INTERNET
FEC To Debate Rules On Net's Role In Federal Elections (WP)
What If The Net Was As Free As Air? (BBC)
TELEVISION
State May Aid Public TV Stations in Shift to Digital Transmission
(NYT)
ANTITRUST
Judge May Limit States' Arguments In Their Side of the Microsoft
Case (WSJ)
INTERNET
FEC TO DEBATE RULES ON NET'S ROLE IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS
Issue: Internet
A public hearing will be held today by the Federal Election Commission to
hear concerns over their proposed plan to apply existing election
regulations to online campaign activity. The proposed regulations would
exempt individuals who use their own equipment to campaign for candidates
for federal office. Additionally, corporations and labor organizations
would be able to endorse candidates on their Web sites, provided the
material did not include "express advocacy materials" such as banner ads.
Many have praised the FEC's proposal, but some feel the rules are
unnecessary. James Bopp, general counsel for the James Madison Center for
Free Speech recently said, "Now that we have a means of communication that
is so cheap that the average citizen finally has a way to participate in the
political process, there is really no justification for regulation."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Brian Krebs, Newsbytes.Com]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/15735-1.html)
WHAT IF THE NET WAS FREE AS AIR?
Issue: Internet
Consume, a London-based project is using radio net technology called Wi-Fi
to help users avoid monthly Internet access fees to join an online
communities. Over 400 Consume nodes exist in London and founder, James
Stevens describes users swapping music, sharing information and
investigating ways to use Consume nodes to support multiplayer gaming and
stream music. Mr. Stevens is currently working to set up 5 new Consume nodes
that will serve 5,000 people. "We found that there was indeed the potential
for wide adoption and easy utilization of the 11 megabits per second
wireless kit for free networking," he said. "That's 'free' as in speech."
Wireless networks have shown up in Brighton, Edinburgh, and the Welsh
development agency is investigating using wireless networks to help connect
rural communities.
[SOURCE: BBC News]
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/in_depth/sci_tech/2000/dot_life/newsid_187
8000/1878309.stm)
TELEVISION
STATE MAY AID PUBLIC TV STATIONS IN SHIFT TO DIGITAL TRANSMISSION
Issue: Television
New York's nine public television stations have won support from legislators
in Albany for aid in converting to digital signals, a plan that could cost
taxpayers more than $50 million. The move to digital signals from analog is
expensive and is a technological leap, television's equivalent to the
introduction of FM frequencies on the radio dial in the 1940's. The Federal
Communications Commission has demanded that all commercial stations begin
digital transmission this year and that all public stations begin by May
2003. The compressed nature of digital signals allows stations to offer up
to four channels for every one channel of programming they have now. In
return for the assistance, each of the stations has agreed that one of its
additional channels will be educational programming. WXXI-TV, a public
television station in Rochester, for example, plans to offer one channel of
general programming, a children's channel and an adult education channel.
[SOURCE: New York Times (3/15), AUTHOR: Jayson Blair]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/15/nyregion/15DIGI.html)
(requires registration)
ANTITRUST
JUDGE MAY LIMIT STATES' ARGUMENTS IN THEIR SIDE OF THE MICROSOFT CASE
Issue: Antitrust
Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly has signaled that she may limit evidence and
arguments from the nine states currently seeking tougher restrictions
against Microsoft than those imposed by the Justice Department. Microsoft
has complained that the nine states are attempting to re-try the case and
has pressed Kollar-Kotelly to only hear evidence that will help form a
remedy to Microsoft's antitrust activities. Judge Kollar-Kotelly appears to
have agreed with Microsoft and did not allow former Netscape CEO, James
Barksdale to include his views on the Windows XP operating system in recent
testimony. However, she did caution that, "I don't want to be too quick in
deleting something", and made it clear she would rather hear more testimony,
rather than less.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Nicholas Kulish]
(http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB1016562867231398560,00.html?mod=technolo
gy_main_whats_news)
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