Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and John Thune (R-SD) rolled out a plan that, if passed, would dramatically reshape the economics of television. The idea is to unbundle broadcast programming so that individual consumers could pick -- and pay for directly -- only the channels that they want to watch.
Why Twitter’s users are in open revolt
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
Twitter is planning to debut a Facebook-style, algorithmically curated newsfeed -- provoking a backlash among Twitter users. In addition, the image-sharing site Twitpic announced that it was shutting down amid legal pressure from Twitter over Twitpic's trademark application.
Sen Thune sets stage for Senate communications law overhaul
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
The top Republican on the Senate Commerce Committee is pushing for Congress to overhaul the law governing the Internet, television and phone service. Sen John Thune (R-SD) said that the Senate would likely begin work to update the law in 2015, and seemed to shine on the notion that Republicans would have taken control of the upper chamber.
E-mail privacy act has votes to pass House
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
According to legislators and others, a bill protecting e-mail privacy has enough votes to pass in the House if it is brought up for a vote. The Email Privacy Act has 218 o-sponsors, according to the Computer & Communications Industry Association, whose members include Microsoft, Google and eBay, as well as Dish, Aereo, Sprint and T-Mobile.
FTC Chair Edith Ramirez Fights for Data Security and Privacy Rights
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
A Q&A with Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez. She is putting the agency front and center as the nation’s leading enforcer on privacy and data security.
Chairman Walden Fears Rough Waters Ahead for FCC
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Tom Wheeler agreed to be the lone witness at the House Communications Subcommittee FCC oversight hearing May 20, where he could hear it from both sides of the aisle on network neutrality, and Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR) indicated May 19 that it was not going to be a triumphal return for Chairman Wheeler.
It’s not a “fast lane” but Comcast built a CDN to charge for video delivery
Filed Under: Benton Headlines
Comcast is now competing against content delivery networks (CDNs) such as Akamai with a new service that can improve delivery of video to Comcast subscribers in exchange for payment.