Communications-Related Headlines for February 7, 2003

MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Powell Downgrades Media Hearings

INTERNET
Major Dot-Com Retailers Begin Levying Sales Tax
UK Internet Access Hits the Wall
Wi-Fi as Savior? France's Farm Dwellers Hope So
Copper Lines Regaining Luster
States Still Trying to Stop Spam

COPYRIGHT
Copyright Legislation Unlikely, Both Sides Say
Web Site Changes Name After Newspaper Company Complains

EDTECH
CSU Hayward Students to Vote on Technology Fee

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

POWELL DOWNGRADES MEDIA HEARINGS
Republican FCC Chairman Michael Powell abruptly downgraded a pair of FCC
hearings on media ownership regulations scheduled by fellow commissioner
Michael Copps -- a Democrat -- changing them from official FCC hearings to
unofficial "field" hearings. Powell, who is pushing for a quick decision
regarding the deregulation of media ownership rules, ordered the FCC to
issue a press release in response to Copps' announcement that he would hold
two FCC hearings to give the public a greater chance to debate the impact of
the proposed deregulation. In recent days, Powell has been seen as
frustrated by recent outcries against both the deregulation proposals and
the review process itself. Copps, meanwhile, is pushing forward,
participating last week in a media ownership forum at Columbia University.
Another public forum is scheduled at the University of Southern California;
all the FCC commissioners except Powell are planning to participate.
[SOURCE: Yahoo! News, AUTHOR: Pamela McClintock, Reuters/Variety]
(http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=599&ncid=738&e=8&u=/nm/200
30207/media_nm/fcc)

INTERNET

MAJOR DOT-COM RETAILERS BEGIN LEVYING SALES TAX
Some of the nation's largest online retailers have agreed voluntarily to
levy sales taxes on their sales in certain states. The move comes as a
result of an agreement between the firms and 38 states plus the District of
Columbia. The states agreed in return not to pursue back taxes from the
firms; they also have not released the companies' identities to the public
for fear that not-participating states will seek unpaid taxes. Despite the
secrecy, some firms have gone public with their intent to collect taxes.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. spokeswoman Cynthia Lin said that the move was the
right thing to do. "Many states are struggling with tax revenue shortages
that affect funding for everything from schools to fire and rescue," she
said. "This is our effort to help customers and the states they live in."
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Krebs]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A31210-2003Feb5.html)

UK INTERNET ACCESS HITS THE WALL
According to UK telecom watchdog Oftel, half of the country's population
remains offline, and Internet adoption rates are beginning to flatten. The
British government intends to launch a publicity campaign in May that will
attempt to encourage citizens, especially senior citizens, women and ethnic
minorities, to take advantage of the country's 6,000 UK Online telecentres.
Dr. Jyoti Choudrie, a researcher at Brunel University, says the UK must
learn from South Korea's successful broadband Internet deployment and find
ways to apply those lessons to encouraging broadband adoption in the UK. "We
need to understand how to harness broadband to successfully cater for end
users' changing needs and preferences," she said.
[SOURCE: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2734035.stm)

WI-FI AS SAVIOR? FRANCE'S FARM DWELLERS HOPE SO
On Ginette Sybille's farm in western France, her high-volume livestock sales
must be reported to the government online. While her dial-up connection is
passable, both she and French government hope that things will change
dramatically when her area becomes a testing ground for rural broadband
Internet deployment. Noting the lack of willing private infrastructure
providers to invest in their area, the people of Sill