May 22, 2013

FCC Just Fine with Big Papi’s Live F-Bomb (Watch)

Ortiz Boston Bombings

*Usually a curse word uttered on live television would get the FCC all riled up and itching to level huge fines. But in the wake of the Boston bombings and subsequent manhunt, FCC chairman Julius Genachowski made a rare exception. Boston Red Sox slugger David Ortiz slipped an f-bomb into a speech broadcast live before [...]




New ‘Soul of the South’ Network to Launch in May

doug_mchenry

  *The Soul of the South Network, targeting African-American viewers, announced Thursday it will launch in 30 markets on May 27 after closing an initial round of funding for $10 million raised from the state of Arkansas and private investors, according to The Hollywood Reporter. (Scroll down to watch a promo for the channel.) The [...]




Federal Communications Commission: Wi-Fi for Everyone!

free wifi

*If you have children, you know how much more dependent school is becoming on the internet. So, if your child does not have internet access, are they falling behind? Well the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is proposing making free WiFi available to everyone. But, the only supporters they have for the major move is Google [...]




Janet Jackson’s Wardrobe Malfunction Heads to Supreme Court

wardrobe-malfunction

*An appeal over singer Janet Jackson’s “wardrobe malfunction” and brief partial nudity on national television has reached the Supreme Court, reports CNN. The Obama administration has asked the Supreme Court to decide whether record government fines against CBS should be allowed to stand. A federal appeals court last November ruled in favor of the network [...]




Is Liquid Plummer ‘Double Impact’ Ad Too Much Sex for Daytime TV? (Video)

liquid plummer sexy ad

*It seems the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is picking and choosing their fights on television. They’ve put the smackdown on the language used on daytime talk shows and what they call “family programming” like the Super Bowl. But, somehow, companies have been able to slide their commercials right past the regulation of the FCC. The [...]




FCC Bans Loud Commercials

billy mays

*Have you ever been watching your favorite show, you’re all comfy on the couch, the volume at a normal decibel and then it’s time for a commercial. The commercial scares the bejeezus out of you with a volume far exceeding what you were watching!  It has you so frazzled you’re angry that you have to turn the [...]




FCC Makes Effort to Bring Broadband to Every (Low Income) Household for $9.95

fcc

*Back in September, we reported on Comcast’s push to help low income households get up and running online with low cost computers and broadband access for $9.95 as a part of their deal to obtain NBC Universal. Now the Federal Communications Commission has offered to do the same for the 100 million households that do [...]




Appeals Court Affirms ‘Wardrobe Malfunction’ Ruling

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*A federal appeals court on Wednesday has reaffirmed its previous ruling declaring that the Federal Communications Commission improperly fined CBS for televising Janet Jackson’s infamous wardrobe malfunction during the 2004 Super Bowl Halftime Show. Per the New York Times, the 3rd U.S. Court of Appeals in Philadelphia made today’s declaration after the Supreme Court sent [...]




Former FCC Chair Michael K. Powell to Lead Cable Trade Group

michael k powell

*Former FCC chairman Michael K. Powell has just been named the new president and CEO of the National Cable & Telecommunications Association. The son of former Secretary of State Colin Powell, who ran the FCC from 2001until 2005, replaces Kyle McSlarrow, whose departure was announced last week. “Michael Powell is one of the most well [...]




What is Net Neutrality and What Does It Mean for You?

internet_on_screen(2010-med)

*Are some versions of the Internet more equal than others? The Federal Communications Commission passed its first-ever regulation of the Internet today, in a net neutrality compromise that saw its 3-2 vote split sharply along party lines. The full text of the new regulations will not be published until later this week, but the broad [...]




Civil Rights Groups Sign Ground Breaking Agreement with Comcast and NBC Universal

nbc_comcast_logos(2010-big)

*BALTIMORE, MD – The NAACP, National Urban League and National Action Network announced today an agreement with Comcast and NBC Universal to expand current diversity initiatives intended to increase diversity in a wide range of areas including programming and employment. The Memorandum of Understanding, being filed today with the Federal Communications Commission, creates initiatives to [...]




Skechers Goes Too Far with New Cartoon, FCC Called

zevo_3_skechers(2010-med)

*According to concerned parents and/or the Boston-based Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood, Skechers thinks they’re slick! The thick-soled shoe company has produced a new cartoon called “Zevo-3,″ that according to the Campaign’s complaint, has “the first children’s television program starring characters that are known to children only as commercial logos and spokescharacters.” Flag on the play!  This means [...]




The Four-Letter Words are Coming to Prime Time…More

fcc_logo(2010-med)

*The FCC appears to be relaxing on the rules and regulations of “cussin’.”  You thought you had to buy HBO and the other all-inclusive digital line-ups to hear the “good stuff.” When the new fall shows pop up on CBS, they will be laden with the expletives people crave at the height of the moment [...]




An Unfixed Net Glitch Could Strand You Offline

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*In 1998, a hacker told Congress that he could bring down the Internet in 30 minutes by exploiting a certain flaw that sometimes caused online outages by misdirecting data. In 2003, the Bush administration concluded that fixing this flaw was in the nation’s “vital interest.” Fast forward to 2010, and very little has happened to [...]




National Coalition of African American Owned Media Praises FCC Comcast Decision

Stanley Washington

*The National Coalition of African American owned Media (NCAAOM) recently praised the FCC’s decision to extend the comment period for the controversial proposed merger between Comcast and NBC Universal (NBCU). “It’s now clear the FCC recognizes the tremendous impact this merger will have on American society,” says Stanley E. Washington, NCAAOM President & CEO. “For [...]