September 2001

Communications-related Headlines for 9/28/01

TELEPHONY
AT&T Looks to Baby Bells for a Buyer (NYT)
October 1 Begins a New Era of Telephone Access (FCC)
Regional Telecom Upstarts Struggle To Keep Afloat Amid Downturn (WSJ)

E-GOVERNMENT
Destroyed Computer Links Leave Thousands of Poor People Without
Welfare Benefits (NYT)

MEDIA & SOCIETY
Onion's Bitter Tears of Irony (Wired)

TELEPHONY

AT&T LOOKS TO BABY BELLS FOR A BUYER
Issue: Telephony
The struggling communications giant, former telephone monopoly AT&T, is
seeking to
sell its telephone operations to one of its Baby Bell offspring. AT&T has
approached at
least three of the nation's largest local telephone companies - Verizon
Communications,
SBC Communications and BellSouth - about buying its consumer and business
telephone
operations. The three local phone companies were part of AT&T before the
government-
enforced breakup of the Bell System in 1984. A deal between AT&T and a Bell
company
would raise serious regulatory issues. William E. Kennard, former
Commissioner of the
F.C.C., said yesterday, "If this is a step to putting the Bell System back
together again, it
would reverse more than 20 years of promoting competition." A major concern
facing
regulators is competition on the local level, where companies other than the
Bells have no
more than 10 percent of the market, according to the F.C.C. In fact, AT&T is
one of the
largest competitors with the Bells in this area, making co-ownership of
local properties an
important issue in any possible deal.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Simon Romero]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/28/business/28PHON.html)
(requires registration)

REGIONAL TELECOM UPSTARTS STRUGGLE TO KEEP AFLOAT AMID DOWNTURN
Issue: Telephony
The outlook has turned grimmer than ever for the U.S. telecommunications
upstarts that
compete with regional Bells. The slowing economy before the Sept. 11
terrorist attacks in
the U.S. had already caused several local competitive phone companies to
seek Chapter 11
bankruptcy protection or restructure debt. Now, with economic conditions
worsening after
the terrorist attacks, many more of the so-called competitive local exchange
carriers
(CLECs), which grew up to compete with the large regional phone companies
after the
Telecommunications Act of 1996 opened the local phone industry to
competition, have
reduced earnings and revenue forecasts. Even the strongest CLECs are
hurting. On
Tuesday, Time Warner Telecom said third-quarter results would be below
expectations,
citing bankruptcies of telecom-carrier customers and lower intercarrier
compensation.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Ann Davis]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB1001632494292539240.htm)
(requires subscription)

OCTOBER 1 BEGINS A NEW ERA OF TELEPHONE ACCESS
Issue: Telephony
The Federal Communication Commission proclaims: "On October 1 of this year
our
country begins a new era of telephone access." That is the day that a new
calling shortcut,
711, will be introduced. The three digit number will provide access to all
Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS). TRS facilitates telephone
conversations
between people who do and those who do not have hearing or speech
disabilities. Under
the new rules adopted last year by the FCC, 711 TRS dialing must be provided
by all
telecommunications carriers in the United States, including wireline,
wireless, and
payphone providers.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/2001/nrcc0138.html)

E-GOVERNMENT

DESTROYED COMPUTER LINKS LEAVE THOUSANDS OF POOR PEOPLE WITHOUT WELFARE
BENEFITS
Issue: E-Government
Thousand of poor in New York City have been left without links to the state
computers that manage their
welfare, Medicaid and food stamp cases, leaving them and some in nearby
counties without normal access to
emergency cash, food and health care. "Because of the disaster in New York
City, our connection to the New
York State management system is down," said Dennis Nowak, a spokesman for
the Suffolk County
Department of Social Services, "and no one can tell us when we'll be up
again." The computer connections ran
through a central Verizon communications hub that was destroyed when 7 World
Trade Center collapsed, he
said. The results of the downed connections are that county agencies are
scrambling to collect paper
applications to be put into new computers; people already approved for
services are finding themselves
suddenly without active records; and many cannot get prescriptions filled.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Nina Bernstein]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/28/nyregion/28POOR.html)
(requires registration)

MEDIA & SOCIETY

ONION'S BITTER TEARS OF IRONY
Issue: Media & Society
In our post-Sept. 11th world there seems to be a moratorium on humor. Take
for example the seemingly
endless hours NPR's "All Things Considered" is devoting to the "death of
irony" and America's supposed
changing face of humor. Amongst all of this concern over how and even
whether we should allow ourselves to
laugh anymore, one satirical newspaper, The Onion (www.theonion.com), has
taken the tragedy and the
media's ensuing coverage, head-on. And they have held nothing back: "U.S.
Vows To Defeat Whoever It Is
We're At War With," "Not Knowing What Else To Do, Woman Bakes American-Flag
Cake," and "Arab-American Third-Grader Returns From Recess Crying, Saying He
Didn't Kill Anyone." The Onion's
terrorist coverage even includes an interview with God: "Get it straight.
Not only do I not want anybody to kill
anyone, but I specifically commanded you not to, in really simple terms that
anybody ought to be able to
understand." John Krewson, an Onion writer, admits the staff had serious
doubts about releasing the issue.
But reader response and critical reaction have been overwhelmingly positive.
Despite the positive feedback,
the risks were high for the Onion staff. Bill Maher host of "Politically
Incorrect" found himself apologizing to
viewers and the White House for a failed attempt at satire. This morning the
Washington Post reports that the
apologies may not have been enough as one local affiliate has decided to
drop Politically Incorrect from its
lineup. Even given the success of The Onion's latest edition, Krewson
acknowledges that their humor is far
from light: "What we're seeing isn't the death of irony," Krewson said.
"It's the death of apathy... There is no
upside to this, except in making people think about how far up their asses
their heads have been."
[Source: Wired, AUTHOR: Jeffrey Benner]
(http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,47155,00.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 9/27/01

PRIVACY/SECURITY
Cellular Firms Seek 911 Delay (WP)
Living Under an Electronic Eye (NYT)

INTERNET
New Web Suffixes Beset by Trademark, Registration Fights (WP)
Realnetworks Sees Its Future In Content (SJM)
Relief Agencies Retool to Handle Online Flood (NYT)

PRIVACY/SECURITY

CELLULAR FIRMS SEEK 911 DELAY
Issue: Wireless
It has been said before, but it bears repeating: in four days, cell-phone
companies will be required to have technology in place to help emergency
workers track down the location of a 911 call made from a wireless phone. By
all indications they will miss that deadline. All of the companies have
applied to the FCC for waivers on the Oct. 1 deadline. In the waivers, the
various wireless companies claim that the current technologies can not meet
federal rules requiring that they locate the caller within 100 meters, at
least two-thirds of the time. The companies face fines if they are found in
violation of the rules, of without a waiver. Not everyone, however, is a
proponent of the technology: the industry itself points to the pure
technical and logistical hurdles of coordinating a system that can locate an
individual in the vastness or rural areas, or within the "noise" of urban
settings. Add to that the cost of the system: $400,000 to $1 billion. Also,
privacy advocates have, in the past, raised concerns about the application
of such technology for commercial purposes. "It's important for consumers to
have information to know what their options are," and what information they
want automatically disclosed, said Cheryl Leanza, deputy director for
Washington-based Media Access Project, a public interest law firm.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E05), AUTHOR: Yuki Noguchi]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32392-2001Sep26.html)

LIVING UNDER AN ELECTRONIC EYE
Issue: Security/Privacy
There is a growing tension between decreased personal privacies and
increased public security. And many are asking the question: "If the
technologies to view private records are available to government, should it
be given the powers to use them?" There are, of course, many complexities to
address in answering that question, but in the context of the events of
September 11, more than a few would believe the answer to be "yes." Against
the backdrop of several congressional antiterrorism proposals, current and
historical studies that show Americans tend to be willing to sacrifice
liberties for security.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Lisa Guernsey]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/27/technology/circuits/27PRIV.html)

INTERNET

NEW WEB SUFFIXES BESET BY TRADEMARK, REGISTRATION FIGHTS
Issue: Internet
The rollout of the .biz and .info Web domain suffixes is mired in legal
challenges. A Superior Court judge in Los Angeles heard arguments in two
class-action lawsuits over .biz, slated for launch next month. The suits
raise concerns about the way .biz names are assigned. Similarly, .info, has
been caught up in controversy over whether applicants claimed trademark
rights to win desirable names before they were available to the public. All
of the controversy leads to interesting and opposing view on the process of
establishing new Web domains suffixes. The first view holds that ICANN was
wise to approve only a few new domains instead of hundreds. "These problems
underscore the wisdom of the board in not launching a hundred or a thousand
[suffixes] as some people have urged us to do," said Stuart Lynn, president
and chief executive of ICANN. The other view is more critical, arguing that
ICANN's approval of such a limited amount of new domains creates artificial
scarcity and anxiety. University of Miami law professor, Michael Froomkin
illustrates the view: "Nobody knows when the next round will be or if there
will be a next round," Froomkin said. "That just raises the tension level.
It's not the free-market solution everyone was hoping for."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Dina ElBoghdady]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A32266-2001Sep26.html)

REALNETWORKS SEES ITS FUTURE IN CONTENT
Issue: Internet
After the recent attacks on the World Trade Center, people flocked to the
Web looking for up-to-the-minute information. If the recent spike in
streaming-media traffic is any indication, Web content is more important
than ever, says RealNetworks Chief Executive Rob Glaser. In fact, content
may be the key to his company's future. This week, it introduced RealOne, an
integrated media player designed to strengthen its position against the
rival Windows Media Player. The RealOne player lets users access their
digital music, video and Web content from one application. As essential part
of their strategy to use content to drive downloads and paid subscriptions,
RealNetworks is signing deals with big sports franchises and entertainment
companies.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury, AUTHOR: Kristi Heim]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/svfront/real092701.htm)

RELIEF AGENCIES RETOOL TO HANDLE ONLINE FLOOD
Issue: Internet
As the events of September 11th unleashed an unprecedented amount of
giving, the Internet made it possible for millions of dollars in small
donations from around the country and the world to be used for relief
efforts almost instantaneously. "A couple of years ago, it would not have
been possible for citizens to respond with this quickness and magnitude and
get resources to where they're needed immediately," said Lisa Aramony, the
vice president of the AOL Time Warner Foundation. While the American Red
Cross raised $39.5 million online the first week alone, the overwhelming
volume of donations did not come without its problems. The servers that
operate the site were soon jammed with traffic, and people could not get on
to the Web site to find out about relief efforts, where to donate blood or
how to give money to the organization.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jon Christensen]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/26/technology/ebusiness/26RED.html)
(requires registration)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 9/26/01

RADIO
First Satellite Radio Hits U.S. Airwaves (CNET)

DIVERSITY
Latino TV Roles Shrank In 2000, Report Finds (USA)
Remarks Of DOC Assistant Secretary Victory on Minority Ownership
(NTIA)

INTERNET
In Investigation, Internet Offers Clues and Static (NYT)
Free Wireless Net Access for the Masses (CNET)

ANTITRUST
Groups Ask Administration To Include Windows XP In Antitrust Case
(CU)

RADIO

FIRST SATELLITE RADIO HITS U.S. AIRWAVES
Issue: Radio
XM Satellite Radio launched Tuesday, marking one of the first innovations in
radio since the FM band. XM Satellite Radio offers 100 channels of music and
talk radio with restricted advertising for approximately $10 per month.
Initially, XM is broadcasting to San Diego and Dallas. The company plans to
expand nationwide in the coming months, as competitor Sirius Satellite Radio
plans to come online later this year. General Motors plans to offer the XM
service as a factory-installed option beginning with its 2002 Cadillacs and
later in 20 of its 2003 models.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR:
(http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1006-200-7298049.html)

DIVERSITY

LATINO TV ROLES SHRANK IN 2000, REPORT FINDS
Issue: Television/Diversity
Latinos -- who make up 12.5% of the U.S. population -- make up only 2% of
all prime-time television characters last season on the six broadcast
networks (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, UPN, WB), down from 3% last year, according to
a new report from the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts. The report,
released Tuesday, also found that Latinos portrayed only eight primary
recurring characters, down from 14 in the previous season. The report's
results reflect a similar study by the Screen Actors Guild, which found that
4.8% of small-screen actors were Latino. But that study also included cable
networks, which tend to be more Latino-friendly.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: C

Communications-related Headlines for 9/25/01

COPYRIGHT
Napster Settles Lawsuit Filed by Music Publishers (WP)

PRIVACY
Disputes on Electronic Message Encryption Take On New Urgency (NYT)

ADVERTISING
AOL, Blaming Terrorist Attacks, Lowers Outlook (NYT)

WIRELESS
Wireless Web Isn't Connecting (Wired)

COPYRIGHT

NAPSTER SETTLES LAWSUIT FILED BY MUSIC PUBLISHERS
Issue: Copyright
Napster announced yesterday that it has agreed to pay music publishers $26
million to settle their lawsuit against the company. Unfortunately for
Napster the settlement only the dispute between Napster and two musical
publishing firms and does not resolve a lawsuit filed by the world's major
record companies. The deal announced yesterday covers the copyrights owned
by the Harry Fox Agency and the National Music Publishers Association. The
major music companies have said that they will not drop their lawsuit
against Napster until the service can prove that its users are no longer
able to trade unauthorized copies of songs.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E12), AUTHOR: Christopher Stern]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19900-2001Sep24.html)

PRIVACY

DISPUTES ON ELECTRONIC MESSAGE ENCRYPTION TAKE ON NEW URGENCY
Issue: Privacy
The attacks of Sept. 11th have reawakened a debate on how strongly the
public - and by extension terrorists and other criminals - should be able to
encrypt their electronic messages. The technology of scrambling data and
messages has become a crucial element of computer security for businesses
and consumers alike. Encryption technologies were the subject of bitter
debate in the mid- 1990's, when the Clinton administration proposed a
technology popularly known as the "Clipper Chip" that would provide back-
door access for law enforcement, and also restricted the export of strong
encryption products by American firms. Companies and consumers said they
would not use a product that had government access built in.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Schwartz]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/25/technology/25CODE.html)
(requires registration)

ADVERTISING

AOL, BLAMING TERRORIST ATTACKS, LOWERS OUTLOOK
Issue: Advertising
AOL Time Warner Inc., the world's biggest media company, announced yesterday
that it would badly miss its financial goals for the year, largely because
the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks exacerbated the erosion of the advertising
market. Ever since America Online agreed to acquire Time Warner early last
year, executives from the companies have trumpeted their relative
independence from advertising, but Twenty-four percent of AOL's revenue
still comes from advertising. "Prior to Sept. 11, the company had not yet
seen an improvement in the overall advertising environment," AOL said in a
statement yesterday. "Due to the events of Sept. 11, it has further
deteriorated. The state of the advertising market is impacting the company's
networks, America Online, publishing and cable operations."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: SETH SCHIESEL]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/25/technology/25AOL.html)
(requires registration)

WIRELESS

WIRELESS WEB ISN'T CONNECTING
Issue: Publishing
The Seybold Publishing Conference opened Monday with an eight-hour seminar
on wireless publishing. About 50 people showed up. Organizers expected more
than 100. The attendance reflects the overall feeling right now about
publishing for wireless telephones: either the audience hasn't arrived; or
wireless publishing is an event worth missing. Unfortunately for the
attendees the panelists couldn't help them figure out which. Aside from
warnings of conflicting technical standards to transmit data and security
breaches to worry about, they admitted not having a clue how to make money
offering wireless services. "If I knew, I wouldn't be here," joked Seamus
McAteer, an analyst from Jupiter Media Metrix. Possible moneymakers, SMS, a
form of short text messaging currently charged per use in Europe and
photography through cell phones. But that isn't exactly PUBLISHING, now is
it?
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Elisa Batista]
(http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,47077,00.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 9/24/01

CIVIL LIBERTIES
Will The Hunt For Terrorists Target Electronic Privacy? (WSJ)
Groups Endorse Statement In Defense of Freedom (Epic)
Hearings on Anti-Terrorism Bills (House)

MEDIA & SOCIETY
New Look for Entertainment in a Terror-Conscious World (NYT)
Scholars Question the Image of the Internet as a Race-Free Utopia
(CHE)

INTERNET
AOL Opens Time Warner Cables To Rival ISP Earthlink in Ohio (WSJ)
The Search for Intelligent Life on the Internet (NYT)

CIVIL LIBERTIES

WILL THE HUNT FOR TERRORISTS TARGET ELECTRONIC PRIVACY?
Issue: Privacy
The special interest online privacy group, the Electronic Frontier
Foundation, has the dicey job of advocating a free Internet without
appearing callous to issues of national security. In the aftermath of
September 11th's attacks in New York and D.C., the government is angling to
impose rules that will tether perhaps the most important characteristic of
the Internet: its ability to let individuals and communities connect with
few international or legal barriers. The EFF has been one of the most
uncompromising groups on the security of this freedom and other free
Internet tenets. In the past years the stance of the organization has seen
out of step with an increasingly market-driven Internet. But, under new
leadership, and in these new times, the organization's philosophy is timely.

[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Kara Swisher]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB100128473758850080.htm)
(Subscription required)

GROUPS ENDORSE STATEMENT IN DEFENSE OF FREEDOM
Issue: Privacy
A broad coalition of civil liberties, religious, consumer, and other
advocacy groups has organized to defend American freedoms in the wake of
terrorist attacks against the country. The coalition released a ten-point
statement at a National Press Club event that urges legislators to consider
new proposals calmly and deliberately and to protect the civil liberties
that define the American way of life. The statement has been endorsed by
over 150 organizations, 300 law professors, and 40 computer scientists.
Members of the public are also encouraged to endorse the statement.
[SOURCE: Epic]
(http://www.indefenseoffreedom.org/)

HOUSE TO HOLD HEARINGS ON ANTI-TERRORISM BILLS
Issue: Privacy
Today, the House Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on the
Administration's Draft Anti-Terrorism Act (Monday, September 24, 2001,
2:00pm, House Judiciary Committee, Room 2141 Rayburn). On Tuesday, September
25, 2001 there is a scheduled markup of the "Anti-Terrorism" Bill, at
10:30am in Senate Judiciary Committee, Room 226 Dirksen.
[SOURCE: U.S. House of Representatives]
(http://www.house.gov/judiciary/schedule.htm)

MEDIA & SOCIETY

SCHOLARS QUESTION THE IMAGE OF THE INTERNET AS A RACE-FREE UTOPIA
Issue: Media & Society
On the old Internet no one knew if you were a dog, but the new Internet is
increasingly visual, bringing into question the belief that the medium is a
place where racial differences are erased. Rather than curbing racism,
cyberspace may be perpetuating racial stereotypes for some users, a growing
number of scholars say. "When we deal with people face to face, the first
thing we see is race," says Kal

Communications-related Headlines for 9/21/01

DISASTER RESPONSE
FCC's Powell Pledges Aid to Communications Firms (WP)
Concern Over Proposed Changes in Internet Surveillance (NYT)

SPECTRUM
NextWave Reaches Tentative Deal To Sell Coveted Wireless Licenses
(WSJ)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
FCC Authorizes Verizon to Provide Long-Distance Service in Penn.
(FCC)

DISASTER RESPONSE

FCC'S POWELL PLEDGES AID TO COMMUNICATIONS FIRMS
Issue: Government Responses
FCC Chairman Michael Powell pledged on Thursday to aid Verizon
Communications and other communications companies following the attack at
the World Trade Center. Verizon suffered damage to tens of thousands of
lines in lower Manhattan after the commercial airplane crashed into the
twin towers, demolishing the center. "Verizon and other communications
companies impacted have my full support to assist them in any way possible
as they continue to face the enormous challenges ahead of us in this
difficult time," said Powell, who toured the World Trade center on
Wednesday.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Reuters Wire]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/telecom/12602-1.html)

CONCERN OVER PROPOSED CHANGES IN INTERNET SURVEILLANCE
Issue: Security vs. Privacy
Legislators have proposed significant changes in the government's Internet
surveillance authority. The proposed law furthest through the legislative
process is the Combating Terrorism Act of 2001. That legislation grants new
powers to the government to capture information related to a suspect's
activities in cyberspace. Traditionally, with telephone conversations, a law
enforcement official can tap a suspect's conversations only if there is
probable cause to believe the suspect is doing something illegal and if a
magistrate agrees to issue an order. The Fourth Amendment's ban on
unreasonable searches have heightened the legal requirements needed for a
government wiretap. However, if the government just wants a list of
telephone numbers that a suspect dials the Supreme Court has held that
information is not private. For the past few years, the government has
interpreted that ability to extend to gathering certain information from
ISP's about a suspect's e-mails -- for example, the to/from header
information. The Combating Terrorism Act of 2001 would codify the
government's pro-law enforcement interpretation.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Karl S. Kaplan]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/21/technology/21CYBERLAW.html)
(Registration Required)

SPECTRUM

NEXTWAVE REACHES TENTATIVE DEAL TO SELL COVETED WIRELESS LICENCES
Issue: Spectrum
NextWave Telecom has tentatively agreed to sell dozens of wireless-spectrum
licenses to the nation's largest cellular telephone companies in a deal that
could bring as much as $11 billion (the Washington Post is report $5
billion) and resolve a case that has bedeviled the government and the
wireless industry for years. People familiar with the negotiations said that
under terms, NextWave would pay the government the $4.2 billion it owes for
the licenses and perhaps several hundred million dollars of interest, while
the government would drop its legal challenges to NextWave taking full
possession of the spectrum. NextWave then would sell the licenses to Verizon
Wireless and other companies that bought the rights to the spectrum at a
January auction that later was annulled by a federal appeals court. NextWave
would receive nearly $16 billion from the bidding companies, pay the
government approximately $5 billion owed, and could walk away with nearly
$11 billion - all without ever having served a single customer.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Christopher Stern]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB1001039291985324360.htm)
SEE ALSO:
DEMISE OF WIRELESS START-UPS PALES NEXT TO DOT-COM FLOPS
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Kristi Essick]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB1001008482271519760.htm)
(Subscription Required)

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC AUTHORIZES VERIZON TO PROVIDE LONG DISTANCE SERVICE IN PENNSYLVANIA
Issue: Telephony
The FCC voted this week to approve Verizon's application to provide
in-region, interLATA, or long distance, service originating in Pennsylvania.
Since the passage of the 1996 Act, the FCC has denied five long distance
applications, and now has approved applications to provide in-region, long
distance service into seven states. Additionally, four applications have
been withdrawn. A summary of all section 271 applications can be accessed at
the following FCC web page:
www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/in-region_applications/
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/2001/nrcc0136.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 9/20/01

INTERNET
Judges Ease Surveillance of Web Use (NYT)
Sites Shun New Domain Names, Prefer .Com (SV)
Terrorists Leave Paperless Trail (WIRED)

JOURNALISM
Big Story Costly to Media Firms (WP)

INTERNET

JUDGES EASE SURVEILLANCE OF WEB USE
Issue: Internet
The federal courts agreed today to adopt relaxed guidelines for monitoring
the Internet use of judges and other employees, a move that could lead to
greater privacy protection for employees nationwide. The Judicial Conference
of United States Courts, a 27-judge panel led by Chief Justice William H.
Rehnquist, decided to strike language from its new Internet-use policy that
said the nation's 30,000 court employees had no right to privacy when they
sent e- mail or surfed the Web. Several judges had objected to the language
this summer. The privacy issue came to the fore when judges in the United
States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, disabled
monitoring software for a week
in May in protest.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/20/national/20JUDG.html)

SITES SHUN NEW DOMAIN NAMES, PREFER .COM
Issue: Internet
Many individuals, companies and groups are saying "No, thanks" to the seven
new domain-name suffixes scheduled to debut in coming months. The first to
get the pass: .info. Part of the indifference to the new
domain names is that .com is nearly synonymous with the Internet. More than
24 million names have been registered in that domain. To help relieve
overcrowding, ICANN last yearapproved seven new suffixes, the
first major additions since the domain-name system was created in the
mid-1980s. Sites ending in .info are scheduled to become active Wednesday,
followed by .biz on Oct. 1 and .name Dec. 13. "To a certain extent,
there's a bit of domain-name burnout," Jeff Harmes, an intellectual-property
lawyer in Seattle said. "The sense of urgency and shortage of domain names
eased considerably. A lot of domain names are becoming available again
because businesses that use them go out of business."
[SOURCE: Mercury Center, AUTHOR: Anick Jesdanun]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/svfront/009828.htm)

TERRORIST LEAVE PAPERLESS TRAIL
Issue: Internet
As Federal agents retrace the steps of the 19 hijackers suspected in last
week's attacks, they are finding a digital trail that leads from one
Internet connection to another. According to various media reports, at least
some of them went online to plan the attacks, purchase airplane tickets and
coordinate their moves. Computer forensic experts warn, however, that the
path only appears hot in hindsight. It's a leap, they say, to conclude that
the attacks might have been prevented had laws
been in place to make Internet surveillance easier. The suspected terrorist
used Internet terminals like the one at Kinko's and public libraries.
Forensic specialist said that with the tools available to the FBI, it's
possible that the public computers might yield some clues about the
terrorists.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Farhad Manjoo]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/20/technology/circuits/20INFR.html)

JOURNALISM

BIG STORY COSTLY TO MEDIA FIRMS
Issue: Journalism
Canceled ads and round-the-clock news coverage resulting from last week's
U.S. terrorist attacks will cost major media companies hundreds of millions
of dollars, say industry executives and analysts. The media
companies, already hurting from soft advertising sales, claim the attacks on
the World Trade Center and the Pentagon triggered a further pullback by
advertisers on many TV networks and stations. The four major broadcast
networks, for example, went four days without an ad, the longest stretch
since President John F. Kennedy's assassination. CNN and the Fox News
Channel went without ads for six days. The networks also will take
additional losses from the cancellation of NFL games last weekend and in
January. Newspaper analyst John Morton said coverage of the attacks boosted
circulation for many daily newspapers, but the cost
of for overtime and additional newsprint cut into any revenue that might
have been made.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Fahri & Stern]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/media/12584-1.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 9/19/01

INTERNET
Virulent Nimda Worm Hits Computers Worldwide (NYT)
Taking Classes To the Masses (WP)

JOURNALISM
Far Conflict Challenges Slimmed-Down Networks (NYT)

WIRELESS
Attacks Renew Calls for 911 System to Locate Cell Phones (WP)
Cellphone Service Contracts, Sales Jump in Wake of Terrorist Attack
(WSJ)

INTERNET

VIRULENT NIMDA WORM HITS COMPUTERS WORLDWIDE
Issue: Internet
A fast-spreading computer worm has corrupted corporate computer networks and
personal computers in an outbreak that could be more widespread and damaging
than the Code Red infections, computer security experts said. Known as
"Nimda," the word "admin" spelled backwards, the worm first appeared in the
United States on Tuesday, and spread to Europe and Asia overnight. U.S.
Attorney General John Ashcroft said that Nimda could prove "heavier" than
the Code Red worm that caused an estimated $2.6 billion in clean-up costs
after outbreaks in July and August. Ashcroft also said that there was no
sign of a link between the infection and the terrorist attacks of last week.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-tech-worm.html)
(requires registration)

TAKING CLASSES TO THE MASSES
ISSUE: EdTech
Fathom, a for-profit company started by Columbia University to offer courses
over the Internet - at a cost. To run Fathom, Columbia hired a new-media
executive and persuaded the University of Chicago, the British Museum and
the American Film Institute, among other prestigious institutions, to lend
their names to Fathom. But, Columbia alone put up the money: $30 million. So
far the venture hasn't made back its money, nor torn down the wall around
Ivy League. The venture's first attempt: $500 semester-long courses failed.
So now Fathom is going to offer courses which might take three to five hours
to finish, at about $50. It's been rough going for online colleges.
Seemingly at one time springing up by the dozens, universities are learning
the hard lessons of taking classes to the masses. "I'm not sure this is a
good expenditure or not," says Richard W. Bulliet, a Columbia history
professor and co-chair of a faculty committee that analyzed Fathom earlier
this year. "I'm willing to be persuaded, but I'm not persuaded yet." Thirty
million dollars, after all, could go a long way elsewhere on campus.
[SOURCE: Washington Post Magazine, AUTHOR: Christopher Shea]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/software/12508-1.html)

JOURNALISM

FAR CONFLICT CHALLENGES SLIMMED-DOWN NETWORKS
Issue: Journalism
As scores of journalists around the world scramble to get to Pakistan's
capital, less than a three-hour drive from the Afghan border, American
broadcast news operations are confronting the reality of two decades' worth
of budget cuts in foreign news. Information about the terrorist network
attributed to Osama bin Laden is scattered across a daunting region that the
networks have tended to cover from London. Since the early 90s, the major
networks have been operating with only handful of reporters based overseas.
Even so, network executives say, they are prepared to cover a far- flung
conflict.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Felicity Barringer]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/19/business/media/19MEDI.html)
(requires registration)

WIRELESS

CELLPHONE SERVICE CONTRACTS, SALES JUMP IN WAKE OF TERRORIST ATTACK
Issue: Wireless
National wireless carriers say sales of their services, while difficult to
quantify, have surged since the attacks last Tuesday. Although cellular
service in Manhattan was disrupted severely after the event, many people
used their phones to check on family and friends. And everyone heard reports
of some of the trapped employees and hijack victims using cellphones to call
loved ones as the horrifying events unfolded. The nation's largest wireless
carrier, Verizon Wireless, said it has seen sales jump in the Northeast.
AT&T Wireless Services said sales of its services have increased nationwide,
with the Northeast leading the surge. Some analysts have put out reports
this week predicting the initial jump in sales will continue and lead to a
longer-term boom in cellphone adoption. "Now everyone wants their wives and
kids to have cellphones for security reasons," said Thomas J. Lee, a
managing director at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. "I think that the utility and
importance of having a mobile phone has really been underscored."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Andrea Petersen]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/19/technology/19CELL.html)
(requires registration)

ATTACKS RENEW CALLS FOR 911 SYSTEM TO LOCATE CELL PHONES
ISSUE: Wireless
Against the backdrop of a shattered World Trade Center and emerging urban
legends of victims making a final cell call home, the wireless phone
industry is preparing to miss the deadlne for a national "enhanced 911"
system. The industry is supposed to have some form of "e-911" service up and
running by Oct. 1. But major carriers including Verizon Wireless, Sprint PCS
and AT&T Wireless, have told the Federal Communications Commission they will
not be ready because the necessary technology is not available. So far, the
FCC has only granted one of 31 requests to extend the deadline. "It was a
big public safety issue before last week, and it remains an issue," an FCC
official said yesterday. Currently about 30 percent of all 911 calls are now
made from cell phones, according to the National Emergency Number
Association. On balance, even if the system had been in place, it is
questionable what benefit it would have been to rescue workers sifting
through rubble: FCC rule requires the companies be able to fix the location
of a caller within 100 meters. Finding victims in the disaster area required
equipment that could pinpoint a cell-phone signal within a few feet.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (Sept. 16), AUTHOR: Christopher Stern and Yuki
Noguchi]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/telecom/12556-1.html)

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

Communications-related Headlines for 9/18/01

SPECTRUM
TV Broadcasters at High End of Dial Win New Incentives to Sell
Airwaves (WSJ)

BROADCASTING
Nation Returns To Traditional News Outlets For Information (USA)
Radio Sings Self-Censorship Tune (WIRED)

PRIVACY
Privacy vs. Safety: Terrorist Threat Shifts Priorities in Online
Rights Debate (CNET)

SPECTRUM

TV BROADCASTERS AT HIGH END OF DIAL WIN NEW INCENTIVES TO SELL AIRWAVES
Issue: Spectrum
Paxson Communications and other broadcasters operating in the upper reaches
of the conventional television dial won new incentives Monday to sell their
channel allotments to wireless communications providers. Wireless providers,
however, remain skeptical about paying broadcasters billions for airwaves
they were granted for free. In 1997, Congress gave most broadcasters a
second television frequency for the digital conversion, with the
understanding that the second frequency would be returned to the government
for auction by 2006. However, that transition has been slow, and
broadcasters are likely to take advantage of a loophole allowing them to
keep both frequencies until 85% of the viewing public has digital receivers.
Under the new rules, the FCC will allow the stations to broadcast in analog
on the channel that was intended for digital. The new rules also push back a
May 2002 deadline for construction of digital facilities to Dec. 31, 2005.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Mark Wigfield]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB1000756073605482560.htm)
(requires subscription)

BROADCASTING

NATION RETURNS TO TRADITIONAL NEWS OUTLETS FOR INFORMATION
Issue: Journalism
Early ratings and poll results show that in response to last Tuesday's
terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, a surprisingly
large number of Americans flocked to the outlets that many analysts thought
the Internet had made pass

Communications-related Headlines for 9/17/01

INTERNET
Hijackers May Have Accessed Computers at Public Libraries (WP)
Internet Surpasses Its Original Goal (NYT)

ADVERTISING
Media Trying to Stem Losses With Dignity (NYT)

PRIVACY/SECURITY
Geeks Gather to Back Crypto (WIRED)
EPIC Publishes 2001 Privacy Law Sourcebook (EPIC)

INTERNET

HIJACKERS MAY HAVE ACCESSED COMPUTERS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES
Issue: Public Access
Investigators are looking into the possibility some of the suspected
hijackers in last week's deadly attacks on Washington and New York may have
communicated with each other by using computers at public libraries. At
least one South Florida librarian has told authorities she recognized the
name of a suspected terrorist on one of her computer sign-in sheets after
the FBI released the list of hijackers' names Friday. And library officials
in Fairfax County also reported that FBI agents have requested the computer
lab sign-in lists from one library. Public library officials say the use of
computers with Internet access, which affords clients the option of logging
into chat rooms and exchanging private messages, is a controversial issue in
the library industry, and that policies on patron use and the amount of
privacy allowed differ from place to place. Betty Dejean, the assistant
director of the libraries division in Broward County, where several of the
suspects lived, said she could not release any information without a court
order, citing Florida statutes. Dejean said she had sent out a memo to staff
members at the 37 Broward County branches, which include three in Hollywood,
reminding employees they are not allowed to comment on books checked out by
clients or on client computer use.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Sue Anne Pressley and Justin Blum]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A41034-2001Sep16.html)

INTERNET SURPASSES ITS ORIGINAL GOAL
Issue: Internet
Almost 40 years after it was conceived as a method of maintaining
communications in the event of an attack on the United States, the Internet
- long since broadened past that purpose - last week had the first real test
of its original goal. According to firms that analyze Web site traffic and
performance, while some sites slowed, the overall flow of data across the
Internet was not degraded by either damage to critical fiber optic lines or
the clogging of those lines by Web users. On Tuesday morning, pages at many
of the most popular web sites took nearly three to four times the normal
average to load, but over the next several hours, that average returned to
normal.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bob Tedsechi]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/17/technology/17ECOM.html)
(requires registration)

ADVERTISING

MEDIA TRYING TO STEM LOSSES WITH DIGNITY
Issue: Advertising
Industry analysts estimate that the broadcast and cable television networks
and stations have lost from $40 million to $100 million a day from Tuesday,
when they began uninterrupted coverage of the attacks and rescue efforts, to
Saturday morning, when the first network began gingerly interspersing a few
commercials amid its news. Many magazines and newspapers have also lost
revenue as companies pulled or postponed their planned advertisements. And
film studios and book publishers hoping to plug their latest releases have
been squeezed out of the airwaves and public attention. On Friday, Paul
Rittenberg, senior vice president for ad sales at the Fox News Channel in
New York, said he had commitments from only 30 of the network's 200 regular
advertisers for the week ahead. "You can't just pretend you're going back to
selling Wheaties," he said. "It's hard to do a feel-good campaign when so
many people are hurting." The loss in revenue is all the more painful
because this year the media industry is already suffering from one of the
steepest drops in decades.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: David D. Kirkpatrick and Stuart Elliott]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/09/17/business/media/17MEDI.html)
(requires registration)

SECURITY/PRIVACY

GEEKS GATHER TO BACK CRYPTO
Issue: Security
The mere possibility that the world's most-wanted terrorist may have used
encryption tools like Hushmaill or Pretty Good Privacy has begun to spur
debate about how to ensure the U.S. government can listen in on them. This
weekend, about 15 local geektavists gathered at the University of Maryland's
Baltimore campus to try to figure out how to persuade legislators and the
public that the liberties that Americans have long enjoyed should remain
protected during wartime. The activist have long tried to convince policy
makers that encryption technology is essential to e-commerce. Now they are
concerned that government is unaware of the civil liberties and financial
repercussions of moves to limit the use privacy technology. Last Thursday
evening, the Senate approved the Combating Terrorism Act of 2001, which
enhances police wiretap powers and permits law enforcement to use the
Carnivore surveillance device without a court order in some situations.
[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: ]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,46900,00.html)

EPIC PUBLISHES 2001 PRIVACY LAW SOURCEBOOK
Issue: Privacy
The 2001 edition of the "Physician's Desk Reference of the privacy world" is
now available from EPIC. The Privacy Law Sourcebook is the leading resource
for students, attorneys, researchers and journalists interested in privacy
law in the United States and around the world.
[SOURCE: Electronic Privacy Information Center]
(http://www.epic.org/)

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