Clear Channel Purchases the FCC

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced today that it has agreed to be acquired by Clear Channel Communications (CCU) of San Antonio, Texas.

In announcing the deal, FCC Chairman Michael Powell said "This transaction will greatly expedite the demise of the antiquated concept of local ownership of media outlets. Critics of deals such as this need to understand that Clear Channel embodies all that is good and decent in the broadcast industry, and anyone that believes otherwise clearly isn't listening to the news."

In a statement issued today, Clear Channel CEO Lowry Mays said "This acquisition is a perfect strategic fit for Clear Channel. The FCC has been a wonderful business partner for the past several years, and has carried out our directions with great enthusiasm. We are proud to welcome the FCC into the Clear Channel family of companies."

Although terms of the deal were not immediately available, It is said that the acquisition will include all components, operating units and assets of the FCC, except for its soul, which was sold in a prior transaction to Satan, Inc. in 1996.

Clear Channel, which owns broadcast facilities, shopping malls, billboard advertising, and concert promotion units all across North America, has been on an acquisition binge for the past several years, and has recently broadened the scope of its acquisitions to include government entities. In a recent deal, CCU purchased a 50% interest in the U.S. Congress, and is reportedly close to striking a deal to purchase The White House. Clear Channel already has been integrally running the George Bush presidency. Clear Channel's Stock stood at $42.09 at the close of Monday's trading, up $1.39, or 3.42%

Gag rules? Bloggers report anyway

Also coming late to this story from Wired News: Gag Rules? Bloggers Report Anyway. Fascinating example of what happens when grassroots journalism meets traditional media gag rules at a technology conference.

Denise Howell offers her take on the whole affair.

Let's play Find the Web Editor!

For those who missed it, Adrian Holovaty is doing a terrific experiment called Find the Web Editor's Name And E-Mail Address.

He'll be visiting news sites with the sole mission of finding the full name and e-mail address of that site's Web editor. (Or new media director, online editor, webmaster or whatever the head honcho of the site is titled.)

He started with the LA Times, followed by visits to ABCnews.com, FortWayne.com, The Sacramento Bee (where I worked for 11 years), MSNBC.com and the New York Times. He's also promising a wrapup of his findings early this week.

Terrific job, and a reminder what a poor job most news sites do of providing the most basic piece of information to their users.

A site for freelance translators

David Mackey points me to a new freelance site that is meeting a niche area of the freelance realm. Called Translator Planet, it's focused on providing business owners with translators and freelancers with translation jobs. There are already several jobs posted on the site. Hope it stays afloat, I've got some friends who do freelance translation work.

Webby award winners named

Here are the winners of the seventh annual Webby awards, and a writeup in BBC News Online, which was named best news site by Internet users. Nice to see MovableType snag a Webby for best practices.

It's still inconceivable to me (if not surprising) how the judges could name Google News as best news site on the Web when it has no reporters, no editors -- in fact, no journalists of any kind. Hey, why not name Google best health site or politics site because they've got links to the best health and political information on the Web?

Jayson Blair speaks

Returned from a two-day outing to the wedding of the Sacramento Bee's TV critic a couple of hours ago, so I've missed a few items of note, such as this from Jeff Jarvis: Jayson Blair speaks.

Disparity in treatment of webcasters

A poster to Dave Farber's Interesting People mailing list writes:

In the negotiations between content holders and the various types of webcasters, there have been successful compromises that cover small and large webcasters but not "medium"-sized webcasters. This has lead to a stark regulatory discontinuity that can be illustrated with a simple example:

From a Radio And Internet Newsletter editorial:

A typical webcaster with revenues of $499,999.50 2003 has an annual royalty obligation to SoundExchange of $54,962 (under the "small webcaster" rate). Should they earn just $1 more in revenues, their fee jumps to $562,162 (under the large webcaster rate) -- more than 100% of their revenues!

Unless this situation is changed, it would seem impossible to go from being a small webcaster to a large webcaster without significant investment totaling at least a couple times the revenue of the webcaster.

Getting more from Google

Simson Garfinkel (whom I met at last fall's Poptech) in MIT's Technology Review: Getting More From Google. Searching the Web can be a frustrating exercise. Here are some tips and tricks to help you find exactly what you want from the leading search engine.

It's all about who you know

Rafe Needleman in Business 2.0: It's All About Who You Know, a look at the new social networking service from Mountain View startup LinkedIn. A few folks like Marc Canter, Kevin Werbach and David Sifry have invited me to become members in their little communities of interest, and I'll be interested to see whether it becomes more than a virtual Rolodex and matures into an online community.

Will Paul Boutin bring down the Net?

The scare headline in the NY Post read:

WIRED GIVES VIRUS CODE TO SLAMMER

And the lead said:

Think of it as a how-to guide to bringing down the Internet.

The code to the Slammer virus, which paralyzed the Internet in January in just 15 minutes, will run in the next issue of Wired magazine.

Of course, it wasn't that simple, and writer Paul Boutin asks by email, "Why is this a story? I'm amused, and flattered in a way, but also surprised. Is it just that it sounds scary as a headline?"

Probably it's a case of tech-clueless journalists at everyone's favorite tabloid, is all.

Later: Paul emails with some additional details:

On the Slammer story, I traded a few emails with Post writer Lauren Barack and some other people on Friday. It seems that while security experts and IT people are familiar with the programmers' tradition of publishing code and detailing threats, others are still surprised and taken aback by it, so we have a chance to explain that. CNN has had Wired editor Blaise Zerega on two separate shows - Headline News and the "Next" weekend segment - and I was interviewed for a CBS radio segment. Reuters ran a story where a Symantec spokesguy said it was iffy that we were doing this, but I'm sure he didn't know his company was one of my sources.

To my relief, I've gotten no hate mail on the story all weekend, and a few compliments instead.

Airport security plan decried

From today's San Jose Merc: Airport security plan decried. Lead:

Hate having to remove your shoes and belt at airport security checkpoints? Just wait. Air travel soon could become far more intrusive, privacy advocates say.

Starting next summer, the government intends to scan your personal data before letting you on a plane. Officials say they will check all would-be passengers' identities by comparing their names, addresses, birth dates and phone numbers with information in a multitude of financial, criminal and other databases.

People who raise suspicions could be questioned, banned from flying or even taken to jail.

The government has refused to provide many details about how the system would operate, which has aroused widespread consternation among privacy advocates. ...

Salam Pax worked for Maas

Just spotted this: Blogger and prolific freelance writer Peter Maas writes in Slate: How do I know that Salam Pax, Baghdad's famous blogger. exists? He worked for me.

Reality TV as convergence's killer app

Henry Jenkins, whom I recently interviewed for my book on the clash between digital technology and entertainment media, writes in MIT's Technology Review: Convergence Is Reality -- Who would have anticipated that reality television would turn out to be the killer app of media convergence?

Lying about the reasons for war

Remember John W. Dean, former counsel to President Nixon? He's written an essay for FindLaw: Missing Weapons Of Mass Destruction: Is Lying About The Reason For War An Impeachable Offense?

Ethics should top the journalism agenda

Reed Johnson in the LA Times: Media Must Become Introspective, Experts Say. Ethics should top the journalism agenda to counter public cynicism, according to observers.

In my view, it's critical for the news media to become not more introspective but more transparent, more diverse in the viewpoints they report, and more accountable to their readers, viewers and users.

Thanks to Josh Newton for the pointer.

Later: Just tripped across Glenn Reynolds' recommendationsfor improving the news media in the wake of the Jayson Blair scandal. Among Glenn's suggestions: Diversity, Accountability. Feedback.

Mourning the death of radio

NY Times: Driving Down the Highway, Mourning the Death of American Radio. Excerpt:

Corporate radio's treatment of the Dixie Chicks argues against those who wish to remove all remaining federal limits on corporate ownership ó not just of radio, but of television as well. The dangers posed by concentrated ownership go beyond news and censorship issues, to the heart of popular culture itself. By standardizing music and voices around the country, radio is slowly killing off local musical cultures, along with the diverse bodies of music that enriched the national popular culture.

Channel surfing with Rupert Murdoch

Regarding last week's FCC ruling on media consolidation, here's Channel surfing with Rupert Murdoch. (See 6/2/03 if it's been archived.)

Where does fair use end and piracy begin?

Amy Harmon in the NY Times: Industry Offers a Carrot in Online Music Fight. Excerpt:

Paul Vidich, an executive vice president with the Warner Music Group, a unit of AOL Time Warner, said that the degree to which people could share their music was a key point in the company's negotiations with Apple. They explored what the equivalent of playing music in a living room full of friends would be in the online world. Would it be O.K. for students in a dormitory room to share music with the room next door? With the whole dormitory?

They settled for now, Mr. Vidich said, on agreeing to allow the ability to share with people under one roof, or a radius of about 150 feet.

"What is personal use, where does it stop, where does pirated use begin?" Mr. Vidich said. "That is one of the questions that this whole Internet phenomenon has opened up and we all need to address it."