MERGER
FCC Approves AOL-Time Warner Deal, Imposes Measures to Protect
Competition (WSJ)
Home Is Where Heart Of Media Giant Is (USA)
JOBS
Net Economy Hale And Hearty Study: Workforce Is Growing Strong (USA)
MERGER
FCC APPROVES AOL-TIME WARNER DEAL, WITH RESTRICTIONS
Issue: Merger
A year and a day after the deal was announced, the Federal Communications
Commission approved the AOL-Time Warner merger but imposed conditions to
protect competition on the Internet. The transaction unites the Internet
behemoth and the nation's biggest media company. Although the merger is
expected to quicken the growth of high-speed, or "broadband," Internet
access and such services as interactive television, its announcement
galvanized consumer advocates wary of abuses by the new-media giants and
spurred fears that a few companies would dominate news and entertainment.
The FCC imposed conditions on instant messaging, a powerful online
communications channel, placed limits on AOL's dealings with the largest
cable owner, AT&T, and also placed further conditions on AOL's relationships
with competing Internet services. However, the FCC did not impose conditions
on AOL's foray into interactive television, but said it would open a
separate proceeding to examine whether federal rules should be required to
promote competition in the nascent market. "These conditions in their
essence are designed to protect the open, competitive nature of the
Internet," said FCC Chairman William Kennard.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHOR: Jill Carroll ]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB979256638823720242.htm)
(requires subscription)
F.C.C. APPROVES AOL-TIME WARNER DEAL, WITH CONDITIONS
[SOURCE: New York Times (A1), AUTHOR: Stephen Labaton]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/01/12/technology/12AOL.html/)
(requires registration)
CONDITONED APPROVAL OF AOL - TIME WARNER MERGER
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/aol_tw.html)
HOME IS WHERE HEART OF MEDIA GIANT IS
Issue: Merger
To fathom the implications of the mega-merger of AOL-Time Warner that was
approved yesterday by the FCC, think of the 118 million people that already
have a financial relationship with the newly formed media behemoth, mostly
as subscribers. The company's TV shows, movies, music, magazines, books and
Internet services reach virtually every corner of our lives. Still, the
company is more than a potent commercial force. It also looms large over our
civic and cultural life. It owns the No. 1 cable news network, Internet news
destination, weekly newsmagazine, and millions of people can't imagine a day
without using the company's e-mail, chat and messaging services for basic
communication. No wonder critics of this marriage fear that AOL-Time Warner
will dominate news and entertainment, making the new media giant a new kind
of cultural gatekeeper as it lures us into a beautiful, but tightly
controlled, walled garden. Welcome to a new media era, with your living room
as center stage.
[SOURCE: USAToday (3B), AUTHOR: USAToday Editorial Staff]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20010112/2984773s.htm)
JOBS
NET ECONOMY HALE AND HEARTY STUDY: WORKFORCE IS GROWING STRONG
Issue: Jobs
Even with the recent dot-com turmoil, the Internet economy appears to be
growing at breakneck speed, according to a study out today by University of
Texas researchers. The study found that the total Internet-related
employment in first-quarter 2000 grew 10% from the first quarter of 1999.
The study shows a continued shift by mainline companies to the Internet as
they use the Web to reduce costs and boost productivity. Despite the
slowdown, the UT study still forecasts that the second half of 2000 "will
show that as the economy slowed, companies accelerated their efforts to use
the Internet to increase productivity and lower costs," says Andrew
Whinston, study co-author. "We're getting to the point where as more
traditional companies start to integrate, you'll be hard-pressed to tell
what is an Internet job and what's not," Sue Bostrom, senior vice president
at Cisco. "In a couple of years, we won't be talking about the Internet
economy and the regular economy. They will be one business."
[SOURCE: USAToday (6B), AUTHOR: Dina Temple-Raston]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20010112/2984729s.htm)
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