LEGISLATION
Congress Makes Progress on Technology Issues (CyberTimes)
Congress Extends Protection for Goofy and Gershwin (NYT)
Wait 'TIll Next Year (B&C)
2 States Consider Boldly Revamping Campaign Finance
EDTECH
Girls and Computers (NYT)
Censorship or Common Sense? (NYT)
Teachers Get Training Via Interactive TV (WP)
BROADCAST/CABLE
Minority Commercial Broadcast Ownership in the United States (NTIA)
Two for a More Refined V-Chip (WP)
Senators Seek FCC Crack Down On Indecency (B&C)
MTV to Launch Anti-Violence Effort (B&C)
Internet Users Not Forsaking Radio (B&C)
TELEPHONE REGULATION
Bells and GTE Hope to Win by Losing at Supreme Court (NYT)
JOURNALISM
An ABC News Reporter Tests the Boundaries of
Investigating Disney and Finds Them (NYT)
Debate Flares Over Count of Women in Newsroom (NYT)
INTERNET
NTIA to Host International Conference on Nonprofit Networking (NTIA)
European Union Considers Methods To Safeguard Consumers on the Web (WSJ)
U.S. to Allow Coalition of Companies To Export New Encryption
Technology (WSJ)
Computer Music Device Banned (WP)
Jon Postel, Pioneer of Internet Technology, Dies at 55 (WP)
PUBLISHING
Book Publishers Seek Global each and Grand Scale (NYT)
ANTITRUST
* More than you ever wanted to know about the Microsoft trial;
you want to read -- we got links.
+ Netscape Is Upgrading Internet Browser In Bid to Maintain Lead Over
Microsoft (WSJ)
===========
LEGISLATION
===========
CONGRESS MAKES PROGRESS ON TECHNOLOGY ISSUES
Issue: Legislation
"The 105th Congress gets it," said Marc Pearl, general counsel and senior
vice president of government affairs for the Information Technology
Association of America http://www.itaa.org. "There is now a substantive
recognition that the continued robust growth of the [information technology]
industry in the United States will serve to benefit the overall robust
growth of the U.S. economy." The industry gave Congress high marks for
legislation that includes: the Internet Tax Freedom Act; Digital Millennium
Copyright Act; an immigration bill that makes an extra 142,000 visas
available to skilled technology workers over the next three years; an
extension of a 15-year-old research and development tax credit that expired
this year; a revision in securities litigation law to protect new companies
from frivolous lawsuits over fluctuations in their stock prices; and Year
2000 liability disclosure, which encourages companies to share information
about whether their computer systems are prepared to handle calendar dates
beyond 1999, and how any related problems can be fixed (companies would be
exempt from lawsuits that are based on the information they have disclosed).
"Information and technology are driving our society," Pearl said.
"Legislators at all levels are going to want to have a chance at taking
their turn up to bat at the pinata. What we have to do is try to make the
best case that regulation and taxation can be done in a very effective and
responsible fashion by the industry."
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing jeri( at )nytimes.com]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/cyber/articles/18congress.html
CONGRESS EXTENDS PROTECTION FOR GOOFY AND GERSHWIN
Issue: Copyright/Legislation
Congress passed two controversial bills that will rewrite American copyright
law. The Copyright Term Extension Act extends the life of copyright
protection for creators of original works. For works created on or after
January 1 1978, copyrights will now last 70 years after the author's death.
For works by corporations, copyrights will no last 95 instead of 75 years.
The legislation keeps Mickey Mouse, for example, from passing into the
public domain in 2004. The online Copyright Infringement Liability
Limitation Act protects Internet service providers from liability when they
unwittingly transmit material that infringes on a copyright. "The
philosophical basis for copyright protection is twofold: to protect the
rights of artists to profit from and control the use of their work and to
preserve public interest by guaranteeing that eventually the right to use
the works will pass into the public domain," Chartrand writes.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C2), AUTHOR: Sabra Chartrand]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/patents.html
WAIT 'TILL NEXT YEAR
Issue: Satellites
Attempts to pass a bill allowing satellites TV companies to offer local
broadcast signals to compete with cable systems have failed once again.
Satellites operators' eagerness for local-into-local authorization could not
overcome deep disagreement between them and broadcasters. Representatives
from both industries say that passage of a bill is likely next year.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting & Cable (P24), AUTHOR: Paige Albiniak]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/
2 STATES CONSIDER BOLDLY REVAMPING CAMPAIGN FINANCE
Issue: Campaign Finance Reform
Frustrated at the Federal level by opposition in the Senate, efforts to
clean up campaign finance laws are moving to the states. In Massachusetts
and Arizona, voters will decide on campaign finance reform through ballot
initiates. Missouri, Washington and Oregon are expected to take up measures
soon. The efforts in Massachusetts and Arizona would set up
publicly-financed elections: after enough initial fundraising to qualify, a
candidate for state office would receive enough funds for a public campaign
if s/he renounces any more fundraising. In both states, the measures have a
strong chance of passing.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A1), AUTHOR: Carey Goldberg]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/washpol/campaign-finance.html
======
EDTECH
======
GIRLS AND COMPUTERS
Issue: EdTech/Gender
A summary of findings from the report by the American Association of
University Women on education technology and gender. Girls make up a small
percentage of students in high-level computer courses, are more likely to
take data entry classes, use computers more for word processing than for
problem solving, and rate themselves as less competent with computers than
boys. Part of the problem could be computer games and educational software
that seem to be targeted more at boys than girls. But teachers can help turn
this around. "In 1992, the association raised the nation's awareness of a
gender gap in enrollment in math and science courses in high school. In less
than a decade, that gap has been narrowed because educators worked to
increase girls' participation. Now educators must insure that girls are not
inadvertently left out of the computer revolution."
[SOURCE: New York Times (A20), AUTHOR: NYT Editorial Staff]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/editorial/19mon3.html
CENSORSHIP OR COMMON SENSE?
Issue: Libraries/Internet
A look at the Internet filtering debate in libraries. Robinson argues that
the American Civil Liberties Union, the American Library Association, and
others are protecting "the child pornographer instead of the child." Someone
may have the right to stand on a street and spew obscenities at passers-by,
but the same person would be asked to leave a kindergarten classroom. If
libraries don't have a history of making pornography easily available in
print form to children, why should they make it easy for computer users?
[SOURCE: New York Times (A21), AUTHOR: Roxana Robinson, "This Is My Daughter"]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/oped/19robi.html
TEACHERS GET TRAINING VIA INTERACTIVE TV
ISSUE:
In Prince George's County, Maryland public school teachers themselves are
learning via computer. Teachers are taking college courses after school or
on Saturdays at several high schools via interactive television.
Instructors are located at one location and communicate simultaneously with
groups at up to four sites. The school system is using this instructional
method to assure teachers with provisional certificates have the opportunity
to attain full accreditation. Presently eighty teachers are enrolled in the
six interactive courses.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (B1), AUTHOR: Lisa Frazier]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/digest/local003.htm
===============
BROADCAST/CABLE
===============
MINORITY COMMERCIAL BROADCAST OWNERSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES
Issue: Ownership
NTIA has posted the 1998 release of the Minority Commercial Broadcast
Ownership in the United States report. "The National Telecommunications and
Information Administration's (NTIA) 1997-1998 survey of minority ownership
of full power commercial radio and television stations in the United States
finds that 165 minority broadcasters own 337 of 11,524 commercial radio and
television stations in the United States. Minority commercial broadcast
ownership showed a negligible increase of .1%, from 2.8% in 1997 to 2.9%
this year, a net gain of 15 stations."
[SOURCE: NTIA]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/opadhome/minown98/
TWO FOR A MORE REFINED V-CHIP
ISSUE:
Dilip Son and Sidney Hoffman believe the V-chip will work but they worry
whether it will work enough. The V-chip will give parents the opportunity
to block out television programs which they do not want their children to
see. Son and Hoffman have created software called CPC-V that they say would
make the V-chip "a surgical tool, rather than a sledgehammer." They would
allow broadcasters to insert multiple ratings in a program. The revised
V-chip could then filter out certain parts of the program while leaving
acceptable portions of the program alone. To date they have seen a general
lack of interest by the TV industry and TV viewers in their new
creation. Part of the problem may be the price ($995). [Or these are two
smart people with no clue about politics]
[SOURCE: Washington Post (F5), AUTHOR: Paul Farhi]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-10/19/018l-101998-idx.html
SENATORS SEEK FCC CRACK DOWN ON INDECENCY
Issue: Indecency
Several lawmakers have written a letter to the FCC requesting more severe
treatment of lewd broadcasters. In the letter, a bipartisan group of eight
Senators asked the Commission to launch an inquiry into its enforcement of
indecency standards. In response, FCC Chairman William Kennard insisted that
the agency was doing everything it could, within the law, to keep the
airwaves clean. Just last week, the FCC imposed an $23,000 fine on a Florida
radio station for airing indecent programming during times when children
could have been in the audience.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting & Cable (P8), AUTHOR: Bill McConnell and Paige Albiniak]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/
MTV TO LAUNCH ANIT-VIOLENCE EFFORT
Issue:
MTV, in conjunction with the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice, will
launch a multimillion dollar anti-violence campaign aimed at young people. A
recent survey commissioned by MTV found that violence is the main concern
among teens and young adults. The campaign will focus on three themes -
violence in schools, violence in the streets and sexual violence. Special
programs, public service announcements, documentaries and debates will
address violence and how to prevent it from happening.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting & Cable (P66), AUTHOR: Donna Petrozzello
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/
INTERNET USERS NOT FORSAKING RADIO
Issue: Radio
While the growth of Internet has meant a big drop in TV and print media
use, the same is not so for radio. New research suggests that the Internet
has resulted in 30% less time watching TV, 11% less time reading newspaper
and 10% less time reading magazines. The small decline in radio listening is
made up for by the many new Internet users who spend more time listening to
the radio while online. Advertisers of online services are taking advantage
of the fact that radio reaches 86% of Internet on an average day. The first
half of 1997 has shown a large increase in radio spending among Internet
companies.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting & Cable (P59), AUTHOR: John Merli]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/
====================
TELEPHONE REGULATION
====================
Bells and GTE Hope to Win by Losing at Supreme Court
Issue: Telephone Regulation
In a case that really makes you love the Byzantine telecom industry, a look
at why some incumbent local phone companies (ILECs) may not mind if they
lose the recent Supreme Court case on bringing competition to local phone
markets. The case now is about jurisdiction: can the FCC set rules that help
set local rates or should states do that. If the ILECs win, states set those
prices; if the FCC wins, it sets them. Why might the ILECs want to lose
then? Because after the FCC's rules were challenged in court, many states
went forward and adopted themselves anyway. If the ILECs win, they will have
to challenge each state's rules individually in court. If the ILECs lose,
they can re-challenge the FCC rules once in a Federal court. Of course, that
would probably mean the case would come back to the Supreme Court. [Is
anyone still asking themselves why Reed Hundt stepped down as FCC chairman?]
[SOURCE: New York Times (C2), AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/fcc-phone-assess.html
==========
JOURNALISM
==========
AN ABC NEWS REPORTER TESTS THE BOUNDARIES OF INVESTIGATING DISNEY AND FINDS THEM
Issue: Journalism/Ownership
An ABC journalist's story about parent-company Disney was killed -- or, at
least, shelved -- under murky circumstances last week. A draft of the report
"was not acceptable to ABC News," said Eileen Murphy, the division's chief
spokesperson. But when pressed for ABC News' thinking on whether there are
limits to investigating its parent company, she said, "We would generally
not embark on an investigation that focused solely on Disney, and was not
part of a broader story that involved other companies, for a whole variety
of reasons, one of which is that whatever you come up with, positive or
negative, will seem suspect." Mifflin writes, Can reporters investigate
[parent companies] the way they would any other subject? If not, where must
a line be drawn?
[SOURCE: New York Times (C8), AUTHOR: Lawrie Mifflin]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/abcnews-disney.html
Debate Flares Over Count of Women in Newsroom
Issue: Journalism/Gender
The American Society of Newspaper Editors has been developing a statement of
principles, goals and strategies for increasing the numbers of minority
journalists. But a new debate has arisen on whether or not women should be
counted in the annual newsroom census of minority journalists. Some say
adding numbers on women will distract from the goal of adding minorities to
the ranks of journalists; others say that there is no reason to not track
the numbers. The governing board of ASNE meets in Miami tomorrow to address
diversity issues.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C6), AUTHOR: Felicity Barringer]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/newspapers-minorities.html
========
INTERNET
========
NTIA TO HOST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON NONPROFIT NETWORKING
Issue: TIIAP/Community Networks
From a press release: NTIA will host a conference to discuss the growing
international nonprofit networking movement. Commerce Assistant Secretary
Larry Irving announced the conference from the NTIA exhibit at the
International Telecommunications Union Plenipotentiary Conference in
Minneapolis, MN. Assistant Secretary Irving said that the conference
responds to "the overwhelming interest generated by the ITU exhibits.
Delegate after delegate from around the world has asked us how they might
create these services in their countries. The lessons we have learned from
TIIAP can be shared to spur the use of telecommunications to increase the
quality of global life, understanding, and cooperation. Through this
conference we also can share the richness of the international culture here
today with communities across America....To be held in the Spring of 1999,
the conference will bring together individuals, organizations, businesses
and governments interested in using telecommunications technology to provide
education, health, public safety and state and local government services. If
you are interested in participating, please call Judy Sparrow at 202-482-2048.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/81013itu.htm
EUROPEAN UNION CONSIDERS METHODS TO SAFEGUARD CONSUMERS
Issue: E-Commerce/International
The future of consumer protection online is currently being debated in
Brussles. A European Union proposal on electronic commerce includes a
provision in which Internet companies would be wholly regulated by their
country of origin. Consumer groups are unhappy with the proposed directive,
which they claim will fragment the market and make it more difficult for
consumers to file complaints against Web merchants located in different
countries. They fear that uneven consumer-protection laws across Europe
will encourage businesses to set up shop in countries with the most lax laws.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B15), AUTHOR: Jennifer Schenker]
http://wsj.com/
U.S. TO ALLOW COALITION OF COMPANIES TO EXPORT NEW ENCRYPTION TECHNOLOGY
ISSUE: Encryption
The export of data-scrambling technology took a step forward with the
permission of the Commerce Department to export a new encryption technology.
The Clinton Administration will allow a coalition of 10 high-tech companies
to export technology that will allow electronic messages to remain secure
while enabling law enforcement officials to eavesdrop on some digitized
conversations. Previously law enforcement groups had opposed the export of
the new encryption technology unless they could gain private access to fight
terrorism and other crimes. Law enforcement groups still will be required
to get a court order to eavesdrop on e-mail. Significant restrictions apply
to what countries or foreign companies can purchase the software. U.S.
companies complain that they are losing sales in the world market because of
the restrictions. A representative of Cisco Systems Inc., the company
leading the U.S. industry effort, said the government decision offers "a
foothold in the market." More companies are expected to apply for
permission to sell the software.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B5), AUTHOR: John Simons]
http://www.wsj.com/
COMPUTER MUSIC DEVICE BANNED
ISSUE:
The Rio portable MP3 player by Diamond Multimedia Systems Inc. is not being
produced for at least 10 days. Major record companies managed to get a
10-day restraining order from a U.S. District Court judge. The palm-sized
device plugs into a computer and can save and replay nearly an hour of
CD-quality music. The Recording Industry Association of America has sued
Diamond contending the device will enable customers to download pirated
music directly from the Internet. RIAA is proposing copy-protection
technology be incorporated in the device.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (WP website), AUTHOR: Associated Press]
http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WAPO/19981018/V000736-101898-idx...
JON POSTEL, PIONEER OF INTERNET TECHNOLOGY, DIES AT 55
ISSUE:
Jon Postel, a key player in the growth and direction of the Internet, died
October 16 near his home in Los Angeles after surgery for a heart ailment.
He had served as director of the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority and was
in the process of turning over management of the Internet to a nonprofit
organization which he helped found.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (B6), AUTHOR: Richard Pearson]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-10/19/092l-101998-idx.html
==========
PUBLISHING
==========
BOOK PUBLISHERS SEEK GLOBAL REACH AND GRAND SCALE
Issue: Publishing
The world's $80 billion per year book business is becoming more concentrated
among mega-publishers and increasingly borderless with electronic
bookselling and global deals. The Bertelsmann media and publishing
conglomerate, based in Germany, purchased Random House and has a new deal
with Barnes & Noble's electronic bookstore. "The whales are eating the
whales," said Martin Levin, a former publishing executive and lawyer who
specializes in mergers and acquisitions of publishing companies. "It used to
be that the whales were eating the minnows. Now the appetites are so much
bigger. This is a watershed moment in publishing, where we have never seen
this kind of concentration before with global ownership and the big getting
bigger."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Doreen Carvajal]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/bookpublish-global.html
=========
ANTITRUST
=========
MICROSOFT GOES TO COURT
MORE ENDURING THAN POLITICS
PUSH TO BUY PALM SHOWS AGGRESSION IS CONSISTENT
PREVIOUS ANTITRUST CASES LEAVE ROOM FOR BOTH SIDES TO CITE THEM NOW
SHERMAN'S 1890 NOD TO POPULISM HAS BEEN BROADLY INTERPRETED
MICROSOFT TRIAL SET TO OPEN (WP)
MICROSOFT TO EMERGE A CHANGED COMPANY (WP)
WHEN WORLD VIEWS COLLIDE (WP)
AMERICA ONLINE GIVES U.S. PROSECUTORS NEW EVIDENCE IN CASE AGAINST MICROSOFT
(WSJ)
MICROSOFT'S SECRET STRATEGY FOR WINNING THE ANTITRUST CASE
YOUR MICROSOFT TRIAL GUIDE
Issue: Antitrust
The Microsoft antitrust case goes to court today. The case, filed in May,
was originally just about the software company's attempt to monopolize the
Internet browser market. But the case has been expanded to include "a broad
pattern of anticompetitive conduct" by Microsoft within the computer
industry. [If you haven't read your fill yet, here's links to the stories we
found today.]
[SOURCE: New York Times (A1/C1), AUTHOR: Steve Lohr]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/biztech/articles/19game.html
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Joel Brinkley]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/biztech/articles/19hist.html
[SOURCE: New York Times (C9), AUTHOR: John Markoff]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/biztech/articles/19palm.html
[SOURCE: New York Times (C10), AUTHOR: Michael Weinstein]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/biztech/articles/19case.html
[SOURCE: New York Times (C9), AUTHOR: Steve Lohr]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/biztech/articles/19law.html
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A1), AUTHOR: Rajiv Chandrasekaran]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/longterm/microsoft/micro.htm
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A13), AUTHOR: Rajiv Chandrasekaran & Elizabeth
Corcoran]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/longterm/microsoft/stories/19
98/consumers101998.htm
[SOURCE: Washington Post (D1), AUTHOR: Linton Weeks]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-10/19/051l-101998-idx.html
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHOR: John R. Wilke]
http://www.wsj.com/
[SOURCE: ZDNet AnchorDesk, AUTHOR: Jesse Berst, Editorial Director]
http://www.anchordesk.com/a/adt1019ba/2662
http://www.anchordesk.com/a/adt1019ms/2660
NETSCAPE IS UPGRADING INTERNET BROWSER IN BID TO MAINTAIN LEAD OVER MICROSOFT
ISSUE: Internet
Netscape announces a new browser today, Communicator version 4.5. One of
the big additions is embedded audio and video technology from RealNetworks,
Inc. The RealPlayer multimedia addition will mean that users will not have
to download the software for sound and video to be played from the Web.
RealNetworks' alliance with Netscape comes at a time when both are battling
with Microsoft, RealNetwork for supremacy in multimedia software and
Netscape in the browser market. The new Communicator program is offering
several other new features and tighter links to the Netscape Internet site.
Netscape says the software is also more compatible with Microsoft's Windows
operating system.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Kara Swisher]
http://www.wsj.com/
*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
Due to length and sanity concerns, we did not cover the Chicago Tribune this
morning.