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By Drew Grant 11/09/11 12:02pm

Do Not Be Alarmed By Our First Emergency Alert System Nationwide Test

You know how every time there's a fire drill in your office, most of the people don't move or do anything because they all know it's probably not a real fire, and even if it was no one was really paying attention during that fire drill safety class so they might as well continue doing those spreadsheets instead of ending up trapped in a fire-licked elevator?

Well, the FCC hopes you understand that at 2 p.m. today, you will also choose to ignore the apocalypse-sounding warning that they will be testing out for the first time, even though there is a slight chance that the message you receive will not tell you that the end of the world is not actually nigh, and this is in fact, just a test.

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1 By Kat Stoeffel 6/09/11 2:35pm

The Schmear

One Sure Thing for Future of Media: There Will Be Panels

"An explosion of online news sources in recent years has not produced a corresponding increase in reporting, particularly quality local reporting, a federal study of the media has found," wrote New York Times reporters, Jeremy W. Peters and Brian Stelter. They then high-fived David Carr, hate re-tweeted a Patch story about the Stony Read More

By Kat Stoeffel 6/08/11 9:27am

The Schmear

Jon Stewart’s Wrist Lacerated by Instant Karma

Traditional media companies, the FCC's "Future of Media Report" has nothing to offer you. [WSJ] Time Warner is in talks to buy the American version of OK! magazine, which is like a British version of People, from owner Richard Desmond. [BSkyB] NBCUniversal will pay Blackstone $1 B for their stake in Universal Read More

By admin 1/27/11 2:28pm

Web TV

Netflix Prepared To Publicly Humiliate Cable Companies

As Netflix continues to emerge as a powerhouse in the web tv market, the traditional cable companies are trying to cripple the company by jacking up the price to carry their data.

In a letter to shareholders CEO Reed Hastings made it plain the company won't take this lying down.

"Tomorrow, we’ll publish on our blog Read More

By admin 1/21/11 5:20pm

net neutrality

Verizon Reminds Us Any Regulation Is Too Much Regulation

In a completely expected move, Verizon has decided to sue the F.C.C., challenging the agency's newly adopted rules on net neutrality.

When the new rules were passed, The Observer noted that they were laying the groundwork for future legal challenges.

F.C.C. chairman Julius Genachowski was hoping his compromise package would placate business interests.

But as Aparna Read More

By admin 12/21/10 8:11pm

Tech

The FCC’s Unreasonable Compromise on Net Neutrality

The new rules adopted by the FCC today are supposed to protect what has become the central tenet of the web, network neutrality. It's a compromise, said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, designed to encourage companies to invest in broadband infrastructure, while preventing them from favoring one website or service over another.

But the ambiguous language of Read More

By Leon Neyfakh 8/06/10 2:52pm

New York Times Balks At Harsh Snarls From Verizon and Google, Follows Up Unapologetically On “Net Neutrality” Deal

Yesterday, Google and Verizon both issued brief statements addressing a New York Times article in which it was reported that the two companies were nearing a deal that would undermine the principles of net neutrality. The statements were so strongly worded that it seemed like there could only two scenarios: either Google and Verizon Read More

By Zeke Turner 3:51pm

Curse Words

Sweet Sassy and Holy Eff Bombs, A Victory for Indecency on the Networks

The U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against the Federal Communications Comissions yesterday, throwing out fines imposed by the FCC on television networks Fox, CBS and ABC for indecency — curse words, nipple slips and the like — according to the Washington Post.

The judges decided that the FCC's 2004 guidelines for what is Read More

By Felix Gillette 1/21/08 6:12pm

Kucinich Remix: Dem Candidate Files Complaint with FCC About CNN

Would-be serial debate crasher Dennis Kucinich is at it again.

"After failing to qualify for a Democratic presidential candidates debate on Monday in South Carolina, Cleveland Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich has filed a Federal Communications Commission complaint against host network CNN," reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

"The complaint accuses the network of 'arbitrarily establishing Read More

By Joe Hagan 5/10/04 12:00am

Howard’s Private War

In recent weeks, as Howard Stern mounted his one-man battle against the Federal Communications Commission and its White House–appointed chief, Michael Powell over his alleged culture crimes-indecency offenses, they said-which then translated into financial threats and radio-station excommunications, he looked to be a man alone.

But on Tuesday, May 4, he found a defender. Not only Read More

By Jason Gay 4/01/02 12:00am

Oscar’s TV Night: New Home, New Goofs, and Donald Sutherland

Wednesday, Mar. 27

Hel- lo , Oscar! Like everyone outside of Russell Crowe, who's droning on like the love child of James Lipton and Charles Grodin these days- crikey, that's one acceptance wheeze we were grateful to miss-we couldn't help but be swept up in the wee-hour history-making of the movie biz's biggest big whoop. Read More

The New York Observer

FCC

Do Not Be Alarmed By Our First Emergency Alert System Nationwide Test

One Sure Thing for Future of Media: There Will Be Panels

Jon Stewart’s Wrist Lacerated by Instant Karma

Netflix Prepared To Publicly Humiliate Cable Companies

Verizon Reminds Us Any Regulation Is Too Much Regulation

The FCC’s Unreasonable Compromise on Net Neutrality

New York Times Balks At Harsh Snarls From Verizon and Google, Follows Up Unapologetically On “Net Neutrality” Deal

Sweet Sassy and Holy Eff Bombs, A Victory for Indecency on the Networks

Kucinich Remix: Dem Candidate Files Complaint with FCC About CNN

Howard’s Private War

Oscar’s TV Night: New Home, New Goofs, and Donald Sutherland

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