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A Return To The Cable Fold
by Randy Barrett
Steve Vest has rejoined the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, and he will serve as deputy to its incoming top lobbyist, Gail MacKinnon.
Vest left NCTA in 2003 and ricocheted through a number of posts, including government relations leadership jobs at Gemstar-TV Guide International and the Bracewell & Giuliani law firm. Earlier in his career, Vest was an aide to Reps. Bill Richardson, D-N.M., and Thomas Manton., D-N.Y.
In other association news, Laurie Knight has joined the National Association of Broadcasters as senior vice president for government relations. She comes from the National Beer Wholesalers Association, also the former workplace of new NAB President David Rehr. A few steps further down on her career ladder, Knight served as legislative director for former Rep. Jim Turner, D-Texas. She holds a law degree from Pepperdine University.
At the Progress and Freedom Foundation, meanwhile, Patrick Ross has been promoted to senior fellow. He now will use his noodle and pen to support the group's ongoing quest to rid the world of nettlesome government regulation. Ross, who worked as a journalist for about two decades before joining PFF, also will continue as the think tank's communications guy.
Massachusetts CIO Set To Leave
After leading Massachusetts to embrace the open document format for computer systems in the executive branch, the state's chief information officer, Peter Quinn, is calling it quits. His resignation is effective Jan. 12, according to The Register.
Quinn pushed the state to require all document programs to be open and forward-compatible, much to the ire of Microsoft, which does not much like any initiatives that challenge its Office software suite. He was successful in his quest, but fighting Microsoft took its toll.
According to an e-mail published by The Register, Quinn told his staff: "I have become a lightning rod with regard to any IT initiative. Even the smallest initiatives are being mitigated or stopped by some of the most unlikely and often uninformed parties."
In other news, Jim Bryant has been named the chief information officer for South Carolina. He comes from AT&T and before that worked at Electronic Data Systems. He retired from the Air Force as a lieutenant colonel in 1997.Bryant succeeds CIO Barbara Teusink.
"Jim Bryant brings tremendous knowledge, strong vision and an unmatched work ethic to this important position," Frank Fusco, executive director of the state's Budget and Control Board, said in a statement. "We are thrilled to bring back to South Carolina a native son who has the expertise to help us fulfill the board's mission to make government better."
Microsoft Hires Ergonomics Expert
Microsoft has hired Bill Buxton as a senior researcher. The computer scientist is best known for his work analyzing how humans and technology interact.
Earlier in his career, Buxton worked at the Palo Alto Research Center, Silicon Graphics and Alias Wavefront.
U.S., India Connect On E-Learning
The United States and India announced an e-learning initiative in science and engineering education. The inter-university collaborative network will supply Indian universities with lectures by American professors via the Internet 2 high-speed network.
Indian technical schools have suffered a brain drain as teachers have left to pursue careers in software development.
"If we start today it takes 10 years to train a good, quality teacher, but we need to improve Indian education now," VS Ramamurthy, secretary of India's Science and Technology Department, said in a statement. "We are very happy that leading institutions from the United States see the benefit in this collaboration because if you bring in a certain uniformity of training across the globe, it helps everyone."
Harvard, Princeton and Yale universities in the Ivy League have joined the effort, as have the Georgia Institute of Technology, Purdue University, and the universities of California, Massachusetts at Amherst, Washington, Texas at Austin and Wisconsin at Madison. As the movement of jobs overseas continues, officials said, America will need the best and brightest Indian engineers possible.
"Many of us in higher education depend critically for research and innovation on bright young minds," Ramesh Rao, the director of the California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology, said in a statement. "It behooves us to reach out proactively and nurture this talent pool."
Streaming Audio's Free Ride Fades
Internet streaming audio sites now will have to start paying as the government's designated royalty cop starts its new beat.
SoundExchange announced it is now listening and will collect on compulsory licenses used by such streaming units operated by America Online, Clear Channel Communications, Cox Radio Interactive, Microsoft and RealNetworks.
"The audits, which are authorized under Copyright Office regulations, are intended to ensure that all of the copyright owners and performers whose songs are being streamed are being fairly and appropriately compensated for the use of their recordings," SoundExchange Executive Director John Simson said in a statement.
Blogger Book Gets Bummer Review
Ana Marie Cox, better known to Washington political junkies as the author of the breathy blog Wonkette, has a new book called Dog Days. Unfortunately, the make-or-break New York Times was not impressed.
The semi-autobiographical novel follows the travels and travails of a fictional blogger called "Capitolette." The lukewarm Times review called the characters "stock," the plot "doubly conventional" and the ending worthy of the "Hallmark Channel." But it gave Cox a few points for her "snarky humor" and effective lampooning of Washington political culture.
Quote Of The Week
"We still are an urban area. And we still have risks. No one can predict where a terrorist might strike. Look where Timothy McVeigh struck. It was Oklahoma City."
-- Don Thorson, deputy chief of the Omaha Police Department, commenting on a new, risk-based policy for federal security grants.
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