OVERNIGHT TECH: Rockefeller reintroduces bill to study video game violence

THE LEDE: Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) introduced legislation on Thursday that would require the National Academy of Sciences to study the impact of violent video games and other content on children.

He introduced the same bill at the end of the last Congress, but there wasn't enough time for a floor vote. This time, his bill has bipartisan support from Sens. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

Rockefeller, chairman of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, said the bill would lay the groundwork for Congress to consider new regulations of violent entertainment content.

“We need comprehensive policies to fully protect our communities. This study is an important element of this approach,” Rockefeller said, adding that he is working closely with Senate leadership to bring the bill to a vote. 

"This bill is a step in the right direction towards better understanding the effects of violence on children, and I look forward to the recommendations that result from this report,” Heller said.

Johanns said that in order to have an honest discussion about violence, "we need to examine the underlying causes of these actions."

The entertainment and video game industries have come under increased scrutiny following the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., last month. Lawmakers and the National Rifle Association have said violent movies, TV shows and video games are partly to blame for inciting real-world violence.

Vice President Biden on Thursday also called for additional study on the impact of violent images on children.

"The one thing that bothers me is there's part of the interest group population out there that are afraid of facts. Let the facts lead where they will and let the research be done," Biden said during a Google Plus Hangout. "That's one of things that the president and I believe very strongly: Let the facts work." 

President Obama's plan to curb violence, unveiled earlier this month, called on Congress to appropriate $10 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to study gun violence, including possible links to violent video games and media images.

Broadcasters, cellphone industry agree on auction principles: The National Association of Broadcasters and major cellphone companies told the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday that they agree on a set of core principles for the upcoming spectrum auction.

Congress authorized the FCC last year to buy back the broadcast licenses of some TV stations and auction them to cellphone carriers, which have been struggling to meet the booming data demands of smartphones and tablet computers.

Although the two industries have often clashed over the plan, in Thursday's letter, they agreed on a host of technical issues, such as relying on 5 MHz spectrum blocks, avoiding TV stations in the "duplex gap," permitting existing operations in TV 37 and providing guard bands that are "no larger than is technically reasonable" to prevent interference. The groups said guard bands between a high power broadcaster and a mobile downlink will likely have to be larger than the 6 MHz proposed by the FCC.

The letter was signed by the National Association of Broadcasters, Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Intel and Qualcomm. 

Zuckerberg to host Christie fundraiser: Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla, will hold a fundraiser for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) in February.

The fundraiser is scheduled for Feb. 13 during a fundraising trip for Christie outside of his home state, and will be at Zuckerberg's home in Palo Alto, Calif.

Markey concerned over Disney plan to track kids: Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) expressed concern on Thursday over Disney's plan to track guests at its theme parks using bracelets called "MagicBands."

In a letter to Disney CEO Robert Iger, Markey, the co-chairman of the Congressional Privacy Caucus, worried that the plan could "have a harmful impact on our children."

Google building wireless network?: Engineer Steven Crowley noticed that Google has asked the FCC for permission to build an experimental LTE network at its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif. 

Google is known for experimenting with new products, not all of which come to fruition. But the application could be Google's first step towards building a cellphone network to take on industry giants Verizon and AT&T. 

The Wall Street Journal provides more information on the mysterious filing. 

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