INTERNET
Law Professor Sees Hazard in Personalized News (NYT)
McCain: Compromise Possible In Internet Tax Debate (WP)
TELEPHONY
FCC Is Set to Reduce Fees Paid by Bells To Competitors to Complete
Online Calls (WSJ)
TELEVISION
Stations Adopting Digital TV Slowly (SJM)
INTERNET
LAW PROFESSOR SEES HAZARD IN PERSONALIZED NEWS
Issue: Internet
In his new book Republic.com, Cass R. Sunstein, a professor at the
University of Chicago Law School, argues that the Internet's ability to let
people customize their media experience might actually pose a threat to
democracy. "Democracy requires at least two things: that people have common
spaces where they can share experiences some of the time, and that people
have unanticipated, un-chosen exposures to ideas and other people," said
Sunstein. He fears that general interest publications are at risk of being
overwhelmed by passive consumers who live in Internet-filtered information
cocoons.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Carl S. Kaplan]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/13/technology/13CYBERLAW.html)
(requires registration)
MCCAIN: COMPROMISE POSSIBLE IN INTERNET TAX DEBATE
Issue: Internet
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain, R-Ariz., is trying to
rally support to extend the moratorium on new Internet taxes, but
acknowledges that passage likely will happen only as part of a compromise
that includes broadening the states' authority to collect existing sales
taxes on Internet transactions. McCain, who is not a fan of expanding the
states' collection authority, seems willing to concede some ground if states
and localities take some steps to simplify their tax schemes. Those who
oppose extending the moratorium say it is unfair to tax items only when they
are purchased over the counter. "There is no sound tax policy that supports
a tax being collected on a shirt or a music recording or computer sold
through a local store, but not collected when the same product is sold by
mail order or through the Internet," Elizabeth Harchenko, director of the
Oregon Department of Revenue and chair of the Multistate Tax Commission,
told the panel.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Kerry Gildea]
(http://www.washtech.com/news/regulation/8979-1.html)
TELEPHONY
FCC IS SET TO REDUCE FEES PAID BY BELLS TO COMPETITORS TO COMPLETE ONLINE
CALLS
Issue: Telephony
The FCC is expected to cut the amount of money phone companies have to pay
competitors for completing Internet-bound calls by as much as 67% over three
years. The move, coming after years of debate, could save the Bells more
than $2 billion a year. The regulations affect the phone calls Bell
customers make to popular Internet service providers such as EarthLink or
America Online, many of which are served by Bell competitors such as Focal
or Pac-West Telecomm. Competitors fear that the FCC move could pose a
serious threat to their industry.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal, AUTHOR: Yochi J. Dreazen]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB987131058167867378.htm)
(requires subscription)
TELEVISION
STATIONS ADOPTING DIGITAL TV SLOWLY
Issue: Television
President Bush this week included in his federal-government budget proposal
a provision that would give broadcasters financial incentives to spur the
transition to digital television. In 1996, Congress gave the nation's
television broadcasters new blocks of airwaves, valued at as much as $70
billion, to begin broadcasting their programming in digital format. It set a
2006 target for completing the switch, at which time the broadcasters would
turn off their analog channels. Under Bush's proposal, stations that
continue to broadcast in analog would have to pay fees totaling $200 million
a year. "The pressure is starting to build'' on the broadcasters, said
Andrew Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a non-profit law
firm that tracks media issues. "There are other users with political clout
and incentive to get their mitts on this spectrum.' 'So far, only 186 of the
nation's 1,600 TV stations are broadcasting in digital format.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Heather Fleming Phillips]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/docs/news/svfront/digtv041301.htm)
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