US State Department to fund BBC anti-jamming

The BBC World Service is to receive a "significant" sum of money from the US government to help combat the blocking of TV and internet services in countries including Iran and China, reports the Guardian

In what the BBC said is the first deal of its kind, an agreement is expected to be signed later this month that will see US state department money – understood to be a low six-figure sum – given to the World Service to invest in developing anti-jamming technology and software.

The funding is also expected to be used to educate people in countries with state censorship in how to circumnavigate the blocking of internet and TV services.

It is understood the US government has decided the reach of the World Service is such that it makes investment worthwhile.

The US government money comes as the World Service faces a 16% cut in its annual grant from the Foreign Office – a £46m reduction in its £236.7m budget over three years that will lead to about 650 job cuts. The money will be channelled through the World Service's charitable arm, the World Service Trust.

The deal, which is expected to be formally announced on International Press Freedom Day, 3 May, follows an increase in incidents of interference with World Service output across the globe, according to its controller of strategy and business, Jim Egan.

BBC Persian television, which launched in early 2009 and airs in Iran and its neighbouring countries, has experienced numerous instances of jamming. The BBC Arabic TV news service has also been jammed in recent weeks across various parts of north Africa during the recent uprisings in Egypt and Libya.

"Governments who have an interest in denying people information particularly at times of tension and upheaval are keen to do this and it is a particular problem now," said Egan.

Another area in which the BBC World Service is expected to use the US money is continuing its development of early warning software.

This will allow it to detect jamming sooner than it does currently where it relies on reports from users on the ground.

"Software like this helps monitor dips in traffic which act as an early warning of jamming, and it can be more effective than relying on people contacting us and telling us they cannot access the services," said Egan.

The BBC also expects to use state department money to help combat internet censorship by establishing proxy servers that give the impression a computer located in one country is in fact operating in another, thereby circumnavigating attempts by repressive governments to block websites.

"China has become quite expert at blocking websites and one could say it has become something of an export industry for them – a lot of countries are keen to follow suit," said Egan.

"We have evidence of Libya and Egypt blocking the internet and satellite signals in recent weeks."

Egan added that the battle against jamming is likely to be an ongoing one because repressive countries are likely to develop methods to counter any anti-censorship technology that is developed.

"It is a bit of a game of cat and mouse," said a BBC source.

Aw, Nuts. Can't think of a euphemism

The cable news anchors clearly don't have the cojones to report on Jesse Jackson's Fox blooper (for which the activist has since apologized). To see how far behind the talking heads have fallen in their ability to come up with on-air euphemisms, click on this compilation tape, posted by the topical website "23/6: Some of the News, Most of the time", posted by Kevin Alloca

Just another prick in the wall - AT&T cuts Pearl Jam's Bush bashing lyrics

The band Pearl Jam has complained that the communications conglomerate AT&T took it upon themselves to censor a Lollapalooza performance, and chop 20 seconds of their Pink Floyd tribute that dissed Shrubya.
(That's Bush 43 for those who loyally avoid calling the current president Junior.)

The fallout about this tampering of free expression on the net has been swift and condemning of evil corporate ways. Hey, mistah, leave those kids alone!
Click here to view the webcast, complete with missing lyrics. The Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder (pictured left) belts out, "George Bush, leave this world alone" and, later, "George Bush, find yourself another home." Not exactly seditious comments, by any stretch of the imagination. We don't need no thought control...