TELEVISION
Broadcast Hues (ChiTrib)
The Outer Limits (WP)
TV Guide May Sign Accord with TCI on Digital Service (WSJ)
CBS Renews Half of Prim-Time Shows, Seeking Advantage in
Ad competition (WSJ)
EDTECH
Universities Grapple With Computer Use Policies (CyberTimes)
INTERNET
AtHome to Offer Web Access Via TV (WP)
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
AT&T May Tap AOL to Sell Long Distance (SJ Merc)
Microsoft To Unveil Internet Commerce Strategy (SJ Merc)
PRIVACY
A Growing Compatibility Issue in the Digital Age: Computers and
Their Users' Privacy (NYT)
LIFESTYLE
Failure: Ticket to Success (WP)
TELEVISION
BROADCAST HUES
Issue: Diversity
A look at the diversity of the faces that deliver local broadcast news in
Chicago. Following a trend seen around the country, the principal newscasts
of the five largest stations here include at least one African American. In
the 60's, Chicago anchors were primarily white men. The gender gap started
closing in the 70's and stations started using more minority reporters
during the social unrest of the 60's and 70's. Minority anchors started to
appear in Chicago in the late 70's and early 80's. Although many station
executives claim that anchor selection is based on merit, Marvin Kalb,
director of the Sorenstein Center on Press and Politics at Harvard and a
30-year veteran correspondent said, "But is it not a coincidence that at
every single station all over the country it is the exact same pattern
repeating itself time and time again? And that pattern is consistent with
the economic interests of the station, and consistent with the societal
interests of the community?"
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 5, p.1), AUTHOR: Allan Johnson]
http://chicagotribune.com/
THE OUTER LIMITS
Issue: Television
The Christian Action Network (CAN) has proposed labeling gay and lesbian
representations on prime-time TV with an "HC" for homosexual content. CAN
president, Martin Mawyer, says producers of the shows should have no problem
with the label unless they're trying to promote some, "secret agenda." Federal
Communication Commission Chairman Bill Kennard has not responded to CAN's
proposal. People for the American Way said the proposal
is "outrageous." David Crane, "Friends" executive producer asks, "What's next,
JC for Jewish content and BC for black content?" The Gay & Lesbian Alliance
Against Defamation (GLAAD) website, keeping track of prime-time gay, bisexual,
and transgendered prime-time characters, has a list of 25 characters this
season. Mark Zakarin, executive producer of Showtime, says it's his
responsibility to reflect the world as it is. De Moraes notes that "the
world as it is" also includes Hispanics, Asians and fat people, and where are
they on prime-time? Warren Littlefield, former head of NBC programming, says
although producers' motivations may be noble, it's really about the "copycat
factor" referring to the 36.2 million audience of "Ellen's" outing. "Now there's
a rush to tap into this unmined storyline," Littlefield says. Now that
advertisers see that it's attracting viewers, it is not longer a taboo topic:
"it's really about an effort to find something fresh that's not been seen
before," Crane says.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (C1), AUTHOR:Lisa de Moraes ]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-03/03/049l-030399-idx.html
TV GUIDE MAY SIGN ACCORD WITH TCI ON DIGITAL SERVICE
Issue: Digital TV
In a deal closed yesterday, News Corp. sold TV Guide
Magazine to United Video, a Tulsa Oklahoma company controlled by TCI. With the
deal, United Video has changed its name to TV Guide and is expected to announce
a 10-year deal with TCI to offer interactive digital service to
TCI digital cable-TV subscribers. The service, called TV Guide Interactive,
bundles content to subscribers: "offers a supplementary package to subscribers
including more channels, extended pay-per-view options, and even music
transmission," Bounds reports. The proposed deal is "broad in scope by
cable-industry standards" and would attract other cable-TV operators.
TV Guide Interactive is used by 1.5 million subscribers now, and will
grow to 4.5 million when the TCI deal is closed.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B9), AUTHOR: Wendy Bounds ]
http://wsj.com/
CBS RENEWS HALF OF PRIME-TIME SHOWS, SEEKING ADVANTAGE IN AD CAMPAIGN
Issue: Advertising/Television
For the first time in five years, CBS has beat NBC in ratings for the overall
season, although NBC won in the February "sweeps" period. In an attempt to bank
on this success, CBS is locking in their programming schedule for the fall
earlier than usual -- a move that is usually made in late spring. By
setting the schedule early, CBS hopes to close pricier deals with
advertisers. "We are sort of laying down the gauntlet that we are going to be
stable next season," said Leslie Moonves, CBS Television President. The other
big networks, critical of the CBS move, are expected to revamp their schedule
in the midst of lower ratings: "I don't believe you can change the way
advertising has been bought, " said Scott Sassa, NBC Entertainment President.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B10), AUTHOR: Kyle Pope]
http://wsj.com/
EDTECH
UNIVERSITIES GRAPPLE WITH COMPUTER USE POLICIES
Issue: EdTech
A student at the Southern Utah University was recently kicked out of the
school's computer lab for violating the campus computer use policy, which
bars students from using computers to view "objectionable" material. Junior
Michaun M. Jensen, who felt that the vaguely-worded policy threatens
academic freedom, was asked to leave the campus's lab after looking at sites
that contained sexually explicit material and a picture of Adolph Hitler and
Benito Mussolini. The Southern Utah University, which is now looking to
re-draft the policy, is not the only school which is facing these issues.
According to Majorie Hodges Shaw, co-director of Cornell University's
Computer Policy and Law Program, "This is an issue that comes up regularly
around the table -- How do you deal with offensive material in labs?"
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/03/cyber/education/03education.html
INTERNET
ATHOME TO OFFER WEB ACCESS VIA TV
Issue: Internet/Broadband
Internet service provider AtHome plans to offer Internet service to
televisions sets using cable TV lines later this year. The new service,
priced about $15/month, is a basic service aimed at people just getting
into the Internet and will allow people to access the Internet without a
computer. Ken Goldman, chief financial officer for AtHome, said the company
would introduce set top boxes for the new service as early as the third
quarter of this year. AtHome aims to expand its subscriber base to one
million homes by the end of the year.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (Online), AUTHOR: Reuters]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/daily/march99/athome2.htm
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
COUNTIES AND CITIES TO SUE TO STOP INTERNET TAX PANEL
Issue: E-Commerce
The National Association of Counties and the US Conference of Mayors have
announced that they will file a lawsuit to block a Congressionally appointed
panel charged with studying taxation on the Internet from meeting.
Local officials are upset by an imbalance in the membership of Advisory
Commission on Electronic Commerce, which is currently composed of nine
representatives from industry and only six from local government. "The
actions of the Congressional leaders exemplify an arrogant disregard of a
law that clearly calls for state and local representation equal to that of
business interests," said Tom Cochran, executive director of the U.S.
Council of Mayors. The commission, which was created as part of the Internet
Tax Freedom Act, was supposed to begin meeting in December, but controversy
over the panel's makeup has prevented the group from convening. The
Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce will study if, and how, a
national framework for taxing electronic commerce might take shape.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A1), AUTHOR: John Markoff]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/03/cyber/articles/03tax.html
AT&T MAY TAP AOL TO SELL LONG DISTANCE
Issue: Long Distance
AT&T and America Online are discussing a marketing agreement. The fact that
they are talking underscores how the Internet is changing the sales,
pricing, billing and fundamental economics of long distance communications.
The deal apparently would allow AT&T to sell its long distance servICE via
AOL's market-leading online service and would permit consumers to sign up
for AT&T phone service and pay their AT&T bills on AOL. Presently Tel-Save
has exclusive rights to market long distance phone service on AOL so AT&T or
another long distance company appears locked out until July 2000. Online
billing and sales cut costs for carriers and create lower prices at the
retail level. To its AOL subscribers Tel-Save sells long distance service
for 9 cents a minute.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Steve Rosenbush (USA Today)]
http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/047335.htm
MICROSOFT TO UNVEIL INTERNET COMMERCE STRATEGY
Issue: Electronic Commerce
Microsoft intends to change the perception that the computer software group
has lagged in efforts to grab a piece of the enormous electronic commerce
opportunity. At a Thursday meeting Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and
President Steve Ballmer are expected to unveil a strategy to help companies
do business over the Internet. The company will roll out a new set of
software and services based on its msn.com Internet portal site and the
forthcoming Windows 2000 system. For its MSN Marketplace, Microsoft will get
a running start from its $265 million acquisition last year of Link
Exchange, which offers ad placement, transaction capability and other
features to a network of some one million businesses. Vernon Keenan of
Keenan Vision says Microsoft will offer services that undermine its core
Windows franchise by supporting businesses without requiring them to invest
in the platform. "What they're hoping to do is get people hooked into the
services business with MSN Marketplace in the hopes that they will graduate
to Windows 2000."
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Martin Wolk (Reuters)]
http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/199717l.htm
PRIVACY
A GROWING COMPATIBILITY ISSUE IN THE DIGITAL AGE:
COMPUTERS AND THEIR USERS' PRIVACY
Issue: Privacy
The rapid development of communications technologies is accompanied by a
growing concern about privacy in the Information Age. The recent skirmish
between Intel and privacy advocates over embedded serial numbers in its new
microprocessors illustrates America's struggle between anonymity and the
drive for technological advancement. Computer industry executives and
engineers explain that technologies need to be able to identify their users
to allow programs to work together and across networks. Privacy advocates,
like Lauren Weinstein, editor of the Privacy Forum, are not appeased by
these explanations. "Once information becomes available for one purpose
there is always pressure from other organizations to use it for their
purposes," she argues. Industry officials appear to be increasingly less
responsive to many privacy concerns. "You already have zero privacy -- get
over it," Scott McNealy, chairman and chief executive of Sun Microsystems,
said at the launch of Jini, new software intended to interconnect virtually
all types of electronic devices.
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Pamela Mendels]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/03/biztech/articles/03privacy.html
LIFESTYLES
FAILURE: TICKET TO SUCCESS
Issue: Lifestyles
[Op-Ed] David Ignatius takes a light-hearted look at the difference between
the culture of the high tech industry and that of Washington, DC. His
question to himself as he visited some of Silicon Valley's hottest companies
last week: "What is it that makes the high-tech world feel so alive and
bursting with energy at a time when the culture of official Washington seems
so dead?" He found a possible answer at Cisco Systems. "If you hit five out
of five, you won't do well here," explained Dan Scheinman, a Cisco vice
president."People like that aren't taking enough chances. If you hit eight
out of 10, that's the Cisco way." Ignatius observes that Washington is "a
city of five-out-of-five people, driven by an ingrained intolerance of
failure. In our world, any screw-up, misjudgment, misstatement or
inconsistency makes you instantly subject to second-guessing from members of
Congress, consumer watchdogs, independent counsels -- and yes, from the
20-20 hindsight brigade in the press." And the high tech industry? "Part of
what makes Silicon Valley so different is that people don't have time for
finger-pointing and recrimination. The technology world is simply moving too
fast." And the future? "Perhaps the best thing you can say about Washington
is that it's slowly being infected by the spirit of Silicon Valley."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A23), AUTHOR: David Ignatius]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-03/03/176l-030399-idx.html
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