What’s Happening in the News

Media & Publishing: Reed Business Info Sells ‘Broadcasting & Cable,’ ‘Multichannel News’

Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TWICE have been sold to NewBay Media. The titles expand NewBay’s presence in the broadcast and consumer electronics space. Each of the titles, purchased from Reed Business Information U.S., will continue to be published as part of NewBay’s line of print, online, and in-person products and services. NewBay plans to keep intact most of the employee base of the publications. Read more

Media & Publishing: FCC Proceeds on Network Neutrality

WASHINGTON: The FCC has unanimously agreed to proceed on network neutrality rules to prohibit Internet service providers from controlling traffic. The five commissioners unanimously approved a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to codify how providers manage networks.

The FCC has been working on some form of regulations since establishing four voluntary tenants in 2004. Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski proposed ratification of those principles last month: “Network operators cannot prevent users from accessing the lawful Internet content, applications, and services of their choice, nor can they prohibit users from attaching non-harmful devices to the network.” Read more

Healthcare: HHS Secretary Sebelius Announces Plans to Establish Health IT “Beacon Communities”

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Dr. David Blumenthal, HHS' National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, announced plans to make available $235 million to support an innovative Beacon Community Program. The program will work to accelerate and demonstrate the ability of health information technology to transform local health care systems, and improve the lives of Americans and the performance of the health care providers who serve them. The Beacon Community Program will include $220 million in grants to build and strengthen health IT infrastructure and health information exchange capabilities, including strong privacy and security measures for data exchange, within 15 communities. An additional $15 million will be provided for technical assistance to the communities and to evaluate the success of the program. Read more:

Franchises: What Businesses Go Well with Franchising?

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Professor Scott Shane argues that franchisors often do not understand when to franchise or even what franchise structure best drives success. It's not just franchisors. Franchisees are typically unclear too, as they put hundreds of thousands or even millions into a franchise in the hopes that they and the chain will be successful. Shane, professor of entrepreneurial studies at Case Western Reserve University, venture capitalist, franchise consultant, author, and New York Times small business blogger, speaks with Blue MauMau about his book, From Ice Cream to the Internet: Using Franchising to Drive the Growth and Profits of Your Business. Read more.

Small Businesses: Tallying Up The Index

The 14th annual report, the "Small Business Survival Index 2009: Ranking the Policy Environment for Entrepreneurship Across the Nation," measures which states are "friendly" to small business, and which are not, in terms of public policy decisions.

The index takes into account taxes, regulatory costs, government spending, property rights, health-care costs and energy costs. The SBE Council said this year’s index was expanded to include 36 major, government-imposed or government-related costs affecting small businesses and entrepreneurs. Measurements are added together for an overall rating. Download the report here

Small Businesses: Some Small Firms May Be Exempt From ‘Red Flags Rules’

On Oct. 22, the House of Representatives unanimously approved House Bill 3763, which contains the exemption for certain professional offices with 20 or fewer employees. Read more.