Cooney Center to issue "Families Matter" report on media usage

The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop is releasing a new report, "Families Matter," documenting how families with young children integrate digital media into their lives, today (June 7) at the E 3 Expo for electronic gaming in Los Angeles. Center Executive Director Michael Levine writes on Huffington Post that the findings include: Only half of parents are playing with their kids on newer platforms such as video game consoles; many parents are spending more time with their children engaged in traditional activities (TV, books, board games); and while more than half of parents are concerned about the effect of media usage on their children, fewer than 1 in 5 parents think their kids spend too much time with digital media.

Senate spectrum auction bill markup set for Wednesday

The Senate Commerce Committee is set to mark up a spectrum incentive auction bill Wednesday (June 8), but that could prove to be a "marathon undertaking," according to Broadcasting & Cable. The bill, S. 911, contains nearly 100 draft amendments. It would allow the Federal Communications Commission to compensate broadcasters for giving up some spectrum, around 120 MHz total, to make room for more wireless broadband. It would also allow allocate the D block of spectrum to first responders for an interoperable broadband emergency communications network rather than auction it. The bill's sponsor, Senate Commerce Committee chairman Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), wants the bill passed and to the president before the tenth anniversary of 9/11. Creating the emergency network was one of the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission.

Yore gets promotion at Marketplace

American Public Media is announcing J.J. Yore's promotion from vice president/executive producer to vice president/general manager of pubradio's Marketplace. APM said in a statement today (June 7) that in his new role, Yore will be responsible for overseeing all editorial and business operations activity. Yore was part of the team that created Marketplace in 1988. He has worked as a reporter, editor, and broadcast producer for the show. In his most recent role as executive producer, he oversaw Marketplace's on-air and online programming. Prior to launching Marketplace, Yore was editor and associate publisher of Current.