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October 2002

Communications-Related Headlines for October 17, 2002

EDTECH
Coping With Arthur-Itis
Education Is Put In Hands Of Teenagers

BROADBAND
Cable's Pricing Scheme Will Threaten Privacy

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Web Browser Speaks Xhosa
Los Angeles Latino Technology Conference

EDTECH

COPING WITH ARTHUR-ITIS
Some critics are beginning to express concern that PBS is drifting away from
its educational goals. In a report, funded by the Markle Foundation,
released in June by PBS, experts were critical of PBS's overreliance on the
animated genre pioneered by Arthur. The report is part of a broad strategic
review of PBS's children's programming, an area in which some insiders see a
real need for change. "It's important for everybody to step back and
remember what public television is here for, to remember what its mission is
for kids, and to not just imitate ourselves . . . [by] throwing programs on
the air in an effort to get big ratings," says Brigid Sullivan, vice
president for children's programming at WGBH. But with animated shows
proving to be the most cost-effective way to fill an hour of kids' TV,
programmers are hard-pressed to choose other formats.
[SOURCE: Boston Globe, AUTHOR: Daniel McGinn (national correspondent for
Newsweek)]
(http://www.boston.com/globe/magazine/2002/1006/coverstory.htm)

EDUCATION IS PUT IN HANDS OF TEENAGERS
[Commentary] What will be the next major wave for learning with technology
and does technology really enhance student learning and academic
achievement? Students in Palmdale, California are using Palm Pilots to
communicate with peers, conduct research, maintain homework records and
complete classroom assignments. A cheaper alternative to desktops and
laptops, the devices cost as little as $99 and allow students to be more
mobile with their information. Mobilized information is great, "but some
researchers say the technology is doomed to disappoint because not enough
teachers will be properly trained to use the devices." Teachers, busy with
other issues, often don't have the time or assistance needed to properly
integrate technology into their classes.
[SOURCE: Los Angles Times, AUTHOR: David Pierson]
(http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-me-class16oct16,0,2124680.story?coll=l
a%2Dheadlines%2Dtechnology)

BROADBAND

CABLE'S PRICING SCHEME WILL STIFLE BROADBAND GROWTH
Plans from cable providers to place limits on bandwidth use has drawn sharp
criticism from consumer groups. Citing the fact that a small number of users
account for a disproportionate amount of bandwidth use, cable operators are
considering altering their pricing scheme to a usage-based model, allowing
them to "closely monitor and tightly control its subscribers, network, and
offerings." Similar changes have already been implemented in Canada and
observers have been quick to note that the 5 GB per month limit would stifle
use of emerging applications such as Internet radio, streaming media and
video-on-demand. "This new threat to online communications is a direct
consequence of recent FCC policies ... that permit cable companies to
operate their broadband platforms in a discriminatory, non-open access
manner," said Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital
Democracy. "In the absence of public policy safeguards, these emerging
pricing and control structures will act as a digital poll tax, creating a
powerful form of discrimination against diversity and participation on the
broadband Internet."
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
(http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/marketwatch/bandwidthCaps.html)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

LOS ANGELES LATINO TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE
"Latinos & Technology Conference: Challenges, Choices and Changes," will be
held on November 7, 2002 in Los Angles. The conference is intended to inform
and empower Latino communities to be more competitive in the digital
environment. During the conference, the Tomas Rivera Policy Institute will
release a study examining the accessibility of community technology centers
in Latino communities. The conference is presented by the AOL Time Warner
Foundation.
[SOURCE: HispanicBusiness.com]
(http://www.hispanicbusiness.com/news/newsbyid.asp?id=7594)

WEB BROWSER SPEAKS XHOSA
The Zuza Software Foundation, funded by the Shuttleworth Foundation,
released a range of translated software this week. The foundation, with help
from Translate.org, released the Mozilla Web browser in Xhosa, Zulu and four
other languages while completing work on KOffice in Xhosa, Zulu and Venda.
"This project is crucial to transformation in our country where language is
a highly sensitive issue," says project director Dwayne Bailey. "The open
source philosophy lends itself to making technology available to the masses.
No commercial software vendors have adequately addressed the language issue
in SA, but in one year the open source community has."
[SOURCE: AllAfrica.com, AUTHOR: Alastair Otter, ITWeb]
(http://allafrica.com/stories/200210170169.html)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for October 16, 2002

BROADBAND
Public Interest Groups File Petition Against FCC Cable Ruling

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Senegal Mixes Community And PCs

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Copyrights, Wrongs Get A Review
Debate on Intellectual Property

BROADBAND

PUBLIC INTEREST GROUPS FILE PETITION AGAINST FCC CABLE RULING
A coalition of public interest groups, including the Center for Digital
Democracy and several consumer organizations, filed a brief last week in a
9th Circuit case challenging the FCC's classification of cable broadband as
an "information service." The Commission's ruling would allow cable
operators to exclude competition and set monopolistic prices. The brief,
submitted by the Media Access Project on behalf of the coalition, contends
that the FCC "went beyond its statutory authority by attempting to classify
Internet access as an information service without a common carriage
component." The case is Brand X Internet Services et al. v. Federal
Communications Commission and United States of America.
[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
(http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/cableModemPetition.html)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

SENEGAL MIXES COMMUNITY AND PCS
Residents in Senegal are bettering their livelihood, improving their
businesses and maintaining contact with family and friends through
telecentres. The computer hubs are allowing residents to get online at
reasonable prices to search for information and even improve business
efficiencies - "Now we have the chance to bill people properly," says
Ibrahim Fall, a car mechanic who runs a repair shop near the telecentre. A
center located in the Al Baraka suburb of Dakar allows residents to not only
use a computer, but also gives them access to a telephone. Telephones are
very scarce in the suburbs and many midwives are taking advantage of
telephone access to obtain help and advice on difficult births. More and
more centers are springing up around Senegal, giving residents a new
opportunity to learn about technology and benefit from its access.
[SOURCE: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2296993.stm)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

COPYRIGHTS, WRONGS GET A REVIEW
The United States Copyright Office will begin taking public comments on a
section of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. The DMCA prohibits
people from breaking encryption technologies and protects movie and music
companies from having their information stolen and reproduced. Many
technologists, academics and consumer advocates feel the stature limits
research activities and revokes fair use rights. The rulemaking is supposed
to determine what circumvention activities are legal and public comments on
the act will be taken until December 18. Rebuttal comments will be then be
accepted until February 19, 2003. The new rulemaking process will end Oct.
28, 2003, when the librarian of Congress releases the list of circumvention
activities that are legal under the DMCA.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Brad King]
(http://www.wired.com/news/digiwood/0,1412,55801,00.html)

DEBATE ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
As the Supreme Court mulls the Eldred v. Ashcroft copyright extension case
and Congress considers forcing digital media manufacturers to prohibit
duplication in their devices, the rest of the world focuses on how relaxing
intellectual property laws might benefit developing nations. A report by the
Commission on Intellectual Property Rights recommends that the WTO's IP
treaty be made more flexible so that poorer nations can easily adopt them.
The author notes that while this proposal conflicts with the United State's
push toward more stringent copyright protection world-wide, the US might do
well to examine its own IP history, in which the fledgling nation used lax
IP protections to stimulate its economy. The Commission suggests that the
exemption given to poorer countries in need of H.I.V. medication two years
ago be extended to all areas of technology.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Steve Lohr]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/14/technology/14NECO.html)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for October 15, 2002

INTERNET
Internet Society Wins Control of ".Org" Domain
Internet Browser for Cell Phones, PDAs Developed

INTERNATIONAL
Net Reaches Bangladeshi Villages
Vietnam Issues New Rules for Setting Up Web Sites

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
Hollywood's Demands Could Cripple Consumer Technology, Panelists Say

INTERNET

INTERNET SOCIETY WINS CONTROL OF ".ORG" DOMAIN
The Internet Society, a group of 11,000 engineers and other networking
experts, won their bid to ICANN for ownership of the ".org" domain, home to
the non-profit sector on the Web. VeriSign agreed to relinquish control of
.org as a part of its deal to maintain the .com domain, which remains the
Internet's most populous home. While the domain will be marketed to
non-profit and community groups, others will not be prohibited from
registering their sites in .org.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2002-10-14-dot-org_x.htm)

INTERNET BROWSER FOR CELL PHONES, PDAS DEVELOPED
Oslo-based Opera Software has developed a Web browser for wireless devices
that it says may drive demand for the mobile Internet. The product
reorganizes Web content such that vertical scrolling is all that is
necessary to view most pages, erasing a cumbersome step for current wireless
surfers. Critics claim that the software is no breakthrough for the wireless
market, predicting that many consumers will still be reluctant to pay for
wireless Internet services.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techreviews/products/software/2002-10-14-opera
-browser_x.htm)

INTERNATIONAL

VIETNAM ISSUES NEW RULES FOR SETTING UP WEB SITES
In an effort to curtail its citizens' access to content it deems subversive,
the Vietnamese government has issued new rules requiring government
permission before businesses and organizations set up new Web sites. The
Ministry of Culture and Information did not specify the penalties for
breaking the regulations, but under current law Internet offenses are
punishable by fines of up to $3,250 or up to three years in jail.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2002-10-14-vietnam-web-rules_x
.htm)

NET REACHES BANGLADESHI VILLAGES
In an effort to take the digital revolution into the Bangladesh countryside,
a non-profit organization, the Grameen Trust, has set up two Internet access
centers that use wireless links to connect to the Internet. Dial-up
connections in Bangladesh are expensive and unstable, with slow connection
speeds and frequent interruptions. The centre was set up a year ago to
provide low-cost training in computer skills such as word-processing and
graphics and design to villagers. "Our vision is to provide an information
technology service to local people who don't know about computers," said the
telecentre manager, Mohammad Alamgir Hossain.
[SOURCE: BBC News Online, AUTHOR: Alfred Hermida]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2249597.stm)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

HOLLYWOOD'S DEMANDS COULD CRIPPLE CONSUMER TECHNOLOGY, PANELISTS SAY
The debate over copyright in the Digital Age took another step yesterday as
the Associated Press held a conference on the topic in San Francisco. Fred
von Lohmann, a civil liberties attorney who represents some of the
file-swapping companies that have recently been sued, said that the content
industry "is saying, 'We need to be able to tell the technology industry
what they can and cannot build.'" Warner Bros. CTO Chris Cookson reiterated
the restrictions proposed by Senator Ernest Hollings (D-SC) aren't aimed at
stifling consumers' fair use of content, but to prevent unlawful
distribution over the Internet.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jim Krane]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26723-2002Oct15.html)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for October 11, 2002

FCC
F.C.C. Approves a Digital Radio Technology
EchoStar, DirecTV Deal Rejected

INTERNET
MIT Tries Free Web Education
Technology Shapes Get-Out-The-Vote Efforts
China Bans Minors from Net Cafes

CONVERGENCE
Hewlett-Packard Debuts PC That Works Like a TV

COMPETITION
Baby Bell Rivals to Take Case to White House

FCC

F.C.C. APPROVES A DIGITAL RADIO TECHNOLOGY
Broadcasters are now able to send digital signals while still providing
analog services to AM and FM listeners thanks to an unanimous vote on
Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission. "Radio can now formally
begin its long-awaited digital transformation," said Robert J. Struble,
president and chief executive of iBiquity, the company responsible for the
sole development of HD radio technology. The ruling was delayed for months
by regulatory and technical concerns, yet many non-profit groups and
supporters of low-power community radio feel that the ruling may make it
harder for weak signals to be picked up from smaller stations who can't
afford digital transmission equipment. Advocates of the technology say that
digital broadcasting can improve FM broadcasts to CD-quality sound and AM
broadcasts to FM quality.
[SOURCE: NY Times, AUTHOR: Barnaby J. Feder}
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/11/technology/11RADI.html)

ECHOSTAR, DIRECTV DEAL REJECTED
The FCC unanimously rejected the proposed $17.9 billion merger between
DirecTV and EchoStar on Thursday, saying the combination of the top two
satellite TV providers would deal a "staggering" blow to consumers. The
Commission also ruled that any last-minute efforts to make the deal more
favorable to regulators would likely fall short, effectively killing the
deal for good. FCC Chairman Michael Powell said that the merger would
"replace a vibrant competitive market with a regulated monopoly" that would
drive up prices and discourage innovation. Gene Kimmelman of Consumers Union
called the decision "narrow-minded."
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/techmergers/2002-10-10-fcc-reject
s-echostar_x.htm)
See Also:
CONSUMERS UNION STATEMENT ON FCC REJECTION OF ECHOSTAR - DIRECTV MERGER
[SOURCE: Consumers Union]
(http://www.consumersunion.org/telecom/echo-reject1002.htm)

INTERNET

MIT TRIES FREE WEB EDUCATION
Launched two weeks ago, the MIT OpenCourseWare project is a preliminary
pilot in
the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's effort to publish online all its
course materials. As of Sept. 30, people with an Internet connection and a
Web browser have been able to access the syllabus, lecture notes, exams and
answers, and in some cases, even the videotaped lectures of 32 MIT courses.
By the 2006-2007 school year, MIT plans to publish the course materials for
virtually all of its 2,000 graduate and undergraduate courses. The move to
put the materials online stems from a multiyear effort by the MIT faculty to
forge a unified approach to online access to its classes. Their are no plans
to charge for any of the material. "We are fighting the commercialization of
knowledge, much in the same way that open-source people are fighting the
commercialization of software," said Jon Paul Potts, an MIT spokesperson.
[SOURCE: CNet, AUTHOR: Paul Festa]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-961563.html?tag=fd_top_5)

TECHNOLOGY SHAPES GET-OUT-THE-VOTE EFFORTS
"The Internet is a medium that's best used to preach to the choir, not to
convert," said Dan Manatt, director of YDemsCan.net, a Democratic political
action committee that supports candidates aged 40 and younger. Aware that
the Web felt short of expectations in the 2000 elections, campaign
consultants now are selling the Internet less for its vote-getting power
than as a command-and-control tool to reach out to the faithful. Manatt's
group, for example, plans to equip volunteers with wireless personal digital
assistants (PDAs) and Research in Motion Blackberries on Election Day to
coordinate get-out-the-vote efforts. Many campaigns have also embraced
e-mail as a cheaper and more efficient alternative to phone trees and fax
alerts. "There are some really compelling technologies out there, but it's
more about the strategic application of those technologies than the
technologies themselves," said Jonah Seiger, co-founder of Mindshare
Internet Campaigns.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Krebs']
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A2467-2002Oct9.html)

CHINA BANS MINORS FROM NET CAFES
The Chinese government issued rules Friday barring minors from entering
Internet cafes, which state media have said poison the minds of urban youth.
The regulations come four months after a fire at a Beijing cybercaf

Communications-Related Headlines for October 10, 2002

COMPETITION
FCC Levies Record Fine Against SBC

INTELLECTUALL PROPERTY
Court Finds Copyright Case a Tough One

BROADCASTING
ANC Determined to Push Ahead with Broadcasting Bill

WIRLESS
Wired, but Drawing the Line
Handheld Translators that Talk

COMPETITION

FCC LEVIES RECORD FINE AGAINST SBC
The FCC fined SBC Communications $6 million on Wednesday for failing to open
its landline telephone network to competing companies. The fine is the
highest ever imposed by the FCC, which had made sharing a condition of SBC's
1999 merger with Ameritech. "Instead of sharing, as the law requires, SBC
withheld and litigated, forcing competitors to expend valuable time and
resources to exercise their rights under the FCC's order," FCC Chairman
Michael Powell said, adding that "[s]uch unlawful, anti-competitive behavior
is unacceptable."
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Ben Charny]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1033-961491.html?tag=fd_top_7)

INTELLECTUALL PROPERTY

COURT FINDS COPYRIGHT CASE A TOUGH ONE
After intense oral arguments on Wednesday, the Supreme Court appeared torn
as to the ultimate outcome of the Eldred v. Ashcroft copyright extension
case. The high court's ruling will determine whether Congress faces any real
limits in giving authors and artists exclusive control of their work -- a
matter made murkier by the Internet's ability to facilitate the spread of
works in the public domain. "I can find a lot of fault with what Congress
did here... [b]ut does it violate the Constitution?" asked Justice Sandra
Day O'Connor, adding that it might not have been good policy to keep so much
art from public use. Stanford Law professor Lawrence Lessig answered Justice
O'Connor's question in the affirmative, arguing that the 20-year extension
exceeds Congress's power to set "limited times" and also violates the First
Amendment. While Lessig focused on potential users of artistic works,
Solicitor General Theodore Olson defended the creators, suggesting that
Congress intended to give artists a wide window to benefit from a work's
distribution.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Joan Biskupic]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2002-10-09-net-copyright_x.htm
)

BROADCASTING

ANC DETERMINED TO PUSH AHEAD WITH BROADCASTING BILL
Despite constitutional concerns, South Africa's African National Congress
(ANC) is determined to finalize a proposed broadcasting amendment bill this
week. The controversial measure would bring the SA Broadcasting Corporation
(SABC) under ministerial control and create two new television channels.
Communication committee chairman Nkenke Kekana said the ANC was "absolutely
determined" to achieve language equality in broadcasting and that the two
new channels would give better coverage to indigenous languages and local
content. The legal question involves whether creation of new stations by the
ANC usurps the power of the Independent Communications Authority, the
regulatory body charged with issuing broadcast licenses.
[SOURCE: AllAfrica, AUTHOR: Linda Esnor, Business Day]
(http://allafrica.com/stories/200210090131.html)

WIRELESS

HANDHELD TRANSLATORS THAT TALK
Computer technology is playing a growing role in the US military. Portable
language translators will be important tools for U.S. troops that might
eventually find themselves in Iraq. The Phraselator, which can help convert
English into spoken Arabic, Farsi or Kurdish, will be able to convey
questions relating to various military concerns. Officials at the U.S.
Special Forces Command say they hope improvements in the current Phraselator
will also help in US coordination with indigenous allied forces and in
communication with civilians. "You get really worried that a bunch of scared
American soldiers and a bunch of scared civilians won't be able to talk to
each other," said John Pike, a military analyst with GlobalSecurity.org.
"Anything they can do to get the civilian population out of harm's way would
help minimize casualties."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Jim Krane]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A47695-2002Oct5.html)

WIRED, BUT DRAWING THE LINE
A lot of people who work with technology everyday are beginning to want some
time away from the constant connectivity. "There's something about working
with technology that makes people want to become Quakers," said Chris
Rettstatt, a co-founder of the children's Web site KidFu. Many
professionals are attempting to banish excessive digital devices from their
lives. Karen Matthews of the Computer History Museum, for example, uses the
Handspring Treo, a cell phone/PDA/Internet browser that allows her to
communicate without lugging around a laptop. Others have gone as far as to
eliminate all electronic gadgets from their life outside of work.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Katie Hafner]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/10/technology/circuits/10resi.html)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for October 9, 2002

BROADCASTING
EchoStar's Gain Could be Cablevision's Gain, Too
Clearing a Path for Digital Radio

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Mobiles Find Right Price for Farmers
Computer Majors Down Amid Tech Bust

BROADCASTING

ECHOSTAR'S GAIN COULD BE CABLEVISION'S GAIN, TOO
Cablevision, the nation's seventh-largest cable television company, could
become the beneficiary of efforts to make the proposed $26 billion
EchoStar-DirecTV merger pass regulatory muster. EchoStar must persuade the
US Justice Department that the new company has a true competitor, and may
have to consider selling some of its spectrum to a third party in order to
do so. Accordingly, Cablevision has proposed to both the FCC and DOJ that it
be allocated some of EchoStar's spectrum, which it would use to start a
competing satellite service. The News Corporation, controlled by Rupert
Murdoch, has begun "an aggressive whispering campaign" against Cablevision's
plan, according to industry insiders. EchoStar and Cablevision have not held
discussions, waiting to take a cue from regulators.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Andrew Ross Sorkin]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/09/business/media/09BIRD.html)

CLEARING A PATH FOR DIGITAL RADIO
The FCC will consider whether to allow radio stations to broadcast digital
signals and whether it will regulate them in proceedings on Thursday.
Insiders expect the commission to approve a national digital radio standard
created by iBiquity Digital Corporation. "At this point, it's a one-horse
race," said Peter Doyle, chief of the audio division of the FCC -- a fact he
says will make the often arduous standard-setting process much easier.
IBiquity's technology would allow broadcasters to send digital and analog
signals simultaneously on their existing airwaves.
[SOURE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Shannon Henry]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A63499-2002Oct9.html)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

MOBILES FIND RIGHT PRICE FOR FARMERS
Farmers and market traders in Senegal are using wireless technology to
improve business efficiencies. Manobi, established by French and Senegalese
entrepreneurs, allows farmers to check prices of foods and goods through
mobile phones before going in town to make purchases. Before having access
to the technology to obtain market information, middlemen often took
advantage of farmers, selling them goods at higher prices. The technology
allows mobile phones to dial in to a server, where prices are stored in a
database. Even though Manobi is only being tested, it is already having an
effect on the way farmers grow crops. "For a farmer it is very interesting
to note that price is not something stable," Daniel Annerose, head of
Manobi. The technology is being tested by 150 participants, who also use
mobile devices to load boats and check weather forecasts.
[SOURCE: BBC News, AUTHOR: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2290540.stm)

COMPUTER MAJORS DOWN AMID TECH BUST
Colleges and universities are seeing a steady decline in students enrolling
in computer classes and pursuing careers in the technology industry. A weak
job market, the changing nature of technology jobs and the technology bust
are reasons why students are tailing other career options. According to the
Information Technology Association of America, the hiring of high tech
workers dropped 27 percent in the past year. More than 334,000 tech and
telecom workers have lost jobs this year, according to employment firm
Challenger Gray & Christmas. But tech companies are worried that shortages
will arise in the next couple of years as fewer and fewer students get
computer-related degrees.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Michelle Kessler]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2002-10-08-computer-science-majors_x.htm)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for October 8, 2002

OWNERSHIP
Critics: FCC Stacks Deregulation Deck
EchoStar, Hughes Ask FCC for Delay
Hispanic Reporters Seek Equality

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
House Approves Web Radio Royalty Deal

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Mobile Money Spinner for Women

OWNERSHIP

CRITICS: FCC STACKS DEREGULATION DECK
Last week, the FCC released a dozen economic studies that generally
supported the agency's intentions of loosening of broadcast ownership
limits. Critics quickly responded to the research, implying that FCC
coordinated the conclusions to favor deregulation. Mark Cooper, research
director for the Consumer Federation of America, said that an FCC attorney
who used the research to defend new deregulation against court challenges
would "get his brain handed to him." Although FCC chairman Michael Powell
set an April deadline for revising the ownership rules, fellow commissioner
Michael Copps insisted last week that the inconclusive nature of the
"bare-bones" studies makes the seven-month timetable too ambitious. He said
the FCC should hold field hearings across the country to inform a large
cross-section of Americans about the issue and better gauge public opinion.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting & Cable, AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
(http://www.tvinsite.com/broadcastingcable/index.asp?layout=story_stocks&art
icleid=CA250511&doc_id=103905&pubdate=10/07/2002)

ECHOSTAR, HUGHES ASK FCC FOR DELAY
EchoStar Communications Corp. and Hughes Electronics asked the FCC Monday to
delay a decision on their proposed merger, which would create the largest
pay-TV service in the country. The companies asked for an extension until
October 28 to discuss "major revisions" with the Justice Department, which
is reviewing the merger for antitrust implications. "There are many
important consumer benefits at stake, so we are asking the FCC not to rush
to judgment before the DOJ completes its review," EchoStar spokesman Marc
Lumpkin said. The companies have also asked FCC chairman Michael Powell to
conduct a public hearing on the matter.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Robert Gehrke]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56125-2002Oct7.html)

HISPANIC REPORTERS SEEK EQUALITY
Hispanic broadcasters in Chicago are fighting to be treated equally when it
comes to compensation in television. Currently, on-air employees and anchors
working for an NBC-owned, Spanish-language Telemundo station are paid a
median salary of $54,000. This contrasts with the $78,000 median salary
received by employees of NBC's English-speaking local affiliate. The
American Federation of Television of Radio Artists says it will ask
advertisers to boycott Telemundo affiliate unless parent NBC agrees to boost
pay and benefits for the Spanish-language TV station's reporters.
[SOURCE: Chicago Business, AUTHOR: Kelly Quigley]
(http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=6738)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

HOUSE APPROVES WEB RADIO ROYALTY DEAL
A last-minute change enabled the US House of Representatives to approve a
royalty-payment deal on Monday between small Internet broadcasters and the
music industry. The deal would allow Webcasters to pay a percentage of
revenue or expenses to artists and record labels whose songs they use,
rather than pay the flat rate set by the Library of Congress this summer.
Webcasters claimed that the rate, .07 cents per listener per song, could
drive many of them out of business, exceeding revenue from advertising or
other sources. Small Webcasters are defined as those who will have taken in
less than $1 million in total from 1998 until the end of 2002. Trade groups
for both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2002-10-07-web-radio-update_x.
htm)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

MOBILE MONEY SPINNER FOR WOMEN
Technology is creating opportunities for many people in developing
countries, but one of the most exciting trends is empowering women to use
mobile phones and improve their livelihoods. Mobile phones in Gazipur -- a
village on the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh -- are allowing women to
establish small businesses. Grameen women, as they are called, receive loans
from Grameen Bank, the Bangladesh NGO. The women then build local businesses
around their phone, such as offering communications services to residents in
their village. The mobile phone program allows women to earn money and send
their children to school, as well as earn more respect from family members.
"I can send my child to school which I couldn't before," said one program
participant. "I don't have to worry about going to a doctor as I [now] have
the money to pay him."
[SOURCE: BBC News, AUTHOR: Alfred Hermida]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2254231.stm)

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

Communications-Related Headlines for October 7, 2002

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Why the Poor Need Technology

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY=20
High Court Opens Session with Busy Agenda

NEW TECHNOLOGY=20
Broadband "Taking Off In The UK"
Drivers, TiVos and Other Conundrums of the Digital Age

DIGITAL DIVIDE

WHY THE POOR NEED TECHNOLOGY
(commentary) There are more than 600 million people in the world who =
have
access to the Internet, yet an estimated 5.5 billion are not online. =
Most of
these people live outside developed Western countries. Though over half =
of
UK households are online, only 0.1% of homes in Bangladesh are on the =
Net.
The Internet creates greater opportunities for communities and schools, =
but
many developing countries continue to weigh the value of integrating
technology versus other pressing social problems such as access to
healthcare and clean water. Development experts, however, are beginning =
to
see the Internet as an important gateway to other resources, as well as =
to
self-reliance. Author Bill Thompson suggests an update to the old adage =
"If
you give me a fish, you feed me for a day. If you teach me to fish you =
feed
me for life. " He proposes: "If you give me information, you answer one =
of
my questions. If you get me online, you let me answer my questions for
myself."=20
[SOURCE: BBC News, AUTHOR: Bill Thompson]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2295447.stm)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

HIGH COURT OPENS SESSION WITH BUSY AGENDA
The U.S. Supreme Court opens its 2002-2003 session this morning with =
two
major technology-related cases scheduled this week. In Eldred v. =
Ashcroft,
the court will decide whether Congress can extend copyrights on the
distribution of digital media. The case seeks to overturn the Copyright =
Term
Extension Act of 1998, which delays by 20 years the time when =
copyrighted
works pass into the public domain. In another important case, a =
six-year
battle over billions of dollars in wireless airwaves is expected to
culminate in FCC v. NextWave. The court may use the case to determine =
the
fate of the airwave licenses as well as whether a court can trump the =
FCC's
authority by treating the agency like an ordinary creditor in a =
bankruptcy
proceeding.=20
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: David McGuire]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A50881-2002Oct6.html)

NEW TECHNOLOGY

BROADBAND "TAKING OFF IN THE UK"
An upcoming study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and
Development shows that broadband access in the UK is growing faster =
than
other European countries. The UK government wants to make their country =
one
of the most competitive places for broadband access by 2005, and is =
very
close to having one million people connected to the Internet. Much =
work has
been done to get people online in the UK, but the country is still well
behind Germany, France, Japan, Canada and the United States.=20
[SOURCE: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/2295697.stm)

DRIVERS, TIVOS AND OTHER CONUNDRUMS OF THE DIGITAL AGE
(commentary) Even the so-called "digital haves" are feeling the strain =
of
the digital age -- in their inability to keep up with countless new
technologies as they enter the mainstream. New York Times columnist =
Andr=E9s
Martinez discusses just how far he (and no doubt countless others) have
fallen behind, from under-utilizing his PC to foregoing broadband. =
"Consumer
bewilderment and tech fatigue are stalling the relentless march to the
digital nirvana," he laments. "Economists and telecom companies bemoan =
the
slowness with which people have embraced broadband. Can we really be =
faulted
for wanting to take a break before crossing the next bridge?"=20
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Andr=E9s Martinez]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/04/opinion/04FRI4.html?ex=3D1034751610&e=
i=3D1&en
=3Db3d88eff0d22e2ba)

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Communications-Related Headlines for October 4, 2002

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Cable to Stretch Net Connection to Islands
Branson Raises UK Broadband Stakes

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
The Chairman
FCC Chairman Says Wireless Policy Imminent

TECH SECTOR
Going to the Top for Help
Tech Firms Try to Stay Nimble

DIGITAL DIVIDE

CABLE TO STRETCH NET CONNECTION TO ISLANDS
The Pacific islands of Palau and Yap will soon receive broadband Internet
access thanks to a planned underwater fiber optic cable running from Guam.
The 800-mile cable, to be deployed by the end of 2004, will allow the remote
islands to implement high-speed telemedicine and distance learning
initiatives. "This project will connect Palau to the world, thus bridging
the digital divide," Palau president Tommy Remengesau Jr. said in a written
statement. The Palau National Communication Corporation is coordinating the
cable deployment, which is expected to cost USD $60 million.
[SOURCE: Guam Pacific Daily News, AUTHOR: Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno]
(http://www.guampdn.com/news/stories/20021004/localnews/212551.html)

BRANSON RAISES UK BROADBAND STAKES
(Commentary) Virgin's move to offer affordable broadband access is an
important milestone on the road to build "Broadband Britain." In doing so,
Virgin undercuts BT and other competitors' prices -- a measure that
undermines complaints from other competitors that BT has abused its monopoly
of the network by lowering its own prices. As commentator Victor Keegan
notes, however, the particulars of Virgin's actions on the market should not
overshadow the importance of broadband access: "the Internet is rapidly
becoming the source of all instant knowledge... Britain is starting to
bridge the gap with other industrialised countries and the government is at
last playing an active role -- but there is still a long way to go."
[SOURCE: Guardian Unlimited, AUTHOR: Victor Keegan]
(http://www.guardian.co.uk/internetnews/story/0,7369,804073,00.html)

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

THE CHAIRMAN
Amidst a failing telecom industry, debate over the US federal government's
role in emerging technologies and questions surrounding the rules of media
ownership, one is hard-pressed to find someone without an opinion regarding
FCC Chairman Michael Powell. Is he of two minds as to how to solve the
telecom crisis, or is he simply awaiting consensus to avoid getting caught
in the crossfire between competing media interests? Or do rumored
aspirations for the Senate or even US Attorney General have him treading
lightly? This article, by Nicholas Lemann of The New Yorker, discusses the
motivations for Powell's actions (or inactions), and includes a chat with
the chairman himself about the 1996 Telecommunications Act and its
repercussions in today's economy.
[SOURCE: The New Yorker, AUTHOR: Nicholas Lemann]
(http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?021007fa_fact)

FCC CHAIRMAN SAYS NEW WIRELESS POLICY IMMINENT
FCC Chairman Michael Powell announced plans to make major changes in
wireless spectrum policies. Despite operating with few regulations, mobile
telephone carriers have demanded additional spectrum to offer new services
to consumers. As previously reported, the FCC also expects to make a
decision on regulations governing how local telephone companies provide
network access to their competitors, and intends to review media ownership
and high-speed Internet access rules. The commission will hold a hearing on
Monday, October 7 on how to restore the financial health of the
telecommunication sector.
[SOURCE: CommsDesign.com, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.commsdesign.com/news/tech_beat/OEG20021003S0023)

TECH SECTOR

GOING TO THE TOP FOR HELP
Many current and retired computer executives are finding new ways to impact
the world of computers at a very personal level -- by now offering
consulting services to friends and family members. Executives such as Peter
Schwartz, Doug Carlston and Harry Saal could easily charge corporate clients
hearty fee of $2,000 an hour for their expertise, but their positions in the
tech sector have made them magnets for family and acquaintances seeking free
IT support. For many of these executives, offering useful tech support isn't
exactly a slam dunk, especially when their professional specialties don't
jive with today's state-of-the-art technologies. IT sector leaders from the
1970s and 1980s, for example, now find themselves getting bombarded by
questions from personal acquaintances about how to get a home Internet
connection up and running. "Because I once did something in networking many
years ago, that's a favorite question for people to ask me," admits Nat
Goldhaber, who ran a successful, but now obsolete networking business before
the era of the World Wide Web. "People assume that if you know something,
you know something, which regrettably is only partially true."
[SOURCE: NY Times, AUTHOR: Katie Hafner]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/03/technology/circuits/03TECH.html)

TECH FIRMS TRY TO STAY NIMBLE
Many technology companies are continuing to search and implement
money-saving strategies to get consumers anxious about making IT purchases
again. IBM developed one such penny-pitching strategy initiative coined Pay
as You Save, where the company will examine your organization's current
technologies for efficiency; in turn, IBM is paid based on the money you
saved. Between 1999 and 2000, technology spending grew nearly 30 percent,
according to research firm Gartner Inc. Last year, however, saw only a 1.5
percent increase in technology budgets. Still, many companies are not sure
about how the technology industry will rebound. According to Sun
Microsystems' chief financial officer, "We have not seen any improvement in
the current IT spending environment.... Some may say it is actually
worsening."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: A Washington Post Staff Writer]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35421-2002Oct2.html)

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Communications-Related Headlines for October 3, 2002

OWNERSHIP
Results of FCC's Media Studies Released
Business As Usual

BROADCASTING
Local Television Stations Become the New Arbiters of Political Fair
Play

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
New Bills Aim to Protect Consumers' Use of Digital Media

INTERNATIONAL
Fighting Net Censorship Abroad
Establishing an Education Technology Initiative in Ghana

INTERNET
New Guidelines Open US Data to Challenge
Burns Victim Treated by Email

OWNERSHIP

RESULTS OF FCC'S MEDIA STUDIES RELEASED
According to US government studies released Tuesday, media consolidation has
not reduced the diversity of programs on television and radio, although
concentration of ownership may result in more TV commercials and similar
slants in news coverage. The results of the studies support FCC Chairman
Michael Powell's plan to re-draft or eliminate media ownership rules, which
cap the growth of broadcasters and restrict certain media mergers within the
same market. Media conglomerates claim that increased reliance on the
Internet for news has rendered the current rules obsolete, a claim that is
refuted by one of the studies. Jeff Chester, founder of the Center for
Digital Democracy, criticized the studies, saying they "reveal a deeply
flawed perspective that... fails to adequately assess the realities of the
news and entertainment media marketplace."
[SOURCE: The Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Edmund Sanders]
(http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-fcc2oct02,0,2137189.story?coll=la%2Dh
eadlines%2Dbusiness)
(registration required)

BUSINESS AS USUAL
While news outlets have duly reported on some of the most egregious examples
of corporate wrongdoing, they have regularly omitted or glossed over the
shortcomings of some of the most powerful businesses in the country: their
own. Many media companies can argue that they have clean records, but a
review of filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission shows that all
of them have engaged -- to one degree or another -- in the kind of
questionable activities that have been much in the news this year. Bob
Steele, who heads the ethics group at the Poynter Institute, suggests that
by failing to report on its own industry's malfeasance, "[media outlets] run
great risks of undermining [their] credibility."
[SOURCE: American Journalism Review, AUTHOR: Miles Maguire]
(http://ajr.org/Article.asp?id=2648)

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

NEW BILLS AIM TO PROTECT CONSUMERS' USE OF DIGITAL MEDIA
Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), plans today to introduce the Digital Choice and
Freedom Act, Silicon Valley's response to a host of Hollywood-backed bills
tilted in favor of copyright holders. Lofgren's bill would ensure consumers
could copy digital works for personal use, just as they now do with TV shows
and audio tapes. Instead of creating new rights for consumers, Lofgren's
bill would ensure that "the rights they have in the analog world, they have
in digital," she explained. The bills also would amend the Digital
Millennium Copyright Act to allow consumers to bypass the technological
protections built in to copyrighted works if the intent is to make a copy
for personal use. The legislation will vie with Hollywood-backed proposals
that would embed copy protection into an array of consumer devices while
allowing the entertainment industry to use aggressive anti-piracy
technologies to thwart unauthorized downloading over the Internet.
Supporters of Lofgren's measure believe that relaxing fair use standards
will drive demand for broadband Internet connections.
[SOURCE: The Mercury News, AUTHOR: Heather Fleming Phillips]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/4193841.htm)

BROADCASTING

LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS BECOME THE NEW ARBITERS OF POLITICAL FAIR PLAY
Television station managers in many communities are facing pressure from
Democratic and Republican party lawyers to pull political advertisements in
closely fought Congressional races -- or face the risk of a defamation suit.
While stations are not liable for an attack ad paid for by a candidate,
because they are required to broadcast those commercials by the FCC,
stations could be liable for an attack ad placed by a political committee.
Close to 25 TV stations have pulled advertisements during this election
season, fearing liability if a court determines the ads defamatory. The
ability to silence potentially damaging commercials has transformed station
managers and their lawyers into some of the most powerful political players
on the scene today.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Adam Nagourney and Adam Clymer]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/02/politics/02MEDI.html)

INTERNATIONAL

FIGHTING NET CENSORSHIP ABROAD
A bill introduced yesterday by US Rep. Chris Cox (R-CA) would establish an
Office of Global Internet Freedom intended to thwart Internet censorship
abroad. Saudi Arabia and China both use heavy filtering programs to deny
their citizens access to a good deal of content on the Internet; this bill
would allocate roughly $50 million to both countries for their
participation. The government is interested in becoming more involved in
fighting censorship; currently, the private sector and hackers dominate
censorship battles. Hackers are developing and modifying programs such as
PeekABooty, Six/Four and Triangle Boy that provide peer-to-peer platforms
for uncensored Web content. "This isn't about imposing one country's
ideology on another, but rather about letting people freely choose which
ideologies, ideas and people to be exposed to and making up their own mind
about what's right," states Cory Doctorow of the Electronic Frontier
Foundation, a US-based organization working to protect fundamental rights
regardless of technology.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Mitch Wagner]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,55530,00.html)

ESTABLISHING AN EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY INITIATIVE IN GHANA
Dr. Parra DeWindt, An American high school teacher, writes about her
experiences distributing computers and providing a technology curriculum for
rural schools in Ghana. Dr. DeWindt encountered overwhelming challenges,
including poor state of Ghana's telecommunications and electricity
infrastructure.
[SOURCE: Digital Opportunity Channel, AUTHOR: Dr. Parra DeWindt]
(http://www.digitalopportunity.org/fulltext/dewindt20021002.shtml)

INTERNET

NEW GUIDELINES OPEN U.S. DATA TO CHALLENGE
In an attempt to examine the accuracy of government information, a new law
allows citizens and business groups to file complaints about the reliability
of published government data -- and receive a response from a federal agency
within 60 days. William Kovacs of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce say the law
allows citizens to ask the government to justify the information it's using.
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget devised guidelines in February to
ensure the quality of information disseminated by the federal government.
"Simply put, the data-quality law promises to have an immeasurable impact on
every business that uses federal data, and on every business that is
regulated by a federal agency," writes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
[SOURCE: Washington Post]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24876-2002Sep30.html)

BURNS VICTIM TREATED BY EMAIL
Using a desktop scanner, a severely burned Australian teenager was treated
recently by doctors located some 1,100 kilometers (687 miles) away. Many
doctors in Australia are beginning to render health services with the
assistance of networked digital technologies because of distance. Numerous
trips to the doctor can be very expensive, so after an initial visit, the
mother of the young burn victim began taking pictures of her son and
emailing them to doctors. "Distances in Australia highlight one of the most
obvious reasons why online communication techniques in telehealth should
play a fundamental role in the delivery of health services," says Anthony
Smith of the University of Queensland's Royal Children's Hospital.
[SOURCE: BBC News, AUTHOR: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2284734.stm)

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