Center for Creative Voices in Media Blog

Tennis Channel Aces Comcast

Huge victory for independent cable channels.  An FCC Administrative Law Judge found that Comcast discriminated against independent Tennis Channel by carrying it on a far less attractive tier/location than similar Comcast-owned channels Golf Channel and Versus.

Tennis Channel Wins Program Carriage Complaint Against Comcast - 2011-12-20 21:09:42 | Broadcasting & Cable.

Diller: Cash Keeps Hollywood Quiet On Net Neutrality

Always interesting Barry Diller weighs in on what keeps Big Hollywood from speaking out on Net Neutrality when it poses such a potential threat to them -- cash money.  Diller: Cash Keeps Hollywood Quiet On Net Neutrality - Broadcasting & Cable.

DOJ Disconnects AT&T/T-Mobile

Susan Crawford expertly analyzes why the AT&T/T Mobile merger was such a threat to the open internet, one of the reasons among many that the DOJ today sued to block it on antitrust grounds.  AT&T/T-Mobile | Susan Crawford blog.

CV Discusses the National Broadband Plan and Indecency - Podcast

1070 WINA - Charlottesville Right Now: 3-31-10 Jonathan Rintels.

Jonathan Rintels of Creative Voices in Media joins Coy Barefoot on WINA 1070-AM in Charlottesville, VA to discuss the National Broadband Plan.

National Broadband Plan

The FCC gets a standing ovation from independent media artists for its visionary National Broadband Plan. The economic, social, and cultural benefits of this critical 21st century investment in networking all our nation’s communities together via the Internet will vastly outweigh its cost, connecting artists directly with their audience and enabling more high quality media choices at lower cost. Add universal broadband’s proven benefits of economic development, improved health care, greater access to education, energy conservation, homeland security, and government transparency, and it’s clear that implementing the National Broadband Plan will significantly improve the lives of Americans for generations to come.

We’re particularly gratified that the FCC’s National Broadband Plan incorporates many of the goals, rationales, and strategies contained in two reports we’ve authored: AN ACTION PLAN FOR AMERICA: Using Technology and Innovation to Address Our Nation’s Critical Challenges, for the Benton Foundation, and The Case for Universal Broadband in America: Now! Both reports are available at our website.

Read more about our view of the National Broadband Plan here.

Creative Voices Discusses DTV Transition, Broadband Stimulus

On Thursday, January 29th, 2009, Jonathan Rintels, President and Executive Director of Center For Creative Voices In Media joined Charlottesville Right Now to discuss the switch from analog television to digital television on February 17th, 2009. Rintels also discusses what the stimulus package could mean for broadband infrastructure jobs. Charlottesville Podcasting Network - Blog Archive - Charlottesville-Right Now: Jonathan Rintels.

Protecting the Public's Access to Independent Film & TV

The Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA) has put together a "Fight For Independents" campaign to promote more independent film and television production in a world dominated by a handful of giant media conglomerates that have a chokehold over much of broadcast and cable television production and distribution. They are urging the FCC to take action to once again open broadcast and cable TV to independents, as it was during the '70's, '80's, and early '90's before ill-conceived and misguided FCC "deregulation" enabled the networks to drive the independents out of business. Sign IFTA's position to the FCC!  Fight for Independents | Home.

Creative Voices Applauds Genachowski as new FCC Chair

We're thrilled that President-Elect Obama has reportedly chosen Julius Genachowski as the next FCC Chairman.  Genachowski is one of the principal authors of the Obama campaign's Technology and Innovation Policy platform, which we have heartily endorsed for its support of several critical issues:

• Encourage diversity in media and limit consolidation and concentration.
• Robust broadband Internet access for all Americans that is open to all content (Net Neutrality)
• Respect for the First Amendment
• Allowing parents, not government, to decide what content is appropriate for their children.  Technology and better information are the ways to deal with inappropriate content, not censorship.

We eagerly look forward to working with Mr. Genachowski at the FCC.

Obama's Pick for FCC Signals Change - WSJ.com.

AN ACTION PLAN FOR AMERICA: Using Technology and Innovation to Address Our Nation’s Critical Challenges

In a visionary blueprint for the use of technology and innovation, AN ACTION PLAN FOR AMERICA: Using Technology and Innovation to Address Our Nation’s Critical Challenges proposes that President-Elect Barack Obama take immediate action to connect the nation to broadband, which will unleash billions of dollars in economic development, create over a million jobs, enhance America’s global competitiveness, deliver superior health care and education, reduce energy consumption and environmental degradation, improve public safety and homeland security, and reinvigorate democracy. 

The Center for Creative Voices in Media was pleased to author this 62 page ACTION PLAN for The Benton Foundation. 

"On January 20, 2009, Americans will turn to President Barack Obama to make good on the promises he made during the 2008 election," said Charles Benton, Chairman, CEO and Trustee of the Benton Foundation. "One clear goal articulated by candidate Obama is that every American should have the highest speed broadband access - no matter where they live, or how much money they have. This goal is not achievable overnight nor with the simple stroke of a pen. However, President Obama can immediately exercise strong leadership to improve the competitiveness of the United States in the global economy by acting to craft a National Broadband Strategy." 

"In this time of economic hardship, the Obama Administration should undertake a concerted national effort to deploy universal, robust, open, and affordable broadband Internet access that will unleash billions of dollars of economic development and create over a million jobs," said ACTION PLAN author Jonathan Rintels, Executive Director of the Center for Creative Voices in Media. "The economic, social, and cultural benefits of this critical 21st century investment in broadband will vastly outweigh its cost, delivering better health care, education, energy conservation, homeland security, and government transparency for generations to come." 

The ACTION PLAN includes a draft Executive Order that President Obama should sign immediately upon taking office to establish and implement a National Broadband Strategy that will achieve the goal of universal, robust, open, and affordable broadband, as well as enhance our nation's global competitiveness, as quickly as possible. The ACTION PLAN builds on our work in last year's report, The Case for Universal Broadband in America: Now! 

Read more about the ACTION PLAN here.

Media Ownership Challenge Moved To Third Circuit

The appeal of the FCC's latest attempt to lift reasonable limits on ownership of media will be heard in the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, the same court which found the FCC's prior attempt to lift media ownership limits "arbitrary and capricious" and contrary to law.  While Kevin Martin's latest iteration of media deregulation is less sweeping than his predecessor Michael Powell's, it still would allow far more cross-ownership of local media, including joint ownership of large newspapers and TV stations, the two primary sources for local community news.  Media Ownership Challenge Moved To Third Circuit - 11/4/2008 3:00:00 PM - Broadcasting & Cable.