The vast majority of US consumers are now receiving broadcast signals, less than a month after the June 12 transition to digital broadcasting, according to Nielsen data reported by MediaPost.

Only 1.8% of US homes, or 2.1 million, were without reception for the week ending June 21. That’s 400,000 less than was the case the week of the transition. Nearly 7% (6.8%) of consumers were unprepared for the transition last December, and 4.4% weren’t ready for the switch in February, according to the data.

An Associated Press story looksat how Farrah Fawcett’s death spotlights anal cancer, a rarely discussed illness.

Fawcett chose to address her illness through the eye of the media and a documentary that ran in May in order to raise awareness about anal cancer, similar to what Betty Ford, Arnold Palmer, and Katie Couric did with their associations with breast cancer, prostate cancer, and colon cancer.

The story goes on to talk about human papillomavirus (HPV), which has been linked to anal cancers. Gardasil, a vaccine marketed by Merck, is intended to protect against four forms of HPV-related cancers, including anal cancer, although the company has not addressed Fawcett’s cancer.

Slate also took a look at the issue, questioning the truth behind celebrity cancer stories and the role of celebrity publicists.

Yahoo has brought in Penny Baldwin as an SVP to help with its hefty rebranding effort first reported by All Things Digital’s Kara Swisher. Baldwin has a deep background in branding efforts as a former managing partner at Young & Rubicam Brands. Swisher notes:

Baldwin has been described to me by many people at the company as much more colorful and bold in her style, and that she has been advocating more aggressive ideas about reinvigorating the Yahoo brand.

“Well, Penny is definitely not Yahoo,” said one Yahoo source, joking about the company’s quainter, yodel-focused and purple-toned image. “Which is probably a good thing.”

Baldwin, SVP of integrated marketing and brand management, will report to CMO Elisa Steele.

Wal-Mart said June 30 in a letter to Congress and officials in the Obama Administration that it supports employer-mandated health insurance.

The letter, which was also signed by the presidents of the Service Employees International Union and the Center for American Progress, can helpthe retail giant improve its image regarding how it treats its employees. It is a stark departure from Wal-Mart’s more conservative political past.

Jeffrey Young at The Hill writes:

Lending its voice of support to the employer mandate — one of the most controversial issues in the healthcare reform debate — could gain Wal-Mart an ally in the White House and a public-relations boost.

The WSJ reported yesterday on Twitter-style cybersquatting - unauthorized Twitter accounts created using a variation on a company’s name. The story provides a number of examples, including one where a marketing consultant admits to opening an account in the name of an amusement park company in the hopes of trading the account for a free pass.

According to the article, Twitter will institute a verification service this summer, but companies won’t be protected. (The service will “confirm profiles of public officials, public agencies and other well-known individuals.”) Yet another reason companies should actively monitor their brands online.

Washington, DC, will get another around-the-clock news network next month, albeit a somewhat unconventional one.

Al Jazeera English will begin broadcasting in the nation’s capital on July 1. It’s now only carried 24 hours a day in Toledo, OH, and Burlington, VT. Although the network has journalists in the US, cable providers have almost entirely ignoredit, making Al Jazeera English unavailable to most American consumers.

A Zogby International poll conducted in April foundthat nearly three in 10 (29%) US consumers said they would watch Al Jazeera if available.

A Twitter stream of all the federal government agencies various Tweets is compiled here, on what NextGov.com is calling “The Feed.” Some examples of the agencies Tweeting include the US Dept. of Labor, the US Coast Guard, and the White House. From the release:

Visitors to The Feed can opt to see all federal tweets in one place or they can select to see only certain categories of tweets, including business and finance, defense and diplomacy, law enforcement, government at work, and the White House.

More than 80% of people go online to socialize, compared to 39% of those who go online to do business, according to the Ruder Finn Intent Index, released this week. The study focuses on how “intent is the new demographic,” said Kathy Bloomgarden, co-CEO of Ruder Finn. She talks about the new study in a video with PRWeek.

The study also found that 31% of people go online to shop and 72% go online simply to be a part of a community. Additionally, 63% of people go online to influence others’ opinions or express their views. More information on the Intent Index can be found online.

Linda Robertson will join the US Federal Reserve as director of the government affairs office, effective in July. The office manages relations with Congress. The new hire was confirmed by the Fed’s chief spokesperson, Michelle Smith, division director of the Office of Board Members.

Robertson will serve as head of the office, a post previously held by Laricke Blanchard, who will stay on at the Fed with his title, assistant to the board of legislative affairs.

Smith would not comment on why the leadership change was made. However, one Bloomberg report suggested that Robertson was brought on to counter skepticism about the Fed’s growing role in the nation’s financial system.

Previously, Robertson led the office of government, community, and public affairs at John Hopkins University and was VP of government affairs at Enron. She has also served as an adviser to the Clinton administration’s Treasury secretaries.

As I recently reported, social media is becoming a bigger part of engaging with sports fans, and the NBA is leading the way. All of the league’s teams are on Twitter, and the NBA recently announced that it has surpassed one million fans on its official page on Facebook. Its YouTube channel and Twitter pages are also popular, and the WNBAis also gaining fans on Facebook. As baseball continues throughout the summer, and football starts up in the fall, will other sports follow the NBA’s lead and embrace social media?