As stated on the FCC DTV.gov website, the analog airwaves era is ending for full-power television broadcasts with the switch to digital broadcasting to begin on February 17, 2009. This stems from a Congressional mandate of the Digital Television and Public Safety Act of 2005 (DTV Act).

So are the broadcasters prepared for the all in one day conversion? At the gathering of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention April 11-17 in Las Vegas, a glimpse at the technology available for High Definition (HD) will be the focus of the broadcast engineers.

Congress, in section 203(b) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, states that it is the policy of the United States “to preserve the vibrant and competitive free market that presently exists for the Internet” and “to promote the continued development of the Internet” (47 U.S.C. 230(b)(2). Furthermore, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in its jurisdiction over Internet access, provided a policy for ensuring that “broadband networks are widely deployed, open, affordable, and accessible to all consumers” (FCC Rcd 14986 (2005)).

With the advanced services and Internet-based companies, such as Google, Amazon, BitTorrent, Vuze, to name a few, the management of network traffic both upstream and downstream by broadband providers has become a major battleground, with the FCC and Congress taking center stage. The point therein lies with the advancement of broadband technology and the practices used by broadband providers to “manage” the traffic of large media files, such as is the case with peer to peer file sharing. The issue of “throttling” by broadband providers has brought the net neutrality issue to the news headlines.

“The more-detailed data the FCC will ask for in the future, including what upload and download speeds are offered as well as more detailed customer locations, will enable a far better analysis of the current state of noncompetition (or at best, duopoly) in most of the United States” (Bradner 2008).

An Information Renaissance Woman, Oprah Winfrey, is and continues to be a remarkable female character in the Information and Communication Industry. I feel the following quotes by Oprah lend insight to her character traits that have developed over her lifetime. Oprah's self-expression in these quotes can give hope and inspiration to anyone who hopes to achieve and grow professionally and personally.

"Every time you state what you want or believe, you're the first to hear it. It's a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don't put a ceiling on yourself"[1].

"I believe the choice to be excellent begins with aligning your thoughts and words with the intention to require more from yourself"[1].

"In every aspect of our lives, we are always asking ourselves, How am I of value? What is my worth? Yet I believe that worthiness is our birthright"[2].

"Understand that the right to choose your own path is a sacred privilege. Use it. Dwell in possibility"[2].

Oprah Winfrey has lived her life in a way that is admirable to me. Reading through her quotes printed in O Magazine, you can gain an appreciation of the drive and passion that has led Oprah to become a renowned star character of the Information and Communication Industry, and thus, an Information Renaissance Woman. Her meager and troubled childhood could have kept her in a state of despair and hopelessness, but, with the influence of her father, she lifted herself up and changed her destiny. That destiny has deeply impacted the Information and Communication Industry.

This article reflects updates to my theory on Human Communication. In this article, I address the definition of human communication based on my research, as well as accepted models of communication, and my reflections on defining human communication. Drawing upon this research, the article will next discuss how human communication matters in today’s global environment.