BigGovernment.com contributor James O'Keefe, who
blew the doors off of ACORN with his undercover sting operation, has been
arrested for interfering with the telephones at US Sen. Mary Landrieu's office
in Louisiana.
Media
Click the title to read more NMJ coverage... Filmmaker Who
Targeted ACORN Arrested FOX News
The independent filmmaker who brought ACORN to its knees last year with
undercover exposes was arrested this week along with three others, including
the son of a federal prosecutor, and accused of trying to interfere with the
phones at Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu's office. Federal officials did not
say why the men wanted to interfere with Landrieu's phones or whether they
were successful.
After Three
Months, Only 35 Subscriptions for Newsday's Website Source: The New York Observer
In late October, Newsday, the Long Island daily that the Dolans bought for
$650 million, put its website, newsday.com, behind a pay wall. Three months
later, 35 people have signed up to pay $5 a week, or $260 a year, to get
unfettered access to newsday.com.
Six TV Stations
Forced Off Air in Venezuela Source: AFP/Yahoo News
An opposition TV station in Venezuela along with five others were taken off
the air early Sunday for violating rules issued by President Hugo Chavez's
government, a station spokeswoman said. The new rules require stations to
air Chavez's speeches, among other mandates.
Air America Radio
Closing, Filing for Bankruptcy Associated Press
Air America Radio, a radio network that was launched in 2004 as a liberal
alternative to Rush Limbaugh and other conservative commentators, on
Thursday shut down abruptly due to financial woes. The network once boasted
hosts such as Al Franken and Rachel Maddow, but struggled from the outset,
including multiple management shake-ups, a bankruptcy in 2006 and sale for
$4.25 million the following year. Air America ceased airing new programs
Thursday afternoon and said it will soon file to be liquidated under Chapter
7 bankruptcy. It began broadcasting reruns of programs and would end those
as well Monday night...
Saudi Billionaire
Eyes New Links with News Corp. AP/MyWay News
The Saudi billionaire whose investment firm is one of the biggest
stakeholders in Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. said he is looking to expand his
alliances with the media giant, in the latest indication that his appetite
for growth remains robust even as his company retrenches. Media reports have
indicated that News Corp, parent to FOX News and Dow Jones & Co., among
others, may be thinking of buying a stake in Rotana Media Group owned by
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, a nephew of the Saudi king and who was listed
last year by Forbes as the world's 22nd richest person, which includes a
number of satellite channels that air in the Middle East.
New York Times
Ready to Charge Online Readers New York Magazine
New York Times Chairman Arthur Sulzberger Jr. appears close to announcing
that the paper will begin charging for access to its website, according to
people familiar with internal deliberations. After a year of sometimes
fraught debate inside the paper, the choice for some time has been between a
Wall Street Journal-type pay wall and the metered system adopted by
the Financial Times, in which readers can sample a certain number of
free articles before being asked to subscribe. The Times seems to have
settled on the metered system.
FCC Looks at Ways
to Assert Authority Over Web Access The Washington Post
The Federal Communications Commission is considering aggressive moves to
stake out its authority to oversee consumer access to the Internet, as a
recent court hearing and industry opposition have cast doubt on its power
over Web service providers. The FCC, which regulates public access to
telephone and television services, has been working to claim the same role
for the Internet. The stakes are high, as the Obama administration pushes an
agenda of open broadband access for all and big corporations work to protect
their enormous investments in a new and powerful medium.
Coakley Aide
Roughs Up Reporter FOX25 MyFoxBoston.com
A reporter trying to question Massachusetts Senate candidate Martha Coakley
was involved in a scuffle with one of her aides. John McCormack of the
Weekly Standard fell last night as he tried to speak with the Democrat while
simultaneously videotaping her and trying to pass a metal grate on a
Washington sidewalk. Photos and video of the incident show a scuffle broke
out as Coakley aide Michael Meehan tried to block McCormack and determine if
he was an operative of a rival campaign.
Tehran Shuts Down
Western Media The Australian
Iran's international isolation deepened yesterday when the regime banned
contact with more than 60 highly regarded Western organizations that it
accused of conspiring against the Islamic republic. The list includes the
BBC, Voice of America and other media organizations that beam Farsi-language
programs into Iran, as well as think tanks, academic institutions and
leading non-governmental organizations from the US and Europe. One Iranian
analyst said it was "a very harsh and important step" that would cut the
last remaining back-channels for diplomatic communications with the West.
C-SPAN to
Democrats: Televise Healthcare Reform Negotiations ABC News
C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb last week wrote to Congressional leaders asking that
they "open all important negotiations, including any conference committee
meetings, to electronic media coverage" as the House and Senate work to
reconcile the differences between the House and Senate healthcare reform
bills. Lamb reminded the leaders that "President Obama, Senate and House
leaders, many of your rank-and-file members, and the nation’s editorial
pages have all talked about the value of transparent discussions on
reforming the nation’s healthcare system.
Cable TV
Subscribers Face Higher Bills The New York Times
The performances on “American Idol” may be erratic and the plot twists on
“Lost” may be unpredictable, but one facet of television is certain: the
costs just keep going up. On New Year’s Day, the News Corporation, the media
empire controlled by Rupert Murdoch, wrangled new payments from Time Warner
Cable, including subscriber fees for the FOX Broadcasting network, which is
free for viewers with over-the-air antennas. The high-stakes deal reflected
the scramble by media companies to reduce their dependence on advertising.
Something else also happened that day: Time Warner Cable put another rate
increase into effect.
Journalist in
Kazakhstan Dies After Being Thrown from Window AFP/News.com.au
A Kyrguz opposition journalist has died after being thrown from the
sixth-floor window of an apartment in Kazakhstan with his hands and feet
bound with duct tape, officials say. Pavlyuk was a leading critic of
Kyrgyzstan's President Kurmanbek Bakiyev and the officials in both countries
said a criminal investigation had been opened into his death.
