[Ecommerce] Broadcast flag for radio? FCC Hearing tomorrow A
pril 15
Manon Ress
manon.ress@cptech.org
Wed Apr 14 14:18:05 2004
Thanks, Drew,
What about webcasting?
Manon
Clark, Drew wrote:
>Manon and list, see my story below
>
>>From National Journal's Technology Daily | Friday, April 9
>
>Intellectual Property
>Groups Rally Against Potential FCC Rules On Digital Radio
>by Drew Clark
>
> The FCC will consider new regulations for digital radio broadcasts at
>its April 15 meeting, the agency announced Thursday. But it will not sugge=
st
>anti-copying rules, an FCC source said.
> Public-interest groups raised alarm on Wednesday over reports that th=
e
>FCC would consider proposals to require an anti-piracy technology for
>digital radio styled after the "broadcast flag," a mandate imposed on
>digital television manufacturers in November.
> The regulations to be discussed April 15 will include two paragraphs
>asking questions about consumers' ability to copy and store songs broadcas=
t
>over digital radio, the FCC source said. But they are only questions, and
>they are part of a broader set of rules governing digital transmissions.
> The music industry is concerned that the increased quality of digital
>radio, also called high-definition or HD radio, might lead consumers to co=
py
>and store songs they receive over the air. They aired their concerns Jan. =
30
>at an FCC meeting headed by Media Bureau Chief Ken Ferree.
> At the meeting, Ferree said he was unconvinced that the threat outlin=
ed
>by the recording industry warrants halting or modifying the timetable for
>deploying HD radio. The agency authorized test HD transmissions in October=
,
>and in January JVC, Kenwood, Onkyo, Panasonic and Visteon announced the
>first commercial HD radio receivers.
> "We are grateful that the FCC is raising this issue for consideration=
,"
>said Mitch Bainwol, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America.
>"We are concerned that the transmission standard being considered by the F=
CC
>does not protect the music even though safeguards could easily be
>implemented."
> Unlike subscription-based satellite radio, HD radio is being used by
>existing AM and FM broadcasters and would be free to consumers with digita=
l
>receivers. The technology is provided to broadcasters and electronics
>companies by iBiquity, which has objected to an anti-piracy technology
>modeled after the broadcast flag.
> The recording industry's fear is that the increasing availability of =
HD
>radio will lead electronics companies to build radio tuners into computers=
.
>Industry believes that could let consumers program their computer-radios t=
o
>digitally seek songs and thus open another door for piracy.
> Officials at Public Knowledge and Consumers Union said they remain
>concerned about any reference to copy protection within any HD radio
>regulation "Even if it is just two paragraphs, it is in [a regulation],
>which is not appropriate for this phase of the investigation,"
>Communications Director Art Brodsky said.
> "Inadequate groundwork has been laid for [a regulation] relating to
>content protection for digital audio radio -- far less groundwork even tha=
n
>was done in the run-up to the broadcast flag regulation for digital
>television," officials at Public Knowledge and Consumers Union wrote in a
>Wednesday letter to FCC Chairman Michael Powell.
> "There is literally no evidence at all associating digital radio
>broadcasting with peer-to-peer file sharing of music or other content," th=
e
>officials wrote.
> Al Shuldiner, the general counsel for iBiquity, said he believes the
>bulk of the regulation will address transmission rules governing nighttime
>broadcasts of HD radio and address a recent request by National Public Rad=
io
>to use the technology to transmit an additional audio channel.
> Currently, 100 stations are using the technology in 36 markets, and a
>total of 300 stations in 80 markets have licensed iBiquity's technology to
>begin broadcasting digitally.
>
>
>Drew Clark
>Senior Writer, National Journal's Technology Daily
>
>National Journal's Technology Daily home:
>http://nationaljournal.com/pubs/techdaily
>Information about National Journal's Technology Daily:
>http://www.technologydaily.com
>
>tel 202-261-0357
>fax 202-261-0361
>cell 202-329-9517
>e-mail dclark@nationaljournal.com
>or drew@drewclark.com
>
>1501 M Street NW, Suite 300
>Washington, DC 20005
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Manon Ress [mailto:manon.ress@cptech.org]
>Sent: Wednesday, April 14, 2004 1:41 PM
>To: ecommerce
>Subject: [Ecommerce] Broadcast flag for radio? FCC Hearing tomorrow
>April 15
>
>
>I heard there could be a vote tomorrow at the FCC re extension of
>broadcast flag to radio. Is that true? Anyone knows who will be speaking?
>Manon
>
>April 8, 2004
>
>FCC TO HOLD OPEN COMMISSION MEETING
>
>THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2004
>
>The Federal Communications Commission will hold an Open Meeting on the
>subjects listed below on Thursday, April 15, 2004, which is scheduled to
>commence at 9:30 a.m. in Room TW-C305, at 445 12th Street, S. W.,
>Washington, D.C.
>
>*_ITEM NO._*
>
>
>
>*_BUREAU_*
>
>
>
>*_SUBJECT_*
>
>*1*
>
>
>
>*OFFICE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY*
>
>
>
>*TITLE: *Review of Part 15 and other Parts of the Commission=92s Rules (ET
>Docket No. 01-278; RM-9375, and RM-10051).
>
>*SUMMARY: *The Commission will consider a Third Report and Order
>concerning rule changes for radio frequency identification systems
>operating at 433 MHz.
>
>*2*
>
>
>
>*MEDIA*
>
>
>
>*TITLE: *Digital Audio Broadcasting Systems and Their Impact on the
>Terrestrial Radio Broadcast Service (MM Docket No. 99-325).
>
>*SUMMARY: *The Commission will consider a Further Notice of Proposed
>Rulemaking concerning rule changes for radio stations that broadcast
>digital audio using In-Band On-Channel (=93IBOC=94) technology.
>
>
>Additional information concerning this meeting may be obtained from
>Audrey Spivack or David Fiske, Office of Media Relations, (202)
>418-0500; TTY 1-888-835-5322. Audio/Video coverage of the meeting will
>be broadcast live over the Internet from the FCC's Audio/Video Events
>web page at www.fcc.gov/realaudio <http://www.fcc.gov/realaudio>.
>
>More on public interest reaction at Public Knowledge:
>http://www.publicknowledge.org/content/press-releases/press-release-2004-4=
-7
>
>--
>Manon Anne Ress
>Consumer Project on Technology
>www.cptech.org
>PO Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
>manon.ress@cptech.org, voice: 1.202.387.8030, fax: 1.202.234.5176
>
>
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>
>
>
>
--
Manon Anne Ress
Consumer Project on Technology
www.cptech.org
PO Box 19367, Washington, DC 20036
manon.ress@cptech.org, voice: 1.202.387.8030, fax: 1.202.234.5176