Sorry for the early morning survey -- mistakes have been made (by sleepy
Headlines editors).
INTERNET
European Internet Users Call For One-Day Boycott (SJM)
Casting Too Wide a Net? (NYT)
On-Line Race For Political Domains (SJM)
Battle Begun on Internet Ad Blocking (NYT)
E-COMMERCE
Interactive TV Viewers To Make Purchases With Remote Control (SJM)
E-Commerce Report: Television Networks Sell Tie-Ins on the Web (NYT)
Kids Buy Into On-Line Sales As Parents Watch and Worry (USA)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS LANDSCAPE
When the Sound of a Dial Tone Is Ominous (NYT)
Marketplace: Meeting Spawns Thoughts on Future of MCI Worldcom (NYT)
Cisco and Motorola Agree to Become Partners in the Wireless Game
TELEPHONY
Now, For Free You've Got Voice Mail (WSJ)
A Battle Rages Over Humble Collect Call (WSJ)
MEDIA & SOCIETY
Hollywood Examines Its Soul (USA)
Fatal Adventures Bolster Sales of Magazines (NYT)
RADIO
Digital Era Transforms Radio Days (ChiTrib)
JOURNALISM
Narrowing The Electronic News Gulf (NYT)
INTERNET
EUROPEAN INTERNET USERS CALL FOR ONE-DAY BOYCOTT
Issue: International
European Internet users coordinated their efforts for a 24-hour boycott on
Sunday to win a reduction in local telephone costs, including a flat-rate
charge similar to that in the US. The primary goal for Web surfers, who pay by
the minute for their European local calls, was the introduction of unmetered
charges for connections to an Internet service provider using a telephone modem
"to enable everyone who wants to access the Internet without incurring
open-ended costs." Internet users in the following countries participated in
the boycott: Austria, Belgium, Britain, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France,
Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden and
Switzerland.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: AP]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/034291.htm)
CASTING TOO WIDE A NET?
Issue: Internet Infrastructure
With a Government mandate to break up the Internet name registration
monopoly, the interim board of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names
and Numbers (ICANN) has 1) decided to levy a $1/yr tax on Internet domain
names, 2) planned to charge licensing fees on companies that will disperse
domains, and 3) endorsed controversial recommendations for establishing
rules for resolving disputes over who can and cannot use certain words in
their Internet addresses. Critics say the board is working with powerful
international corporate and government interests to create a top-down
hierarchy. "The risks are that Icann has a little bit of authority but very
little legitimacy," said Bill Whyman, an Internet analyst for the Legg Mason
investment company in Washington. "This is an awkward consensus-building
process. If it pushes too far and causes itself to lose support among key
constituencies, Icann itself can be undercut. Then you have a very bad
situation with no one in control. Then you have a very bad situation for
e-commerce."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/06/biztech/articles/07ican.html)
See also:
COMPETITION IN THE NAME GAME
[SOURCE: New York Times (C2), AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/06/biztech/articles/07name.html)
ON-LINE RACE FOR POLITICAL DOMAINS
Issue: Internet & Politics
Presidential candidate George W. Bush has outpaced Vice President Al Gore in
staking out new territory in the presidential campaign Wild West that is
cyberspace. Last year, a political consultant for Gov Bush locked up dozens of
Internet domain names that could promote or threaten the Bush campaign --
everything from georgewbush.com to dubya.net (for Bush's middle-initial-derived
nickname) and even grabbing four that incorporated names of possible running
mates. Though the buying has infuriated potential running mates, one site
(gwbush.com) which was left wayside, has backfired on Bush. In contrast, the
purportedly techno-savvy Gore campaign, as have most other contenders, left
many of their possible domain names up for grabs. The Gore campaign says it's
content with algore.com and is not willing to pay exorbitant prices (up to six
figures) for sites bearing versions of Gore's name. Unlike Bush, Gore has not
called attention to online detractors whereas Bush has filed a complaint about
gwbush.com, unintentionally increasing more visits to the site, a parody of his
campaign. Honing in on the possibility of future revenues, "cybersquatters"
bought domain names early in hopes of selling them later at a high price. Steve
Forbes has already paid $6,500 earlier this year to buy forbes2000.com from two
graduate students who registered the site. In the end, "everybody's learning
from the Bush campaign," says Michael Cornfield a professor at George
Washington University studying online politics.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Jim Puzzanghera]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/polnet060799.htm)
BATTLE BEGUN ON INTERNET AD BLOCKING
Issue: Advertising/Internet
Software that blocks the ads you see on Web pages is now available and
making some Web content providers nervous since it could "challenge the
fundamental structure of the emerging Internet industry," Flynn writes. If
people are tolerant of ads on TV, they'll accept them online, yes? Last
year, advertisers spent $2 billion on Internet advertising -- mostly on
banner ads. Barring the widespread adoption of ad blocking software, that
figure will rise to $4.4 billion this year estimates Jupiter Communications.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Laurie Flynn]
(http://www.nytimes.com/)
E-COMMERCE
INTERACTIVE TV VIEWERS TO MAKE PURCHASES WITH REMOTE CONTROL
Issue: Television
A new interactive technology called Wink allows viewers to order products
through the cable boxes on top of their TVs. Wink offers enhanced TV viewing in
addition to the ordering capabilities. Users can click their remote control on
icons in the corner of the screen. Up pops little windows that provide extra
information about the program or commercial that's being viewed. Wink, which is
just in a handful of American cities, received a big vote of confidence last
week when Microsoft announced that it would invest $30 million in the company.
Unlike other interactive television systems, Wink is free for consumers.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/033549.htm)
E-COMMERCE REPORT: TELEVISION NETWORKS SELL TIE-INS ON THE WEB
Issue: E-Commerce/Television
Television executives are starting to turn to the Internet to sell goods
featured on their programs. Electronic commerce initiatives are "sort of the
big idea that hasn't been lost on anyone in the TV business," said Frank
Biondi, the former chief executive of Viacom, who is now a principal with
the investment firm Biondi Reiss Capital Management. "It's particularly
important for broadcasters, given their declining viewership, because they
don't have a secondary revenue stream," he said. It may be too early to
predict the potential size of the tie-in market: "Like everyone else, we're
revising our projections every few months," Ms. Sami of NBC said. She said
that in the last 18 months, Internet sales had grown to 12 percent of total
tie-in product sales from 3 percent, as the company put more emphasis on the
Internet and on merchandise sales generally.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C4), AUTHOR:Bob Tedeschi ]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/06/cyber/commerce/07commerce.html)
KIDS BUY INTO ON-LINE SALES AS PARENTS WATCH AND WORRY
Issue: Internet
Parents are concerned with marketers trying to target the booming market of
online teenage and kid buyers. According to market analysts Jupiter
Communications and NFO Worlwide, "Instead of grabbing parents' coat sleeves,
today's digital kids ask parents for credit card numbers -- in place of an
allowance -- and buy products on-line." Jupiter found that 45% of parents are
concerned about efforts to market to youngsters online, up from 17% a year ago.
"On-line players looking to target these younger consumers risk alienating
parents," said analyst Anya Sacharow. In trying to deter marketers away from
kids, Laurie Lipper of the Children's Partnership, an advocacy group in
Washington(DC) said kids can't be treated like buying machines because they
don't have the sophistication to tell the difference between the ads and the
story.
[SOURCE: USA Today (1D), AUTHOR: Elizabeth Weise]
(www.usatoday.com)
TELECOMMUNICATIONS LANDSCAPE
WHEN THE SOUND OF A DIAL TONE IS OMINOUS
Issue: Telecommunications
[Editorial] As demand for fax, cellular and Internet services has soared,
so has investment in telecommunications infrastructure. The basic plan is to
invest a lot of money building a system (like Iridium), get it up and
running and then watch it turn into a money machine as customers pay for
services that cost little to provide. But competition may break the more
expensive systems like Iridium which offer services at premium prices. "In
other words, a dial tone -- or, to be specific, the availability of too many
such tones -- could be the sound that ends the investment boom in
communications technology."
[SOURCE: New York Times (A28), AUTHOR: Floyd Norris, Editorial Observer]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/editorial/07mon4.html)
MARKETPLACE: MEETING SPAWNS THOUGHTS ON FUTURE OF MCI WORLDCOM
Issue: Mergers/Telecommunications
A look at the changes in the telecommunications over the past two years
through the lens of MCI Worldcom, the #2 long distance provider in the US.
The combined company did not even exist two years ago and is now a major
player in the industry. In a meeting for analysts and investors, the
following themes evolved... 1) AT&T-MCI Rivalry in Decline: AT&T seems
focused on handling coming competition with Baby Bells for residential
customers; MCI Worldcom seems focused not on household phone, but Internet
and overseas expansion. 2) Don't Call it a Takeover: Yeah, right, it was a
"merger," but former Worldcom executives seem to be running the show and
setting the strategic direction. 3) Sprint Speculation Abounds: Many are
thinking that MCI Worldcom will make a bid for Sprint, the #3 long distance
company -- the deal would give MCI Worldcom a national wireless phone network.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C13), AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/mci-marketplace.html)
CISCO AND MOTOROLA AGREE TO BECOME PARTNERS IN THE WIRELESS GAME
Issue: Wireless/Merger
Spectrapoint Wireless will be the name of the new company being formed by Cisco
Systems, the number one maker of data networking equipment and Motorola,
a large cellular phone and equipment company. This new company will be
formed by a deal announced today to acquire a subsidiary of the Robert Bosch
Corp. of Germany, which is developing advanced wireless technology. The unit
Motorola and Cisco are purchasing is located in Texas and is attempting to
develop products transmitting large amounts of data by the "local
multipoint distribution service" (LMDS), a wireless technology used
between fixed antennas. Motorola will own the majority (81%) of Spectrapoint
Wireless, while Cisco's portion will remain relatively small (19%).
The biggest challenge to this new company will be finding customers in the US
as two of the big players, Teligent and Winstar, are already committed to other
corporations.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C16), AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/06/biztech/articles/07moto.html)
TELEPHONY
NOW, FOR FREE YOU'VE GOT VOICE MAIL
Issue: Internet/Telephony
Over the past few weeks, new services that offer free voice mail have sprung up
on the Web. At lest three new start up companies have sites that allow
consumers to receive free email, faxes, and voice mail. Customers that sign up
are given a phone number where callers can leave voice messages. Those messages
are then sent as audio attachments to email messages, or can be retrieved by
password at a Web site. Some of the services also allow users to retrieve
messages via the phone. One company even has a text-to-voice translator that
also reads customers their emails over the phone. The service is paid for
through advertising revenue and is free for consumers.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Lisa Bransten]
(http://wsj.com/)
A BATTLE RAGES OVER HUMBLE COLLECT CALL
Issue: Competition
As regular long distance phone rates are slashed to rates as low as 10 cents a
minute, the major phone companies are engaged in a bitter battle over the $2
billion collect-call market. 800-number collect-calls bring in a $1.99
connection
fee and up to an additional 39 cents/minute. MCI was the first to
actively peruse the collect-call market and now claims a 40% market share. AT&T
and Sprint have jumped in to offer collect call 800-numbers that they hope will
bring in big revenue from so-called "fat minutes."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Rebecca Blumenstein]
(http://wsj.com/)
MEDIA & SOCIETY
HOLLYWOOD EXAMINES ITS SOUL
Issue: Media & Society
In the wake of a federal inquiry into the entertainment's industry's marketing
practice to children, Hollywood screenwriters and producers are making attempts
to analyze the role of Hollywood in the face of youth violence, but stand
divided on the issue. "We who create entertainment must honestly acknowledge
and urgently address the responsibility we all have to eliminate excessive or
gratuitous or unpunished violence. Otherwise, children will continue to kill
children," said one veteran writer. But another added, "I wouldn't know how to
respond to a code or a consensus as to what's responsible and what isn't
acceptable." Others in the industry say the Clinton Administration is straying
perilously close to censorship in calling for the investigation (announced last
Tuesday) into the marketing of violent films, video games and music. "It's a
very interesting dichotomy," said Warren Littlefield, former entertainment
president of NBC and now a producer. "There's a very strong 'don't tread on me'
free speech and 'we are not the problem' line of thinking. At the same time,
there's 'but we have to be part of the solution.'" Entertainment execs have
been bracing themselves by getting lawyers organized, in anticipation of
internal correspondence being subpoenaed by the Department of Justice and the
Federal Trade Commission, which will oversee the 18-month study.
[SOURCE: USA Today (1D), AUTHOR: Claudia Puig]
(www.usatoday.com)
FATAL ADVENTURES BOLSTER SALES OF MAGAZINES
Issue: Magazines
"As a culture, we're bridling at the amount of safety and luxury we have,"
said one writer. "The 1980s was about all this wealth and opulence, and it
seems we're sated with that. Now there's a whole new esthetic of being fit
and adventuresome and everyone has to canoe down something." The writer,
Sebastian Junger is credited in this article with starting the current
infatuation with "adventure tragedy" stories in popular magazines. Lewis
Lapham, the editor of Harper's magazine and a longtime cultural observer of
the magazine industry, says that the fascination with disaster sells
magazines. Witnessing a tragedy befalling another human being "is
traditional tabloid fare" "It sells," Lapham said. "And the glossier
magazines are just taking the tabloid notion and dressing it up in better
product."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Alex Kuczynski]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/mags-adventure-tragedy.html)
RADIO
DIGITAL ERA TRANSFORMS RADIO DAYS
Issue: Radio
A look at radio's transition to digital technology and the potential of
low-power radio stations to serve communities. Concerning digital --
"Existing receivers will work in the system, because, for a period of time,
we will continue to broadcast in analog," explained William J. Casey,
director of marketing and sales for Lucent Digital Radio, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Lucent Technologies. "The stations want to do it because it
increases fidelity for the consumer; there would be the ability to license
or rent out that space on the sideband to data providers; and it is an
opportunity to provide and enhance public service, such as emergency
broadcasts. "For example, with the digital signal, if, there's a tornado, a
transmitter can send a signal out to a digital radio and literally wake it
up...it turns the radio on at a high volume and issues a warning." Digital
radio may be commercially available as soon as next year. David Bickle,
public relations manager for Lucent's New Ventures Group, said "FM will have
a near-CD-quality sound, and AM will sound like FM does today. At the same
time, you'll have the ability to receive data over the digital signal. A
radio probably will have a video display, which could show the name of the
artist, the name of the song, local traffic or weather."
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 4, p.1), AUTHOR: Gary Dretzka]
(http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,ART-29734,00.html)
JOURNALISM
NARROWING THE ELECTRONIC NEWS GULF
Issue: Journalism
The continuous news cycles introduced by the Internet and 24 hour cable
news channels have changed how everyone does the news. While newspapers
used to be limited to once-a-day news feast, the Internet has changed many
print publications into an all day buffet of up-to-the-minute wire stories
and more in-depth coverage. Many television news departments have had an
easier time adapting to real-time news because, they "inherited a culture
of putting out news when it happens," said Mark Bernstein, general manager
of CNN Interactive. "Newspapers continue to struggle with what to do if
they get the story at 2 in the afternoon, do they put it on their Web
site?" According to Rich Jaroslavsky, managing editor of The Wall Street
Journal Interactive Edition, the Internet allows newspapers to provide both
speed and substance. "The Web allows newspapers to do both -- to be
competitive on a time basis with television, and to provide perspective as
well."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C14), AUTHOR: Felicity Barringer]
(ttp://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/06/biztech/articles/07pape.html)
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