June 2000

EDTECH
More Planning Needed for School Technology (CyberTimes)
Senate Passes Web School Proposals (SJM)

MERGERS
Justice Dept. Acts To Block Merger of Phone Giants (NYT)
Media Metrix Plans to Merge with Jupiter Communications (NYT)
AOL, Time Warner Tell the FCC A Merger Would Enhance Service (WSJ)

TELEPHONY
AT&T Expands Local Phone-Over-Cable Service (SJM)

INTERNATIONAL
Brazil Weighs Foreign Investment in Media Companies (NYT)
'Big Browser' Would Let U.K. Eavesdrop on Net (USA)
New Index Ranks Countries On Their High-Tech Strength (WSJ)
OECD Report Says Internet Economy Is Too Green to Gauge Growth
Effect (WSJ)

BROADBAND
Letter to FCC on Open Access to Advanced Telecommunications Services
(CFA)

ANTITRUST
Microsoft: Foolish Breakup Carries Hidden Costs (USA)

INTERNET
AOL Takes Step to Allow Users To Download Music for a Fee (WSJ)

EDTECH

MORE PLANNING NEEDED FOR SCHOOL TECHNOLOGY
Issue: EdTech
The CEO Forum has released a report that warns that the new computer
hardware flooding into schools may go to waste unless educators take time to
develop clear plans for how the technology will be put to work for students.
"You have to set the educational goals first," said Anne Bryant, co-chair of
the CEO Forum and executive director of the National School Boards
Association. "I'm looking at the overall goals and objectives. It is a
combination of content, training and connectivity." Internet-enabled
computers should not be the goal, the report warns, educators should focus
the
use of technology on clear outcomes -- such as training students in the
skills they need to compete in an information-based economy. "Technology is
not a panacea and can only improve and increase learning when applied to
meet specific educational goals and objectives," the report says. "Schools
need to examine their educational goals and determine which ones will be
supported by digital content." [Find the report, The Power of Digital
Learning: Integrating Digital Content, at (http://www.ceoforum.org/)]
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Rebecca Weiner (rweiner( at )nytimes.com)]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/cyber/education/28education.html)

SENATE PASSES WEB SCHOOL PROPOSALS
Issue: EdTech
The Senate passed two competing proposals for placing safeguards on Internet
in schools. A joint panel will develop a compromise. One proposal, by Sen.
John McCain (R-Ariz), would require schools and libraries who receive e-rate
subsidies to install some form of blocking or filtering technology to
restrict children's access to pornography and other obscene material.
According to Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt), the McCain amendment would invite
the Federal Communications Commission "to be the de facto national censor.
Sen. Leahy said: "This broad self-censoring imposed by the McCain amendment
on schools and libraries will lead to a chilling of free speech to the
detriment of our nation's children and library patrons." The other proposal,
from Rick Santorum, (R-Pa), would give schools the option of installing the
blocking technology or developing an Internet use policy. The two plans,
which were attached to a massive spending bill for the departments of labor
and health and human services, will now have to be worked out before a
conference committee of Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Janelle Carter (Associated Press)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/ap/docs/141816l.htm)

TELEPHONY

AT&T EXPANDS LOCAL PHONE-OVER-CABLE SERVICE
Issue: Telephony
AT&T has plans to offer local phone service over cable television lines in
homes in the San Francisco area. Experts say that local phone service is an
important part of AT&T's long-term strategy to bundle all of its services --
local and long distance calling, Internet connection, cable television and
wireless -- into one package. Telecommunications companies are eager to
bundle their offerings because they believe that consumers will ultimately
want to buy all of their services from one place and pay for all those
services with one bill.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Cecilia Kang]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/front/docs/phone062800.htm)

MERGERS

JUSTICE DEPT. ACTS TO BLOCK MERGER OF PHONE GIANTS
Issue: Mergers
The Justice Department has sued to block the proposed merger of WorldCom and
Sprint citing concerns that the combined company would stifle competition on
the
Internet and in the long-distance telephone industry. The two companies have
also withdrawn the deal from consideration by European regulators who have
indicated they are unlikely to support the merger. Although the two
companies could fight the Justice Department in court, but executives had
said previously that they are unlikely to do so.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A1), AUTHOR: Schiesel & Leonhardt]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/062800worldcom-sprint.html)
See Also:
CONSUMERS UNION SUPPORTS DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SUIT TO BLOCK WORLDCOM-SPRINT
MERGER
[SOURCE: Consumers Union]
(http://www.consumersunion.org/telecom/worlddc600.htm)

MEDIA METRIX PLANS TO MERGE WITH JUPITER COMMUNICATIONS
Issue: Mergers
Web traffic measurement company Media Metrix plans to merge with Jupiter
Communications, a leading analyst of Internet trends. Combining the two
companies will create "the definitive source for Internet measurement and
analysis," said Tod Johnson, chairman and chief executive of Media Metrix.
Feder writes: Both Media Metrix and Jupiter are seen as industry leaders in
providing valuable insights into trends however questionable the actual
figures on which they are based. "Media Metrix's monthly reports definitely
move stocks," said Henry Blodgett, who tracks a broad portfolio of Internet
companies for Merrill Lynch. "It's the closest thing there is to a
standard." Media Metrix's largest competitor is Nielsen/NetRatings; Jupiter
competes with Forrester Research.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C2), AUTHOR: Barnaby Feder]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/biztech/articles/28net.html)
See Also:
WEB INFORMATION FIRMS MERGE
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E3), AUTHOR: Robert O'Harrow Jr.]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8424-2000Jun27.html)

AOL, TIME WARNER TELL THE FCC A MERGER WOULD ENHANCE SERVICE
Issue: Merger
In a 50-page response to the FCC's request for information, America Online
Inc. and Time Warner Inc defended AOL's efforts to keep its Instant
Messenger system closed to users of competing services and argued that their
proposed merger would accelerate deployment of new communications services.
AOL reiterated its stance that it backs an open world-wide instant-messaging
system, but only if it protects users' security and privacy. Instant
messaging allows users to send notes that instantly pop up on the receiver's
screen. The companies stated that people can avoid barriers between
different instant-messaging services by subscribing to more than one
service. But they also said that any system requiring users to manage
multiple passwords and IDs is "seriously flawed." The FCC's request was part
of its review of the companies' proposed $109.33 billion merger.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Jill Carroll And Julia Angwin]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB962158102495579030.htm)

INTERNATIONAL

'BIG BROWSER' WOULD LET U.K. EAVESDROP ON NET
Issue: Privacy
The British government is considering adopting a controversial initiative
that would give the government the power to eavesdrop on Internet traffic.
The initiative, which is being referred to as "Big Browser," has many
critics contending that it would undermine the country's ambition to become
a global e-commerce leader. David Banisar of the Electronic Privacy
Information Center, based in Washington, says "It sets a dangerous
international precedent . . . to create a global standard of (Internet)
wiretapping." Banisar believes that the British initiative would effect
Internet privacy debates elsewhere in Europe and in America. If adopted, the
"Big Browser" initiative would allow the government to require people to
surrender the text of electronic messages or face up to two years in jail.
The initiative, "Regulation of Investigatory Powers" (RIP) bill, is an
attempt to update 15-year old wiretap legislation to reflect the rise of
e-mail, mobile phones and the Internet.
[SOURCE: USAToday (12A), AUTHOR: David J. Lynch]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000628/2407215s.htm)

BRAZIL WEIGHS FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN MEDIA COMPANIES
Issue: International
The Brazilian Congress is considering a constitutional amendment that would
end a 66-year prohibition on foreign investment in the nation's media
companies. [Great, we can export Rupert Murdoch] The move could help raise
the funds needed by the Brazilian companies to keep up with technological
advancements in print and broadcast. "These are investments that will make
the growth and development of the whole industry possible," said Paulo
Machado de Carvalho Neto, vice president of the Brazilian Association of
Radio and Television Broadcasters. The amendment would allow foreigners to
own up to 30 percent of the capital of radio and television stations,
newspaper and magazine publishers. Opposition groups, including unions and
leftist parties that are normally against foreign investment in important
Brazilian industries, have been largely mollified by the relatively low
investment that will be permitted and a clause that prevents foreigners from
assuming any control over editorial content.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C4), AUTHOR: Jennifer Rich]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/brazil-media.html)

NEW INDEX RANKS COUNTRIES ON THEIR HIGH-TECH STRENGTH
Issue: International
A new index aims to create a scorecard for evaluating high-tech
competitiveness of countries, providing a new tool for companies looking to
more effectively target their online offerings. The Global New E-Economy
Index, created by Howard Rubin, who heads the computer-science department at
Hunter College of the City University of New York, ranks countries in five
categories. These categories include the number of high-tech professionals
and how fast the country is developing and deploying new technologies. Among
the findings, the U.S. ranks first overall, but falls closer to the middle
of the pack in some categories. The Philippines, for instance, ranks first
in the "knowledge jobs" category; Japan ranks highest in technological
innovation, Finland took the top spot in "economic dynamism and
competition," and Indonesia ranked last overall of the 47 countries
examined. Such an index is important, says Mr. Rubin, because Industrial-age
measures like gross domestic product don't give a complete picture of a
country's economic health -- and potential -- in the New Economy. "People
need to understand where new markets are, where to locate facilities and
where the new sources of labor will be," he said.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Interactive), AUTHOR: Jason Anders]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB962134152818596674.htm)

OECD REPORT SAYS INTERNET ECONOMY IS TOO GREEN TO GAUGE GROWTH EFFECT
Issue: New and Old Economy
A report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
says that, although the new economy is for real, it remains a vague term for
much of the world. Participants at an OECD conference in Paris said that
while higher productivity through the greater use of technology -- the most
common definition of the "New Economy" -- is measurable in the U.S., it
isn't yet apparent elsewhere. They also said it might simply be too early
to try to measure the New Economy's effects on global economies. What's
more, even if technology achieves increased productivity, there is nothing
particularly new about that, participants said. Acknowledging that
technological breakthroughs "have all transformed the way we live," and that
economic history is a succession of technological changes. Ignazio Visco,
chief economist of the OECD said the most important question is, did any of
these "earlier new economies produce a permanent rise in long-term growth?"
According to Visco, evidence does suggest that the initial effect of the
introduction of new technology actually might be to slow productivity and
economic growth. This is so because of the adjustments that companies and
individuals need to make to incorporate the new technology.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Interactive), AUTHOR: Christopher Rhoads]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB962136223346637041.htm)

BROADBAND

LETTER TO FCC ON OPEN ACCESS TO ADVANCED TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
Issue: Open Access
On June 27, the Consumer Federation of America (CFA) submitted an ex parte
letter to the FCC today with respect to SBC's petition to provide long
distance service in the state of Texas. In the letter, CFA urged the FCC to
establish "broad principles for open access that apply to all advanced
service providers," including providers of xDSL and cable broadband
services.
For more information: Mark Cooper, CFA Director of Research, 301/384-2204.
[SOURCE: Consumer Federation of America]
(http://www.consumerfed.org)

ANTITRUST

MICROSOFT: FOOLISH BREAKUP CARRIES HIDDEN COSTS
Issue: Antitrust
The breakup of Microsoft, according to Lester Thurow, will only result in a
weakened computer-communications industry in the long run. Thurow suggests
that Microsoft case illustrates the narrow vision of American antitrust
policies. "If America is going to maintain leadership of the global
computer-communications industry, it will need firms in the future that are
just as aggressive as Microsoft is accused of being in the past," writes
Thurow. "If this case sets the precedent that driving other companies out of
business is a violation of antitrust laws, it will undercut the very nature
of the capitalistic system." He believes that the only way American
industry will remain strong, is if firms are allowed to aggressively compete
and seek to drive other companies-- American and foreign -- out of business.

[SOURCE: USAToday (17A), AUTHOR: Lester C. Thurow, former dean of
Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000628/2407210s.htm)

INTERNET

AOL TAKES STEP TO ALLOW USERS TO DOWNLOAD MUSIC FOR A FEE
Issue: Internet
America Online Inc. plans to permit its users to download digital music for
a fee, marking its first public step toward selling music online. AOL has
licensed a technology from InterTrust Technologies Corp, and will include it
in its Winamp online music player later this year as part of a routine
software upgrade. Using the add-on, AOL customers will be able to download
music from participating record labels or retailers for a fee that hasn't
yet been disclosed. But the technology won't let users illegally copy music.
InterTrust's software prevents music Web sites from running into the same
legal headaches as Napster, the popular music-sharing program that is facing
stiff legal challenges from record companies. InterTrust, of Santa Clara,
Calif., is one of many companies that are trying to come up with a
practical way to stop piracy of music online. "This is the beginning of
trying to figure out how to commercialize digital downloading," said Wendy
Goldberg, an AOL spokeswoman. Ms. Goldberg noted that AOL has previously
taken steps toward selling music online, but wouldn't discuss details.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Julia Angwin]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB962146051947677128.htm)

--------------------------------------------------------------

(c)Benton Foundation 2000. Redistribution of this email publication -- both
internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The Benton Foundation's Communications Policy Program (CPP)
(www.benton.org/cpphome.html) Communications-related Headline
Service is posted Monday through Friday. The Headlines are highlights
of news articles summarized by staff at the Benton Foundation. They
describe articles of interest to the work of the Foundation -- primarily
those covering long term trends and developments in communications,
technology, journalism, public service media, regulation and philanthropy.
While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone does
not represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by
Kevin Taglang (kevint( at )benton.org) and Rachel Anderson (rachel( at )benton.org) --
we welcome your comments.

The Benton Foundation works to realize the social benefits made possible by
the public interest use of communications. Bridging the worlds of
philanthropy, public policy, and community action, Benton seeks to shape the
emerging communications environment and to demonstrate the value of
communications for solving social problems.

Other projects at Benton include:
Connect for Kids (www.connectforkids.org)
Debate America (www.debateamerica.org)
Oneworld US (www.oneworldus.org)
Open Studio: The Arts Online (www.openstudio.org)
Sound Partners for Community Health (www.soundpartners.org)

TELEPHONY
Toll Telephone Lines Seek to Lure Urban Poor (NYT)
Bell Atlantic Takes Advantage of an F.C.C. Rule Change (NYT)
AT&T Revamps Long-Distance Rate Hike Plan Changes (USA)

INTERNET
Study on Viability of Community Networks (NTIA)
Government To Create Big Web Site, Clinton Says (SJM)
Internet's Domain Administrator Is Sued (NYT)

JOURNALISM
At CBS, Lines Between News and Entertainment Grow Fuzzier (NYT)

MERGERS
FCC Broadens Its Investigation Of Aol, Time Warner Merger (WSJ)

TELEPHONY

TOLL TELEPHONE LINES SEEK TO LURE URBAN POOR
Issue: Telephone
In New York, special 540 toll lines on a local area code are used to lure
unemployed persons for a call that unexpectedly costs $19. The numbers are
advertised on fliers in low-income areas promising jobs. When called, the
recorded messages mention no specific jobs, just the telephone numbers for
job information lines at three hotels, two hospitals, and the health and
hospitals division of the hospital workers' union. Bell Atlantic, which
offers the 540 numbers in the New York City region, says it imposes strict
regulations, along with the New York State Public Service Commission. Ads
must state the cost of the call, and any call that can go over $3.50 must
state the cost at the outset and then give the caller 20 seconds to hang up.
But many of the 540 lines skirt these restrictions. And Bell Atlantic, which
gets 26 cents for the first minute of every call and seven cents per minute
thereafter, says it cannot check whether the jobs promised exist. "We can't
police all of them," John J. Bonomo, a Bell Atlantic spokesman, said.
Vendors come to the phone company with a proposal and they can charge
virtually any price. "If it's not obscene, unlawful or illegal, I can't
recall any case where we've turned them away," he said.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Amy Waldman]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/regional/ny-540-scam.html)

BELL ATLANTIC TAKES ADVANTAGE OF AN FCC RULE CHANGE
Issue: Telephone
By the end of July, Bell Atlantic will almost surely announce that it has
signed up a million long-distance customers in New York just since the
beginning of this year. That is something like a quarter-billion dollars in
annual revenue swiped from the likes of AT&T, WorldCom and Sprint in seven
months. Bell Atlantic and the other Baby Bells have accepted that the
Department of Justice and the FCC will be no pushovers for approving
in-region long distance service. By slogging through the hard, unglamorous
work necessary to win over the regulators rather than wailing over how
unfair it is, the Bells are getting all they really wanted from the
Telecommunications Act of 1996: a chance to jump into the pot of gold they
see in the long-distance market.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/biztech/articles/26neco.html)

AT&T REVAMPS LONG-DISTANCE RATE HIKE PLAN CHANGES
Issue: Telephony
AT&T is revisiting plans for a controversial rate hike that infuriated
consumers and regulators earlier this month. The long-distance company will
attempt to soften the impact of steep increases with new calling plans
intended to benefit consumers who make few long-distance calls. AT&T will
drop the $3 minimum fee it charged people who made few or no calls, but it
is raising per-minute rates by 13% to 56%. The company had recently withdrew
increases it had quietly put into effect at the same time it joined the
Federal Communications Commission in touting the reduction of access
fees. The new rate increase is intended to give consumers more options. Gene
Kimmelman of Consumers Union says the new rates are "a step in the right
direction" but disappointing, given that regulators have reduced AT&T's
costs by trimming fees it pays to local carriers.
[SOURCE: USAToday (2B),AUTHOR: Shawn Young]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000626/2399075s.htm)
See Also:
STATEMENT ON AT&T'S NEW CALLING PLANS FOR "LOW VOLUME USERS"
[SOURCE: Consumers Union]
(http://www.consumersunion.org/telecom/lowdc600.htm)

INTERNET

STUDY ON VIABILITY OF COMMUNITY NETWORKS
Issue: Digital Divide
Commerce Secretary William M. Daley today announced the award of a $100,000
contract to the Center for Civic Networking of Friday Harbor, Wash., to
study the sustainability of community networks, often the only means by
which communities without access to information technologies can get
information on health, public safety and community services. The contract is
one of several Clinton/Gore administration initiatives designed to help
close the nation's digital divide, the gap between Americans with access and
those without access to information technologies -- tools critical to
economic success and professional advancement. The project will focus on
locally-based, non-profit or public sector entities specializing in public
access networks supporting civic participation, community economic
development, health and human service delivery, and the arts. Topics to be
addressed include "Creating Demand Aggregation" and "Managing Organization
Change," among others.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/2000/ccnpr62200.htm)

GOVERNMENT TO CREATE BIG WEB SITE, CLINTON SAYS
Issue: Access to Government Information
President Clinton announced on Saturday that government is developing a Web
site that will make all online federal resources available at the click of a
mouse. The site, to be called firstgov.gov, will be created in 90 days or
less, President Clinton said on Saturday. "When it's complete, firstgov will
serve as a single point of entry to one of the largest, perhaps the most
useful, collection of Web pages in the entire world," Clinton said in what
was billed as his first Saturday Webcast to the nation. He said that by the
end of the year the government will make it possible for people to go online
to bid on, or apply for, some of the $300 billion in grants or $200 in
government contracts for goods and services. "Increasingly, we'll give our
citizens not only the ability to send and receive information but also to
conduct sophisticated transactions online," Clinton said.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Tim Ryan (Reuters)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/134340l.htm
)

INTERNET'S DOMAIN ADMINISTRATOR IS SUED
Issue: Internet
Afternic.com has filed what is believed to be the first lawsuit challenging
the work of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann).
The company says Icann violated its own bylaws in refusing to approve
Afternic's application to become an accredited primary registrar for
Internet addresses. Afternic.com runs a Web site where people who already
own domain names can resell them. Icann did not act on the company's
application to become an official registrar because of the resale business.
But the two largest registrars of domain names, Network Solutions and
Register.com, have begun offering resale services similar to Afternic's.
"Icann believes that it has handled Afternic's application in an appropriate
manner, according to Icann policies and legal requirements, and consistently
with the manner in which other applications have been handled," Icann said.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/biztech/articles/26doma.html)

JOURNALISM

AT CBS, LINES BETWEEN NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT GROW FUZZIER
Issue: Journalism
CBS, which for years has had the oldest audience of any of the broadcast
networks, is trying to take advantage of its surging ratings for
"Survivor," especially among younger viewers. Every Thursday morning, the
network's news program, "The Early Show," gives over two full segments to
exploring the latest developments in "Survivor" including a half-hour panel
discussion and the first interview with the latest cast member cast adrift
by his or her island compatriots. [And that's what we mean by "synergy,"
boys and girls] Far from being concerned about blurring any lines between
news and entertainment, CBS executives have expressed nothing but enthusiasm
for the links being forged between "The Early Show," and the two reality
series from CBS's entertainment division. "It's an experiment well worth
taking on," said Andrew Heyward, the president of CBS News. "All I can say
is: Thank God for 'Survivor,' " said Steve Friedman, the senior executive
producer of "The Early Show." Citing ratings increases he said are directly
attributable to the show's association with "Survivor," Mr. Friedman said he
said he is already looking forward to the possibilities for more ratings
coattails from "Big Brother."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bill Carter]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/062600cbs-shows.html)

MERGERS

FCC BROADENS ITS INVESTIGATION OF AOL, TIME WARNER MERGER
Issue: Mergers
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has broadened their
investigation of America Online Inc.'s planned acquisition of Time Warner
Inc., even as shareholders for the two companies voted to approve the deal.
The FCC asked the two companies to provide information on everything from
the nitty-gritty of AOL's recent purchase of a 15% stake in TiVo Inc.,a
digital-video-recording company, to all documents relating to business plans
for the merged company. In an eight-page request, the FCC probes the nature
of AOL and Time Warner's relationships with each other and their partners,
and particularly focuses on whether these agreements prohibit competition.
The agency has requested information on AOL TV, the service that allows TV
users to surf the Web and chat online while watching shows. The regulators
also asked for information on the nature of nearly all of AOL and Time
Warner' partnerships and investments. To be approved, the merger must win
approval from U.S. and European antitrust regulators, who are examining the
deal.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B12), AUTHOR: Julia Angwin & Jill Carroll]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB961780477864475613.htm)

--------------------------------------------------------------

(c)Benton Foundation 2000. Redistribution of this email publication -- both
internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The Benton Foundation's Communications Policy Program (CPP)
(www.benton.org/cpphome.html) Communications-related Headline
Service is posted Monday through Friday. The Headlines are highlights
of news articles summarized by staff at the Benton Foundation. They
describe articles of interest to the work of the Foundation -- primarily
those covering long term trends and developments in communications,
technology, journalism, public service media, regulation and philanthropy.
While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone does
not represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by
Kevin Taglang (kevint( at )benton.org) and Rachel Anderson (rachel( at )benton.org) --
we welcome your comments.

The Benton Foundation works to realize the social benefits made possible by
the public interest use of communications. Bridging the worlds of
philanthropy, public policy, and community action, Benton seeks to shape the
emerging communications environment and to demonstrate the value of
communications for solving social problems.

Other projects at Benton include:
Connect for Kids (www.connectforkids.org)
Debate America (www.debateamerica.org)
Oneworld US (www.oneworldus.org)
Open Studio: The Arts Online (www.openstudio.org)
Sound Partners for Community Health (www.soundpartners.org)

PRIVACY
New Technology Is Aimed at Increasing Web Privacy (NYT)
Pretty Poor Privacy: An Assessment of P3P and Internet Privacy
(EPIC)

BROADCASTING
Broadcast Ownership Rules (FCC)
700 Applications For Low Power FM Radio Construction Permits (FCC)

MERGERS
Europe Resists Big U.S. Mergers (WP)
A Scramble To Salvage Phone Deal (NYT)
BT May Buy Media Companies, Says Openworld Exec (SJM)

WIRELESS
U.S. Wireless Access Needs A Touch Up (WSJ)

INTERNET REGULATION
Reciprocal Compensation Adjustment Act of 2000 (House)

PRIVACY

NEW TECHNOLOGY IS AIMED AT INCREASING WEB PRIVACY
Issue: Privacy
A new technology called Platform for Privacy (P3P) that would alert computer
users before they visit Web sites that collect more personal information
than they are willing to share was unveiled yesterday by major Internet
companies and an online civil liberties group, the Center for Democracy and
Technology. The technology has been under development for about three years
by the World Wide Web Consortium, AT&T labs and other major companies like
IBM, Microsoft and America Online. Nevertheless, it was immediately
denounced by some privacy advocates as a way for companies to avoid new laws
and a tool that would give consumers a false sense of security. According to
Daniel J. Weitzner of the World Wide Web Consortium, which develops open
standards to promote universal Web access and interoperability between web
sites and different technologies, the goal of P3P is to give users on the
web more control, and to make privacy policies easier to find and to
understand. P3P set standards to allow Internet browsers to automatically
read privacy policies that have been posted on Web sites using the new
standard. The browsers then will go only to sites that follow the
preferences pre-selected by the computer users. However, for the technology
to work, however, it will have to be put into effect by the millions of Web
sites on the Internet.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C6), AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/cyber/articles/22privacy.html)
See Also: Clinton Supports Move to Protect Consumer Privacy on the Internet
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B14), AUTHOR: Glenn R. Simpson]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB961623432968249771.htm)

PRETTY POOR PRIVACY: AN ASSESSMENT OF P3P AND INTERNET PRIVACY
Issue: Privacy
EPIC and Junkbusters have released their report on the Platform for Privacy
Preferences (P3P), "Pretty Poor Privacy: An Assessment of P3P and Internet
privacy". The report concludes that there is little evidence that P3P will
improve privacy protection on the Internet and recommends adopting privacy
standards built on Fair Information Practices and genuine privacy-enhancing
technologies.
[SOURCE: Electronic Privacy Information Center]
(http://www.epic.org/reports/prettypoorprivacy.html)

BROADCASTING

BROADCAST OWNERSHIP RULES
Issue: Broadcasting
The FCC has released a number of items related to the ownership rules for
broadcast outlets including its biennial review of rules, a notice of
proposed rulemaking (NPRM) on the dual network rule and a NPRM on the
elimination of experimental broadcast ownership restrictions. All documents
are available online from the FCC's homepage at the URL below.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov)

700 APPLICATIONS FOR LOW POWER FM RADIO CONSTRUCTION PERMITS
Issue: Radio
Press Release: The Federal Communications Commission received 769 low power
FM radio applications from community-based organizations and state and local
governments in Alaska, California, District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana,
Louisiana, Maine, Mariana Islands, Maryland, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and
Utah. Today the Commission is issuing a Public Notice listing low power FM
radio applicants who completed forms requesting a new low power FM radio
station. The FCC's preliminary count of the applications received in each of
the first ten states breaks down as follows: Alaska (27), California (309),
District of Columbia (4), Georgia (109), Indiana (73), Louisiana (66), Maine
(12), Maryland (17), Oklahoma (61), Rhode Island (25) and Utah (19). The
second filing period, which will begin at the end of August, will be
announced by Public Notice at the end of July. At that time, the Commission
will take applications from the following states and territories:
Connecticut, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nevada, New
Hampshire, Puerto Rico, Virginia, Wyoming.
A complete list of the applicants will be posted on the FCC website at
www.fcc.gov or a summary will be available on Wednesday, June 22, 2000.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/News_Releases/2000/nrmm0029.html)

MERGERS

EUROPE RESISTS BIG U.S. MERGERS
Issue: Mergers
The unprecedented scrutiny of American communications-related mergers is
partially a symptom of Europe's coming late to the Internet. While Europe is
gaining ground on the United States in Internet access and use, the
companies that control the global computer system's basic infrastructure
remain a handful of dominant American firms. Fifty to Eighty percent of all
Internet traffic originating in Europe travels to the United States,
according to a recent commission statement. "The Internet is not a global
net," said an executive with Spain's Telefonica. "It's an American net with
international extensions." The dominance of the U.S. few has led to the EU's
executive body, the European Commission, to cast a critical eye on the
implications for Europe of the America Online/Time-Warner and
Sprint/WorldCom deals. The commission also, last month, launched a probe of
Boeing's purchase of Hughes Electronics' Satellite operations and
Microsoft's effort to take a majority stake in a British cable operator.
While European officials deny that there is a nationalist cast to the
scrutiny of the U.S. deals -- citing their desire to keep any company from
gaining "gatekeeper status" -- it is equally evident that the US-centered
Internet is growing wearisome for the wider wired world.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E01), AUTHOR: Peter S. Goodman]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37332-2000Jun21.html)

A SCRAMBLE TO SALVAGE PHONE DEAL
Issue: Merger
Increasing pressure from regulators on both sides of the Atlantic may lead
WorldCom to consider selling Sprint's entire long-distance unit to gain
approval of its $115 billion deal to acquire the company. While negotiations
continue between the WorldCom and the Justice Department, which is reviewing
the deal's antitrust implications in the United States, the European
Commission's competition ministry has already indicated that wishes withhold
approval. European regulators are worried that the merged company would have
a stranglehold on Internet traffic in Europe. The Justice Department's main
concern is about the power a combined Sprint-WorldCom would hold over the US
long-distance market. With a desire to appease regulators, WorldCom is now
considering a plan to sell Sprint's entire long-distance business, in
addition to Sprint's Internet operation. But such moves would skew the
financial plan that underpinned the acquisition in the first place.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel And Andrew Ross Sorkin]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/062200mci-sprint.html)

BT MAY BUY MEDIA COMPANIES, SAYS OPENWORLD EXEC
Issue: Mergers
According to Marc Deschamps, Chief operating officer for British
Telecommunication's (BT) broadband Internet company Openworld, BT is
shopping for media companies to provide content and is willing to make a
deal the size of the AOL-Time Warner merger. Deschamps said that BT intends
to be aggressive in making acquisitions, yet there are still other options
for securing content. Openworld has already contracted 75 companies to
supply content such as news, video clips and software applications for its
Internet service, which it launches to small businesses in July and to
consumers soon after. The majority of these deals are based on a licensing
or revenue-sharing basis and include only one joint venture, with travel
reservations company Amadeus. Deschamps also said that BT is exploring the
option of floating Openworld.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News (Reuters)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/044731.htm)

WIRELESS

U.S. WIRELESS ACCESS NEEDS A TOUCH UP
Issue: Wireless
Americans are in real backwater when it comes to wireless access to the
Internet. The majority is unaware that they can surf the Web on data-enabled
cell phones, while millions of Japanese and European users are already doing
just that. While a handful of cellular providers in the U.S. have started to
take interest in wireless Internet, the services are marred by technical
glitches, and don't yet come close to delivering. Take the Sprint network,
for instance. It crawls at a pace of only 14.4 kilobits per second, or about
one-fourth the speed of a common 56-kilobit modem. Sprint's service, like
many others based on a standard called the Wireless Application Protocol, or
WAP, blocks access to sites that haven't rewritten their pages in the
special WAP format -- one that is purely text-based. That limits wireless
Internet users to a fraction of all Web sites, and reduces the Web to gray
menus of tiny letters and numbers. Sprint has acknowledged that it's still
learning what users want, and has vowed to improve speeds, eliminate the
dial-up lag, and let users customize start-up menus.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: David Hamilton]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB961626460243411062.htm)

INTERNET REGULATION

RECIPROCAL COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2000
Issue: Telephone/Internet Regulation
Live Webcast -- Thursday, June 22, 2000 11:00 a.m. in2123 Rayburn House
Office Building Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer
Protection legislative hearing. This hearing will focus on H.R. 4445, to
exempt from reciprocal compensation requirements telecommunications traffic
to the Internet. Witnesses will be by invitation only.
[SOURCE: House of Representatives]
(http://com-notes.house.gov/cchear/hearings106.nsf/12b6a0781fa86e88852567e50
07558f4/24e76b0841421cc085256905006aaa4a?OpenDocument)

--------------------------------------------------------------

(c)Benton Foundation 2000. Redistribution of this email publication -- both
internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The Benton Foundation's Communications Policy Program (CPP)
(www.benton.org/cpphome.html) Communications-related Headline
Service is posted Monday through Friday. The Headlines are highlights
of news articles summarized by staff at the Benton Foundation. They
describe articles of interest to the work of the Foundation -- primarily
those covering long term trends and developments in communications,
technology, journalism, public service media, regulation and philanthropy.
While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone does
not represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by
Kevin Taglang (kevint( at )benton.org), Rachel Anderson (rachel( at )benton.org) and
Mugo Macharia (mugo( at )benton.org) -- we welcome your comments.

The Benton Foundation works to realize the social benefits made possible by
the public interest use of communications. Bridging the worlds of
philanthropy, public policy, and community action, Benton seeks to shape the
emerging communications environment and to demonstrate the value of
communications for solving social problems.

Other projects at Benton include:
Connect for Kids (www.connectforkids.org)
Debate America (www.debateamerica.org)
Oneworld US (www.oneworldus.org)
Open Studio: The Arts Online (www.openstudio.org)
Sound Partners for Community Health (www.soundpartners.org)

MERGERS
French Company Agrees to a Deal to Buy Seagram (NYT)
AT&T Paying $3.3 Billion To Add Wireless Systems (NYT)
Safeguards Proposed by Disney Should be Applied to all
Content Providers (CME)

EDTECH
Bush Raises Cash and Discusses Education Technology (NYT)

INTERNET
Reciprocal Compensation Adjustment Act of 2000 (House)
How ICANN Does It (USA)
Letter From Syria (WP)

ECOMMERCE
Another Industry Group Tackles Online Privacy Problem (CyberTimes)
Conflicting Napster Predictions Evoke Errors in Foretelling Impact
of VCR (WSJ)
Music Companies Are Hoping Downloads For Fees Can Prove
as Popular as Free (WSJ)

INFOTECH
Technological Advisory Council (FCC)

MERGERS

FRENCH COMPANY AGREES TO A DEAL TO BUY SEAGRAM
Issue: Mergers
Vivendi, the French water utility, is about to start pumping something else
into homes. The company will pay ~$34 billion in stock for Seagram, the
spirits and entertainment company. [Is Bruce Willis included in the deal?]
Seagram holdings include Absolut Vodka, Universal Studios, Polygram Records,
a television production company and theme parks. The new company will be
called Vivendi Universal and will be based in Paris [France, not Texas].
Vivendi plans to sell off Seagram's liquor business. Vivendi also owns a
mobile telephone operation in France, a pan-European Internet portal,
Vizzavi, and Canal Plus, a pay television company. The proposed deal is a
bet by both Vivendi and Seagram that by combining popular content with a
powerful distribution system, especially the next generation of wireless
Internet services in Europe, it can create a company worth more combined
than by working separately.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A1), AUTHOR: Fabrikant & Sorkin]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/062000seagrams-vivendi.html)
See Also:
THE SUN IS SETTING ON SEAGRAM EMPIRE
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Alex Berenson]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/062000seagrams-bronfman.html)
NO TRACE OF ANTI-HOLLYWOOD BIAS IN FRENCH PURCHASE OF UNIVERSAL
"The French always have been the most irate about American domination of the
movies, so to think that now it will be the French who are financing these
American movies, well, you'd have to say that's ironic," said Peter Bart,
editor of Variety.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C12), AUTHOR: Rick Lyman]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/062000seagrams-studio.html)
VIVENDI CONFIRMS SEAGRAM PURCHASE FRENCH FIRM NOW POWERFUL PLAYER IN
ENTERTAINMENT
[SOURCE: USAToday (1b), AUTHOR: Vivienne Walt and David Lieberman]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000620/2379191s.htm)

AT&T PAYING $3.3 BILLION TO ADD WIRELESS SYSTEMS
Issue: Wireless
AT&T will pay $3.3 billion for wireless telephone systems in Houston (from
PrimeCo), San Diego (from GTE) and San Francisco (from Vodafone). The
purchases will add 1.3 million customers and 1,400 employees to AT&T's
fast-growing wireless business. The impetus behind the deal came from
regulatory requirements that Vodafone, GTE and Bell Atlantic shed
overlapping wireless properties as they create Verizon Wireless.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C15), AUTHOR: Simon Romero]
(http://www.nytimes.com/)
See Also:
AT&T WIRELESS BUYS SERVICE IN 3 MAJOR CITIES MARKET COVERAGE GETS BOOST
[SOURCE: USAToday (3B), AUTHOR: Shawn Young]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000620/2379133s.htm)

SAFEGUARDS PROPOSED BY DISNEY SHOULD BE APPLIED TO ALL CONTENT PROVIDERS
Issue: Mergers
From Press Release: In a formal filing with the Commission of the European
Communities (representing the European Union, or EU), the Walt Disney
Company has expressed grave reservations about the anti-competitive impact
of the proposed AOL-Time Warner merger on the emerging broadband market. "In
the new market for integrated Internet services," Disney's EU submission
declares, the combined AOL Time Warner (coupled with its vast EMI music
holdings) "will operate a 'walled garden' serving to discriminate against
third party unaffiliated content and precluding access by third party
content suppliers to users of the AOL/TW/EMI service." Responding to these
and other objections to AOL-Time Warner's plans, the European Commission
announced that it will now begin a more rigorous, four-month Phase II
investigation of the proposed merger. Disney requested "that the Commission
consider the monopolist bottleneck distribution features of AOL/TW/EMI and,
if appropriate, require the segregation of the provision of content from the
distribution channel. Internet distribution is an essential facility (not
unlike phone lines, for instance) and open and non-discriminatory access for
all content providers should be guaranteed."
Disney's filing also calls for the following principles to govern the new
broadband environment: 1) Equal treatment of downstream bandwidth, system
throughput, and
data pass-through; 2) Full functionality of return-path transactions, with
equitable
handling of upstream traffic (i.e., transmissions from outside parties,
including subscribers themselves); 3) Nondiscriminatory menus, program
guides, navigation aids, and screen position and placement; 4) Equal caching
of content (i.e., local storage of data to expedite delivery) and 5)
Comparable point-and-click functionality for enhanced/interactive
TV implementations.
For more information, contact Jeff Chester (jeff( at )cme.org)
[SOURCE: Center For Media Education]
(http://www.cme.org/publications/press.html)

EDTECH

BUSH RAISES CASH AND DISCUSSES EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY
Issue: EdTech
"The goal ought not to be how many classrooms are wired. The goal is how are
we effectively teaching children," said Gov George Bush (R-TX) yesterday
during a campaign swing through Washington and California. Gov Bush
criticized the E-rate program saying it has given local school districts too
little flexibility in their use of the funds, creating a system "hidebound
by regulations." He called for loosening the regulations and for another $80
million/year for the Department of Education to study the best ways of using
technology in classrooms.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A20), AUTHOR: Frank Bruni]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/062000wh-bush-edu.html)

INTERNET

RECIPROCAL COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENT ACT OF 2000
Issue: Telephone/Internet Regulation
Thursday, June 22, 2000 11:00 a.m. in2123 Rayburn House Office Building
Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection
legislative hearing. This hearing will focus on H.R. 4445, to exempt from
reciprocal compensation requirements telecommunications traffic to the
Internet. Witnesses will be by invitation only.
[SOURCE: House of Representatives]
(http://com-notes.house.gov/schedule.htm)

HOW ICANN DOES IT
Issue: Internet
ICANN, the Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, coordinates the
assigning of domain names (such as SomeAddress.com) on the Internet. For
each domain, ICANN also assigns a numerical addressee (123.23.2.7) to which
it corresponds. This centralized addressing system is what allows messages
-- whether text, Web, audio or video -- to be transmitted across the network.
The system is based on the Internet Protocol, simple rules that set out how
every file is sent over the network.
[SOURCE: USAToday (3D), AUTHOR: USAToday Staff]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000620/2379044s.htm)

LETTER FROM SYRIA (The world's commotion arrives on the Internet)
Issue: International
Like the rest of the world, Syria has begun to welcome the Internet. The
World Wide Web, however, presents some difficult questions for this country
that has tightly controlled the flow of information from the outside.
Syrians can now read stories online that would not appear in the officially
controlled local press. Efforts to censor the Internet are hampered by the
fact that individuals can simply use an out-of-country provider to escape
local barriers. But, for the time being, cost is a major obstacle to more
Syrians using the Net to gather information. The government may not be
worrying much about what is coming in over the Internet because computers
are beyond the economic reach of the average Syrian worker.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A17), AUTHOR: Howard Schneider]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24237-2000Jun19.html)

ECOMMERCE

ANOTHER INDUSTRY GROUP TACKLES ONLINE PRIVACY PROBLEM
Issue: Privacy
The Privacy Leadership Initiative, made up of the chief executives of such
giants as IBM, AT&T, Dell Computer and Ford, has vowed to work closely with
consumers to find online privacy solutions that really work. Many of the
companies and groups involved in the new group are already members of the
Online Privacy Alliance, a coalition that was formed two years ago to head
off new Internet privacy regulations. That group set basic guidelines
companies should follow in protecting consumer privacy, and it offered a
sample of the privacy policies that Web sites should post to let visitors
know how their personal information was being used. But the Federal Trade
Commission said in a recent report that such self-regulatory efforts were
not working fast or well enough, and that few Web sites were following
acceptable protection criteria.
"New industry organizations with 'privacy' in their titles are springing up
like new flavors of soft drinks," said Jason Catlett, president of
Junkbusters Corp., a company that works on consumer protection technologies.
"But it's all an attempt to make legislators and consumers think that the
problem isn't that companies are using personal information unfairly and
that consumers need legally guaranteed rights to stop that."
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing (jeri( at )nytimes.com)]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/cyber/capital/20capital.html)

CONFLICTING NAPSTER PREDICTIONS EVOKE ERRORS IN FORETELLING IMPACT OF VCR
Issue: Ecommerce
While some people say that the technology threat to the record industry
might be real, it is too soon to tell what the Internet downloading services
like Napster or Gnutella will do to the recording industry. The
entertainment industry is struggling to predict what downloadable music
files will do to album sales. But if previous battles over VCRs and digital
audio tape have taught us anything, it's that technological prophecies don't
always turn out as predicted. Earlier predictions that TV would put
the movies out of business turned out to be not the case. When radio shows
began playing recorded music, musicians foresaw catastrophe for live
entertainment. It didn't happen. Thomas Parke Hughes, a visiting professor
at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, says a superior technology doesn't
eliminate the old technology completely; instead, the older way of doing
things is relegated to a niche, where it can remain for a long time.
Nevertheless, Technically adventurous PC owners are connecting their
computers to their living-room stereos. And just around the corner are
digital hi-fi products designed for the living room. New wireless Internet
transmission systems are being developed with the potential to bring digital
audio to cars. And Sony is selling an MP3 player called the "Music Clip"
that's the size of a ballpoint pen. It downloads MP3s from a PC and is used
with earphones, like a Walkman.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Lee Gomes]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB961460865172897147.htm)
See Also:
DESPITE ITS POPULARITY, NAPSTER ISN'T READY FOR PRIME TIME YET
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Interactive), AUTHOR: Tom Weber]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB96146221824027457.htm)

MUSIC COMPANIES ARE HOPING DOWNLOADS FOR FEES CAN PROVE AS POPULAR AS FREE
Issue: Ecommerce
To combat the erosion of both online and offline music sales, the recording
industry is striking back at Napster and Napster-like technologies. Instead
of paying $15.99 for a CD, Napster and like services allow users to download
music for free and then play the MP3 music on their PC, take it with them on
a portable device or "burn" it into their own CD collections. "At the end of
the day, the music industry as we now know it is over," declares Avram
Miller, a former Intel Corp. vice president with close ties to the
entertainment industry. The industry believes, however, that it can
appropriate the Napster format for their benefit. The five major labels --
Universal, Sony, BMG, Warner and EMI -- are preparing to sell their own
authorized downloadable recordings and will use both carrots (new hardware
with better sound quality, give-aways, and incentives) and sticks to move
their authorized recordings. One "carrot" concept is to make each PC a
vending machine -- and every computer user a sales rep for the industry. BMG
is working on efforts to build a system through which fans could distribute
downloaded albums by e-mail or put their encrypted downloads into
Napster-style file-sharing directories. People who start a chain of sales
could receive rewards, such as early access to new music or
commissions/credits on future music purchases. In case the incentives don't
achieve the desired effects, the industry still has an arsenal that includes
both intellectual property suits and new music file formats that only play
when a label's "digital watermark" is present.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1) AUTHOR: Don Clark and Martin Peers]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB961458021337970244.htm)

INFOTECH

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
Issue: InfoTech
The Technological Advisory Council ("Council"), will hold its fifth meeting
on Wednesday, June 28, at 10:00 a.m. at the Federal Communications
Commission, 445 12th St. S.W., Room TW-C305, Washington, D.C. 20554. The
Council was established by the Federal Communications Commission to enable a
wide array of distinguished technologists from industry, academia,
government, and the public to provide recommendations to the FCC concerning
technological developments in the communications industry.
The subjects that will be considered include: (1) software defined radios
and similar devices, and ways that the availability of such technologies
might affect the FCC's traditional approaches to spectrum management in
light of electromagnetic noise levels, including the possibility of creating
a "bill of rights" governing the behavior of intelligent communications
devices; (2) current technological trends in telecommunications services,
including changes that might decrease, rather than increase, the
accessibility of telecommunications services by persons with disabilities,
and ways by which the FCC might best communicate to designers of emerging
telecommunications network architectures, the requirements for
accessibility; (3) telecommunications common carrier network interconnection
issues and how the Council should address these; (4) additional issues that
the Council may choose to address in the future.
For further information, contact Kent Nilsson at 202-418-0845 or TTY
202-418-2989.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/Public_Notices/2000/da001
140.html)

--------------------------------------------------------------

(c)Benton Foundation 2000. Redistribution of this email publication -- both
internally and externally -- is encouraged if it includes this message.

--------------------------------------------------------------

The Benton Foundation's Communications Policy Program (CPP)
(www.benton.org/cpphome.html) Communications-related Headline
Service is posted Monday through Friday. The Headlines are highlights
of news articles summarized by staff at the Benton Foundation. They
describe articles of interest to the work of the Foundation -- primarily
those covering long term trends and developments in communications,
technology, journalism, public service media, regulation and philanthropy.
While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone does
not represent the tone of the original articles. Headlines are compiled by
Kevin Taglang (kevint( at )benton.org) and Rachel Anderson (rachel( at )benton.org) --
we welcome your comments.

The Benton Foundation works to realize the social benefits made possible by
the public interest use of communications. Bridging the worlds of
philanthropy, public policy, and community action, Benton seeks to shape the
emerging communications environment and to demonstrate the value of
communications for solving social problems.

Other projects at Benton include:
Connect for Kids (www.connectforkids.org)
Debate America (www.debateamerica.org)
Oneworld US (www.oneworldus.org)
Open Studio: The Arts Online (www.openstudio.org)
Sound Partners for Community Health (www.soundpartners.org)