regulation
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UK regulator Ofcom considering phasing out analog radio
We keep hearing about this "new media" thing that's supposed to bring the imminent death of traditional print and broadcast media. Only problem is that those pesky old-school journalists still keep turning out printed pages and keep making radio and TV shows that are actually aired, over, you know, the analog airwaves. Well, the UK may be the first country to shut down traditional analog broadcasts in favor of digital radio (and probably those podcast things we've heard about). Red Herring is reporting that Ofcom, the UK's equivalent of the FCC, recently published a statement that automatic renewal of AM and FM licenses could "tie up very valuable slices of spectrum for 24 years" and that the spectrum should instead be used for mobile television and "more digital radio and data services." However, while traditional radio is unlikely to get shut down overnight, Ofcom apparently believes that it will get phased out pretty soon. We're guessing that by the time that happens, DAB radios will probably drop under the $100 mark, allowing us to finally enjoy the Beeb in full digital glory and on the cheap.
Vista to ship on time in EU after all
Earlier today we reported the Sony's PS3 would not be delayed in Europe, and now Microsoft is getting the same break as well. The Redmond crew has worked out its differences with the European Commission's antitrust concerns, which will let Microsoft release Vista on schedule (relatively speaking, anyway). Microsoft finally agreed to modify Vista to suit the demands of European as well as South Korean regulators -- we're not exactly sure what that means, but the Agence France Presse reports: "The changes notably will make it easier for users to pick the internet search provider of their choice and allow other firms greater access to Vista's security components." So yeah, Vista's got that going for it now.
FCC likely directing Logan to lay off Continental's WiFi
As you probably already know, we can't get enough of WiFi -- naturally we prefer the free variety, but have been known to fork over a few bucks from time to time to get our fix. So when we found out that Continental Airlines was offering free WiFi service to members of its frequent flier service at Boston-Logan International Airport, needless to say, we were pretty stoked. Now, one might think that transit authorities would be all for keeping customers happy and pacified, but apparently that's not the case with Massport, the governing body at Logan. According to Reuters, Massport instructed airlines in 2005 to unplug their wireless access points so that travelers could be graced with the new fee-based system it was installing airport-wide. Not surprisingly, Continental said "no thanks," kept its WiFi running, and filed a petition with the Federal Communications Commission. This week, the FCC issued a proposed ruling to commissioners, which according to insiders, is likely to end up being in Continental's favor, given that the Feds are the only ones who can tell you how to use your hard-earned unlicensed spectrum. Apparently that's something Massport's going to have to learn the hard way.
Georgia to educate parents on game ratings
Problem: Children are getting their hands on violent video games.Potential government solutions: You can propose unconstitutional laws preventing the games from being sold to minors. You can propose big-brother style federal oversight of a private, self-regulatory body. Or, if you're smart like the state of Georgia, you can work to educate the parents that make an overwhelming majority of game purchases.Gamasutra is reporting that the ESRB has partnered with Georgia State Attorney General Thurbert Baker to create public service announcements explaining the game rating system to parents and reminding them to check the rating before making a purchase. The ads, which will appear on TV and radio, are bound to be more effective than the ESRB's annoying in-store video ads where Derek Jeter and Tiger Woods remind you that they are sports stars and you are not. Here's hoping this ushers in a new era of cooperation over combativeness between the industry and the government.
Did video games lose it for Lieberman?
Was support for video game regulation a significant factor in Joe Lieberman's primary loss to Ned Lamont in yesterday's Democratic Connecticut Senate primary? That's the theory put forth by one blogger, who says that the young children who remember Lieberman from the 1994 video game hearings are now of voting age and out for revenge!We're not buying it, though. For one thing, 18- to 24-year-olds are a historically unimportant voting bloc -- only 36 percent of them voted in the 2000 presidential election (though this group is growing: 47 percent voted in 2004). For another, exit polls (.pdf) show that issues like the war in Iraq and Lieberman's close relationship with Bush were foremost on voters' minds -- video game issues don't even make a blip.Despite the loss, Lieberman has announced he will still be running as an Independent, which means his vociferous calls for game regulation might yet continue to ring through the Senate. Even if he does lose in November, other Senators like Hillary Clinton have shown they are more than willing to take up the cause.
Verizon FiOS strikes multicasting deal with PBS
While the government still ponders the must-carry multicasting situation, Verizon FiOS appeared to thumb it's nose at the cable companies today by announcing a deal with PBS and the Association of Public Television Stations to carry the programming of as many as three stations in one market, and additional stations as long as they are not duplicating programming from the other three.The cable industry struck a similar deal last year, where there is no limit on the number of stations carried, but the maximum number of multicast streams is 4. The Verizon deal has no limitation on the number of multicast streams carried, and includes PBS' high definition programming.Read - Verizon strikes deal to carry public stationsRead - Verizon, Noncoms unveil carriage deal
