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The Guatemalan Telecommunications Miracle: A Conversation with Alfredo Guzman

Wed, 18 May 2011 13:00:00 EDT

"In Guatemala we have a clear example that freedom works," Alfredo Guzmán told us in May, 2011.

A graduate of the market-oriented Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Guzmán was appointed director of Guatemala's state-run telecommunications company, GUATEL, in 1995. Back then, Guatemala had a population of 11 million people but fewer than 300,000 phones. President Arzú had a simple request for the new head of Guatemala's state-run monopoly: I want a lot of phones, everywhere, fast.

So what did Guzmán do? Despite fierce political opposition, Guzmán successfully opened up Guatemala's telecommunications industry to competition and privatized GUATEL. As Guzmán told us, "sometimes thoughts become things," and, as it turns out, Guzmán had learned a few things about economics while studying at UFM.

The results? Guatemala currently has a population of around 13 million people and more than 18 million phones. Today, even the poorest Guatemaltecos own cell phones and enjoy high-quality service at low cost.

Approximately 7.5 minutes. Produced by Paul Feine and Alex Manning.

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Will Net Neutrality Save the Internet?

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:00:00 EST

Advocates say that "Net Neutrality" will "save the Internet."

But does the Internet need saving?

Net Neutrality is a proposed set of regulatory powers that would grant the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the ability to control how Internet service providers (ISPs) package their services. Proponents argue that such rules are necessary to ensure that ISPs treat all data on the Internet equally and don't slow or even restrict access to various websites and other parts of the Internet.

However well-intentioned, the practical effect will be to limit consumer choice and grant the federal government unprecedented power over the Internet, all in the name of fixing a problem that doesn't exist in any meaningful way . Indeed, examples of the behavior that Net Neutrality will combat are few and far between.

Approximately 4 minutes. Produced and animated by Austin Bragg. Written by Zach Weissmueller.

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C-SPAN Founder and CEO Brian Lamb Interview (Short Version)

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EDT

In 2003 Reason named C-SPAN Founder and CEO Brian Lamb one of our 35 Heroes of Freedom for “turning a surveillance camera on the den of iniquity known as the U.S. House of Representatives.” Lamb sat down with Reason.tv editor Nick Gillespie for a wide-ranging -- and distinctively non-stoned faced -- discussion about the network, his views on politics, and a possible alternate career choice as a drummer for Merle Haggard.

Approximately 6 minutes. Produced, shot and edited by Meredith Bragg, Dan Hayes and Josh Swain. Click here to watch the full 40 minute interview.

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C-SPAN Founder and CEO Brian Lamb Full Interview

Fri, 18 Jun 2010 08:00:00 EDT

Approximately 40 minutes. Produced, shot and edited by Meredith Bragg, Dan Hayes and Joshua Swain.

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3 Reasons YouTube Shouldn't Censor Downfall Parodies

Wed, 05 May 2010 07:00:00 EDT

The video sharing site YouTube.com recently started blocking access to countless parodies of the 2004 German movie Downfall, a critically acclaimed film that chronicles Adolf Hitler's final days in a Berlin bunker.

The parodies take off from a powerful monologue by the great actor Bruno Ganz and the original joke version had Hitler being banned from XBox Live for bad behavior. Other examples feature Hitler trying to score Miley Cyrus concert tickets, counseling Conan O'Brien after losing a late-night slot to Jay Leno, and much more.

It's understandable why Downfall's production company, Constantin Film, might be upset that such a serious movie is being burlesqued, but pushing YouTube to ban the parodies is a terrible idea for at least three reasons:

1. It's fair use! The parodies, which transform a few minutes of a three-hour movie, are clearly legit under existing copyright laws. Because they clearly transform the original and have no possibility of confusing viewers, the parodies are clearly protected speech.

2. This is free promotion! As George Lucas could tell the filmmakers, fan-generated videos help keep the original source material vital and relevant. Lucas used to try to police all Star Wars knock-offs, until he realized that his audience was promoting his films more effectively than he ever could. More people have surely seen Downfall due to the popularity of the parodies.

3. Let's keep the Internet creative! The greatest cultural development over the past 20 or so years has been technologies that allow producers and consumers to create and enjoy an ever-increasing array of creative expression in an ever-increasing array of circumstances. This development is nowhere more powerful than on the Internet, which has unleashed a whole new universe of writing, music, video, and more. Indeed, YouTube is itself one of the great conduits of cyberspace. Pulling down the Downfall parodies may be within YouTube's rights, but it nonetheless strikes a blow to the heart of what is totally awesome about the Internet.

"3 Reason YouTube Shouldn't Censor Downfall Parodies" is written and produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie, who also hosts.

Approximately 2:49 minutes. Scroll down for iPod, HD, and audio versions. Subscribe to Reason.tv's YouTube channel for automatic notification when new material goes live.