BROADCASTING
White House Backs FCC in Heated Battle for Low-Power Radio (USA)
Religious and Noncommercial Broadcasting (House)
PRIVACY
AOL Lowers Kids' Profile (USA)
WIRELESS
Overload Has AT&T Customers Losing Calls, Patience (WP)
Wireless Innovations in Communications Initiative (NTIA)
BROADCASTING
WHITE HOUSE BACKS FCC IN HEATED BATTLE FOR LOW-POWER RADIO
Issue: Radio
The White House has sided with the FCC in the low-power radio controversy.
The Office of Management and Budget said in a policy statement that it
supports the FCC's plan to open the airwaves to as many as 1,000 microradio
stations. It also said it "strongly opposes" passage of legislation that
would restrict the FCC's ability to license such stations. Late last month,
the House Telecommunications Subcommittee passed a bill that would sharply
curb the FCC plan. The bill is expected to pass the full House today. The
FCC plans to accept applications for the first microradio station in May.
[SOURCE: USA Today (3A), AUTHOR: Elizabeth Weise]
RELIGIOUS AND NONCOMMERCIAL BROADCASTING
Issue: Broadcasting
H.R. 3525, the Religious Broadcasting Freedom Act and H.R. 4201, the
Noncommercial Broadcasting Freedom of Expression Act of 2000. Subcommittee
on Telecommunications Trade & Consumer Protection April 13, 2000 at 12:45.
[SOURCE: House of Representatives]
(http://com-notes.house.gov/cchear/hearings106.nsf/12b6a0781fa86e88852567e50
07558f4/099310a68e70004f852568bf00752e58?OpenDocument)
PRIVACY
AOL LOWERS KIDS' PROFILE
Issue: Privacy
Kids under age 13 may no longer create profiles listing personal information
such as name, age and interests in America Online's membership directory, as
a result of a children's privacy law that takes effect next week. The
Children's Online Privacy
Protection Act (COPPA) was passed by Congress to prevent the collection of
personal
information from children without their parents' explicit consent. "This
particularly vulnerable segment of the population has to be protected," says
Kathryn Montgomery of the Center for Media Education, a child advocacy group
that pushed for the law. AOL can't say how many of its 22 million users are
under 13. But more than 80% of parents use parental controls, and those
already bar profiles for ages 12 and under, spokesman Andrew Weinstein says.
[SOURCE: USA Today (3A), AUTHOR: Elizabeth Weise]
WIRELESS
OVERLOAD HAS AT&T CUSTOMERS LOSING CALLS, PATIENCE
Issue: Wireless
In the past few weeks, those calling AT&T's wireless customers have heard a
recorded message telling them that "all circuits are busy," rather than a
friendly voice. AT&T says that it is a casualty of its own good fortune. Its
recent boom in customers has overtaxed its infrastructure. AT&T isn't
exactly apologizing. "Phenomenal growth is going on," said Bruce Martin,
AT&T Wireless vice president and general manager for Washington, Baltimore
and New England. "We have run into issues of provisioning. Some people are
having issues with that." This is occurring on the eve of AT&T's plans to
sell up to $13.2 billion worth of stock in its cellular business, amounting
to the largest initial public offering ever.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A1), AUTHOR: Peter S. Goodman]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A1206-2000Apr12.html)
WIRELESS INNOVATIONS IN COMMUNICATIONS INITIATIVE
Issue: Wireless
Media Advisory: The Commerce Department's National Telecommunications and
Information Administration (NTIA) will hold an organizational meeting for
industry representatives interested in the Wireless Innovations in
Communications Initiative (WICI). WICI is an NTIA initiative designed to
enable the federal government to promote more actively innovation in the
development and use of new communications technologies. Specific goals of
the WICI are to identify new wireless technologies and new spectrum
management approaches that will enable federal users to satisfy their
communications needs more effectively and efficiently, and to encourage
private sector innovation and greater public/private cooperation. The WICI
Committee, established as an ad hoc committee of the Interdepartment Radio
Advisory Committee, is composed of senior experts from various federal
government agencies. The WICI Committee will host a series of meetings in
which representatives from federal agencies will discuss their
communications requirements. These will be followed by further meetings
where interested industry representatives will have an opportunity to
present new technology developments to Committee members.
April 19, 2000 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Room 6057 (Please note change in room
number from previous advisory) U.S. Department of Commerce 1401
Constitution Ave. N.W.
REGISTRATION: Online registration for industry representatives is required.
Instructions for registration are provided on the
NTIA web site at www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/wici
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/wici041200.htm)
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