| November 6, 2009 | News for broadcast and electronic media leaders |
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- NAB CEO Smith: Digital TV offerings will require spectrum
NAB President & CEO Gordon Smith outlines in this letter to TVNewsCheck the importance of spectrum to broadcasters' continued ability to serve Americans with HDTV, multicast programming and mobile DTV. Smith writes: "In my view, the best solutions will flow from our collaborative efforts, not from a TV spectrum raid that only deepens the digital divide and leaves millions without the free service offerings provided by America's original wireless industry -- local broadcasters." TVNewsCheck (free registration)
(11/6)
    
| Business & Industry Report | | |
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- Letter: NAB chief asks for ethics clearance for meeting
NAB President Gordon Smith has asked House and Senate leaders to determine if an ethics waiver is needed for him to take part in discussions with lawmakers about a proposed radio performance fee, according to a letter from Smith to House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, D-Mich., Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and others. Under current law, former lawmakers are banned from being lobbying Congress for a two-year period after vacating their seats; Smith lost his Senate seat representing Oregon in 2008. National Journal/Tech Daily Dose
(11/5)
- Fisher's Brown decries proposed spectrum grab
Colleen B. Brown, president and CEO of Fisher Communications, said that in a recent meeting with government officials, she advised that the FCC should be asked to find an alternative source of spectrum for a proposed nationwide broadband plan rather than try to buy back licenses from TV broadcasters. Television Business Report
(11/5)
- Mystery jumper leaps off Conn. broadcast tower with parachute
An unidentified person scaled a broadcast tower on Rattlesnake Mountain in Farmington, Conn., and jumped off, sailing away in a parachute. The antenna was operating at full power during the jump. Arnold Chase who owns the company that owns and manages the tower, said, "It's insane, what he did," saying that standing atop an operating broadcast tower is "analogous to being inside a microwave." The Hartford Courant (Conn.)
(11/5)
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- Will Oprah show stay on broadcast or make cable move?
Final word is expected by the year's end on whether talk-show host Oprah Winfrey will keep her daily syndicated show on broadcast or give it a new home on the cable channel she is developing with Discovery Communications. Even if Winfrey decides to keep her show on broadcast, she reportedly may choose not to renew her deal with CBS, which acquired King World, the Oprah show's original syndicator, in 2000. The New York Times
(11/5)
, Deadline Hollywood Daily
(11/5)
- Ombudsman: "Sesame Street" wrong to have poked fun at Fox News
 The producers of "Sesame Street" probably should have refrained from parodying Fox News as "Pox News," according to PBS ombudsman Michael Getler. "I don't know what was in the head of the producers, but my guess is that this was one of those parodies that was too good to resist," Getler writes on the PBS Web site. "But it should have been resisted. Broadcasters can tell parents whatever they think of Fox or any other network, but you shouldn't do it through the kids." Variety/Wilshire & Washington
(11/5)
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- Commercial loudness standards get OK from ATSC membership
New technical standards for DTV commercial volume have been approved by the membership of the Advanced Television Systems Committee. The guidelines, which also are being used in the proposed Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation Act, make formal practices already being followed by many broadcasters, according to this article. Broadcasting & Cable
(11/5)
- NBCU offers affiliates Olympics marketing campaign
NBC Universal has developed a marketing campaign for affiliates who are looking to whip up excitement ahead of the 2010 Winter Olympics, slated for February in Vancouver. The initiative involves customizable campaign content that can be used on a number of platforms, including TV, video-on-demand, broadband and ITV. Multichannel News
(11/5)
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| NAB News | | |
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Crystal Award Entry Information Now Available
Entry information for the prestigious NAB Crystal Radio Award for year-round commitment to community service is available online here. Find all of the information on entry rules and guidelines that you need, as well as tips on putting together a solid entry.
| Legislative & Regulatory | | |
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- NBC lawyer cautions against damaging over-the-air broadcasting
In an interview on C-SPAN's "Communicators" series, NBC executive vice president and general counsel Rick Cotton said he expects a proposal to reallocate some broadcast spectrum for a national wireless broadband system to be "a matter of a good deal of discussion." Cotton noted: "The network local affiliate over-the-air broadcast system has served this country enormously well over a period of 60 or 70 years. I don't think anyone wants to see, frankly, damage done to that system." Multichannel News
(11/5)
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