently owns a 39.1 percent stake. Sky’s signature property is
soccer’s Premier League. However, NBC Universal controls the Premier
League’s English-language rights in the United States.

Iger said on Thursday that he considered the regional sports networks more
than just a toss-in to the package that included 20th Century Fox studios,
FX and Hulu.

“I think you have to look at the regional sports networks as a complement
to ESPN, not an overlap,” Iger told CNBC. “ESPN has essentially a national
program footprint, and the R.S.N.s are more local in nature, and they’ll be
able to complement one another.”

Perhaps, but in recent years Fox Sports executives grew frustrated that the
regional networks’ complex contracts prevented them from putting more live
games on the company’s national cable network, Fox Sports 1.

Regional sports networks have found that the most loyal fans have been
willing to pay the cable costs associated with keeping access to the local
games. But viewing habits are changing rapidly. Some sports fans appear
willing to lose access to local games in order to avoid fees. Comcast,
which has some 900,000 subscribers in New Jersey, lost only about 1,000
them during a fee dispute with YES that kept Yankees games off its system
in 2016.

ESPN’s own subscriber base has shrunk to 88 million, from 100 million in
2010, and it has tried to find ways to deal with cord-cutting. The network
is saddled with massive, long-term contracts with leagues like the N.F.L.
Many of the regional networks also have expensive deals for broadcasting
rights of the teams in their area.

Fox Sports Southwest, for example, is in the middle of a 20-year deal worth
a reported $3 billion with the Texas Rangers. The ratings for broadcasts
featuring two of its other top properties, the San Antonio Spurs and the
Dallas Mavericks, fell by 34 and 47 percent, respectively, last season. Fox
Sports Arizona is in the third year of a 15-year deal with the Diamondbacks
worth $1.5 billion.

Disney seems willing to overlook that in order to gain a more local
footprint. Some of the regional channels are lucrative, such as YES, which
was sold to Fox for $3.9 billion in 2014. In 2016, a Nielsen study found
that regional sports networks in certain markets, like Detroit and St.
Louis, were more important to viewers 

[Medianews] James Murdoch Seen as Possible Disney CEO: Report

[George Antunes]

James Murdoch Seen as Possible Disney CEO: Report Companies negotiating
$60B stock deal for Fox assets

12/06/2017 9:12 AM Eastern

By: Jon Lafayette
Multichannel News

http://www.multichannel.com/news/content/james-murdoch-seen-possible-disney-ceo-report/416934


*21st Century Fox's James Murdoch would be a successor to Disney chief Bob
Iger if the deal under discussion goes the distance.*

If the Walt Disney Co. and 21st Century Fox work out their deal to sell
asset to Disney for stock, James Murdoch could become a potential successor
to Disney CEO Bob Iger.

Iger  has pushed back
his retirement date several times and some previous heirs apparent have
been ushered out of the entertainment company. Iger is currently schedule
to retire in 2019.

James Murdoch 
is the younger son of 21st Century Fox
 chairman
Rupert Murdoch. According to a report in the *Financial Times*, James
Murdoch is likely to take a senior executive role with Disney because of
his knowledge of the Fox assets and the global TV market. James Murdoch has
been suggested as a potential successor to Iger, *FT* said, citing people
briefed on the talks.

James Murdoch became CEO, succeeding his father two years ago. His brother
Lachlan  was
named co-executive chairman along with Rupert Murdoch.

James Murdoch declined to address speculation about the deal during an
investor conference Tuesday.

The deal being discussed would have Disney
 acquire from
Fox movie and TV studios, cable channels, international businesses and
regional sports network in the U.S. in a stock deal worth about $60 billion.

Comcast is also discussing assets from Fox, according to reports.

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[Medianews] Satellite Dishes Make Lovely Snow Scoops

[George Antunes]

 Satellite Dishes Make Lovely Snow Scoops … unless you think ahead and
protect them with these practical cold-weather tips

November 29, 2017

http://www.radioworld.com/columns-and-views/0004/satellite-dishes-make-lovely-snow-scoops/340822


--
* By John Bisset *

If you use heaters on your satellite dishes, this is a good time to check
them to make sure they work.

New Hampshire Public Radio’s Steven Donnell, a frequent Workbench
contributor, has heaters on all of NHPR’s dishes. As a part of his fall
maintenance program, he checks the AC current the heater draws when the
heaters are on. This can be done easily at the heater controller or in the
AC disconnect box at the base of the dish.

In addition, NHPR has installed toroidal transformers that sample the AC
current draw in the mains feeding the heaters. This inexpensive technique
allows staff to monitor heater operation through one of the meter channels
on their Burk remote control equipment.

If the heater controller boxes are outside at the dish, Steven recommends a
close internal inspection to make sure there are no unexpected residents
living there.

In one instance, Steven had a heater fail because the controller box was
infested with hundreds of tiny ants. Apparently, the exoskeletons of ants
are fairly good insulators. After enough ants got squashed across the
contacts of the main relay for the heater, it was enough to block the
heaters from turning on.

Because National Public Radio still uses Galaxy 16, the NHPR dishes are at
a fairly low “look angle.” Check your dish. If it is pointing up, think of
it it as a snow scoop. Unless you add a dish cover and/or heaters, you’ll
be slogging through the elements this winter keeping the dish clear of snow.

Steven also poses a question for readers: Do you have experience with the
heaters used in Prodelin three meter dishes? Steven has a pair that are
four years old, and he has experienced issues with the wiring that
interconnects the heater pads. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

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[Medianews] Cable Networks Hit With 3% Average Declines In Monthly Subscribers

[George Antunes]

Cable Networks Hit With 3% Average Declines In Monthly Subscribers

   - by Wayne Friedman
   
   - Media Post
   - 10 hours ago

https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/310773/cable-networks-hit-with-3-average-declines-in-mon.html


Despite the addition of new subscribers from virtual pay TV providers,
including Sling TV, DirecTV Now, Hulu, and PlayStation Vue, there has been
a decline of nearly 3% in pay TV homes in the most recent Nielsen reporting
period.

This extends a bad period for the pay TV business, says Brian Wieser,
senior research analyst at Pivotal Research Group, who analyzed the report.

“While broadly in line with trends observed through most of the past year,
the past several months in particular are among the worst levels of decline
we have observed as far back as we have comparable data, as far as 2010,”
says Wieser.

Leaving out the virtual multichannel video program distributors (vMVPD)
data, the picture looks worse: Traditional pay TV universe -- cable,
satellite, and telco -- sank 3.2% -- despite growth of 1% in overall total
TV homes.

This current Nielsen cable Universe Estimates is published as “December
2017” data. Total U.S pay TV homes are just around 100 million homes.

Wieser says cable networks on average added back around 500,000 subscribers
during the period from new vMVPDs. Total vMVPD subscribers are close to 3
million, he says, with some subscribers having both traditional MVPD and
vMVPD subscriptions.

Most major individual cable TV networks witnessed subscriber declines of
around 3% to 4%. Among 118 networks currently tracked by Nielsen, only 12
had growth during the month.

Looking at big, well-distributed cable networks, Starz was a major loser --
down 8.3% for the period. AMC witnessed the least pain, slipping just 0.3%.

Some small cable networks did better: Discovery's Discovery Familia, up
5.8%; Discovery's Velocity, gaining 2.1%; AMC's Sundance, improving 12.0%;
and Fox's FXX, growing 3.7%.

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[Medianews] Forget fast-forwarding, Plex DVR can now remove commercials for you

[George Antunes]

 Forget fast-forwarding, Plex DVR can now remove commercials for you
By Kris Wouk 
Digital Trends

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/plex-dvr-removes-commercials/

— Posted on November 27, 2017 8:31 am


[image: Plex DVR]


Over the years, Plex has grown from a relatively simple home media server
into an all-in-one entertainment powerhouse. Notable feature additions
include streaming personalized news
,
the ability to operate entirely in the cloud
 instead
of on your server, and a full-fledged DVR
.
Now that DVR has gotten even more powerful, adding a new feature to
automatically remove commercials, which was spotted by Cord Cutters News

.

The feature was added in an update the Plex team pushed out over the
weekend. While most of the update was focused on fixing bugs, this new
feature was also included. You’ll need to manually enable the feature by
heading into your Plex DVR settings and finding the option, labeled “Remove
Commercials.”

You may not want to turn the feature on immediately without looking into
reports from other users. The description in the settings warns that while
the feature will attempt to automatically locate and remove commercials,
this could potentially take a long time and cause high CPU usage. If you’re
running your Plex server on a powerful computer, this may not be an issue,
but if you’re running it on an old laptop, you might want to hold off.

This new feature also changes your DVR recordings permanently, removing
commercials from the files themselves. This shouldn’t be a problem as long
as the feature works as intended, but if it detects wrong portions of the
file as commercials, you could end up missing out on part of your favorite
shows.

Of course, to even use the Plex DVR, you need a fairly specific setup,
using a USB Tuner or HDHomeRun to connect an antenna to your computer in
order to receiver over-the-air (OTA) signals. Initially, hardware options
were limited, but they have been expanding. Plex has a full list of
supported hardware 
listed on its website. You’ll also need a Plex Pass subscription in order
to use the feature, which costs $5 per month, $40 per year, or $150 for a
lifetime subscription.

If you’ve never tried Plex before but think this seems like a great time to
jump on board, you can get started by taking a look at our guide to getting
Plex up and running 
on your PC.

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[Medianews] Comcast hints at plan for paid fast lanes after net neutrality repeal

[George Antunes]

Comcast hints at plan for paid fast lanes after net neutrality repeal Comcast
still won't block or throttle—but paid prioritization may be on the way.

  Jon Brodkin
Ars Technica

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/11/comcast-quietly-drops-promise-not-to-charge-tolls-for-internet-fast-lanes/

11/27/2017, 11:31 AM


Enlarge

S Lowe 

For years, Comcast has been promising that it won't violate the principles
of net neutrality, regardless of whether the government imposes any net
neutrality rules. That meant that Comcast wouldn't block or throttle lawful
Internet traffic and that it wouldn't create fast lanes in order to collect
tolls from Web companies that want priority access over the Comcast network.

This was one of the ways in which Comcast argued that the Federal
Communications Commission should not reclassify broadband providers as
common carriers, a designation that forces ISPs to treat customers fairly
in other ways
.
The Title II common carrier classification that makes net neutrality rules
enforceable isn't necessary because ISPs won't violate net neutrality
principles anyway, Comcast and other ISPs have claimed.

But with Republican Ajit Pai now in charge at the Federal Communications
Commission, Comcast's stance has changed. While the company still says it
won't block or throttle Internet content, it has dropped its promise about
not instituting paid prioritization.

Instead, Comcast now vaguely says that it won't "discriminate against
lawful content" or impose "anti-competitive paid prioritization." The
change in wording suggests that Comcast may offer paid fast lanes to
websites or other online services, such as video streaming providers, after
Pai's FCC eliminates the net neutrality rules next month.

We do not and will not block, throttle, or discriminate against lawful
content. We will continue to make sure that our policies are clear and
transparent for consumers, and we will not change our commitment to these
principles. pic.twitter.com/19PFCPJ3TY 

— Comcast (@comcast) November 22, 2017


“Comcast has never offered paid prioritization”

Comcast is the largest home Internet provider in the US, with more than
23.5 million residential Internet subscribers. In May 2014, Comcast Senior
Executive VP David Cohen wrote the following

:

To be clear, Comcast has never offered paid prioritization, we are not
offering it today, and we're not considering entering into any paid
prioritization creating fast lane deals with content owners.

Six months later, Comcast made the promise again, saying
,
"We don't prioritize Internet traffic or have paid fast lanes, and have no
plans to do so."

The circumstances in 2014 were different than they are today. Back then,
the FCC clearly intended to impose at least some restrictions on paid
prioritization, and ISPs were trying to avoid the Title II classification.
Comcast had also agreed to some limitations
 on
paid prioritization as a condition on its 2011 purchase of NBCUniversal.

But the NBCUniversal conditions expire in September 2018
, and
Pai's proposal would undo the Title II classification and get rid of the
net neutrality rules entirely. Both legally and politically, Comcast now
has an opening to retreat at least partially from its net neutrality
promises.

Comcast's change in strategy was evident in July of this year when Comcast
urged the FCC to overturn

the Title II order.

"[W]e do not and will not block, slow down, or discriminate against lawful
content," Comcast wrote

at
the time, omitting its previous promise to avoid paid prioritization.

The FCC, Comcast said, could remove the Title II classification while still
having "clearly defined net neutrality principles—no blocking, no
throttling, no anti-competitive paid prioritization, and full transparency."

As it turned out, Pai's final plan

that will be voted on December 14 doesn't even ban blocking or throttling.
Comcast could thus pull back even further 

[Medianews] Does Next-Gen TV spell doom for over-the-air DVR?

[George Antunes]

*Does Next-Gen TV spell doom for over-the-air DVR? * The new ATSC 3.0
broadcast TV standard includes digital rights management (DRM),
theoretically crippling DVR products like Tablo and TiVo. By Jared Newman
TechHive

Nov 23, 2017 3:00 AM PT

https://www.techhive.com/article/3238079/tv-antenna/does-next-gen-tv-spell-doom-for-over-the-air-dvr.html

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved a new standard for
over-the-air TV broadcasts
.
ATSC 3.0, aka “Next-Gen TV,” is supposed to prompt big improvements for
antenna users, including 4K HDR video, better surround sound, interactive
features, and easier access on mobile devices.

But Next-Gen TV also has a draconian downside: For the first time, it
allows local broadcasters to lock down content with digital rights
management (DRM), potentially preventing people from recording free,
over-the-air channels.

Over the past couple years, we’ve seen a proliferation of DVR solutions for
over-the-air broadcasts, including Tablo
,
TiVo Roamio OTA
,
Plex DVR
,
and Channels DVR
.
But the long-term health of these products could be in doubt now that the
FCC and broadcasters are moving forward on ATSC 3.0. At best, their fates
are unclear. At worst, the march toward improved broadcast video could make
over-the-air DVR obsolete.
Vague answers about the future of DVR

Dennis Wharton, the head spokesman for the National Association of
Broadcasters (NAB), said he wasn’t familiar enough with products like Tablo
and Plex to talk specifics about over-the-air DVR. Instead, he referred me
to Anne Schelle, the managing director for Pearl TV, a consortium of major
broadcast groups that focuses on technology.

In an interview, Schelle also was ambiguous about what ATSC 3.0 would mean
for over-the-air DVR, though she acknowledged that broadcasters will have
the technological capability to copy-protect live content. Some stations in
South Korea, for instance, are already using ATSC 3.0 to broadcast 4K
video, and those feeds are encrypted to prevent unauthorized copying.

“It uses the capability that’s in the standard,” Schelle said. “Korea
allows for free viewing with content protection…. They’re protecting it
from piracy issues.”

Ultimately, publishers will decide what content to protect with DRM, and
while Schelle said that some programs, such as live news, might remain
unencrypted to encourage broad reach, she speculated that major TV and
movie studios might want to protect their high-quality programming.

“I think there’s always going to be a free over-the-air channel,” Schelle
said. “I think what gets protected is the super high-end content, and any
content that would potentially require authentication and things like that.”

That doesn’t sound promising for over-the-air DVR, especially if major TV
networks switch over exclusively to 4K for their primetime shows.
[image: tablofiretv]

Jared
Newman/TechHive

At least in theory, ATSC 3.0 could jeopardize the ability to record
primetime shows from major networks on a device like Tablo.
Tablo’s take on ATSC 3.0

So far, over-the-air DVR makers are downplaying or otherwise not addressing
the impact that Next-Gen TV might have on their businesses. Nuvyyo, makers
of the Tablo DVR, wrote a pair

of explainer
blog posts

that didn’t address the DRM question at all, instead focusing more on
timing and device compatibility. (More on those issues shortly.)

Adding to the confusion, Nuvyyo claimed in an email that DRM wouldn’t apply
to linear broadcasts.

“As proposed, the DRM portion of ATSC 3.0 is designed to allow broadcasters
to provide value-added services like On-Demand and Pay-Per-View content on
a subscription basis to complement Over-the-Air TV which will remain free
and unencrypted,” the company said in a statement.

There’s just one problem: Looking through the FCC’s notice of proposed
rulemaking
,
I can’t find any mention of encryption or DRM applying exclusively to
add-on content. Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel even specifically pointed
to encryption concerns in her dissent against the proposal. (The proposal
passed in a 3-2 vote.)

“I also think 

[Medianews] AT and Comcast lawsuit has nullified Nashville's broadband competition law

[George Antunes]

AT and Comcast lawsuit has nullified a city’s broadband competition law Bad
news for Google Fiber: Nashville utility pole ordinance invalidated by
judge.




*By Jon BrodkinArs Technica11/24/2017, 2:30 PM*

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/11/att-and-comcast-win-lawsuit-they-filed-to-stall-google-fiber-in-nashville/
Enlarge

Google Fiber 

AT and Comcast have convinced a federal judge to nullify an ordinance
that was designed to bring more broadband competition to Nashville,
Tennessee.

The Nashville Metro Council last year passed a "One Touch Make Ready
"
rule that gives Google Fiber or other new ISPs faster access to utility
poles. The ordinance lets a single company make all of the necessary wire
adjustments on utility poles itself, instead of having to wait for
incumbent providers like AT and Comcast to send work crews to move their
own wires.

AT

and Comcast sued

the metro government in US District Court in Nashville, claiming that
federal and local laws preempt the One Touch Make Ready rule. Judge
Victoria Roberts agreed with AT and Comcast in a ruling issued Tuesday

.
Further ReadingComcast sues Nashville to halt rules that help Google Fiber


Google Fiber is offering service in Nashville despite saying last year

that it was waiting for access to thousands of utility poles.

"We're reviewing [the] court ruling to understand its potential impact on
our build in Nashville," a Google spokesperson said this week, according to

*The
Tennessean*. "We have made significant progress with new innovative
deployment techniques in some areas of the city, but access to poles
remains an important issue where underground deployment is not a
possibility."
AT poles

The case centered on two sets of utility poles: those owned by AT and
those owned by the municipal Nashville Electric Service (NES).

The Nashville ordinance is preempted by federal law when it comes to poles
owned by AT and other private parties, the judge ruled. The Federal
Communications Commission has jurisdiction to regulate pole attachments for
privately owned poles except when states opt out of the federal regime.

"Tennessee has not opted out of FCC jurisdiction over pole attachments,"
Judge Roberts wrote.

In August, a similar One Touch Make Ready rule in Louisville, Kentucky,
survived despite another AT lawsuit
.
Kentucky is one of 20 states that has opted out of the federal pole
attachment regime, giving Louisville a leg up over AT in that case.
Utility-owned poles

While AT owns nearly 20 percent of the poles, the NES utility owns around
80 percent.

AT and Comcast argued that NES has sole authority to regulate the terms
of pole attachments for NES-owned poles and that the Metro Nashville
Council therefore overstepped its authority.

The court agreed with AT and Comcast's argument, saying, "It is clear
that the [Metro Nashville] Charter grants NES broad, unencumbered power to
manage and control the properties of the Electric Power Board. It expressly
denies that power to the Mayor, the Council, and any other agency of the
Metro Nashville government."

The court declined to make a final ruling on NES-owned poles, but AT and
Comcast could get what they want soon. Nashville Metro argued that the
claim should be dismissed because NES failed to join the case despite being
an "indispensable party." But the judge is letting AT and Comcast amend
their complaints in order to add NES as a party in the case.

NES previously told the court that it is "agnostic to the validity of the
ordinance." Unless NES changes course, a ruling would be automatically
entered in favor of AT and Comcast.

NES will be asked to make a statement on whether it intends to take a
position. "If it continues to have no position, the Court will enter the
declaration and injunction sought by Plaintiffs," the judge wrote.

Nashville Metro could appeal the ruling, but hasn't said whether it will do
so. "We are reviewing the court's decision and will make a determination
regarding our 

[Medianews] Robocalls from spoofed Caller IDs may soon be blocked by phone companies

[George Antunes]

Robocalls from spoofed Caller IDs may soon be blocked by phone companies FCC
authorizes aggressive blocking of spoofed and invalid numbers. By Jon
Brodkin
Ars Technica

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2017/11/new-robocall-blocking-tools-on-the-way-but-carriers-can-charge-you-extra/

11/17/2017, 11:10 AM
Enlarge

Getty Images | vladru



Phone companies are now authorized to be more aggressive in blocking
robocalls before they reach customers' landlines or mobile phones, but you
might have to pay for the new blocking capabilities.

The Federal Communications Commission yesterday issued an order

to "expressly authorize voice service providers to block robocalls that
appear to be from telephone numbers that do not or cannot make outgoing
calls, without running afoul of the FCC's call completion rules."

Carriers will thus have greater ability to block calls in which the Caller
ID has been spoofed or in which the number is invalid. Caller ID spoofing
hides the caller's true identity and is one of the biggest sources of
illegal robocalls.

"Fraudsters bombard consumers' phones at all hours of the day with spoofed
robocalls, which in some cases lure consumers into scams or lead to
identity theft," the FCC said

.
Blocking invalid numbers

The new authorization from the FCC applies to voice service providers
including mobile phone carriers, traditional landline phone companies like
AT and Verizon, and VoIP carriers such as cable companies.

Carriers will be "allowed to block calls purporting to be from invalid
numbers, like those with area codes that don't exist, from numbers that
have not been assigned to a provider, and from numbers allocated to a
provider but not currently in use," the FCC said.

Carriers will also be able to block calls from phone numbers that appear to
come from numbers placed on a "do-not-originate" list by the number's
subscriber. For example, the Internal Revenue Service might place numbers
that it doesn't use for outbound calls on a do-not-originate list to
prevent them from being spoofed by scammers who claim to work on behalf of
the IRS.
New blocking tools might not be free

All five FCC commissioners voted in favor of the rule changes, but
Democratic Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel dissented in part because the
FCC will allow carriers to charge for the new robocall-blocking
capabilities.

Rosenworcel said

:

While the agency offers carriers the ability to limit calls from what are
likely to be fraudulent actors, it fails to prevent them from charging
consumers for this service. So this is the kicker: the FCC takes action to
ostensibly reduce robocalls but then makes sure you can pay for the
privilege. If you ask me, that's ridiculous.

Charges for more aggressive robocall blocking could vary by carrier. For
example, Verizon launched a new robocall blocking service in late June
,
but the company charges $3 a month for the service while carriers such as
AT and T-Mobile offer similar services for no extra charge
.
There are also third-party call-blocking services that consumers can pay
for.

Last year, then-FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler urged carriers
 to
offer free call-blocking services.

Aggressive robocall blocking carries the risk of blocking legitimate calls.
The FCC is thus seeking public comment

"on a process for legitimate companies to resolve call blocking disputes,"
Commissioner Michael O'Rielly said. Subscribers whose numbers have been
blocked without their consent should be given a simple method to challenge
a block and get it lifted quickly, the FCC said.

US consumers receive about 2.5 billion robocalls a month. Not all of them
are illegal, but many are made by scammers intending to get money from
victims.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai assured carriers that yesterday's order is not adding
new requirements. Carriers will be allowed to block more robocalls, but
they won't be forced to.

"It is important to stress that today's action is deregulatory in nature.
We aren't piling more rules upon industry," Pai said
.
"Instead, we're providing relief from FCC rules that 

[Medianews] The Majority of People’s Favorite TV Shows Are Now Found Online

[George Antunes]

 The Majority of People’s Favorite TV Shows Are Now Found Online
https://www.marketingcharts.com/featured-81176

November 15, 2017



[image: The Majority of People’s Favorite TV Shows Are Now Found Online]

Furious spending on original programming – coupled with large libraries of
licensed content – seem to be paying off for subscription video-on-demand
(SVOD) services and other online sources. In fact, these are now becoming
the viewing destinations for a majority of viewers’ favorite TV shows,
according to Hub Entertainment Research’s Conquering Content report
, which notes that this is the first
time that online sources have overtaken the set-top box (STB).

As part of its survey of more than 2,200 US TV viewers ages 16-74 (all of
whom have broadband at home), Hub asked respondents how they watch their
favorite show. This year a majority said they watch it through an online
source (52%) as opposed to a set-top box (48%). Just 3 years ago, the
numbers were 2:1 in favor of set-top box viewing, such as live TV,
video-on-demand or DVR.

As the predominant SVOD service, Netflix making its own gains. Previous
research from Hub demonstrated that it is becoming the default source of TV
viewing  for a sizable
share of video viewers. This newest study shows that is has virtually
caught up with live TV as a destination for viewers’ favorite shows: 31%
watch their favorite programming on live TV, compared to 29% who do so on
Netflix.

Just 3 years ago, live TV was favored by a 3:1 margin over Netflix as the
source of viewers’ favorite shows.

Original Content Only Becoming More Important for SVODs

Fully two-thirds of respondents this year subscribe to at least one of the
big 3 SVOD services: Netflix, Amazon and/or Hulu. And as has been
detailed several
times in recent research
, a greater number are
subscribing to multiple services – in fact twice as many as in 2014 (36%
and 18%, respectively).

Research from YouGov suggests that viewers will subscribe to TV services
such as Netflix in order to watch specific programs
 – and a new study
from Magid also reportedly

finds originals to be the driving force in subscription decisions.

In order to “feed the beast,” streaming services are investing in
ever-increasing amounts of programming: Hub cites research indicating that
they’ve produced 22% more scripted series this year, compared to an 8% rise
from broadcast networks and a 1% increase from basic cable.

For its part, IHS Markit details

a 2.3% compound annual decline in scripted hours in the US from broadcast
network and cable over the past 3 years, with online services instead
soaring with a compound annual growth rate of 53% in scripted hours over
that time span.

All of that is translating to a heightened importance placed on original
content for SVOD subscribers: 1 in 3 now say they watch originals most
frequently on Netflix and Amazon Prime
.

Amazon Prime seems the most dependent on originals, per Hub’s report: 61%
of respondents said they might or would definitely drop their subscription
if it stopped producing original content, compared to 30% for Netflix.

Among non-subscribers, more than one-quarter say that originals make them
more likely to subscribe to the big 3 services. And among subscribers,
healthy majorities – particularly for Netflix (74%) and Hulu (67%) – say
that original shows make them more likely to keep their subscription.
Other Findings

Other highlights from Hub’s report follow.

   - Viewers who watch shows on pay-TV are far more likely to find out
   about programming through advertising than from word-of-mouth. The opposite
   is true for shows watched via online sources, which tend to gain more from
   word-of-mouth. Research indicates that these are the two leading methods
   of finding video content overall
   .
   - Almost 6 in 10 (57%) viewers report having found a show online and
   then later watching it on regular TV, with this being up from 51% in 2014.
   - More viewers sit down to watch TV with a specific show in mind than to
   find something they don’t know about but might enjoy. Younger viewers,
   however, are more likely to browse than to search for a specific show.
   - Almost 3 in 4 viewers agree that more of their total TV time now is
   spent watching shows they really like, and half agree that there are more
   good TV programs to choose from today than in the past.
   - However, it’s 

[Medianews] Amazon scraps bundled video service

[George Antunes]

November 15, 2017 / 5:10 AM
Exclusive: Amazon scraps bundled video service - sources
By Jessica Toonkel & Lisa Richwine
Reuters

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-channels-exclusive/exclusive-amazon-scraps-bundled-video-service-sources-idUSKBN1DF1HG

NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O
) has scrapped
plans to launch an online streaming service bundling popular U.S. broadcast
and cable networks because it believes it cannot make enough money on such
a service, people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The world’s largest online retailer has also been unable to convince key
broadcast and basic cable networks to break with decades-old business
models and join its a la carte Amazon Channels service, the sources said
and has backed away from talks with them.

The reversals come a month after the abrupt departure of Roy Price from his
job as head of Amazon Studios, the company’s high-profile television
production division, following an allegation of sexual harassment, which he
has contested.

They show how difficult it is for Amazon to change entrenched habits in the
U.S. entertainment business in the same way that it has done in retail,
cloud computing and other areas.

An Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment.

Video has become an important tool for Amazon in generating subscriptions
for its U.S. $99-a-year Prime membership service. It is on track to spend
some $4.5 billion or more on video programming this year, analysts
estimate.

On Monday it made waves in the entertainment world with the purchase of
global television rights to “The Lord of the Rings,” planning a
multi-season series to draw more viewers to Prime.

At the same time, Amazon is looking to offer a wide variety of television
channels through Prime. It originally aimed to offer a limited bundle of
key broadcast and cable networks for a set fee, similar to offerings from
Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O
) YouTube and
Hulu.

Such an offering, known in the industry as a “skinny bundle,” is a way of
capturing younger viewers who are dropping traditional, expensive cable or
satellite TV packages in favor of channels watchable on smartphones and
tablets.

But in recent weeks, Amazon decided not to move ahead with a service on the
grounds that it would yield too low a profit margin and did not necessarily
indicate the direction the TV business will eventually go, the sources told
Reuters.

Amazon could still decide to change course and introduce a skinny bundle,
but the talks are over, the sources said.
TALKS STALL

Instead, Amazon has decided to focus on building out its Amazon Channels
service, where Prime customers can subscribe to HBO, Showtime, Starz and
other networks on an a la carte basis, according to the sources.

Those networks have standalone subscription services, but the advantage of
Amazon Channels is that it groups together separate subscriptions and makes
them available through the Amazon Video app.

Amazon has built up Amazon Channels to include more than 140 television and
digital-only networks in the United States, but its efforts to get the
most-watched TV channels have stalled, the sources told Reuters.

Sources familiar with the talks said Amazon has run up against the same
obstacle that has stymied firms such as Apple Inc (AAPL.O
) and Verizon
Communications Inc (VZ.N
) in their efforts to
launch TV services: the traditional cable bundle.

Twenty-First Century Fox Inc (FOXA.O
), Viacom Inc (
VIAB.O ) and other
media firms typically require cable companies or other partners to take
their weaker channels along with their stronger ones, to prevent the weaker
ones withering on the vine.

Amazon did not want to do that. It also asked networks for provisions that
are foreign to the entertainment business, including discounts based on the
volume of subscribers it brings in. “That might be standard in selling, but
it is not how it works with content,” said one industry source.

The Seattle-based company, known for taking a long-term view of businesses,
is willing to wait, sources told Reuters. It is working on the assumption
that as pay-TV subscriptions decline over time, more TV networks will be
tempted to go direct to consumers online and therefore be available for
Amazon Channels, they said.

TV executives say Amazon is a top-notch marketer of video programming and
could eventually help their bottom lines.

“They market our theatrical library better than we have because they have
the data,” said an executive at one premium channel, who declined to be
named.

Some programmers, including Discovery Communications Inc (DISCA.O

[Medianews] Canadians tuning in less to traditional TV and radio, CRTC report finds

[George Antunes]

 Canadians tuning in less to traditional TV and radio, CRTC report finds
Streaming services growing while conventional media declines

CBC News 

Last Updated: Nov 08, 2017 1:24 PM ET

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/crtc-media-report-1.4392937


[image: Young people are three times more likely as seniors are to sign up
for streaming video services.]

Young people are three times more likely as seniors are to sign up for
streaming video services. (Shutterstock)
Related Stories

   - Looking to cut the TV cord? 2016 didn't make it any easier for
   Canadian streamers
   
   - Major TV providers lost a record number of customers to cord-cutting
   in 2016 

Canadians are turning more and more to internet-based media at the expense
of conventional forms of broadcasting, the CRTC said Wednesday.

In an annual report on Wednesday, the Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission said that last year, almost half of Canadians
subscribed to some sort of online video service, such as Netflix, CraveTV
and others.

Among those between 18 and 34 years old, almost two-thirds subscribe to
such a service. Among those 65 and over, barely one in six do.

"This year's report shows how much younger Canadians are turning to digital
platforms for their audio and visual content," new CRTC chair Ian Scott
said. "That being said, traditional broadcasters are adapting to this
reality and their services continue to be attractive options for many
Canadians."

Indeed, Canadian cable, IPTV (internet-protocol TV) and satellite
television companies still had a total of 11.1 million subscribers last
year. That's a 1.1-per-cent decline from the previous year's level, but the
IPTV portion within that grew by 13.8 per cent during the year, adding more
than 300,000 new customers in the past 12 months.

All in all, more than three quarters of Canadian households subscribed to
some sort of broadcasting service last year, a penetration rate that has
inched lower for several years in a row now.

   - *Pace of cord-cutting projected to increase
   *
   - *Cutting the TV cord? Call the anti-cable guy*
   


There's a similar trend underway in terms of audio content, too, as 22 per
cent of Canadians aged 18 years or older streamed radio stations online
last year, while more than 55 per cent streamed music videos on
internet-based services, including Spotify, Apple Music and others.

While the digital space is growing quickly, Canadians are still spending a
lot of time consuming conventional media, too. Canadians watched on average
26.6 hours per week of traditional television last year, compared to 27.2
hours in 2015. Canadians aged 65 and over watched the most television at
42.8 hours per week.

On the radio side, Canadians listened to an average of 14.5 hour per week,
down from 15.6 hours per week in 2015. Canadians aged 65 and over listened
to the most radio at 18 hours per week.

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[Medianews] This Time, Facebook Is Sharing Its Employees’ Data.

[George Antunes]

This Time, Facebook Is Sharing Its Employees’ Data
Some
of the biggest companies turn over their workers’ most personal information
to the troubled credit reporting agency Equifax.
By Joel Winston
Fast Company

https://www.fastcompany.com/40485634/equifax-salary-data-and-the-work-number-database

11.08.17  8:35 am

Users of Facebook are accustomed to trading personal data for convenience.
Until 2031, Facebook Inc. is on privacy probation
by
the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, because, the FTC said in 2011, the
company “deceived consumers by telling them they could keep their
information on Facebook private, and then repeatedly allowed it to be
shared and made public.”

Still, through a little-known arrangement, Facebook Inc. routinely shares
the sensitive income and employment data of its U.S.-based employees with
the Work Number database, owned by Equifax Workforce Solutions. Yes, *that*
Equifax.

Every week, Facebook provides an electronic data feed of its employees’
hourly work and wage information to Equifax Workforce Solutions, formerly
known as TALX, a St. Louis-based unit of Equifax, Inc. The Work Number
database is managed separately from the Equifax credit bureau database that
suffered a breach exposing the data of more than 143 million Americans, but
it contains another cache of extensive personal information about
Facebook’s employees, including their date of birth, social security
number, job title, salary, pay raises or decreases, tenure, number of hours
worked per week, wages by pay period, healthcare insurance coverage, dental
care insurance coverage, and unemployment claim records.

A typical employee at Facebook (which also owns Instagram and WhatsApp) may
require verification of his employment through TALX when he leases an
apartment, updates his immigration status, applies for a loan or public
aid, or applies for a new job. If his new prospective employer is among the
70,000 approved entities in Equifax’s verifier network with a “permissible
purpose,” that company can purchase his employment and income information
for about $20. (A Facebook spokesperson declined to comment on the
company’s relationship with Equifax and the Work Number.)
The “News Feed” Of Salary History

Surprisingly, Facebook is among friends. Every payroll period, Amazon,
Microsoft, and Oracle also provide an electronic feed of their employees’
hourly work and wage information to Equifax. So do Wal-Mart, Twitter, AT,
Harvard Law School, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Even Edward
Snowden’s former employer, the sometimes secretive N.S.A. contractor Booz
Allen Hamilton, sends salary and other personal data about its employees to
Equifax Workplace Solutions.

Started in 1995, the Equifax Work Number database now contains over 296
million employment records and contains employees at all wage levels, from
CEOs to interns. On a weekly basis, the database receives current payroll
data on “approximately one-third of the working population in the United
States” from a wide range of sources: 75% of the Fortune 500 companies, 85%
of the federal government workforce, entire state governments and agencies,
courts, colleges, and thousands of small businesses nationwide now feed the
Work Number database.

Counterintuitively, companies actually pay Equifax to collect, organize,
and re-sell their employees’ personal income information and work history.
Employers like Facebook hire the service not only to process–and
fight–workers’ unemployment claims, but to provide “verification services”
of an employee’s income and work history whenever contacted by an approved
third-party creditor, such as a credit card company, mortgage lender,
landlord, debt collection agency, auto financing company, student lender,
or government benefits administrator.

Government agencies also pay Equifax to help manage how social service
benefits get distributed to certain households. For example, the TALX data
can help determine an applicant’s social services or welfare eligibility,
or inform child support collections and enforcement. (In some cases, these
fees may be partially subsidized by the data-contributing employer, Equifax
says, but most are paid in full by taxpayers).

Gathering all this data is lucrative. Equifax’s workplace solutions
division—an outgrowth of its $1.2 billion acquisition of the TALX
Corporation in 2007—is now among the company’s fastest-growing businesses,
making up more than a fifth of the firm’s $3.1 billion revenue last
year. “The return on that $1.2 billion investment turned out pretty good,”
Rick Smith, Equifax’s recently-departed

CEO,
said at an event at the University of Georgia in August. “That 

[Medianews] AT admits defeat in lawsuit it filed to stall Google Fiber

[George Antunes]

AT admits defeat in lawsuit it filed to stall Google Fiber Judge
dismissed AT's lawsuit against Louisville, and company won't appeal.

By Jon Brodkin
Ars Technica

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/11/att-admits-defeat-in-lawsuit-it-filed-to-stall-google-fiber/

11/1/2017, 10:38 AM
Mike Mozart




AT is reportedly abandoning its attempt to stop a Louisville ordinance
that helped draw Google Fiber into the city.

In February 2016, AT sued

the local government in Louisville and Jefferson County, Kentucky to stop
an ordinance that gives Google Fiber and other ISPs faster access to
utility poles. A US District Court judge dismissed

AT's lawsuit in August of this year, when he determined that AT's
claims that the ordinance is invalid are false.

There was still the question of whether AT would appeal the ruling, but WDRB
News

and Louisville Business First

both quoted AT spokespeople as saying that the company has decided not to
appeal. (We contacted AT today to confirm this but haven't heard back
yet.)
One Touch Make Ready

Louisville's ordinance created a One Touch Make Ready system that lets an
ISP make all of the necessary wire adjustments on utility poles itself
instead of having to wait for other providers like AT to send work crews
to move their own wires. Without such rules, the pole attachment process
can take months, making it more difficult for new ISPs to compete against
incumbents.

Google Fiber began taking signups in Louisville about two weeks ago
.
As it turns out, the Alphabet-owned ISP ended up burying the cables with a
"microtrenching" strategy that is quicker than traditional underground
fiber deployment.

Still, Google Fiber could take advantage of the new pole attachment process
to hang its fiber cables as it spreads through the city. Google Fiber may
also use its fixed wireless technology to connect Louisville homes.

Legal fights over One Touch Make Ready are not over. A lawsuit Charter filed

against Louisville is still pending. Both AT and Comcast also filed suits

against the Nashville metro government to stop a similar ordinance.

But Louisville's victory over AT sends a message to other cities that
"these problems can be dealt with at the local level," Ted Smith,
co-chairman of the Mayor's Civic Innovation Advisory Council, said in the
Louisville Business First article. "Local leadership can tackle these
things and win."

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[Medianews] FCC should declare state broadband laws invalid, Verizon tells commission

[George Antunes]

Verizon has a new strategy to undermine online privacy and net neutrality FCC
should declare state broadband laws invalid, Verizon tells commission.

By Jon Brodkin
Ars Technica

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/10/verizon-asks-fcc-to-preempt-any-state-privacy-or-net-neutrality-law/

10/31/2017, 1:09 PM


Enlarge

Getty Images | Scott Olson



Verizon has asked the Federal Communications Commission to preempt any
state laws that regulate network neutrality and broadband privacy.

The FCC's Republican majority is on course

to overturn two-year-old net neutrality rules
,
perhaps by the end of the year. Broadband privacy rules passed by the FCC
during the Obama administration were already undone

by Congress and President Donald Trump early this year.

With the two sets of rules either gone or on their way out, it's possible
that state governments might impose similar rules to protect consumers in
their states. Verizon told the FCC in a filing last week

that the commission should preempt laws in any state that does so.
Further ReadingAjit Pai announces plan to eliminate Title II net neutrality
rules


Verizon said that Congress and the FCC "have recently made great strides
toward restoring the light-touch regulatory approach that had successfully
applied to Internet Service Providers for most of the last two decades."

But "some supporters of stringent regulation of ISPs are now looking to
states and localities to frustrate these achievements," Verizon wrote.
State broadband laws "pose a real and significant threat to restoring a
light-touch, uniform regulatory framework for broadband service," Verizon
said. "This white paper explains why the Commission can and should preempt
these problematic state broadband laws and identifies several potential
sources of authority for the Commission to do so."
California rejected broadband privacy law

The now-defunct FCC privacy rules would have required ISPs to obtain
customers' permission before they use, share, or sell the customers' Web
browsing and application usage histories. Legislators in some states have
tried to replicate the laws on the local level. But the most notable
attempt to do so, in California, failed after pressure from lobbyists

.

Verizon is still worried that states might restrict how Verizon can use
customer data. "[L]egislative bodies in nearly 30 states—including
California, New York, and Washington—have considered adopting privacy laws
aimed at ISPs in response to Congress’s repudiation of the Commission’s
privacy rules," Verizon wrote.

While the California bill died in the state legislature, Verizon complained
about a "recently filed ballot initiative in California" that would require
"most medium and large-sized businesses (including ISPs) to maintain
detailed records of disclosed information, to allow users to opt out of
information-sharing in a way that would impair service to customers."

There are "multiple privacy bills pending" in New York, Verizon
said. Moreover, Verizon is worried that "States and localities have given
strong indications that they are prepared to take a similar approach to net
neutrality laws." New York state and Portland, Oregon, are cited as
examples in Verizon's filing.

"Allowing every State and locality to chart its own course for regulating
broadband is a recipe for disaster," Verizon wrote. "It would impose
localized and likely inconsistent burdens on an inherently interstate
service, would drive up costs, and would frustrate federal efforts to
encourage investment and deployment by restoring the free market that long
characterized Internet access service."

"[I]n the absence of preemption, states with the most restrictive rules
effectively would have the final say on the appropriate level of
regulation, as many broadband providers as a practical matter will need to
comply with the strictest state rules," Verizon also wrote.

Verizon filed this document in the FCC's net neutrality proceeding because
it wants the FCC to declare state laws invalid in the same rulemaking that
overturns the federal net neutrality rules.

The 

[Medianews] Comcast and Charter Lost a Ton of Cable Customers Last Quarter

[George Antunes]

 Comcast and Charter Lost a Ton of Cable Customers Last Quarter By Scott
Moritz and Gerry Smith

October 26, 2017, 8:53 AM CDT

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-26/charter-s-customer-losses-rise-as-more-people-cut-the-cord


   - Pay-TV operators struggle as people switch to Netflix, Hulu
   - Shares of both companies fall as subscriber losses continue

The hurricanes that hurt Comcast Corp. and Charter Communications Inc.
have passed, but investors are
still waiting for the storm clouds over the cable industry to lift.

Comcast, the largest U.S. cable operator, posted the biggest loss in
cable-TV customers in three years, while No. 2 provider Charter reported a
drop that was almost four times what analysts had expected.

The losses highlight how difficult it has been for pay-TV providers to
retain subscribers as more people switch to lower-cost online options like
Netflix, Amazon and Hulu. The advent of online streaming cable packages,
like AT Inc.’s DirecTV Now, has also made the field of rivals even more
crowded.

Comcast fell as much as 3.6 percent and was trading down 0.8 percent to
$36.55 as of 9:45 a.m. in New York trading. Charter tumbled as much as 8.4
percent to its lowest since May.
Among the pair of cable providers, Comcast proved more resilient than
Charter. Comcast shook off the losses in cable customers, plus monster
hurricanes in Texas and Florida, to beat earnings estimates. Meanwhile,
Charter posted a profit that was less than a quarter of forecasts. That had
some analysts saying investors were being too harsh on Comcast.

The stock “is too cheap both in absolute terms and relative to far worse
businesses, like AT and Verizon,” Jonathan Chaplin, an analyst at New
Street Research LLC, said in a note Thursday. “The stock has been unduly
punished following disclosure of weaker sub trends.”

Charter, backed by billionaire John Malone, said it lost 104,000 TV
customers in the third quarter, almost four times the 28,000 that analysts
estimated. Comcast lost 125,000 cable-TV customers, the biggest decline in
three years.

Still, Comcast’s profit increased to 52 cents a share, excluding some
items, topping the 50 cent estimate predicted by analysts. The company held
steady in part by getting customers to pay more -- the average monthly bill
climbed 2.1 percent from a year earlier to $151.51.

Analysts have been watching Charter’s efforts to stop the bleeding from
last year’s acquisition of Time Warner Cable and Bright House Networks. The
company was expected to lose Time Warner Cable subscribers when their rates
increased at the end of promotional offers they had received before the
deal.

Charter added 249,000 broadband users in the quarter, also less than the
335,000 analysts estimated.

Charter plans to launch its own wireless service, relying on Verizon
Communications Inc.’s cellular network. It’s also agreed to work with
Comcast on ways to become nationwide rivals to AT and Verizon in the
wireless industry.

Comcast says it now has more than 250,000 Xfinity Mobile subscribers. The
service is Comcast’s entry into mobile and started in May under a reselling
agreement using Verizon’s wireless network.

“When the clouds clear, expectations have been reset effectively,” said New
Street’s Chaplin.

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[Medianews] Here’s how a Las Vegas millionaire plans to build an orbiting space station for the moon

[George Antunes]

 Here’s how a Las Vegas millionaire plans to build an orbiting space
station for the moon
By Christian Davenport

Washington Post

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/10/17/heres-how-a-las-vegas-millionaire-plans-to-build-an-orbiting-space-station-for-the-moon/

October 17




The moon — that cold, gray outpost that NASA last visited 45 years ago — is
hot again.

The vice president says so. So do Elon Musk and Jeffrey P. Bezos. And as
the Trump administration sets its sights on the lunar surface, a growing
number of companies say they are ready for the challenge.

The latest is Bigelow Aerospace, the Las Vegas-based maker of inflatable
space habitats. In an announcement Tuesday, the company that it is hoping
to send one of its space stations to lunar orbit by 2022 in partnership
with the United Launch Alliance, the joint venture of Lockheed Martin and
Boeing.

Bigelow, run by multimillionaire Robert Bigelow, the founder of Budget
Suites of America, has spent hundreds of millions of dollars
developing space habitats made from Kevlar-like material that are inflated
once in space. One of its smaller habitats, known as the BEAM, is currently
attached to the International Station, where it’s been tested for months.

Now Bigelow Aerospace proposes sending a much larger version, known as the
B330, into orbit around the moon. If NASA goes for it, the $2.3 billion
mission would go something like this:

The habitat would launch on ULA’s Vulcan rocket into low Earth orbit, where
it would stay for a period of months, receiving supplies and cargo, while
it underwent testing to make sure everything was working properly.

Then a space tug would ferry it from Earth orbit to lunar orbit, where
it would essentially become a space station for the moon.

In laying out his plan during an interview Tuesday, Bigelow said he
was well aware of the political and industry implications in such a
mission. The Trump administration is looking for a first-term coup, and, he
said, this “can actually be done within one administration.”

NASA also needs a destination for the Space Launch System and Orion
spacecraft it has been developing for years and at great expense, he said.

Furthermore, his plan could involve different sectors of the growing space
industry — which the Trump administration has said it wants to help foster.
While the ULA would launch the B330, Musk’s SpaceX could resupply it while
in Earth orbit, Bigelow said.

Bezos’s Blue Origin has said it is developing a lunar lander that could
ferry supplies to the surface of the moon. Bezos, who owns The Washington
Post, has said “it’s time to go back to the moon — this time to stay.”

And during a recent speech, Musk said “it’s 2017. We should have a lunar
base by now. What the hell has been going on?”

Other companies are interested as well. Moon Express says it plans on
sending a lunar lander to the moon by next year. Astrobotic and Masten
Space Systems are also working with NASA to develop vehicles that could
touch down on the surface of the moon.

And during a recent speech, Vice President Pence vowed to “return American
astronauts to the moon, not only to leave behind footprints and flags, but
to build the foundation we need to send Americans to Mars and beyond.”

All of which adds up to a growing momentum for a return to the moon since
Gene Cernan became the last man to walk on the lunar surface in 1972.

“We don’t want to see another 45 years go by,” Bigelow said. “Something
needs to happen.”

The question now is, will NASA go for it?

It didn't say for sure, but offered this statement in response:

"NASA is excited to see continued global interest in moving human
exploration farther into the solar system. A sustainable crew presence in
deep space will require the best of NASA, our international partners and
the private sector."

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[Medianews] Verizon Is Eyeing Spring for the Start of Delayed Online TV Service

[George Antunes]

Verizon Is Eyeing Spring for the Start of Delayed Online TV Service By
Scott Moritz
and
Lucas Shaw

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-18/verizon-is-said-to-eye-spring-start-of-delayed-online-tv-service

October 18, 2017, 5:04 PM CDT


   - Programming deals still in negotiation, strategy seen adrift
   - Online streaming TV is ‘absolutely critical,’ CEO said

Verizon Communications Inc. is aiming for a spring 2018 launch for its new
online TV service, which has been delayed at least twice as the
telecommunications giant grapples with how to compete in the media world,
according to people familiar with the matter.

While Verizon has shared its plans with TV networks, the timing of the
web-based, live TV service’s introduction remains tentative and could be
further postponed, said the people, who asked not to be identified
discussing private information.

With its wireless business struggling to grow in a saturated market,
Verizon is under pressure to expand in media to get more revenue from
advertising. The company has settled on a strategy of delivering a sleeker
version of cable programming over broadband, but getting the service to
market has been a challenge. Staff shuffling, technology reboots and
negotiations for streaming rights have bogged Verizon down, as has the news
last month that media chief Marni Walden is stepping down.

Though competing services including Dish Network Corp.’s Sling TV, AT
Inc.’s DirecTV Now, Google’s YouTube TV and Sony Corp.’s PlayStation Vue
have gotten a head start, Verizon Chief Executive Officer Lowell McAdam
hasn’t expressed concern about being late out of the gate.

Web-based TV is becoming “a crowded field
,”
but it’s “absolutely critical” for Verizon to introduce its own platform,
in part as an advertising vehicle for its AOL and Yahoo units, McAdam said
at Bloomberg’s Sooner Than You Think conference last month. He added that
the company would decide within six months whether to offer a stand-alone
service or a partnership.

The delays in the project have created the impression of a strategic drift,
according to people familiar with the matter. The phone giant has yet to
finalize distribution agreements with top media companies, the people said.

Verizon’s track record in online video services has contributed to the
ambiguity. Two years ago Verizon introduced Go90, a YouTube-esque
collection of original ad-supported streaming shows. The company has never
disclosed user numbers, but has acknowledged the audience has fallen short
of expectations.

Verizon issued a Go90 mea culpa

of sorts to Hollywood producers, filmmakers and studio executives earlier
this year and overhauled the technology behind Go90 to make another attempt
at luring viewers.

The departure of Walden, formerly a rising star at Verizon, suggests the
project still faces challenges. The responsibility for fixing Go90 now
falls to Tim Armstrong, the CEO of Oath, Verizon’s online media and
advertising unit. His assignment is to integrate Oath’s ad placement
technology with Verizon’s TV service.

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[Medianews] FCC commissioner O’Rielly gives Intel-Intelsat C-band telecom proposal a positive early review

[George Antunes]

FCC commissioner O’Rielly gives Intel-Intelsat C-band proposal a positive
early review by Caleb Henry  —
Space News

http://spacenews.com/fcc-commissioner-orielley-gives-intel-intelsat-c-band-proposal-a-positive-early-review/

October 13, 2017
[image: FCC commissioner Michael O'Rielly at Hudson Institute in 2014
(Wikicommons).]*FCC commissioner Michael O'Rielly at Hudson Institute in
2014 (Wikicommons).*



WASHINGTON — The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is still sifting
through industry ideas for opening  satellite-dominated C-band spectrum to
terrestrial telecommunications, and while not yet reaching a conclusion,
considers Intel and Intelsat’s proposed spectrum clearing plan a positive
step.

The agency has evaluated comments industry submitted over the summer, and
is now “trying to figure out what the best mechanism is for moving
forward,” FCC commissioner Michael O’Rielly said Oct. 13 at the Americas
Spectrum Management Conference here.

“I’m trying to figure out what’s the best mechanism to provide mobile
service in this band, whether it be protection of incumbent uses in earth
stations, or whether it be market mechanisms, and when I see Intel
coordinate and combine with Intelsat, a large satellite provider, or at
least today, I think that that’s very beneficial and provides one mechanism
to look at closely,” O’Rielly said.

Intelsat and Intel filed an 11th hour proposal urging the FCC to leave it
to satellite operators to clear parts of the C-band spectrum for future 5G
networks on a case-by-case basis with terrestrial operators. Satellite
operators would migrate C-band users out of the band or to a different part
of the band in exchange for financial compensation from 5G C-band users for
transition costs and lost opportunities.

The FCC asked industry, through am August notice of intent, for ideas on
how to optimize the use of mid-band spectrum, which starts from 3.7 GHz in
the C-band and stretches to 24 GHz. C-band, used extensively in the United
States and globally for satellite television broadcasts, ranges from 3.4 to
4.2 GHz, though the FCC already gave 3.4 to 3.7 GHz to other purposes.

O’Rielly said of the proposals received, most support sharing C-band with
incumbent users, i.e. satellite operators. Some proposals note the FCC’s
ability to forcefully reallocate incumbents and cover the costs by
auctioning the spectrum, he said.

O’Rielly highlighted Intelsat and Intel’s proposal, along with one from
Qualcomm to let mobile operators share C-band while it is cleared for
auction, as notable ideas to expand use of the spectrum.

“These are just some of the interesting ideas raised in the record, and in
my opinion it’s too early to determine which are the most viable. The
details must still be worked out as to how these various proposals would
work and whether sharing is feasible. While the meat still has to be put on
the bones, this is a good start,” he said.

O’Rielly said the U.S. is “at a disadvantage compared to other countries
when it comes to licensed spectrum below 5G,” increasing the urgency for
spectrum to become available. 5G requires substantially more capacity than
4G or previous standards, and the cry from mobile operators to wrench
C-band from the hands of satellite operators has grown steadily louder with
the proliferation of smartphones.

The satellite industry fended off mobile sector efforts to obtain most of
C-band two years ago at the International Telecommunication Union’s
quadrennial World Radiocommunication Conference in Geneva, mainly losing
just 3.4 to 3.6 GHz as opposed to the entire band. O’Rielly said C-band is
the “prime location” to address the U.S.’s dearth of mid-band spectrum, but
that he doesn’t want to upend the business plan of satellite operators who
have invested heavily there for decades.

“I respect and work very closely with my satellite friends in the industry
for decades now, and so I am not interested in disrupting their overall
operation,” he said.

How to reconcile those two goals is still unclear. O’Rielly said the FCC
needs a better understanding of how many C-band earth stations are used in
the U.S., since many are unregistered, making it difficult to measure the
extent to which U.S. telecommunications relies on the spectrum.

“This is the only means the commission has to truly evaluate current use
and protection mechanisms to the extent that they are necessary,” he said.

Intelsat and SES are the two  satellite operators with the highest number
of C-band earth stations in the United States. SES said Oct. 3 that it is
still analysing Intelsat and Intel’s proposal. Global operator Eutelsat,
which has a smaller presence, said the proposal caught them off guard and
they are in a similar state of analysis.

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[Medianews] Hollywood Giants Sue Kodi-powered ‘TickBox TV’ Over Piracy

[George Antunes]

 Hollywood Giants Sue Kodi-powered ‘TickBox TV’ Over Piracy


   - By Ernesto 
   - on October 14, 2017

https://torrentfreak.com/hollywood-giants-sue-kodi-powered-tickbox-tv-over-piracy-171014/

Several major Hollywood studios, Amazon, and Netflix have filed a lawsuit
against TickBox TV, a Kodi-powered streaming device. The companies accuse
Tickbox of promoting their device as a pirate tool, showing users how they
can access infringing content. The lawsuit is the first of its kind in the
United States.

Online streaming piracy is booming and many people use dedicated media
players to bring this content to their regular TVs.

The bare hardware is not illegal and neither is media player software such
as Kodi. When these devices are loaded with copyright-infringing addons,
however, they turn into an unprecedented piracy threat

.

It becomes even more problematic when the sellers of these devices market
their products as pirate tools. This is exactly what TickBox TV
 does, according to Hollywood’s major movie
studios, Netflix, and Amazon.

TickBox is a Georgia-based provider of set-top boxes that allow users to
stream a variety of popular media. The company’s devices use the Kodi media
player and come with instructions on how to add various add-ons.

In a complaint filed in a California federal court yesterday, Universal,
Columbia Pictures, Disney, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures, Warner
Bros, Amazon, and Netflix accuse Tickbox of inducing and contributing to
copyright infringement.

“TickBox sells ‘TickBox TV,’ a computer hardware device that TickBox urges
its customers to use as a tool for the mass infringement of Plaintiffs’
copyrighted motion pictures and television shows,” the complaint, picked up
by THR
,
reads.

While the device itself does not host any infringing content, users are
informed where they can find it.

The movie and TV studios stress that Tickbox’s marketing highlights its
infringing uses with statements such as “if you’re tired of wasting money
with online streaming services like Netflix, Hulu or Amazon Prime.”
*Sick of paying high monthly fees?*

“TickBox promotes the use of TickBox TV for overwhelmingly, if not
exclusively, infringing purposes, and that is how its customers use TickBox
TV. TickBox advertises TickBox TV as a substitute for authorized and
legitimate distribution channels such as cable television or
video-on-demand services like Amazon Prime and Netflix,” the studios’
lawyers write.

The complaint explains in detail how TickBox works. When users first boot
up their device they are prompted to download the “TickBox TV Player”
software. This comes with an instruction video guiding people to infringing
streams.

“The TickBox TV instructional video urges the customer to use the ‘Select
Your Theme’ button on the start-up menu for downloading addons. The
‘Themes’ are curated collections of popular addons that link to
unauthorized streams of motion pictures and television shows.”

“Some of the most popular addons currently distributed — which are
available through TickBox TV — are titled ‘Elysium,’ ‘Bob,’ and
‘Covenant’,” the complaint adds, showing screenshots of the interface.
*Covenant*

The movie and TV studios, which are the founding members of the recently
launched ACE anti-piracy initiative
,
want TickBox to stop selling their devices. In addition, they demand
compensation for the damages they’ve suffered. Requesting the maximum
statutory damages of $150,000 per copyright infringement, this can run into
the millions.

The involvement of Amazon, albeit the content division, is notable since
the online store itself sells dozens

of similar streaming devices, some of which even list “infringing” addons.

The TickBox lawsuit is the first case in the United States where a group of
major Hollywood players is targeting a streaming device. Earlier this year
various Hollywood insiders voiced concerns about the piracy streaming
epidemic and if this case goes their way, it probably won’t be the last.

*—*

*A copy of the full complaint is available here (pdf)
*

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[Medianews] Dish wins $4.4M piracy verdict in Florida

[George Antunes]

 Dish wins $4.4M piracy verdict in Florida
by Daniel Frankel  |
FierceCable.com

http://www.fiercecable.com/cable/dish-wins-4-4m-piracy-verdict-florida

Oct 13, 2017 1:30pm

[image: Dish Networks satellites]
*Dish Network and several Chinese broadcast companies have won a $4.4
million verdict against a Florida retailer accused of piracy.*

Dish Network and several Chinese broadcast companies have won a $4.4
million verdict against a Florida retailer accused of piracy.

According to a Dish announcement
,
a Florida bankruptcy court ruled that Amit Bhalla, an alleged retailer of
IPTV streaming devices with unauthorized channels, cannot use a bankruptcy
case to shield himself from liability stemming from a 2015 piracy lawsuit.

In 2016, a California federal court issued a permanent injunction against
the Chinese manufacturers of the TVpad, preventing them from distributing
several Chinese programming networks, China Central Television (CCT) and
Hong Kong’s Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB), on so-called TVpad
devices. Dish had exclusive rights to distribute these networks in the U.S.
via its Sling TV virtual MVPD service.

The court later ordered the TVpad’s manufacturers and distributors (Bhalla
being one of them) to stop manufacturing, selling and promoting the
devices. It also ordered them to pay $55 million in damages to Dish, TVB
and CCTV for infringing on copyrighted content.

Bhalla sought refuge in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District
of Florida, but didn’t find it. The court issued a summary judgment ruling
that the retailer must pay the plaintiffs $4.4 million for copyright and
trademark infringement.

“This ruling sends an important message to retailers who think they can get
away with profiting off pirated content: You will eventually be held
accountable, and a bankruptcy filing will not protect you,” said Samuel
Tsang, VP of operations for TVB USA. “Our hope is that, as a result of this
ruling, retailers will stop selling content obtained through illegal means
and instead serve their customers with legal, reliable content and devices.”

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[Medianews] 6 Fresh Horrors From Equifax CEO Richard Smith's Congressional Hearing

[George Antunes]

6 Fresh Horrors From Equifax CEO Richard Smith's Congressional Hearing

By Lily Hay Newman
Wired

10.03.17  05:22 pm

https://www.wired.com/story/equifax-ceo-congress-testimony/


The initial drama over Equifax's September data breach

has mostly subsided, but the actual damage will play out for years
.
And indeed, there turns out to be plenty of spectacle and public
controversy left. It was all on display at a Tuesday Congressional hearing,
in which lawmakers questioned Equifax's former CEO Richard Smith in an
attempt to make sense of how things went so wrong.

Before delving into the hearing itself—which went poorly enough—it's worth
mentioning that it was bracketed by further unfortunate Equifax
revelations. The company announced Monday that the total number of people
impacted by its breach is not 143 million—the amount it first disclosed—but
in fact 145.5 million. Its ability to casually misplace 2.5 million lives
upended by the breach is alarming, as is Tuesday afternoon's revelation

that the IRS awarded Equifax a no-bid, multimillion-dollar fraud-prevention
contract last week.

And there's a lot more where that came from. Here are six important (and
astonishing, disappointing, you name it) tidbits that came out of Tuesday's
hearing.

*1. The timeline of when executives knew what about the breach is both
disheartening and suspect.* Equifax has previously said that it was
breached on May 13 and that it first discovered the problem on July 29. The
company notified the public on September 7. But during Tuesday's hearing,
former CEO Smith added that he first heard about "suspicious activity" in a
customer-dispute portal, where Equifax tracks customer complaints and
efforts to correct mistakes in their credit reports, on July 31. He moved
to hire cybersecurity experts from the law firm King & Spalding to start
investigating the issue on August 2. Smith claimed that, at that time,
there was no indication that any customer's personally identifying
information had been compromised. As it turns out, after repeated questions
from lawmakers, Smith admitted he never asked at the time whether PII being
affected was even a possibility.

Smith further testified that he didn't ask for a briefing about the
"suspicious activity" until August 15, almost two weeks after the special
investigation began and 18 days after the initial red flag. He received the
briefing from King & Spalding and other forensic investigators on August
17. At that point, he said, those monitoring the situation had a better
sense of the situation's severity. But Smith still staunchly maintains that
he didn't have full information on August 17. "I did not know the size, the
scope of the breach," he told the committee. He finally notified the
presiding director of Equifax's board on August 22, while the entire board
of directors was briefed on August 24 and 25. “The picture was very fluid,"
Smith said. "We were learning new pieces of information each and every day.
As soon as we thought we had information that was of value to the board I
reached out."

Pretty leisurely timeline, no? There are still numerous outstanding
questions, particularly about what Equifax general counsel John Kelly knew
about the breach when he approved nearly $2 million in company stock sales
for three executives at the beginning of August. But just these additional
time stamps alone paint a picture of a severe lack of emergency protocol
and general urgency.

*2. Equifax's patching process was wholly inadequate.* Attackers initially
got into the affected customer-dispute portal through a vulnerability in
the Apache Struts platform
, an open-source web
application service popular with corporate clients. Apache disclosed and
patched the relevant vulnerability on March 6. In response to questions
from representative Greg Walden of Oregon, Smith said there are two reasons
the customer-dispute portal didn't receive that patch, known to be
critical, in time to prevent the breach.

The first excuse Smith gave was "human error." He says there was a
particular (unnamed) individual who knew that the portal needed to be
patched but failed to notify the appropriate IT team. Second, Smith blamed
a scanning system used to spot this sort of oversight that did not identify
the customer-dispute portal as vulnerable. Smith said forensic
investigators are still looking into why the scanner failed.

*3. Equifax stored sensitive consumer information in plaintext rather than
encrypt it.* When asked by representative Adam Kinzinger of Illinois about
what data Equifax encrypts in its systems, Smith admitted that the data
compromised in the customer-dispute portal was stored in plaintext and

[Medianews] Netflix to spend Canadian dollar 500 million to create original Canadian content

[George Antunes]

September 28, 2017 / 11:40 AM / Updated an hour ago
Netflix to spend Canadian dollar 500 million to create original Canadian
content

Reuters Staff
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-canada-media/netflix-to-spend-canadian-dollar-500-million-to-create-original-canadian-content-idUSKCN1C32HY

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Video streaming company Netflix will spend C$500 million
($401.06 million) to create original Canadian programming, the government
said on Thursday, as part of a plan to shake up the country’s media and
cultural industries.

The deal comes amid concerns that Canadian producers are struggling to
compete against major online rivals such as Netflix and YouTube and
criticism that more needs to be done to ensure domestic content does not
disappear.

The announcement was part of Canadian Heritage Minister Melanie Joly’s
sweeping review of the country’s arts and culture sector, which includes
plans to modernize funding programs and review copyright laws.

Neflix’s investment over five years will create Netflix Canada and
establish a permanent film and television production presence in Canada,
the first time it has done so outside of the United States, the government
said.

Netflix will also continue to work with Canadian producers and broadcasters
to create Canadian programming in both English and French.

Earlier this year, Netflix partnered with the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation to produce an eight-episode series based on the popular
Canadian book “Anne of Green Gables,” with plans to run a second season in
2018.

Still, the government has no plans to tax Netflix or other digital
companies, which some in Canada have called for to level the playing field.

The government said it was also seeking commitments and agreements with
other digital players to invest similarly in the creation and distribution
of Canadian content.

YouTube earlier this year unveiled a channel dedicated specifically to
Canadian content.

Joly said the Netflix deal “signals a meaningful partnership in supporting
Canadian creators, producers and Canadian creative work, and in bringing
that work to millions of viewers around the world.”

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[Medianews] TiVO Survey Finds Current Skinny Bundles Too Bloated & Pricey

[George Antunes]

TiVO Survey Finds Current Skinny Bundles Too Bloated & Pricey

by Karl Bode 
DSL Reports

Thursday Sep 28 2017 08:30 EDT

https://www.dslreports.com/shownews/TiVO-Survey-Finds-Current-Skinny-Bundles-Too-Bloated-Pricey-140416

A new study by TiVO
 indicates
that cord cutters and cable subscribers alike still really like the idea of
only paying for the channels they want to watch. The company's latest video
trends report indicates that 77.5% of respondents to its survey want to pay
for only the channels they watch, an idea otherwise known as "a la carte."
The industry has traditionally argued that a la carte options will raise
rates and kill off niche channels, but that's consistently happened anyway
even under the existing model of bloated cable bundles.
[image: Click for full size]

And while TiVO's survey found that cable customers have tried to respond to
consumer demand with so-called "skinny bundles" of less expensive channels,
many of these offerings still provide too many channels -- at too high a
cost -- for most survey participant's liking.

Again, 77.5% only want to pay for the channels they like, and they don't
want to pay much for it. According to the survey, the average price
respondents want to pay for a package of self-selected channels is $28.79
total per month -- or $1.73 per channel per month. In many channel bundles,
ESPN alone costs users an estimated $8 per month, and previous surveys have
indicated that 56% would drop the channel

if it meant an $8 reduction in their bill.

“TiVo believes vMVPDs could leverage their data to create packages that
reflect subscriber interests,” TiVo said in the study. “Instead of three or
four skinny bundle packages where the main differentiation is the number of
channels included, TiVo believes packages should be built based on
interests or viewing behavior.”

For example, the study argues that skinny bundles should be driven by
consumer interest, with cable operators offering one option for sports
fans, another option for kids, and another for film buffs.

“While some channels would overlap, the overall packages would be much more
tailored to the individual, returning to a true à la carte spirit,” TiVo
said.
We've also noted that while many of these skinny bundle offerings provide
the illusion of value, the actual savings isn't all that impressive once
you include an ocean of additional fees and surcharges
.
In short, the name of the game for many cable executives has been to try
and provide the illusion of value and bundle flexibility, without actually
doing so. And with cord cutting starting to accelerate to record levels,
it's a game of illusion that won't be sustainable for long.

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[Medianews] Self-driving cars are coming faster than you think. What will that mean for public radio?

[George Antunes]

 Self-driving cars are coming faster than you think. What will that mean
for public radio?
“The connection between cars and public media is so strong. What happens
when that connection is shaken a little bit?”

By Laura Hazard Owen
Nieman Lab

Sept. 27, 2017, 9:19 a.m.

http://www.niemanlab.org/2017/09/self-driving-cars-are-coming-faster-than-you-think-what-will-that-mean-for-public-radio/

Picture this: Your car is driving you to work. What do you do? Pull out
your phone and start checking emails? Get a novel and start reading? Do you
bother to turn on the radio and listen to Morning Edition? When you tell
your grandkids one day that back in the day, in the twenty-oughts, you used
to listen to the radio on the work, will it seem as archaic to them as the
idea of a family gathering around a radio to listen at night does now? Why
would you listen to a radio in the car if you could have a screen instead?
If these don’t seem like questions we need to worry about yet, they should,
according to Umbreen Bhatti  and Kristen Muller
. Bhatti, the manager of KQED Public Media for
Northern California’s  innovation lab, and Muller,
the chief content officer at KPCC Southern California Public Radio
, have for the past several months begun studying
the role that public radio will play in a world of self-driving cars
. (“Autonomous vehicles” is
the preferred industry term.) “It *feels* distant for people,” said Muller.
“But for Umbreen and me, it felt very much like a now question.”

California, where both women live and work, has granted 42 companies

permits to test autonomous vehicles on the road. Bhatti and Muller see
driverless cars on the road regularly (which surprised me, an East
Coaster). They especially saw them around Silicon Valley when they were
Knight Fellows at Stanford (Bhatti in 2014
, Muller in
2016 ). “I
instantly made the connection: That person is reading while their car is
driving. I can’t read and listen to the radio at the same time. The car is
where I listen to the radio, as do many of our audience members at NPR,”
said Muller.

They and Liz Danzico , NPR’s creative
director, received a $9,500 Jim Bettinger News Innovation Fund grant

to start thinking about how driverless cars will disrupt public media.
They’d expected to find some existing conversations to join, but soon
realized that most conversations about driverless cars have centered around
repercussions for traffic, urban planning, and car companies, and most of
the focus is on getting the technology right.

“You can’t mess this up,” Bhatti said. “One mistake — one self-driving
car’s technology is hijacked by a hacker and someone dies — [these
companies] can’t risk that. When you’re prioritizing the safety experience,
you’re not thinking so hard about the entertainment experience.” But, she
added, “the connection between cars and public media is so strong. What
happens when that connection is shaken a little bit?”

It’s still not clear what the entertainment systems in driverless cars will
look like. The women have seen mockup designs that are very preliminary.
“We don’t know if we’re essentially going to be presented with a platform
from car companies where they’ll say, like, ‘Here’s your screen. Put what
you want to put on it’ and now we’re competing with Netflix and Hulu,” said
Muller. “Or is there a way to be part of the conversation, help shape what
the entertainment experience is like for people?”

(There was a small stir in car circles yesterday when several

sources

reported that the new Tesla Model 3 — which has limited self-driving
capabilities — comes with no AM/FM radio at all. Tesla later said FM radio,
at least, would be turned on via software update at some point in the
future. But the company is also reportedly negotiating directly with music
labels

to create its own proprietary streaming service for its cars — more
evidence, if we still need it, of the power technology companies have over
media consumption decisions.)

The women have talked to researchers and transportation and design experts,
including those at Pasadena’s ArtCenter College of Design
, which has the leading automotive design program
in the country. “We’re exploring 

[Medianews] FCC Proposes To Eliminate Rule Requiring Stations To Keep Paper Copies Of Rules In Public File

[George Antunes]

*FCC Proposes To Eliminate Rule Requiring Stations To Keep Paper Copies Of
Rules In Public File*

*AllAccess.com*

September 27, 2017 at 5:41 AM (PT)

https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/169989/fcc-proposes-to-eliminate-rule-requiring-stations-


As expected, the FCC has released its proposal to relieve broadcast
stations and cable systems from the burden of retaining paper copies of the
FCC rules in their public files.  The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,
released after the Commission's Open Meeting TUESDAY (9/26) and unanimously
approved, is based on the idea that the rules are now accessible online.

Chairman AJIT PAI said, "Today’s Notice is the first outgrowth of the
Modernization of Media Regulation Initiative the FCC launched in MAY.  It
will be far from the last.  The strong public input we received highlighted
numerous media regulations that are outdated or unnecessary.  So going
forward, the Commission will issue at least one Notice each month proposing
to modify or eliminate these rules.

"We start here with rules that many were surprised to learn are still on
the books—literally.Today, many of us have swapped traditional paperback
books for Kindles, mixtapes for streaming services, and thick SUNDAY
morning newspapers for their online equivalents.  In doing so, we realize
daily the benefits and efficiencies new technologies can provide now
that all of this (information) is readily available online, many see these
requirements as outdated and unnecessary. We’re inclined to agree."

Commissioner MIGNON CLYBURN, noting that she had dissented from the
Commission's Modernization initiative, said, "If a rule or  a regulation
has outlived its usefulness or is now unnecessary, I will be among the
first in line endorsing its elimination, that is if the public interest
standard is not compromised.  Today’s NPRM, which proposes to remove the
requirement that certain broadcasters and cable operators maintain paper
copies of Commission rules, is such an example. While I remain admittedly
skeptical that the overarching modernization initiative will leave
consumers better off, I am in support of this amendment."

And Commissioner BRENDAN CARR said, "Earlier this month, when I cast my
first vote as a Commissioner, I noted that the telecom section of the Code
of Federal Regulations now spans five volumes and more than 4,000 pages.
In too many cases, the rules codified in that set have long outlived their
usefulness.  In fact, as today’s Notice shows, we actually have rules on
the books whose only purpose is to make sure that our licensees keep those
books on their shelves.  These requirements were adopted in the 1970s, a
decade that gave us advances like the floppy disk, the VCR, and the
Walkman, and an era long before virtually everything—including FCC
regulations—became available online.  As times change, our rules should
change with them."

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[Medianews] PBS Moving to Cloud

[George Antunes]

Sep 27, 2017 11:00 AM ET PBS Moving to Cloud

Taps CLEAR technology for content delivery

*Multichannel News*

http://www.multichannel.com/news/people/sen-cantwell-speaks-out-against-pai-renomination/415552


Prime Focus Technologies says PBS has selected its CLEAR media suite to
migrate content delivery to the cloud.

CLEAR will automate PBS
's delivery of files
to its network operations center, which will streamline the delivery of
content to PBS's 350 member stations and reduce the costs for content
suppliers to the noncommercial broadcast system.

PBS will also have a dashboard to track the process in real time.

“We expect that implementing CLEAR will help us improve operational
efficiencies and increase throughput as we move a portion of our content
operations to a cloud-based solution,” said Renard T. Jenkins, VP of PBS
operations, in a statement. “Increasing the speed and accuracy of the NOC
daily tasks, while improving access and visibility throughout the NOC
delivery process is a step in the right direction for us."

Prime Focus clients include Disney, Hearst, Warner Bros., CBS Television
Studios, 20th Century Fox Television Studios, Lionsgate and others.

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[Medianews] Apple is being sued for patent infringement by a Native American tribe

[George Antunes]

Apple is being sued for patent infringement by a Native American tribe New
IP rules: Patents can be reviewed, "unless you pay off some Indian tribe."




*By Joe MullinArs Technica9/27/2017, 7:11 AM*

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/09/apple-is-being-sued-for-patent-infringement-by-a-native-american-tribe/




Apple gets sued for patent infringement dozens of times each year
,
mostly by little-known shell companies with no products—the types of
companies often derided as "patent trolls." But the newest lawsuit seeking
royalty payments from iPad sales is likely a first: the recently created
plaintiff, MEC Resources LLC, is wholly owned by a Native American tribe.
The MEC lawsuit appears to be using Native American legal rights to
avoid having the US Patent Office perform an "inter partes review" that
could invalidate the patent.

The case had a typical beginning. In March, a Texas company named Prowire
LLC filed a lawsuit (PDF)

against Apple in Delaware federal court, claiming that the iPad 4 infringes
its US Patent No. 6,137,390

.

Apple asked the judge to transfer the case to California. Prowire lawyers
opposed that motion, but they didn't hang around to see the litigation
through. In August, they informed the court that the patent had been handed
off to MEC Resources LLC, a North Dakota firm. Shortly thereafter, the
Delaware judge granted a transfer to California, noting that MEC is a
"North Dakota citizen" and that keeping Apple in Delaware's overcrowded
courts made little sense.

MEC Resources is wholly owned by the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation,
also known as the Three Affiliated Tribes. Neither MEC's CEO nor its
lawyers responded to a request for comment from Ars. However, recent
developments in other patent cases shed light on why there's suddenly a
connection between patents and Native Americans.

Earlier this month, the New York-based St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
disclosed that it was given a set of valuable patents belonging to the drug
company Allergan
.
In return for holding on to those patents, which were licensed back to
Allergan, the company would pay the tribe an annual royalty of $15 million,
as long as the patents remained valid.
Both the tribe and Allergan were explicit about why they executed the deal:
to avoid having the US Patent Office review their patents in a procedure
called *inter partes* review, or IPR. The IPR process, which went into
effect in 2012, is a kind of mini-litigation system that takes place before
the Patent Trial and Appeals Board (PTAB), rather than in district courts.
Because it's faster and cheaper than the courts, IPR has been one of the
most efficient ways to get rid of bad patents. That has made it loved by
tech companies, who are often patent defendants—and hated by the drug
companies, who are usually asserting their patents against generic
competitors.

But there are certain parties that can't be challenged with an IPR because
of "sovereign immunity," an old legal concept codified in the 11th
Amendment of the US Constitution. Sovereign immunity prevents states from
being sued in federal court unless they agree to the suit. It dates back to
pre-revolutionary times, in which laws prevented anyone from suing a
sovereign ruler, like a king or queen, without their consent.

In the patent world, sovereign immunity protects public universities, which
are viewed as essentially arms of the state. Two PTAB cases so far have
established that patents owned by public universities can't be challenged
in IPRs. (Sovereign immunity also protects state entities from "declaratory
judgment" lawsuits seeking to invalidate their patents preemptively,
so public university patents can only be invalidated in court if the
university initiates a lawsuit.)

As expected, last week the St. Regis Mohawk tribe filed papers requesting
that the IPR filing against Allergan's patents be thrown out

on the basis that the tribe is a sovereign government and therefore
qualifies for immunity. Mylan Pharmaceuticals, which initiated the IPR, has
said it will fight it out, calling the deal a "sham transaction."
*An attractive strategy*

When the St. Regis-Allergan deal became public a few weeks ago, it was
immediately clear that if the strategy could successfully shield patents
from invalidity challenges, it wouldn't be limited to pharmaceuticals. The
St. Regis tribe is already 

[Medianews] FCC declares that USA’s wireless competition problem has been solved

[George Antunes]

FCC declares that USA’s wireless competition problem has been solved Ajit
Pai's FCC says mobile market is competitive, in change from Obama years. By
Jon Brodkin
Multichannel News

9/26/2017, 12:05 PM

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/09/fcc-declares-that-usas-wireless-competition-problem-has-been-solved/




The Federal Communications Commission today declared that there is
"effective competition" in the United States' mobile wireless market, a
finding that could influence how the FCC regulates wireless carriers and
whether it approves mergers such as a possible combination of T-Mobile USA
and Sprint.

The FCC is required to report annually on the state of wireless
competition, but during each year of the Obama administration it declined
to make a finding on whether the market benefits from effective
competition. The FCC had declared the market competitive during George W.
Bush's presidency and is now returning to that finding with Republicans
once again controlling the White House and the FCC.

The change, adopted in a 3-2 vote, comes as T-Mobile and Sprint are
reportedly deep into merger talks
.
It wouldn't be the first time that two of the four major nationwide
carriers tried to consolidate.

When the FCC opposed

AT's proposed takeover of T-Mobile in 2011, an FCC analysis
 said the
merger would bring "significant harms to competition... in the form of
increased prices for consumers, reduced incentives for innovation, and
decreased consumer choice." That analysis included dozens of references to
market and pricing data and other information in the commission's previous
wireless competition reports.

The findings in the competition report approved today

could thus play a role in the FCC's review of a possible T-Mobile/Sprint
merger or in the implementation of consumer protection rules. The relevant
statute  in the
Communications Act says the FCC may impose common carrier obligations on
wireless carriers if it's in the public interest and that the FCC's public
interest analysis has to factor in the competitive state of the market.
FCC failed to define competition, Democrat says

The FCC's Democrats say that too many rural Americans lack adequate
coverage, and that the commission's Republican majority did not properly
justify its finding of effective competition. The FCC is required to define
"effective competition" but failed to do so, Democratic Commissioner
Jessica Rosenworcel said at today's commission meeting:

Instead of a definition of this essential threshold, we have all manner of
apologies and admissions. We are told there is no single definition used by
economists or policy authorities. We are told that upstream and downstream
market segments involving network equipment, operating systems, and
applications are outside the scope, and yet the core of what is "effective
competition" remains undefined. In short, it's hard. Well, tough. Congress
creates new terms in legislation all the time and it's up to expert
agencies like this one to define them. But our failure to do so is
inexcusable if the Commission wants desperately to conclude, as it does
here, that "effective competition" exists.

Rosenworcel cautioned against allowing mergers that would reduce
competition. "While this report celebrates the presence of four nationwide
wireless providers, let’s be mindful that a transaction may soon be
announced that seeks to combine two of these four," she said. "While the
commission should not prejudge what is not yet before us, I think this
agency sticks its collective head in the sand by issuing this report and
implying, 'move along, there is nothing to see here.'"

Democratic Commissioner Mignon Clyburn faulted the FCC's Republican
majority for reducing the scope of the annual analysis. Despite making a
specific finding of effective competition, the new report is actually less
detailed than previous ones, she said.

Previous annual reports "assess[ed] competition in the entire mobile
wireless ecosystem, including key input markets, such as towers, backhaul,
and transport facilities, as well as the output markets for products that
rely on mobile wireless services, such as mobile applications and content,"
Clyburn said. Because of that, those reports "were useful in identifying
areas where communications policy could promote deployment of competitive
options for wireless service in rural areas," she said.

But the new report "takes a decidedly 

[Medianews] Pay TV Universe Shrinks to 79% of U.S. Households

[George Antunes]

Pay TV Universe Shrinks to 79% of U.S. Households Down from 84% in 2014,
88% in 2010, Leichtman Research Group says

By: Jeff Baumgartner
Multichannel News

9/26/2017 10:48 PM ET

http://www.multichannel.com/news/programming/pay-tv-universe-shrinks-79-us-households/415523

Reflecting the subscriber erosion that’s affecting many TV service
providers, about 79% of TV homes nationwide subscribe to some form of a pay
TV service, down from 84% in 2014, 88% in 2010, and 81% in 2004, according
to a new study from Leichtman Research Group.

“This is down from the peak in pay-TV penetration at the start of the
decade, and represents the first time since the early 2000s that fewer than
four-in-five TV households get a pay-TV service,” Bruce Leichtman,
president and principal analyst for LRG, said in a statement. He said the
drop in pay TV penetration is not solely a function of recent disconnects,
noting that among those without a pay TV service today, about one-third of
that group subscribed to a pay TV service in the past three years, and
one-third subscribed over three years ago.

LRG,  in a survey of 1,201 U.S. homes for its *Pay-TV in the U.S. 2017*
study, said that among TV households that do not currently take a payTV
service, about two-thirds were former pay TV subscribers, while one-third
never had pay TV.

About 7% of TV households subscribed to a pay-TV service in the past three
years, 7% last subscribed to pay TV over three years ago, and about 7%
never subscribed to a pay TV service, LRG said.

LRG also found that 29% of TV homes with annual incomes of $50,000 or less
do not subscribe to a pay TV service, compared to 16% with incomes of 50,000
or more.

Some 39% using one TV at home are non-subscribers, up from 24% using two
TVs and 12% with three TVs or more.

Just 10% of non-subscribers plan to subscribe to a pay TV service in the
next six months, including 24% that had a pay TV service in the past year,
LRG said.

Additionally, 92% of TV households have a pay TV service and/or an
over-the-air antenna, down from 94% in 2015. The mean reported monthly
spending on pay TV service among subscribers is roughly $106, up 3% in the
past year.

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[Medianews] Hisense sets its sights on cord cutters with the affordable R6 4K Roku TV

[George Antunes]

 Hisense sets its sights on cord cutters with the affordable R6 4K Roku TV

By Brendan Hesse
DigitalTrends.com

Posted on September 19, 2017 6:06 pm

https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/hisense-r6-4k-roku-tv/
[image: R6R6 4K Hisense Roku TV]

Why it matters to you

Hisense's affordable R6 4K Roku TV packs plenty of features and all the
streaming apps (4K or otherwise) you could ask for.


The merging of 4K TVs and the Roku operating system
 might be one of the best combinations in TV
land — especially for cord cutters. With the addition of the R6 4K Hisense
Roku TV to its 2017 lineup, it’s evident that Hisense thinks so, too.

The R6 4K Hisense Roku TV is loaded with plenty of features, including high
dynamic range 
(HDR), which enhances contrast and color shading for more accurate detail,
as well as direct-LED backlighting, designed to create less light bleed and
halo effects than edge-lit TVs
, for better
and richer black levels. Like others in its class, the TV also features a
UHD upscaler designed to artificially raise the resolution of lower
definition video content, and the TV also supports DTS Studio Sound.

While these are great features, they’re mostly standard — or becoming
standard — on 4K TVs. What gives the R6 4K Hisense Roku TV an edge — as the
name implies — is its integration of the Roku OS for streaming.

Essentially, this transforms the R6 4K Hisense Roku TV into a Roku/Smart TV
hybrid, running one of the best streaming interfaces on the market right
now. All Roku content will be available on the TV directly and immediately
after setup. This includes more than 5,000 streaming apps (or “channels” as
Roku calls them) from Netflix and Hulu to Sling TV and HBO Now, and
everything in between. The result is a library of 500,000-plus movies and
TV episodes ,
not to mention the billions of hours worth of content on YouTube.

All this content can be easily browsed thanks to Roku’s cross-platform
search functions. Perhaps more importantly, RokuOS also includes a curated
list of 4K and HDR content via 4K Spotlight, so finding something to watch
that can take advantage of your new TV’s picture quality will no longer be
a hassle.

Other perks for the Roku system include the ability to pause live TV, Roku
mobile app support on iOS and Android, and personal listening options via
the TV’s remote, or your own mobile device.

But perhaps best of all is the price. The 50-inch model costs just $450,
the 55-inch is only $100 more at $550, and the big-daddy 64-inch model is
$800. That’s a whole lot of big-screen real estate for a very nice price.

The R6 4K Hisense Roku TV is available now
.

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[Medianews] Reliance on Social Media for News Rises as Cable TV Wanes

[George Antunes]

Reliance on Social Media for News Rises as Cable TV Wanes *Pew Research
survey finds 67% of Americans consume news via Facebook, Twitter, other
platforms *

9/20/2017 12:00 PM

http://www.multichannel.com/blog/i-was-saying/reliance-social-media-news-rises-cable-tv-wanes/415411





*Author: Gary Arlen Multichannel News*

The Pew Research Center's latest analysis of how Americans get news
confirms the well-known obvious: Viewership of cable TV news networks is
generally down, and use of social media for news is way up. In fact, for
the first time, Pew's survey found that more than half (55%) of Americans
age 50 or older are getting their news via social media sites, up 10%
from a year ago.

About two-thirds (67%) of Americans get at least some of their news via
social media, according to Pew's survey, conducted in August. Of those, 45%
get news from Facebook, 18% from YouTube and 11% from Twitter, according to
Pew's data.

In comparison, about 28% of adults said they watch a cable news channel
"often," down from 31% in early 2016 when the presidential primary races
were getting underway. The number of respondents to Pew's American Trends
polls who said they "never" watch cable news has been relatively constant
through recent years: 21% in 2013, 18% in 2016 and 22% this year.
Similarly, about 27% or 28% said they watch cable news "sometimes," roughly
comparable to the number of viewers who watch local TV newscasts
occasionally.

Related > TV News Titans: The 10 Names to Know


The study also cross-tabulated how people who get their news from social
media also look at "traditional news platforms." Among all social media
site users, cable TV generally ranks equal to local TV and radio, and
slightly ahead of broadcast network nightly newscasts (see chart). LinkedIn
and Twitter users are the most likely to watch cable television news.

Americans in the 18-to-49 demo rely more on social media for news than
adults as a whole (78% vs. 67%), consistent with last year.

Pew examined news access by Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Reddit, Snapchat,
Tumblr, Instagram, LinkedIn and WhatsApp users. The study is loaded with
demographic details, such as analyzing social media use by gender, race and
education level.

It found that Facebook and Instagram audiences tend to skew female, while
LinkedIn and YouTube users skew male; Caucasians are less likely to consume
news via social media than other groups; and reliance on social media for
news increased last year among Americans with less than a bachelor's
degree, but declined slightly among those with at least a college degree.

*Doubling Up*
Significantly, 26% of adults get news from two or more social media sites,
up from 18% last year and 15% in 2013. Pew identified "interesting
differences in where the overlaps occur." For example, it found that 40% of
Snapchat users go to multiple sites, compared with 8% of LinkedIn customers.

"Facebook, with such a large news user base, overlaps with just about every
other social media site," Pew said. Users of "about half ... (at least 48%)
of each of the other sites studied also get news on Facebook."

However, beyond the raw data and the implications for the "fake news"
political rhetoric, the blunt reality is that cable news and other
"traditional news platforms" are facing strong competition in their target
demographics. Again, that's not a surprise. But Pew's validating data may
augur reconsiderations about how and where to develop news strategies as
social media -- for good or ill -- play an increasingly important role in
the public discourse.

The 17-page "News Use Across Social Media Platforms 2017" report by Elisa
Shearer and Jeffrey Gottfried, published this month, is available as a free
download

.

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[Medianews] CCleaner Compromised to Distribute Malware for Almost a Month

[George Antunes]

CCleaner Compromised to Distribute Malware for Almost a Month
By Catalin Cimpanu
BleepingComputer.com

September 18, 2017   05:11 AM

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/ccleaner-compromised-to-distribute-malware-for-almost-a-month/

[image: CCleaner app]

Version 5.33 of the CCleaner app offered for download between August 15 and
September 12 was modified to include the Floxif malware, according to a
report published by Cisco Talos a few minutes ago.

Floxif is a malware downloader that gathers information about infected
systems and sends it back to its C server. The malware also had the
ability to download and run other binaries, but at the time of writing,
there is no evidence that Floxif downloaded additional second-stage
payloads on infected hosts.

The malware collected information such as computer name, a list of
installed software, a list of running processes, MAC addresses for the
first three network interfaces, and unique IDs to identify each computer in
part. Researchers noted that the malware only ran on 32-bit systems. The
malware also quit execution if the user was not using an administrator
account.
Threat actor compromised CCleaner infrastructure

Cisco Talos security researchers detected the tainted CCleaner app last
week while performing beta testing of a new exploit detection technology.

Researchers identified a version of CCleaner 5.33 making calls to
suspicious domains. While initially, this looked like another case where a
user downloaded a fake, malicious CCleaner app, they later discovered that
the CCleaner installer was downloaded from the official website and was
signed using a valid digital certificate.

Cisco Talos believes that a threat actor might have compromised Avast's
supply chain and used its digital certificate to replace the legitimate
CCleaner v5.33 app on its website with one that also contained the Floxif
trojan.

It is unclear if this threat actor breached Avast's systems without the
company's knowledge, or the malicious code was added by "an insider with
access to either the development or build environments within the
organization."
Clean CCleaner versions released

Avast bought Piriform

— CCleaner's original developer — in July this year, a month before
CCleaner 5.33 was released.

Piriform acknowledged the incident in a blog post

today. The company said they found the malware in CCleaner version
5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud version 1.07.3191.

On September 13, Piriform released CCleaner 5.34 and pushed an update
(v1.07.3214) to CCleaner Cloud users that do not contain the malicious code.
Updating to recent versions removes malware

In an email to *Bleeping Computer*, Avast CTO Ondrej Vlcek said that
updating CCleaner to the most recent recent versions fixes any issues, as
"the only malware to remove is the one embedded in the CCleaner binary
itself."

"The affected software (CCleaner v5.33.6162 and CCleaner Cloud v1.07.3191)
has been installed on 2.27M machines from its inception up until now,"
Vlcek also added. "We believe that these users are safe now as our
investigation indicates we were able to disarm the threat before it was
able to do any harm."

"There is no indication or evidence that any additional "malware" has been
delivered through the backdoor," Vlcek added.

Technical details about the Floxif malware's mode of operation, infection
process, and indicators of compromise are available in a Cisco Talos report
here
.

[image: Floxif modus operandi]

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[Medianews] FCC About to Take More AM Radio Steps

[George Antunes]

 FCC About to Take More AM Steps Technical tweaks to be voted upon next
week

September 18, 2017

http://www.radioworld.com/news-and-business/0002/fcc-about-to-take-more-am-steps/340440
--
By Paul McLane
Radio World

When the FCC meets next week it plans to vote on an order that would relax
certain technical rules for AM stations in the United States.

Chairman Ajit Pai had announced at the fall Radio Show that he had shared
the draft order with his colleagues; details are now public.

“In the 2015 AM Revitalization proceeding, the commission proposed to
streamline certain technical requirements to assist AM broadcasters in
providing radio service to consumers,” the staff wrote in a summary of what
will become the Third Report and Order in Media Bureau Docket No. 13-249.

“For example, because of the way in which AM signals propagate, many AM
stations must directionalize their signals during some or all of the
broadcast day in order to avoid interference with other AM stations.
Maintaining the directional signal pattern can be technically complex,
time-consuming and expensive. Such stations are subject to a variety of
commission rules requiring signal strength measurements and other analyses
to ensure compliance with their authorizations.”

The order, it continued, will make rule changes to ease regulatory and
financial burdens faced by AM broadcasters operating DA systems.
The proposal deals with MoM proofs, partial proofs and recertification
measurements. According to the summary, the order would:
- Relax the rule for partial proofs of performance of certain directional
AM antenna systems by reducing the number of field strength measurements
required;
- Eliminate periodic recertifications of the performance of a directional
pattern for stations licensed pursuant to a Moment-Method proof, requiring
recertification only when equipment has been repaired or replaced;
- Eliminate the requirement to submit additional reference field strength
measurements on relicensing of a station that was licensed pursuant to a
Moment-Method proof;
- Eliminate the requirement of a registered surveyor’s certification when
towers in an existing AM antenna array are being used;
- Clarify that the provisions of a certain rule section will only apply
when total capacitance used for Moment-Method modeling of base region
effects exceeds a particular value and only when a particular type of
sampling is used; and
- Codify the standards under which a new Moment-Method proof of performance
is needed when adding or modifying antennas or other system components
above the base insulator of a tower in an AM array.

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[Medianews] Verizon to FCC: Streamlined pole access will facilitate small cell, fiber deployments

[George Antunes]

 Verizon to FCC: Streamlined pole access will facilitate small cell, fiber
deployments
by Sean Buckley  |
Fierce Telecom

Sep 18, 2017 9:48am

http://www.fiercetelecom.com/telecom/verizon-to-fcc-streamlined-pole-access-will-facilitate-small-cell-fiber-deployments

[image: utility poles]

Verizon told the FCC that gaining access to a more efficient pole
attachment process will enable the service provider to more effectively
expand small cells to enhance wireless coverage and the supporting fiber
facilities for wireless backhaul.

Verizon said in an FCC filing

(PDF) that in order to support the network facilities it needs to support
future 5G services, “the need for densification and for more ubiquitous
fiber to support it will only increase.”

In order to support 5G densification, Verizon has secured fiber supply
agreements through its multiyear deals with fiber manufacturers Corning and
Prysmian.

*RELATED: Verizon says OTMR pole attachment reforms should not be tied to
union agreements
*

However, in order to make the network investment a reality, Verizon needs a
streamlined permitting process to get access to necessary rights of way on
existing utility poles and other associated infrastructure.

“We need the ability to access poles quickly and efficiently, both to hang
small cells and to string fiber that will provide the necessary backhaul,”
Verizon said.

*Overcoming make-ready obstacles*

Verizon may be one of the largest service providers with considerable
experience in navigating the pole attachment process, but the service
provider admits that it has seen large delays from utilities to get access
to install new fiber and small cells.

At the heart of the issue is what’s known as make-ready. Make-ready refers
to attaching cables to utility poles in a way that the separation between
new cables and existing cables follows National Electrical Safety Code
(NESC).

A pole owner has to address a few common issues: space to locate a new
attacher’s facilities, the strength of the pole and what other concessions
are needed to support a new facility.

Specifically, Verizon cited some cases where local electric companies have
taken nine months to complete the pole attachment, as well as 12 months or
longer to attach fiber on the pole.

“We’ve found that the sequential nature of make-ready work means that one
party’s delay in completing its make-ready work often delays other parties’
ability to begin their make-ready work,” Verizon said. “As a result, we
have found that make-ready is often not completed until well beyond the
deadlines specified in the Commission’s rules.”

Following Google Fiber’s pleas for more efficient pole attachment
processes, Verizon has continued to cite support for one-touch make-ready
(OTMR), a process that would allow attachers and the pole owners the option
to use pole owner-approved contractors to coordinate and do all work to add
a new attachment. A new attacher could use a single pole owner-approved
contractor to complete all of the work at one time.

“OTMR benefits attachers and pole owners by replacing multiple truck rolls
with one and thereby speeding the attachment timeline and reducing
aggregate make-ready costs,” Verizon said. “OTMR also benefits pole owners
because in an OTMR structure, the attaching party has the responsibility
for obtaining a survey and make-ready estimate and of notifying existing
attachers that make-ready work will be performed rather than shifting that
responsibility to the pole owner.”

Verizon added that “municipalities and residents benefit because there will
be reduced closures of streets and sidewalks for make-ready work.”

But Verizon’s proposal also calls for new attachers to take responsibility
for any issues that arise. The company’s proposal says that the new
attacher would have to correct any deficiencies that the pole owner or
existing attachers identify regarding the contractor’s make-ready work, and
the new attacher and approved contractor would indemnify for any harm
caused by such work.

*Relieving local restrictions*

Realigning the make-ready process is only one issue that has held back
Verizon and other service providers looking to expand their small cell and
fiber networks in communities.

Small cell installations have been hampered in some areas by what Verizon
says are local or state laws that can cause delay. In some cases,
communities have adapted procedures and costs designed for macro-cells to
review small cell applications.

“We noted that there are many instances where municipalities or other
entities require unnecessary reviews, or impose unreasonable (and not
cost-based) rates and fees for access to rights-of-way or municipally owned
poles,” 

[Medianews] Thank You for Calling Equifax. Your Business Is Not Important to Us

[George Antunes]

 Thank You for Calling Equifax. Your Business Is Not Important to Us
*Credit monitoring in the U.S. is a nightmare. It only took a massive
public data breach to make that clear.*

By Pat Regnier and Suzanne Woolley

September 14, 2017, 4:00 AM CDT

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2017-09-14/thank-you-for-calling-equifax-your-business-is-not-important-to-us

You shouldn’t need to do a damn thing to keep your credit information safe.

We’re all accustomed to the busywork of managing personal finances. You
check your 401(k) retirement account, making sure your portfolio is
carefully balanced. You scan your bank and credit card statements from time
to time to verify the charges. These are things responsible people do.

But there’s a good chance you’ve spent time recently on a chore you didn’t
sign up for: finding out if hackers possibly stole information

about you from Equifax Inc. , one
of the three big consumer-credit reporting companies in the U.S. On Sept. 7
it announced a data breach that may have put about 143 million people in
the U.S. at risk, exposing names, addresses, birth dates, and Social
Security numbers, details that could help identity thieves take out loans,
apply for a credit card, or buy a new wardrobe in your name. (Equifax had
no comment for this story.) The company has set up a web page
 where you can find out if you are
potentially affected. If the answer is yes, you then have to decide what to
do about it. Should you sign up for the free year of credit monitoring
Equifax is offering? Set a fraud alert on your account? Activate something
called a security freeze
?
Would any of these things really help?
Featured in *Bloomberg Businessweek*, Sept. 18, 2017.
Photographer: Mait Juriado/Getty Images

What makes the situation especially awful

is that you never had much choice about entering into a relationship with
Equifax. “It’s not like when you get to choose your bank, or choose your
credit card,” says Mike Litt, consumer program advocate at U.S. PIRG, a
group that works for tougher consumer protection laws. No one specifically
asked Equifax or its competitors, Experian Plc
 and TransUnion
, to collect data about them. But
unless you want to live off the financial grid, you have to accept that
these companies you may know little about are keeping an eye on you and
your reputation with creditors.

This setup isn’t just infuriating—it partly explains why the hacking of
just one company can make so many people so vulnerable. Credit reporting
businesses

have been built primarily to serve banks and credit card companies, not the
consumers they monitor. But just as a lender benefits from having quick
access to credit reports and scores, which lets them grant credit to
perfect strangers, so does the impostor who comes to them looking to open
an account.

Consumers benefit from the credit reporting business, too: Maintaining a good
profile

makes it easy to get a loan or a card. You can apply in the time it takes
to get a 20 percent discount at a Gap checkout counter. And lenders share
consumers’ interest in not getting ripped off. But that doesn’t mean the
risks they face are the same. To a lender, the unpaid bill on a fraudulent
credit card is just one bad loan in a massive portfolio—a cost of doing
business. You, on the other hand, have only one identity and reputation.

In the end the issue isn’t whether the financial-services industry cares
about fraud. It’s really about control. Who ought to hold the keys to
unlock your data, them or you?

143 million: Americans whose personal information may have been exposed in
the Equifax breach from mid-May through July

Consider the security freeze, the most effective way for anyone anxious
about the Equifax hack to protect themselves. If you contact a credit
reporting company and request a freeze, which you can do at each of the
companies’ websites, you’re telling it not to provide any information when
a lender contacts it in the process of opening an account. That means if
someone tries to use your name and Social Security number to get a fresh
Mastercard, the application will probably be rejected, which prevents bogus
plastic, and the resulting unpaid bills, from ending up on your report and
damaging your credit. When you decide you’re in the market for a