Campaign Finance Reform
NYT: Vote On a Campaign Finance Bill Is Put Off After G.O.P. Defections
NYT: The Ebb and Flow of Reform
WP: Campaign Reform: Not The F.C.C's Business
Television
WSJ: BCI, Jones Intercable Hit Court as Cultural Wires Cross
FCC: Digital TV and Medical Telemetry Devices
Public Broadcasting
NYT: At Minnesota Public Radio. a Deal Way Above Average
Telephony
TelecomAM: Louisiana Regulator Says FCC Ignores State Opinions on Sec. 271
TelecomAM: FCC To Review Rules For Disabled Access To Phones
Internet
NYT: How to Govern Cyberspace: Frontier Justice or Legal Precedent?
WSJ: Gallic Passion for Minitel Thwarts L'Internet in France
NTIA: Technical Management of Internet Names and Addresses
Arts
NYT: New York State Conference Seeks to Join Arts and Technology
Antitrust
WP: U.S. May Fight Murdoch-MCI Satellite Plan
WP: Scrutiny of Microsoft Grows
NYT: Senators Ask Microsoft to Ease Data Release
Lifestyles!
WSJ: Paramount Is Hoping "Grease" Lighting Will Strike Twice
** Campaign Finance Reform **
Title: Vote On a Campaign Finance Bill Is Put Off After G.O.P. Defections
Source: New York Times (A1,A12)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/032798gop-funds.html
Author: Alison Mitchell
Issue: Campaign Finance Reform
Description: House Republican leaders decided to put off a vote on campaign
finance reform on Thursday after they were unable to generate the support
needed to kill a bipartisan plan to rewrite the nation's election rules. The
Republican move signals that "at least for now a majority exists in the
House to pass an overhaul bill that would ban political parties from
accepting large unregulated donations known as soft money. The legislation,
which would also curb 'issue ads' by outside groups, is fiercely opposed by
Republican leaders, whose party generally has a fund-raising advantage."
Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT), who is sponsoring the McCain-Feingold
legislation in the House along with Rep. Martin Meehan (D-MA), said: "The
bottom line is that McCain-Feingold would pass in the House because there
would be enough Republicans to join with the Democrats."
Title: The Ebb and Flow of Reform
Source: New York Times (A22)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/editorial/27fri1.html
Author: NY Times Editorial Staff
Issue: Campaign Finance Reform
Description: Yesterday, Newt Gingrich "yanked" campaign finance reform from
the House agenda. The Speaker's move came after aides were unable to round
up enough votes to block campaign finance reform legislation on the House
floor. Allies of Gingrich are reportedly planning to reschedule
"consideration of reform bills next month, but only under rules requiring a
two-thirds vote for approval. These desperation tactics are an abuse of
power reminiscent of conduct Mr. Gingrich himself deplored for years."
Title: Campaign Reform: Not The F.C.C's Business
Source: Washington Post (A25)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-03/27/040l-032798-idx.html
Author: John McCain (R-AZ)
Issue: Campaign Finance Reform
Description: Sen McCain is a strong advocate of free broadcast time for
political candidates and a principal sponsor of campaign finance reform
legislation. He is, however, opposed to the Federal Communications Commission
requiring broadcasters to provide free air time to political candidates.
"First, free air
time is only one factor in achieving real campaign finance reform. Would
[FCC Chairman] Kennard's proposal help even a little? I doubt it...the FCC
is the 'expert'
agency on telecommunications oversight, not electoral
oversight...Furthermore, administration of a free-time requirement without
clarifying legislation would present hosts of difficult practical problems
totally unsuited for an inexperienced and obviously partisan political
agency such as the FCC to resolve...Whether I personally agree with it or
not, the bottom line is that existing law does not permit, and a majority in
Congress would not favor, the FCC's imposing free-time requirements on
broadcasters without a legislative directive. Which brings me to the final
point: the clout of the broadcast lobby and its attempt to avoid paying in
any way for its spectrum. I was not pleased that the broadcasters got away
without paying one red cent for their new digital spectrum, but an
overwhelming majority of Congress felt differently. Still, this spectrum was
estimated to be worth up to $70 billion. Free political time wouldn't make
up for that loss, and neither would other kinds of new programming
rules...That's why in the final analysis it must be Congress -- not
noble-minded, self-anointed, unelected Washington policy wonks -- that
decides how this payment is to be rendered."
** Television **
Title: BCI, Jones Intercable Hit Court as Cultural Wires Cross
Source: Wall Street Journal
http://wsj.com/ (B4)
Author: Leslie Cauley
Issue: Corporate Retrenchment
Description: Like marriage, some mergers end in divorce. BCI -- owned by BCE
which also controls Bell Canada -- has filed suit against partner Jones
Intercable, the ninth largest cable operator in the US. In December 1993,
BCI paid $290 million for a 30% share of Jones Intercable. But Glenn Jones,
chairman and founder of Jones Intercable, has not included BCI executives in
the decisionmaking process. Wall Street is watching closely to see what
happens in court and if BCI will try to get out of the deal.
Title: Digital TV and Medical Telemetry Devices
Source: FCC
http://www.fcc.gov/healthnet/dtv.html
Issue: Digital TV/Health
Description: DTV Allotment Lists, a Joint FCC - FDA Statement, and a Fact
Sheet on the Sharing of Analog and Digital Television Spectrum by Medical
Telemetry Devices are now available from the new Digital TV and Medical
Telemetry Devices Section of the FCC Health Care Home Page. [And you thought
April Fool's Day was next week]
** Public Broadcasting **
Title: At Minnesota Public Radio. a Deal Way Above Average
Source: New York Times (C3)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/public-radio-execs.html
Author: Reed Abelson
Issue: Public Broadcasting
Description: The for-profit sister company of Minnesota Public Radio, the
Greenspring Co., announced plans to sell its catalog business to Dayton
Hudson Corp. for an estimated $120 million. A large portion of the proceeds,
approximately $90 million, will be added to Minnesota Public Radio's
endowment. The "additional income generated will serve to replace the
contributions lost" due to the sale of the catalog business, which has
contributed about $4 million a year to Minnesota Public Radio in the past.
** Telephony **
Title: Louisiana Regulator Says FCC Ignores State Opinions on Sec. 271
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Long Distance
Description: Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Jay Blossman Jr. told the
Senate Communications Subcommittee that some people at Federal
Communications Commission think state regulators are not "sophisticated
enough or bright enough to evaluate long distance applications."
Commissioner Blossman said the FCC ignored eight months of work by the PSC
when it rejected BellSouth's application to provide long distance despite
state regulators' OK. [They must think I'm some sort of country...] But
Texas Public Utilities Commission Chairman Pat Wood praised the FCC and said
the best way for Congress to help the Commission on Section 271 is "to leave
it alone."
Title: FCC To Review Rules For Disabled Access To Phones
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Disabilities
Description: At an open meeting of the Federal Communications Commission on
April 2, the agency will begin a rulemaking on implementing Section 255 of
the Telecommunications Act of 1996 -- access to phone services for persons
with disabilities. The rulemaking will include specific questions on how
rules will affect manufacturers' costs and how the FCC will enforce the rules.
** Internet **
Title: How to Govern Cyberspace: Frontier Justice or Legal Precedent?
Source: New York Times (CyberTimes)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/03/cyber/cyberlaw/27law.html
Author: Carl S. Kaplan
Issue: Internet Regulation
Description: Jack Goldsmith, an associate professor at he Univ. of Chicago
School of Law and author of an upcoming law review article, "Against
Cyberanarchy," believes that "the Internet is just another communications
medium -- not too different from the telephone, the telegraph or smoke
signals." In a recent interview, Goldsmith said: "The important thing to see
is that there is nothing new about the Net...My aim is to show that contrary
to popular belief, there is nothing new under the sun." In the article,
which is expected to be "combative," Goldsmith attacks the "cyber-patriot"
viewpoint and "pours cold water on the notion that cyberspace is a 'place'
where self-government should rule almost exclusively. In addition, Goldsmith
argues that it is perfectly O.K. for governments to regulate the global
Internet -- as they do other border-shattering media -- in an effort to
prevent harmful effects on local citizens. The resulting clash of laws from
different jurisdictions can be sorted out by lawyers using traditional rules
of legal analysis."
Title: Gallic Passion for Minitel Thwarts L'Internet in France
Source: Wall Street Journal
http://wsj.com/ (B1)
Author: Kimberley Strassel
Issue: Old vs. New Media
Description: "After more than 15 years of the Minitel, a national computer
network that allows users to do everything from check weather forecasts to
order pizza, France has now officially acknowledged that the online future
lies with the globe-spanning Internet." But early adopters of Minitel are
hooked to the technology -- even though it is now out-dated. "We created the
killer application long before that term was invented," said a Minitel
developer (with a slight accent). "But now the question is, what do we do
with it?"
Title: Technical Management of Internet Names and Addresses
Source: NTIA
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/new.html
Issue: Internet Regulation
Description: The comment period for the Technical Management of Internet
Names and Addresses discussion draft
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/domainname130.htm has closed,
with over 650 comments received. All electronically filed comments received
on or before March 23, 1998 are available on the Comments Received web page
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/domainname/130dftmail/index.html. Several
additional comments received in paper form will be available online shortly.
** Arts **
Title: New York State Conference Seeks to Join Arts and Technology
Source: New York Times (CyberTimes)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/03/cyber/articles/26art.html
Author: Matthew Mirapaul
Issue: Arts
Description: Circuits( at )nys, the State of New York's first digital-arts
conference, began last night in Manhattan. The conference, which bears a
more formal subtitle: the Governor's Conference on Arts and Technology, is a
gathering of more than 600 electronic artists, administrators, educators and
business executives. The participants will be working for two and half days
in panels, workshops and demonstrations, considering ways for "the state of
art to become a greater part of the art of the state." Michael Royce, deputy
director of the New York State Council on the Arts, said: "This conference
is a meeting of the minds. We're bringing together the best and the
brightest from both the art world and the leaders of technology. We're
hoping to discuss how these two dynamic industries in New York can enhance
one another and possibly unite into something even more powerful."
** Antitrust **
Title: U.S. May Fight Murdoch-MCI Satellite Plan
Source: Washington Post (E1,E2)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-03/27/086l-032798-idx.html
Author: Paul Farhi
Issue: Antitrust
Description: After almost eight months of investigation, government
antitrust officials are preparing to challenge Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
and MCI Communications Corp.'s plans to merge their U.S. satellite TV
operations with Primestar Partners, the second-largest satellite TV company
in the nation, say sources familiar with the inquiry. According to these
sources, the Justice Department's telecommunications staff will soon
recommend that the merger be completely blocked or substantially modified.
Title: Scrutiny of Microsoft Grows
Source: Washington Post (E2)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-03/27/082l-032798-idx.html
Author: Elizabeth Corcoran
Issue: Antitrust
Description: Sens. Orrin G. Hatch (R-UT), Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT), Herb Kohl
(D-WI), and Mike DeWine (R-OH) requested yesterday that Microsoft, Netscape
Communications Corp. and Sun Microsystems Inc. provide the Senate Judiciary
Committee "with a letter that releases the three companies' business
partners from a standard agreement that requires the companies to inform
Microsoft, Netscape or Sun of any inquiries made by congressional
investigators."
Title: Senators Ask Microsoft to Ease Data Release
Source: New York Times (C5)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/biztech/articles/27microsoft.html
Author: The Associated Press
Issue: Antitrust
Description: The Senate Judiciary Committee formally asked Microsoft on
Thursday to allow its business partners to provide the committee with
information without notifying the software maker. James Cullinan, a
Microsoft spokesman, said the company intended to work with the committee to
provide them with the information they requested but "protect our trade
secrets and confidential data."
** Lifestyles **
Title: Paramount Is Hoping "Grease" Lighting Will Strike Twice
Source: Wall Street Journal
http://wsj.com/ (B8)
Author: John Lippman
Issue: Lifestyles
Description: "Is 'Grease' still the word?" The 1978 musical hit will open in
2,000 theaters around the country tonight. With the cost of making a new
movie now in excess of $75 million, studios are checking their libraries to
see if they can make money off old ones. "Grease" cost $6 million to make
[1/5 was budgeted for hair gel] and grossed $360 million world wide. Are
audiences "Grease" saturated -- or will a whole new generation of kids flock
to theaters to hear "You're the One That I Want"?
*********
Paid subscribers, look for our bonus issue next week. Have a great weekend
-- wishing you Summer Nights.