SACRAMENTO, CALIF. — Officer Matt McPhail happened to be at his desk when the first alert went off.
A Nissan sedan had crossed the intersection of San Juan and Truxel where the Sacramento police had just placed one of two custom-built surveillance cameras. The system ID’d the vehicle as stolen.
Charter Communications likely has headed off many broadband-related merger conditions by addressing them early on, experts said. But multiple broadband and cable matters likely will be brought up by and before regulators as Charter seeks approval to buy Bright House Networks and Time Warner Cable,they said. Charter agreed “from the get-go” to some of the most obvious potential conditions—net neutrality and discounted broadband offerings to low-income populations—said Barry Orton, telecom professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. That, plus that Charter, TWC and BHN don’t share a “bully” reputation with Comcast based on complaints about strong-arm tactics, indicates the deals could have a relatively easy time winning approval, especially compared with Comcast’s aborted attempt to buy TWC, industry officials said. Continue reading Charter Deal Conditions Could Run Gamut From MFN Clauses to Rate Hike Caps→
Statement from Media Action Grassroots Network MAG–Net.org
Oakland, California — A recent article in the Wall Street Journal revealed that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering a legally dubious “hybrid” approach to new open Internet rules that would allow some forms of discrimination. Communities of color and low-income families are among the more than 3.7 million people in the United States that have urged the FCC to reclassify broadband as a common carrier, and enforce Title II rules that prevent online censorship and discrimination.
Tracy Rosenberg, Director of MAG–Net Member Media Alliance in Oakland, CA, said, “The courts have already thrown back awkward compromises twice. The third time won’t be the charm. Full reclassification with forbearance is the only proven road to level the playing field on the Internet our communities need”. Continue reading All We Want Is Equal Representation Online→
In the early hours of the morning of June 3, Oakland’s City Council, nearing the end of a 9 hour marathon meeting, approved unanimously the nation’s first citizen-developed privacy policy. Continue reading Oakland Passes Privacy Policy At 3:00AM→
In the first half hour, we hear some thoughts about the Canadian situation from Mel Hurtig. Mel Hurtig is a legendary Canadian Nationalist, publisher, bookseller, and creator of the Canadian Encyclopedia. He is an outspoken political activist, an Officer of the Order of Canada, and author of several books warning of threats to Canadian democracy including Pay the Rent or Feed the Kids: The Tragedy and Disgrace of Poverty in Canada (1999), The Vanishing Country (2002), The Truth about Canada (2008), and his most recent The Arrogant Autocrat: Stephen Harper’s Take-over of Canada (2015). Hurtig has written and spoken extensively about the unprecedented level of media concentration in Canada compared to other countries. In this recent interview, Hurtig brings listeners up to speed on how these media dynamics are intersecting with the designs of a very right wing Prime Minister.
In the second half hour, occasional contributor Kellia Ramares-Watson brings us a marvelous conversation with Tracy Rosenberg, executive director of the progressive media advocacy group Media Alliance. They explore the threats to democracy associated with huge media companies dominating the majority of what audiences see read and hear, the dangers associated with the vertical integration of private internet service providers with content providers, and the need for a ‘Global Public’ to counter the influence of globalized capital. Continue reading MA Interview on Global Research News Hour – May 22 2015→
This announcement comes after months of pressure from diverse groups representing Latino and Black communities, calling the proposed merger disastrous for low-income consumers. Members and partners of the Media Action Grassroots Network (MAG-Net), representing more than 175 grassroots organizations, have been actively organizing to ensure the merger did not get approved. Continue reading The Comcast-Time Warner Deal is Officially Off→
