LIBRARIES
Librarian Seeks Evidence of Complaints About
Internet Misuse (CyberTimes)
Reading Frenzy (ChiTrib)
INTERNET
High Court Upholds Law Banning 'Obscene' E-Mail (WP)
No Rules Yet For Domain Name Competition (CyberTimes)
North Dakota Governor Says No To Net Taxes (CyberTimes)
RealNetworks Signs Broadcast Deals (WP)
TELEVISION
Turned Off by TV? This Is Your Week (WP)
Intel, NBC Report Collaborative Plan for Digital TV (ChiTrib)
TELEPHONY
German, Italian Phone Companies Closer to Merger (ChiTrib)
MCI WorldCom to Buy CAI Wireless (WP)
How to Identify Network Elements (FCC)
ADVERTISING
Lost Hazard, Lost Horizon: Billboards Give Up Smoking (NYT)
LIBRARIES
LIBRARIAN SEEKS EVIDENCE OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT INTERNET MISUSE
Issue: Libraries
With Internet access becoming a common feature in America's public
libraries, whether or not to restrict its usage has become an increasingly
contentious issue. One librarian, David Burk, has set out to gather evidence
to support arguments against unrestricted access to material on the
Internet. Burk has requested records from libraries across the country of
complaints caused by patrons, especially children, viewing inappropriate Web
material. Many library systems, however, have refused to disclose complaint
records on the ground that it would violate patron privacy. Burt is not
convinced
by the libraries' arguments. "There's no privacy issue here. The names can
be redacted," Burt said. "I think it's clearly that they don't want the
library to be embarrassed by incidents of children accessing pornography in
libraries." Lawyers for the targeted cities insist that amount of
inappropriate computer use is "infinitesimal."
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Bob Tedeschi]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/04/cyber/articles/20library.html)
READING FRENZY
Issue: Libraries
Chicago, the city of neighborhoods, is also the city of neighborhood
libraries. Branches of the city library here reflect the interests and
backgrounds of the communities they serve. And, in recent years, the library
system has flourished under a mayor determined to improve the quality of
life for city residents. "A library is part and parcel of the everyday life
of the community," Richard M. Daley has said. "That's what a library is --
the heartbeat of the community." In the past ten years, 36 library branches
have been built or renovated -- with another 20 or more scheduled for
improvement before 2001. When the project is completed, 70% of the systems
buildings will be new or updated. Library Journal magazine reports that
national per capita spending on libraries ranges from about $4.50 in poor
communities to as much as $90 in rich ones and, when averaged out, has
increased $1 a year each of the last several years. Visit the Chicago Public
Library Web site at www.chipublib.org
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 5, p.1), AUTHOR:]
(http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,SAV-9904200045,00.html)
INTERNET
HIGH COURT UPHOLDS LAW BANNING 'OBSCENE' E-MAIL
Issue: First Amendment/Internet Regulation
Think twice before you send lewd messages to public officials to annoy them.
The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a federal law that makes it a crime to
send e-mails that are obscene as a way to annoy other people. The judges
rejected a First Amendment challenge to one part of the sweeping 1996
Communications Decency Act. The Court ruled against ApolloMedia Corp., a San
Francisco company that runs a Web site called Annoy.com which claimed the
law would discourage people from writing lawful but bawdy communications.
The Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling that said the law bans only
"obscenity." But the decision also effectively endorsed the
constitutionality of the e-mail provision that makes it a crime to send a
message that is "obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy or indecent with intent
to annoy, abuse, threaten, or harass another person." A three-judge panel
in California had previously ruled that the wording of the provision was
meant to characterize only illegally obscene material.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A2), AUTHOR: Joan Biskupic]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-04/20/071l-042099-idx.html)
See also:
COURT REJECTS CHALLENGE TO INTERNET SPEECH LAW
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: Pamela Mendels]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/04/cyber/articles/20decency.html)
RESTRICTION ON E-MAIL SMUT UPHELD BY TOP COURT
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 1, p.4), AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,SAV-9904200290,00.html)
NO RULES YET FOR DOMAIN NAME COMPETITION
Issue: Internet/Competition
At a news conference on Wednesday, the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will announce five applicants selected to
participate in an initial round of competition in the business of registering
domain names. The rules for competition were still being discussed Monday
night, however. Network Solutions was created to register domain names under a
government contract, so the Department of Commerce is involved in negotiating
how the business will be opened up to competitors. Details yet to be decided
include whether competitors will have to pay Network Solutions to enter the
business. "The company has proposed that the new registrars pay an up-front fee
of $10,000 to help offset the cost of the software it has developed for the
shared registrations system," Clausing reports. They are also proposing a $16
fee per name registered. If Network Solutions and The Department of Commerce
cannot finalize an agreement this week it could push back ICANN's plan to open
up registry to competition by the end of the month. Full-scale international
competition is scheduled to begin in June.
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing ]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/04/cyber/articles/20capital.html)
NORTH DAKOTA GOVERNOR SAYS NO TO NET TAXES
Issue: Internet/Regulation
Governor Edward T. Schaffer of North Dakota vetoed a law passed by the state
legislature last week that would tax Internet service providers, upholding the
federal Internet Tax Freedom Act. The House overrode the veto, but it sustained
by a slim vote in the Senate. "I simply cannot agree that this tax is wise or
necessary public policy when we are spending millions to encourage the
development of the Internet as a driving economic force in North Dakota's
future," Gov Schaffer said. A panel of industry, state and local officials is
scheduled to address the Internet sales and access taxes at a meeting in June.
The National Association of Counties and the U.S. Conference of Mayors have
filed suit against the panel, saying that it is tilted in the industry's favor.
Iowa and Wisconsin are other states that are likely to uphold the Internet Tax
Freedom Act. "This is great news on the taxation issue," said Paul Rusinoff of
the Internet Alliance -- an industry trade group.
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing ]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/04/cyber/articles/20capital.html)
REALNETWORKS SIGNS BROADCAST DEALS
Issue: Internet/Infrastructure
Deals announced Monday are designed to boost the quality of video and audio
broadcasts delivered over the Internet. RealNetworks, which broadcasts news,
special events and other material over the Web, announced agreements with
AT&T, GTE, Sprint and other telecommunications companies to relieve
congestion on the Internet by allowing RealNetworks to install sophisticated
computer servers throughout the Internet network. Those servers, connected
to the company's Seattle network via high-speed links, act as broadcasting
hubs to handle local traffic and to shift traffic during periods of high
demand.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (Online), AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WAPO/19990420/V000478-042099-idx.html)
TELEVISION
TURNED OFF BY TV? THIS IS YOUR WEEK
Issue: Television
National TV-Turnoff Week starts Thursday. TV-Free America is asking people
to give up their viewing for one week, "sort of a small-screen mini-Lent."
The Washington nonprofit group says it will be good for us since we are
becoming "a bunch of fatties with short attention spans." Conveniently,
TV-Turnoff Week is timed to end the night before the broadcast networks' May
sweeps derby starts on April 29. Although they have been promoting a week
free of TV for five years and have impressive endorsements, the group's
effort has only registered a blip on the Neilsen surveys. Hospital
researcher David Allison says he has a better idea. Make children exercise
in order to watch TV. In one experiment he took a few overweight New York
children and hooked their sets to bicycles. They not only shed fat, they
also watched less TV.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (C7), AUTHOR: Lisa de Moraes]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-04/20/125l-042099-idx.html)
INTEL, NBC REPORT COLLABORATIVE PLAN FOR DIGITAL TV
Issue: Digital Television
General Electric's NBC is planning to start HDTV broadcasts this autumn and
has announced its first collaboration in the digital TV arena. The company
will work with chip maker Intel to provide interactive services with digital
broadcasts. With NBC's enhanced digital programming, viewers will also have
the option of checking an electronic program guide, chatting, sending
electronic greeting cards or taking interactive quizzes [Greg are Marsha
first fought over the attic is which episode?].
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 3, p.2), AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,SAV-9904200298,00.html)
TELEPHONY
GERMAN, ITALIAN PHONE COMPANIES CLOSER TO MERGER
Issue: Mergers
Deutsche Telekom (DT) and Telecom Italia (TI) officials are expected to
announce the details of an alliance or merger today. If the companies do
merge, the deal could be worth $200 billion and would be the world's largest
ever. TI is trying to avoid a hostile takeover by smaller rival Olivetti and
DT may be trying to contain its own rival, Mannesmann AG. Some say Italy's
government, with a 3.4% stake and veto control over the recently privatized
TI, will not allow the merger since the German government controled DT.
There are also rumors that DT may buy #3 US long distance provider Sprint.
The possible DT-TI deal has French telecommunications giant France Telecom
nervous [and does this all remind anyone of something?...unified Germany,
pact with Italy, anxiety in France...] Analysts are saying we may soon see a
consolidation fever in Europe as we've seen in the US in recent,
post-Telecom Act years.
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 3, p.3), AUTHOR: Jon Van]
(http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,SAV-9904200311,00.html)
See Also:
EUROPEAN TELEPHONE GIANTS DISCUSS $95 BILLION MERGER DEAL
[SOURCE: New York Times (A1), AUTHOR:John Tagliabue]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/telecom.html)
HISTORIC DEALS FACES BIG HURDLES
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A17), AUTHOR: Gautam Naik, Deborah Bail, and
William Boston]
(http://wsj.com)
EUROPEAN PHONE FIRMS DISCUSS HUGE MERGER
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E3), AUTHOR: Anne Swardson]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-04/20/120l-042099-idx.html)
MCI WORLDCOM TO BUY CAI WIRELESS
Issue: Merger
MCI WorldCom has been looking for a ready-built wireless communications arm.
Now it has it. MCI WorldCom, the nation's number 2 provider of long distance
calling service, is purchasing CAI Wireless Systems for about $414 million.
Rumors had been circulating that both MCI WorldCom and Sprint were interested in
the company. CAI operates six analog-based wireless subscription video
systems in six major cities, including New York City and Washington (DC) and
owns wireless channel rights in eight more major cities.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (Online), AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/daily/april99/mci19.htm)
HOW TO IDENTIFY NETWORK ELEMENTS
Issue: Telephone Regulation
In Response to the Supreme Court's 1999 Decision, the Commission Seeks
Public Comment on How to Identify the Network Elements Incumbent Local
Exchange Carriers Must Make Available to Requesting Carriers. (CC Docket No.
96-98 and 95-185, FCC 99-70). Also available as WordPerfect
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Notices/1999/fcc99070.wp) and PDF
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Notices/1999/fcc99070.pdf) files.
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Notices/1999/fcc99070.txt)
ADVERTISING
LOST HAZARD, LOST HORIZON: BILLBOARDS GIVE UP SMOKING
Issue: Advertising
By Friday morning, there should be no more Jo Camels or Marlboro Men lining
the streets and highways of this nation. As part on a $206 billion
settlement with 46 states about liability for smoking-related health care
costs, tobacco companies have agreed to take down all billboard ads for
their products. Tobacco money has carried the outdoor advertising industry
for much of this century, but that started to change when some cities began
to outlaw tobacco billboards and 4 states had them removed as part of
settlements. Anti-smoking groups claim that billboards are partially
responsible for the steady rise in teen smoking. According to Richard Polly,
professor of marketing at the University of British Columbia, billboards
helped give cigarettes a harmless image by making their appearance
commonplace. "The more we see something the more we see it as benign," he
said. Some outdoor advertisements, such has the pre-1970 Mail Pouch chewing
tobacco signs that are federally protected landmarks, might manage to evade
removal. "While no one has said this, we still believe they are a part of
Americana,: said Will Steel, a deputy attorney general in West Virginia,
where Mail Pouch is still sold.
[SOURCE: New York Times, April 19(C1), AUTHOR: Bob Tedeshi]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/041999tobacco-billboards.html)
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