March 2007

This week's agenda includes a hearing on=20
exclusive sports programming and oversight of the=20
transition to digital television. For these and=20
other upcoming media policy events, see http://www.benton.org/?q=3Devent

OWNERSHIP
Zell's bid for Tribune said to be favored
Vonage ordered to stop using Verizon VoIP patents
Feds Agree To Rethink Internet Radio Royalties
FCC media ownership debate getting snarly
Baseball, In Demand Heading to the Hill
Network-DVR Decision Emphatic
Dakota Broadcasters Ask FCC To Block DirecTV Deal

SPECTRUM
Hot Spectrum Draws Cash, and Ideals

NEW RESEARCH
Some see little point to Web
TV subscriber growth to slow in 2007
PTC Pulls Punches

ELECTIONS & MEDIA
Web becomes source - not outlet - for news
Running for president? Quick, build an online network

ADVERTISING
FCC Did Not Prescreen Dove Ads
FCC Cites Stations For CW Ad
Drop in Ad Revenue Raises Tough Question for Newspapers
Ugly billboards have friends on Hill
TV ad-buying season could get confusing this year
DirecTV goes for the guys' eyes

QUICKLY -- From poky to lickety-split; 23 Months=20
and Counting: What's Changed?; NAB Expands Public Service Presence

OWNERSHIP

ZELL'S BID FOR TRIBUNE SAID TO BE FAVORED
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: James=20
Rainey, Michael A. Hiltzik and Thomas S. Mulligan]
Chicago real estate mogul Sam Zell has become the=20
leading suitor for Tribune Co. with an $8-billion=20
bid for the company. Investment bankers are=20
working to strike a deal, but many details remain=20
to be ironed out. The company may not be able to=20
meet its self-imposed deadline to conclude=20
deliberations by the end of the month. Los=20
Angeles billionaires Ron Burkle and Eli Broad=20
planned as early as this weekend to present a=20
counteroffer for the company. Tribune did not=20
accept their previous proposal, which called for=20
paying stockholders a $27-a-share dividend. It's=20
possible that Chicago-based Tribune will take yet=20
another route: adopting a plan to reorganize the=20
company without an outside investor and pay=20
shareholders a large dividend. Zell would form an=20
employee stock ownership plan and partner with=20
the ESOP to make his offer of $33 a share. The=20
offer price is 8% over Tribune's closing share price Friday of $30.53.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-tribune24mar24,1,2998...
,full.story?coll=3Dla-headlines-pe-business
(requires registration)
* Sam Zell Offers $33/Share for Tribune (Associated Press)
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...
t_id=3D1003562616
* Buyer of Distressed Properties Sees Opportunity in Newspapers
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/26/business/media/26zell.html
* Tribune Suitors Criticize Auction
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Sarah Ellison sarah.ellison( at )wsj.com]
As Tribune Co. leans towards accepting an offer=20
from Chicago real-estate magnate Sam Zell,=20
erstwhile bidders Ron Burkle and Eli Broad are=20
raising objections that Tribune didn't give them=20
fair treatment in the bidding process.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117486329823548379.html?mod=3Dtodays_us_...
e_one
(requires subscription)

VONAGE ORDERED TO STOP USING VERIZON VOIP PATENTS
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Anne Broache]
U.S. District Judge Claude Hilton in Alexandria,=20
Va., on Friday granted Verizon's request for a=20
permanent injunction that bars Vonage from using=20
three disputed Verizon patents. He sided with=20
Verizon's argument that it would suffer=20
irreparable harm if use of the patents was not=20
terminated and rejected Vonage's argument that=20
the injunction would harm the public interest.=20
Judge Hilton opted, however, not to make the=20
decision effective until a court hearing in two=20
weeks. At that time, both parties will have the=20
chance to make arguments as to whether the=20
injunction should be put on hold while Vonage appeals.
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSWAT00719920070323
* Judge Bars Vonage from Using Verizon Patents
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6427334.html?display=3DBreaking+News

FEDS AGREE TO RETHINK INTERNET RADIO ROYALTIES
[SOURCE: ConsumerAffairs.Com 3/22, AUTHOR: Martin H. Bosworth]
In response to protests against expensive new=20
royalties for Internet radio broadcasts, the U.S.=20
Copyright Review Board (CRB) has agreed to hear=20
requests for a new hearing on the issue. The new=20
payment structure was recently implemented by the=20
CRB and created by SoundExchange, the royalty=20
collections arm of the Recording Industry=20
Association of America (RIAA). Under the new=20
royalty structure, Internet-based radio stations=20
and public radio channels would face hefty new=20
payments that would increase each year, as well=20
as mandatory minimum payments of $500. Critics of=20
the plan have said the new royalty system would=20
put independent Internet broadcasters out of=20
business, as their royalty costs would far=20
outpace any revenue they earn from their stations.
http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2007/03/crb_internet_radio.html

FCC MEDIA OWNERSHIP DEBATE GETTING SNARLY
[SOURCE: Lasar's Letter on the FCC, AUTHOR: Matthew Lasar]
[Commentary] It has been over five years since=20
the FCC issued its Third Biennial Review of its=20
broadcast ownership rules, limits on how many=20
radio, TV stations, and newspapers a single=20
entity can own in the United States. After a=20
long, tumultuous debate, the FCC in 2003 issued=20
an Order relaxing many of those rules, only to=20
see the decision struck down by the courts a year=20
later. Now a new proceeding on the same issue has=20
passed its seventh month. Hearings have been held=20
across the country, with more in the offing. New=20
studies on the problem have been promised, with=20
controversies over suppressed studies still=20
raging. Not surprisingly, public patience has worn a bit thin.
http://www.lasarletter.net/drupal/node/383

BASEBALL, IN DEMAND HEADING TO THE HILL
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: R. Thomas Umstead]
In Demand and Major League Baseball will take=20
their battle over carriage of the =93MLB Extra=20
Innings=94 out-of-market package to the nation's=20
capital this week, as executives from both sides=20
pitch Congress on what to do about baseball's=20
controversial $700 million exclusive deal with=20
satellite service DirecTV. Meanwhile, the clock=20
ticks down toward baseball's March 31 deadline=20
for cable to secure rights to the Extra Innings=20
subscription package. If In Demand doesn't reach=20
a deal with baseball by the deadline, DirecTV=20
will gain exclusive rights to Extra Innings for=20
seven years. Representatives from baseball and In=20
Demand will take questions from the Senate=20
Commerce Committee during a March 27 hearing to=20
examine the viewer implications of the=20
MLB/DirecTV Extra Innings deal, which would=20
exclude cable operators from offering the $179=20
out-of-market game package to its subscribers.=20
The hearing was called after several lawmakers --=20
including Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) -- questioned=20
whether baseball's exclusive deal with DirecTV=20
was anti-consumer, particularly since cable has=20
offered the package since 2001. The industry=20
generated around 200,000 buys from the package last year.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6427572.html?display=3DTop+Stories

NETWORK-DVR DECISION EMPHATIC
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Mike Farrell]
U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin issued a=20
strongly worded decision Thursday that appears to=20
have effectively squashed Cablevision Systems=92=20
plans to roll out a remote-storage digital-video=20
recorder (RS-DVR), stating that the technology=20
would allow Cablevision and its customers to=20
engage =93in unauthorized reproductions and=20
transmissions of plaintiffs' copyrighted=20
programs.=94 Judge Chin seemed unconvinced of=20
Cablevision=92s key argument -- that its product=20
was merely an extension of set-top DVRs because=20
it would be the customer and not the company who=20
would control what is recorded, stored and=20
watched via the device. judge Chin noted that=20
while Cablevision elected to make programming on=20
all of its 170 channels available on the device,=20
it could choose to block certain channels. He=20
pointed to testimony that Cablevision had=20
originally expected to offer 12-50 channels on the RS-DVR device.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6427293.html?display=3DBreaking+News
* Cablevision loses network DVR court case
http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSN2325977020070324
* Differences that Don't Distinguish: Cablevision=20
Loses Copyright Case on Networked DVRs
http://feeds.publicknowledge.org/~r/publicknowledge-main/~3/103962899/885

DAKOTA BROADCASTERS ASK FCC TO BLOCK DIRECTV DEAL
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
A group of North Dakota broadcasters has asked=20
the FCC to deny Liberty=92s planned takeover of=20
DirecTV. In a filing at the FCC Friday, the North=20
Dakota Broadcasters Association and specifically=20
the broadcasters in Minot-Bismarck-Dickinson-=20
(market #158 out of 210) said that the deal=20
should not go through unless Liberty promises to=20
carry them. Currently DirecTV does not carry=20
local stations in the market, but had promised to=20
eventually do so when it first purchased its=20
interest in the satellite operator. Liberty has=20
not made the same promise in its application,=20
they say, and that silence leads them to conclude=20
it will follow what they say is DirecTV=92s current=20
plan to use its capacity to boost HD offerings in=20
big cities rather than deliver local stations in=20
smaller markets where it has yet to do so.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6427497.html?display=3DBreaki...
News

SPECTRUM

HOT SPECTRUM DRAWS CASH, AND IDEALS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: John Markoff]
It is referred to as the last beachfront property=20
in the wireless world -- a prized swath of=20
spectrum that is about to be sold at federal=20
auction. And it has touched off an intense=20
lobbying effort pitting cellular companies=20
against a variety of new players interested in=20
the potential of a next-generation mobile=20
Internet. The Federal Communications Commission=20
will set the rules for the auction, possibly as=20
soon as next month. Depending on that ruling, the=20
spectrum could be used for voice services for=20
cellular carriers, new frequencies for emergency=20
responders, or a commercial high-speed broadband=20
multimedia network. Among those trying to=20
influence the outcome are three of the nation=92s=20
four largest cellular providers, rural and=20
regional wireless carriers, cable and satellite=20
television companies and a range of technology=20
companies -- including Google and Yahoo. Along=20
with other wireless technology proposals, the=20
auction could reshape the debate over who=20
controls access to the networks that deliver=20
digital content to consumers. Opening the door to=20
more network competition nationally could have a tremendous economic impact.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/26/technology/26spectrum.html
(requires registration)

NEW RESEARCH

MANY AMERICANS SEE LITTLE POINT TO WEB
[SOURCE: Reuters]
A little under one-third of U.S. households have=20
no Internet access and do not plan to get it,=20
with most of the holdouts seeing little use for=20
it in their lives, according to a survey released=20
on Friday. Park Associates, a Dallas-based=20
technology market research firm, said 29 percent=20
of U.S. households, or 31 million homes, do not=20
have Internet access and do not intend to=20
subscribe to an Internet service over the next 12=20
months. The second annual National Technology=20
Scan conducted by Park found the main reason=20
potential customers say they do not subscribe to=20
the Internet is because of the low value to their=20
daily lives they perceive rather than concerns=20
over cost. Forty-four percent of these households=20
say they are not interested in anything on the=20
Internet. The study found U.S. broadband adoption=20
grew to 52 percent over 2006, up from 42 percent=20
in 2005. Roughly half of new subscribers=20
converted from slower-speed, dial-up Internet=20
access while the other half of households had no prior access.
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSN2323460320070323

TV SUBSCRIBER GROWTH TO SLOW IN 2007
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Yinka Adegoke]
Troubles in the U.S. housing sector are likely to=20
spill over into the pay-television market, where=20
analysts are forecasting a drop in subscriber=20
growth this year. Experts expect satellite TV=20
operators DirecTV Group Inc. and EchoStar=20
Communications Corp. to see the most marked=20
cool-off. These companies have traditionally=20
taken the lion's share of new customers because=20
they can service areas outside big cities, where=20
there is little or no cable coverage. But=20
analysts say these regions are also among the=20
hardest hit by the slowdown in the housing=20
market, which has recently been exacerbated by=20
the recent crisis in the subprime loan market=20
that serves borrowers with weak credit histories.
http://today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=3DtelevisionNews&sto...
D=3D2007-03-24T003718Z_01_N23394709_RTRIDST_0_TELEVISION-SUBSCRIBERS-DC.XML

PTC PULLS PUNCHES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The broadcast and cable industries can expect to=20
take at least a couple more shots from the=20
Parents Television Council in the coming weeks,=20
according to a copy of a PTC-commissioned poll.=20
In a press conference two weeks ago, PTC attacked=20
the media, calling the nine-month-old =93TV Boss=94=20
V-chip/ratings-education campaign a failure and=20
touting three questions it had asked about use of=20
the blocking technology. But it failed to share=20
with reporters the results of two other questions=20
that suggested the respondents wanted =E0 la carte=20
cable and to pull the licenses from =93indecent=94=20
broadcasters. PTC did share them with staffers at=20
the FCC, however, which has proved an ally in=20
PTC's war on indecent programming. Why then did=20
PTC choose not to disclose to the press=20
information that plainly supports its stance on=20
content control? Dan Isett, PTC's director of=20
corporate and government affairs, says that was=20
because the three questions it did release were=20
aimed directly at the TV Boss campaign. The=20
remaining ones will be publicized over the coming=20
weeks. According to one of the two missing=20
questions, 81% of respondents said they should=20
not be =93forced=94 to pay for channels they don't=20
want just to get access to programming they do=20
want. As for the second withheld question, when=20
asked, =93Do you agree or disagree that television=20
stations that repeatedly ignore the broadcast=20
decency law should lose their licenses to=20
broadcast over the public airwaves?,=94 68% said yes.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6427590.html?display=3DNews

ELECTIONS & MEDIA

WEB BECOMES SOURCE -- NOT OUTLET -- FOR NEWS
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Peter Johnson]
media experts say that the way "Hillary 1984"=20
made its way into the national discussion serves=20
as a cautionary tale for traditional news=20
outlets, which risk spreading material that may=20
be damaging or untrue to wider audiences -- all=20
for the sake of staying current with the Web. On=20
the Web, "you essentially have a public wall=20
where anybody can put up a billboard and say=20
anything," says Tom Rosenstiel of the Project for=20
Excellence in Journalism. "And if the wall=20
attracts a crowd, mainstream media write about=20
it." That presents challenges for the media, he=20
says: "If something is out there and having an=20
impact, you probably have a responsibility to=20
report it. But you have no less a responsibility=20
to tell me if it's believable or not."
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20070326/mediamix26.art.htm

RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT? QUICK, BUILD AN ONLINE NETWORK
[SOURCE: Los Angeles Times, AUTHOR: Scott Martelle]
The handful of people who have gathered on the=20
patio of a Pasadena coffeehouse are either the=20
answer, or the big question mark, in the upcoming=20
presidential election. They have come at the=20
behest of Mike Barako, a Los Angeles special-ed=20
teacher who has been following Sen. Barack Obama=20
(D-Ill.). Last month, Barako launched a website=20
through Obama's online campaign to build a local=20
committee of active supporters. More than two=20
dozen people promised to come out for this=20
night's organizational meeting. But only eight=20
people have shown up, pointing up one of the=20
challenges of the 2008 presidential campaigns'=20
rush to the Internet. Building an online database=20
of supporters and the curious is one thing.=20
Spurring them to action is another. "That's going=20
to be the test =85 whether you can capture the=20
lightning in the bottle and turn that into people=20
who will go door to door for you," said Michael=20
Turk, who ran the Internet operation for the 2004=20
Bush-Cheney campaign. "How are you going to turn=20
those people into true supporters and do the kind=20
of things that win campaigns?"
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-na-myspace26mar26,1...
37917.story?coll=3Dla-news-a_section
(requires registration)

ADVERTISING

FCC DID NOT PRESCREEN DOVE ADS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
Ogilvy & Mather Chicago executive Maureen=20
Shirreff suggested her ad agency submitted Dove=20
soap commercials featuring nudes with=20
strategically placed hands and arms to the FCC,=20
and that the Commission had asked for edits to=20
the campaign. "The Federal Communications=20
Commission would not allow Dove to run its latest=20
television commercials because they feature=20
"implied nudity" of women over 50," Promo=20
magazine reported. A section of the Promo=20
article, attributed to Shirreff, said "She added=20
that O&M and Dove felt that it would be=20
impossible for the spots to be edited, as was=20
suggested by the FCC, to pass federal muster."=20
According to a spokeswoman for Shirreff, the FCC=20
had nothing to do with the process. Instead,=20
Shirreff had been talking about the broadcast=20
networks to whom the spots had been initially=20
submitted. They are the ones who said the spots=20
would not pass muster, though they were "very=20
nice and supportive of the campaign."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6427447.html?display=3DBreaki...
News

FCC CITES STATIONS FOR CW AD
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
On Friday, the FCC admonished Media General's=20
WCBD-TV Charlotte and WNCT-TV Greeneville in=20
North Carolina for airing a program-length=20
commercial and calling children's educational TV.=20
The stations asked not to be sanctioned and=20
pointed out that the violation was a national ad=20
for Cocoa Pebbles that ran in a December 23, 2006=20
airing of the a CW network show that featured=20
"very small" images of characters from "Xiaolin=20
Showdown." The Commission said the violation was=20
isolated and did not fine the stations, but=20
instead gave them what amounts to an official=20
black mark in its file. That black mark also=20
covered the WCBD's failure to publicize the=20
existence and location of its children's TV=20
reports, which must be on public file and=20
available for inspection. The FCC admonished=20
three stations for kids TV violations Friday in a=20
string of such actions over the past several=20
months. It also admonished WSTR-TV Cincinnati for=20
a 90-second overage of the kids TV advertising=20
caps and a program length commercial for a 2002=20
airing of a Gameboy E-Reader ad in a Pokemon=20
program. The ad has gotten the FCC's attention before.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6427331?display=3DBreaking+News

DROP IN AD REVENUE RAISES TOUGH QUESTIONS FOR NEWSPAPERS
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Katharine Seelye]
Revenue from advertising was in striking decline=20
last month, compared with February a year ago,=20
and were generally weaker than analysts had=20
expected. And while there was one piece of good=20
news for the industry -- ad spending on newspaper=20
Web sites rose -- many industry watchers were=20
wondering whether the February declines were part=20
of a short-term slump or whether they signal a deepening systemic problem.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/26/business/media/26paper.html
(requires registration)

UGLY BILLBOARDS HAVE FRIENDS ON HILL
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Kathy Kiely]
A bill the Senate takes up today to provide=20
emergency funds for military operations and=20
Katrina victims also would help billboard=20
advertisers that donated tens of thousands of=20
dollars to Democrats and Republicans for the 2006=20
election. A provision tucked into the $122=20
billion measure at the request of Senate Majority=20
Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) would exempt older=20
billboards in 13 Southern states, stretching from=20
Florida to New Mexico, from regulation under the=20
1965 Highway Beautification Act. The provision=20
would let billboard companies rebuild signs=20
damaged by hurricanes even if the new ones=20
violate laws regulating the size and placement of=20
outdoor advertising. Sen Reid says he's trying to=20
protect the rights of businesses hurt by the storms.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20070326/1a_bottomstrip26.art.htm

TV AD-BUYING SEASON COULD GET CONFUSING THIS YEAR
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Laura Petrecca]
Ad buyers and sellers had better prepare for some=20
late nights and drawn-out negotiations. The=20
broadcast TV "upfront," the annual rite when=20
networks sell TV ads for the fall season, begins=20
in May and is going to be a much more complex=20
bazaar. Both sides are trying to put more precise=20
price tags on ad time with a multitude of new=20
"metrics" -- tools to measure how many viewers=20
actually watch an ad during Grey's Anatomy or=20
CSI, for example, and even how much attention=20
they pay. Traditionally, ad prices have been=20
based on a "live" audience measurement from=20
Nielsen Media Research: how many people watch a=20
show, including its ads, when it airs. This year,=20
a Nielsen tally just of ad viewing also will figure in the talks.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070326/upfront_confusion.ar...
tm

DIRECTV GOES FOR THE GUYS' EYES
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Theresa Howard]
Women make more than 80% of the decisions about=20
household spending and even exert control over=20
the dollars spent for that major "guy toy" =97 the=20
giant-screen television. But males are=20
decision-makers about what appears on those TVs,=20
according to marketing research, especially the=20
HD sets. HDTV sales reached $11.9 billion in 2006=20
with a bulk of the sales taking place in the=20
fourth quarter. With all those new owners out=20
there hungry for HD shows, the DirecTV spent=20
about $130 million last year to promote its HD=20
offerings =97 particularly to men. DirecTV and=20
other satellite TV services are in an intense=20
race against cable companies to sign up such=20
customers, who tend to be good prospects for=20
taking bigger bundles of premium services, so=20
their ads have highlighted their offerings of HD=20
channels. The race kicks into high gear this year=20
with new technology that will let DirecTV fit=20
double the amount of HD video in its existing satellite broadcast bandwidth.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070326/6b_adtrack26.art.htm

QUICKLY

FROM POKY TO LICKETY SPLIT
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Leslie Cauley]
How fast is fast enough for your Internet=20
connection? Can you get by with dial-up -- or do=20
you need a more expensive broadband connection.=20
USA TODAY asked the Stevens Institute of=20
Technology to conduct a series of performance=20
tests on six Internet access speeds: 56=20
kilobits-per-second (dial-up) and 625 kbps, 1.5=20
megabits-per-second, 3 mbps, 6 mbps and 24 mbps.=20
They represent a sampling of current and future=20
speeds from phone (DSL), cable and cellular data services.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070326/b_speed_new.art.htm
* With VoIP, transmission quality, not just speed, linked to call caliber
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070326/speedside.art.htm

23 MONTHS AND COUNTING: WHAT'S CHANGED
[SOURCE: Tracking the DTV Transition, AUTHOR: Bob Colby]
[Commentary] An update on developments in the digital television transition.
http://dtvswitch.blogspot.com/2007/03/twenty-three-months-and-counting-w...
s.html

NAB EXPANDS PUBLIC SERVICE PRESENCE
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The National Association of Broadcasters is=20
upping the profile of its public service efforts.=20
NAB is expanding the public service booth at its=20
annual convention in Las Vegas (April 14-19) into=20
a "pavilion" and moving it to the exhibit floor.=20
NAB will host almost two dozen nonprofits and=20
distribute PSAs, programming tips, and resource=20
guides. Among the groups represented are the=20
Peace Corps, March of dimes, American Cancer=20
Society, American Diabetes Association, American=20
Heart Association, the Red Cross, United Way and=20
Care. According to NAB's last biennial accounting=20
of broadcasters' public service contributions,=20
the industry generated $10.3 billion in contributions.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6427176?title=3DArticle&space...
c=3Dnews
--------------------------------------------------------------
Communications-related Headlines is a free online=20
news summary service provided by the Benton=20
Foundation (www.benton.org). Posted Monday=20
through Friday, this service provides updates on=20
important industry developments, policy issues,=20
and other related news events. While the=20
summaries are factually accurate, their often=20
informal tone does not always represent the tone=20
of the original articles. Headlines are compiled=20
by Kevin Taglang headlines( at )benton.org -- we welcome your comments.
--------------------------------------------------------------