April 2003

INTERNET
Survey Finds Americans Split on E-Government
Sessions Aim to Merge High-Tech with Community Service

OWNERSHIP
US Broadcasters' War Stance Under Scrutiny

EVENTS
Call for Papers: International E-Entrepreneurship Community
Conference

INTERNET

SURVEY FINDS AMERICANS SPLIT ON E-GOVERNMENT
A survey on e-government shows that Americans are torn between support for
online services and concerns over privacy and Web security. The study,
sponsored by the Council for Excellence in Government and Accenture,
suggests that Americans are using government Web sites to obtain basic
information but would be interested in additional services from agencies.
However, online voting was not among those services. Additionally, the idea
of a national identification card was objectionable to most respondents.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Judy Sarasohn]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19407-2003Apr13.html)

SESSIONS AIM TO MERGE HIGH-TECH WITH COMMUNITY SERVICE
Students at Penn-Hebron elementary school in Pittsburgh, PA are learning to
cross the digital divide -- and are providing a community service in the
process. In a program sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh and the St.
James Episcopal Church Faith Tech Center, 30 female students learned basic
computer skills, ranging from typing to Internet navigation, in an effort to
hold their interest in technology at an age where they typically lose it. At
the end of the six-week course, the girls used their newly acquired skills
to complete a service project for their community. One 11-year-old student,
for example, published a book of jokes and distributed them to patients at
the local hospital. Other students used the Net to publicize a collection
drive for the community food bank.
[SOURCE: PittsburghLive.com, AUTHOR: Tom Jewell, Tribune-Review]
(http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/search/s_127082.html)

OWNERSHIP

US BROADCASTERS' WAR STANCE UNDER SCRUTINY
Rupert Murdoch's $6.6 billion purchase of DirecTV last week comes at a time
when many critics question the motives of media companies that have been
reluctant to offer critical coverage of the military conflict in Iraq. With
most major news corporations lobbying the Republican-dominated FCC to relax
media ownership restrictions, news coverage might be used as a tool to curry
favor with the Bush administration. Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital
Democracy believes that US media companies have "a serious conflict of
interest" in reporting on the war. Murdoch has been accused of being
particularly "vocal," using his media outlets to voice his approval of Bush.
[SOURCE: Guardian Unlimited, AUTHOR: Annie Lawson]
(http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,7493,935101,00.html)

EVENTS

CALL FOR PAPERS: INTERNATIONAL E-ENTREPRENEURSHIP COMMUNITY CONFERENCE
The International E-Entrepreneurship Community Conference, scheduled for
July 31-August 1 in Kuching, Malaysia, is seeking papers and presenters to
tackle e-commerce and the digital divide. Conference organizers hope that
potential presenters from both developed and developing countries will
submit proposals. Among the suggested topics are e-commerce opportunities
for people with disabilities, the use of open source tools to bridge the
digital divide and technology needs of indigenous and minority populations.
Proposals are due May 12.
[SOURCE: ProZane.com, AUTHOR: Zane Amira]
(http://www.prozane.com/)

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OWNERSHIP
DirecTV Fulfills Murdoch's 20-Year Dream
FCC's Powell Defends Index Idea on Media Ownership

BROADBAND
Internet Via the Power Grid: New Interest in Obvious Idea

DIGITAL DIVIDE
ICTs in Africa Require Effective Use of Old, New Media

OWNERSHIP

DIRECTV FULFILLS MURDOCH'S 20-YEAR DREAM
News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch realized a decades-long wish yesterday when he
announced a deal to buy a controlling stake in DirecTV parent Hughes
Electronics for $6.6 billion. Since the early 1980s, Murdoch has sought to
bring a US-based satellite company under his control, and DirecTV is the
nation's largest with over 11 million subscribers. Critics fear that the
deal will raise consumer prices for both satellite and cable services, spawn
copycat mergers and allow New Corp. to discriminate against certain
broadcasters.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: David Lieberman]
(http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2003-04-09-murdoch_x.htm)

FCC'S POWELL DEFENDS INDEX IDEA ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP
FCC Chairman Michael Powell said yesterday that he supports adopting an
empirical method for assessing diversity in individual media markets.
Speaking to the National Association of Broadcasters at their national
convention, Powell reported that a mathematical formula seemed more
desirable than having to individually assess each market whenever a company
proposes to buy another property. Fellow Commissioner Kevin Martin expressed
concern over incorporating complex mathematics versus using "simple rules"
to measure voices. Separately, FCC Media Bureau chief Kenneth Ferree
indicated that there would "be no delay" on the Commission's stated June 2
deadline for rulemaking on media ownership.
[Sources: Forbes, AUTHOR: Jeremy Pelofsky, Reuters]
(http://www.forbes.com/business/newswire/2003/04/08/rtr933514.html)

BROADBAND

INTERNET VIA THE POWER GRID: NEW INTEREST IN OBVIOUS IDEA
"I was struck by how it has matured," said FCC Chairman Michael Powell,
referring to technology that makes broadband Internet available over power
lines. While touring a test facility in Potomac, Maryland, Powell indicated
that the FCC would undertake a regulatory proceeding to spur commercial
deployment. The idea of using the power grid is not new, but utilities
companies have been thus far reluctant to adopt the technology. Despite some
skepticism on the part of technologists, several methods of delivery are
currently being tested.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHORS: John Markoff and Matt Richtel]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/10/technology/10POWE.html)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

ICTS IN AFRICA REQUIRE EFFECTIVE USE OF OLD, NEW MEDIA
The Economics Commission for Africa's Broadcasting Development Workshop this
week focused on placing homegrown broadcasting at the center of development.
Recognizing that new technologies present exciting opportunities for growth,
ECA executive director K. Y. Amoako said that knowledge providers must
ensure that all manner of technology, both old and new, are used to reach
all African people. Taiwo Allimi of Voice of Nigeria also noted the
importance of broadcast, stating that Western stations are not concerned
with African issues and therefore a grassroots effort should be made to
create "broadcast system oriented to true African needs and aspirations."
[SOURCE: AllAfrica.com, AUTHOR: Helena Megersa, The Daily Monitor (Addis
Ababa)]
(http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200304080150.html)

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MEDIA OWNERSHIP
Arizona Citizens Blast FCC in Public Forum
Mr. Murdoch's War
Hughes Sale May Happen This Week
Italian Leader Faces Dissent Over Control of the Media

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Wi-Fi for Everyone

MEDIA OWNERSHIP

ARIZONA CITIZENS BLAST FCC IN PUBLIC FORUM
At an Arizona public forum co-hosted by the Benton Foundation yesterday, a
group of over 80 citizens, journalists and policymakers gathered at the KAET
studio to debate FCC proposals to deregulate US media ownership limits. FCC
Commissioner Michael Copps, speaking at the event, argued that the FCC
should give the public more opportunities to offer input on the proposed
deregulation. "There's potential to remake our entire communications
landscape, for better or for worse, for many years to come," Copps said.
Phoenix art gallery owner Kimber Lanning complained that previous
deregulation of the radio industry had allowed corporate monopolies to
squeeze the diversity out of radio programming. "It's like having the most
vibrant colors you can imagine watered down into the most blah shade of
brown," Lanning said. Benton Foundation President Andrea Taylor added that
public forums were important tools to give citizens a chance to weigh the
potential impact of deregulation. "Once the ruling occurs and people begin
to digest the impact, there will be even greater concern, but by then it
will be too late," she said.
[SOURCE: Arizona State University, AUTHOR: Garrett Neese]
(http://www.asuwebdevil.com/news/411406.html)
(Requires free registration)

MR. MURDOCH'S WAR
Long rumored to have exercised editorial control over his various media
holdings, some experts believe that News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch now wields
even more control over political thought. Murdoch has been outspoken
concerning his views on the military conflict in Iraq, and his feelings are
reflected in Fox News broadcasts as well as through the recently acquired
Weekly Standard, a conservative magazine that has been closely read in the
White House. Though the CEO says that he has no time to be involved in the
newsroom anymore, several employees report that he serves as an "information
service" for them. As media ownership regulations face potential relaxation
around the world, Murdoch has announced plans to expand his media empire
into China and India.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: David D. Kirkpatrick]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/07/business/media/07RUPE.html)

HUGHES SALE MAY HAPPEN THIS WEEK
News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch's efforts to own DirecTV may come to fruition
this week. Sources close to the companies believe that a meeting to discuss
a Murdoch takeover of DirecTV parent Hughes Electronics as soon as
Wednesday. With Murdoch as the only bidder, satellite industry pundits feel
that the only outstanding issue is, "Can [Hughes parent] GM blow it again,"
referring to last year's failed bid to merge with EchoStar. Murdoch sees
satellite as a way to build his US programming assets, which include network
and cable holdings. Ever since the mid-1990s, when many cable operators
refused to carry his Fox News Channel, Murdoch has been determined to add
DirecTV's 11.3 million US subscribers to his satellite properties in Europe,
Asia and Latin America.
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: David Leiberman]
(http://www.usatoday.com/tech/techinvestor/2003-04-07-directv_x.htm)

ITALIAN LEADER FACES DISSENT OVER CONTROL OF THE MEDIA
In what has been described as a major political coup, a faction of Italy's
governing party in parliament amended a bill that would have increased Prime
Minister Silvio Berlusconi's power in the country's media. Berlusconi
currently owns Italy's largest private TV network and indirectly controls
public broadcasting. The proposed bill would have removed restrictions on
TV-newspaper cross-ownership, increasing ad revenue ceilings and permitting
a company to control more than one TV station in the same market. As a
result of the secret vote, however, Berlusconi may be forced to give up one
of his three private channels.
[SOURCE: The New York Times]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/06/international/europe/06ITAL.html)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

WI-FI FOR EVERYONE
Private, public and nonprofit sources are converging to offer low-cost
wireless broadband access in low-income areas. The United Way of
Southeastern Pennsylvania, for example, is working to build Wi-Fi hotspots
in West Philadelphia to serve a homeless shelter and clients of a community
housing group. The service will cost $5-$10 per month, aided by subsidies
from the state and community groups as well as networking companies such as
IBM, Cisco and Unisys. Boston, San Jose and Chicago are performing similar
projects to bring broadband to low-income housing.
[SOURCE: 802.11 Planet, AUTHOR: Ed Sutherland]
(http://www.80211-planet.com/columns/article.php/2177251)

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PRIVACY
Traveling? Take Big Brother Along

DIGITAL DIVIDE
Churches Use Cyberspace to Grow Community Links
'Alternative' Payphones to Bridge Digital Divide in Malaysia,
Bangladesh

INTERNET
Will Broadband Providers Control Net Content in the U.S.?
APC Opposes Actions against Al Jazeera Website
Tuning into the Hype about Wi-Fi

PRIVACY

TRAVELING? TAKE BIG BROTHER ALONG
The Transportation Security Administration's proposed passenger screening
database has drawn criticism from privacy advocates, but its danger may lie
not in government snooping but in the airline and travel agent data on which
it will be based. Travel industry databases contain information as detailed
as what travelers eat, with whom they share rooms and even a hotel staff's
opinion of their disposition. These passenger records are never deleted, and
the TSA is hoping to exclude this information from the jurisdiction of
privacy laws.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Michelle Delio]
(http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,58344,00.html)

DIGITAL DIVIDE

CHURCHES USE CYBERSPACE TO GROW COMMUNITY LINKS
Dr. Abdul Alkalimat, director of the Africana Studies program at the
University of Toledo, has launched a digital divide initiative that has
captured the interest of hundreds of churches across the city of Toledo.
Cyber-Church, as the program is known, has helped local churches go online
by recruiting local young people to train church members and staff so they
can launch websites. To date, over 300 churches have created sites as part
of the initiative. "This is our vision of the future," said Brian Zelip, who
coordinates one of the community technology centers where training takes
place. "We can use information technology to teach lessons without the
exclusion of resources. We can celebrate ourselves by putting ourselves in
cyberspace." Though the program has been most successful in the local
African American community, it is open to all faiths, with local synagogues
and mosques now getting involved.
[SOURCE: Toledo Blade, AUTHOR: Clyde Hughes]
(http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20030403&Category=NEW
S10&ArtNo=104030144)
(http://www.cyber-church.us)

'ALTERNATIVE' PAYPHONES TO BRIDGE DIGITAL DIVIDE IN MALAYSIA, BANGLADESH
Malaysian telco REDtone has announced plans to install a total of 20,000
"alternative" payphones across Malaysia and Bangladesh. The payphones, which
lack the ability to take coins, tokens or calling cards, will be placed in
coffee shops, stores and other local establishments. Users will leave a
small deposit with the owner of the establishment and be able to make calls
at discounted rates -- rates up to 70 percent less than other telephone
services. REDTone hopes the service will allow greater telephone access in
rural communities that often lack services affordable to local residents.
[SOURCE: The Star (Malaysia), AUTHOR: Ahmad Zuber Ibrahim]
(http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2003/4/4/technology/04rura
l&sec=technology)
(long URL may need to be pasted together if broken)

INTERNET

WILL BROADBAND PROVIDERS CONTROL NET CONTENT IN THE U.S.?
Attendees at this week's Computers, Freedom and Privacy conference in New
York debated the future regulatory environment surrounding broadband
Internet access. Some, including Jeff Chester of the Center for Digital
Democracy, fear that cable providers will limit access to certain content
over their broadband networks. The cable industry refutes this assertion,
and argues against additional regulation in the burgeoning broadband market.
[SOURCE: IDG New Bureau, AUTHOR: Scarlet Pruitt]
(http://www.idg.com.sg/idgwww.nsf/unidlookup/DBA538C52BC6B04C48256CFE0013EEF
6)

APC OPPOSES ACTIONS AGAINST AL JAZEERA WEBSITE
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC), an international
network of civil society organizations, has come out in opposition to recent
attempts to curtail the online presence of Arabic-language news service Al
Jazeera. "The Internet must be allowed to freely perform its unique and
vital role as a promoter of 'freedom of expression' and content diversity,
especially in times of conflict," APC said in a statement released today.
APC noted that online freedom of expression was consistent with the UN
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which states that the
right to freedom of opinion and expression -- including the right to seek,
receive and impart information -- is a recognized human right and must be
protected. Al Jazeera, which last week launched its English-language online
service (http://english.aljazeera.net), has been the victim of repeated
denial-of-service attacks, domain name hijackings and other malicious hacks.
"The computer hacks, online vandalism and the canceling of Al-Jazeera's web
hosting contract all interfere with the UN declared right to 'receive and
impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of
frontiers,'" APC said.
[SOURCE: The Association for Progressive Communications]
(http://www.apc.org/english/news/index.shtml?x=10848)

TUNING INTO THE HYPE ABOUT WI-FI
Despite a steady increase in the number of wireless "hotspots" around the
US, consumers have been slow to use the service in locations such as
McDonald's and Starbucks. Nevertheless, companies such as T-Mobile continue
to roll out new locations. "The service hasn't even been promoted yet," said
T-Mobile spokesperson Kim Thompson. Starbucks also reports that they have
been pleased with the level of usage thus far, and have announced plans to
bring Wi-Fi to 500 more shops by year's end.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Elisa Batista]
(http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,58305,00.html)

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