A bit of time lends perspective. There is already a ton of stuff out there on this, but I’ll add a few perspectives that I hope are fresh. . . .
Author: Harold
Consumers Union Gets Active on Muni Broadband
My friends at Consumers Union have set up a page on community internet on their HearUsNow.org.
They also have a take action page. I urge folks to check ’em out.
I really will get some more stuff posted soon. Just been real busy.
Stay tuned . . .
Black Monday
As I demonstrated last fall when I predicted a Kerry victory, my powers of prognostication are nothing to write home about. OTOH, I suppose this demonstrates the wisdom of the old saw that you ca’t judge an outcome by oral argument.
We lost Brand X by 6-3. Interesting split that put Scalia and Thomas on opposite sides but, as I have observed in the past, telecom issues do not fall into the neat conservative/liberal divisions everyone is so fond of making.
Grokster also went the other way, with the Court not even remanding for trial.
I will have more later when I have read the decisions. Right now I’m trying to sort things out.
Stay tuned . . .
Je Suis on French TV (Hope I do not sound like une idiot)
O.K., French Canadian TV.
This piece on a wireless municipal hotspot in Alexandria, VA appeared on Canadian television Sunday night (June 19). As usual, an hour of filming to get 20 second of screen time. I am at the end, rebutting famed ILEC sock puppet David McClure of the US Internet Industry Association.
Sadly je ne parle pas le Francais, so I have relied upon the translation skills of MAP summer intern and Candian native Jennifer Scher, who assures me I do not sound like une idiot. But, really, what else is she going to say.
Stay le tuned . . .
A Quick Update on Sessions Bill
My good buddies at Free Press have have created a page on the Sessions bill. As I mentioned last time, that’s the bill that would make it illegal for municipalities to provide new broadband, cable or telecom networks that compete with any private offerings.
As Free Press discovered, Mr. Sessions has about $500K in SBC stock options. Understandable that he might get upset if SBC had to _gasp_ compete for a living.
So take a minute to visit the Free Press site. Among other things, it has a simple way for you to tell your Congresscritter that you, unlike Mr. Sessions, would like to see competition in the broadband market.
How SBC Lost TX- And What It means More Broadly
Sorry to all, especially John, for being on an unintended hiatus. Got lots poppin’ at work and at home.
In a down to the wire fight, SBC suffered major defeat in Texas on two major legislative initiatives: one to prohibit municipal broadband, the other to remove local franchising requirements for their new fiber systems. In response, SBC Alum and wholly owned subsidiary Pete Sessions (R-TX), to introduce a new federal anti-muni bill, reconfirming my view that most major corporations behave astounding like 6 year old children.
How the Bell companies blew it represents a fascinating case study. Contrary to what a few folks have suggested, it was not an “accident”. In fact, it may, possibly, suggests some interesting things about how progressive politics (by which I do not mean “Democratic Party” I mean genuinely progressive regardless of party) may work for the next few years. My lengthy random musings below . . .
Quick Updates
A quick update. Regretably, I have been too busy since coming back to type up my notes from the last day of the Media Reform Conference. I will say that Bill Moyers gave an amazing speech about the current attempt by the Bush administration to co-opt public television. Hopefully, I’ll have time to write up my take on the conflict around the Corporation for Public Broadcasting later. For other updates, see below . . .
Media Reform Conference- Saturday
“Battlin’ the bastards is the most fun you can have with your clothes on.” Jim Hightower, from his keynote speech at the MRC, May 14, 2005.
Media Reform Conference -Friday
Here are my notes from the various sessions.
St. Louis Pre-Game Show
Just finished the pre-game show here in St. Louis. It’s already shaping up nto be a huge conference here. It made attending the fourth iteration of “the academic and the activist should be friends” worthwhile. Why do self-organizing iterative processes need to repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat? More below . . .
