TELEVISION
Bosnian TV Station, Staff By Serbs, Run Afoul Of U.S., NATO (WSJ)
Speech: International Radio and Television Society Foundation (FCC)
Did the Nuclear Energy Lobby Derail 'Atomic Train'? (WP)
MERGERS
NetTrends: Big Guns Aim At Digital Media Market (SJ Merc)
McCian Charges Bias in Review of SBC of Merger Pact (WJS)
Lycos to Take on AOL (WP)
Microsoft in Talks With CWC (WP)
At Home-Road Runner Face Uncertainty (WSJ)
ART
Art Online: The Internet Mounts a Masterpiece (NYT)
There May Be Money in Internet Art After All (CyberTimes)
INTERNET
Net fraud targeted by SEC (SJ Merc)
Web Sites Increasingly Post Privacy Policies (WP)
Internet Study Shows Usage By U.S. Adults Jumped (SJ Merc)
Livewire: Putting Human Faces On Internet Stats (SJ Merc)
TELEVISION
BOSNIAN TV STATION, STAFF BY SERBS, RUN AFOUL OF U.S., NATO
Issue: Free Speech
The US is currently involved in two wars in the Balkans: a full scale air
war, and a war of the airwaves. Just as NATO tries to defeat Serbian ground
troupes, it is also battling with a powerful Yugoslavian propaganda machine.
British officers have recently threatened to close down a Bosnian TV station
controlled by Serbs, and a smaller Bosnian TV channel has already been shut
down by NATO. Western authorities claim that the stations' anti-NATO
messages threaten the delicate peace in Bosnia. There is concern, however,
that NATO attempts to assert editorial influence on foreign media fly in the
face of free democratic expression. The Republic of Srpska's state run
broadcaster, STR, which receives much of its funding from the West, is
closely monitored by the U.S. and its allies. The EU has even sent the
station a list of demands, including giving equal time to "respected
international broadcasters," and ceasing to using certain news from
Yugoslavia's state wire service. According to a former Radio Free Europe
Executive, SRT's "increasingly distorted and strident coverage is hardening
public opinion." In contrast, many locals feel that STR has been forced to
succumb to excessive Western control. Car dealer Duncan Novkovic says of the
STR: "If they don't follow [the West's] orders, they'll be off the air."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A1), AUTHOR: Daniel Peal Pearl]
(http://wsj.com/)
SPEECH: INTERNATIONAL RADIO AND TELEVISION SOCIETY FOUNDATION
Issue: Media & Society
Commissioner Ness' Award Acceptance Remarks at the International Radio and
Television Society Foundation in New York City. Commissioner Ness addresses
"the images of violence [that] have become the focus of nationwide attention
and debate." She suggests that sacrificing the First Amendment is not the
solution. "Rather, as parents, each of us must assume personal
responsibility in helping our children make choices about the programs and
movies they watch and the games they play. And program creators,
broadcasters, cable operators, and corporate leaders must assume personal
responsibility -- as members of a national community -- and take the
interests of that community to heart. If everyone involved in the
programming food chain were to ask: 'Is this a program that I would want my
children to watch? -- Would I give it my personal "seal of approval?' -- And
then acted based upon the answers to those questions, we likely would see
meaningful changes." [Also receiving awards were Charles Osgood, Katie
Couric and Les Moonves (President of CBS).
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Ness/spsn908.html)
DID THE NUCLEAR ENERGY LOBBY DERAIL 'ATOMIC TRAIN'?
Issue: Content/Television
The "nuclear waste" has been removed from the made-for-TV movie "Atomic
Train," but it lands today on the floor of the US Senate when Sen. Richard
Bryan (D-NV) delivers his condemnation of the way the removal was done.
Prior to the speech, Sen. Bryan said the NBC network and parent General
Electric did an "el foldo" under pressure from the Nuclear Energy Institute.
The movie was edited this week to change references of "nuclear waste" to
"hazardous material." Also, after promoting the movie as an "it could happen"
disaster flick, NBC announced it would have a disclaimer at the beginning of
the movie saying that the events depicted are "pure fiction." Bryan, who
opposes legislation that would allow nuclear waste to be deposited in
Nevada, believes that a corporate connection between GE and the nuclear
industry is to blame for the changes in the movie. He notes that the
changes came after NEI created a report detailing a "containment strategy"
for the movie. Bryan's complaints were echoed by a multitude of equally
outraged nuclear watchdog groups. An NEI spokesman dismisses their charge
and says that his organization had nothing to do with the changes in the
miniseries.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (C7), AUTHOR: Lisa de Maraes]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-05/13/010l-051399-idx.html)
MERGER
NETTRENDS: BIG GUNS AIM AT DIGITAL MEDIA MARKET
Issue: Mergers
Through a series of huge deals, the giants of the industry are racing to
create the communications networks of the future. Hundreds of billions of
dollars are being spent to develop services that will include merging the
Internet, cable television, and telephone services and increased use of
wireless. For consumers, not much has changed so far. John Wilcox of Cisco
Systems said that the Internet-based services "are probably going to arrive
more quickly than anybody thought." Companies, including AT&T, Microsoft,
and AOL, are making huge investments and acquisitions. Analysts predict a
frenzied pace of deal-making and building in the year ahead as players get
into position. The hope for consumers is that the new services will provide
convenience and low cost for services. Mark Cooper, of the Consumer
Federation of America, worries about fewer choices for consumers due to the
consolidation and services aimed at high-income people, making basic service
more expensive.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Dick Satran]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/438097l.htm)
MICROSOFT IN TALKS WITH CWC
Issue: Merger
Microsoft is in talks to invest as much as $4 billion for 30% of Cable and
Wireless Communications PLC. Microsoft hopes to convince the British
company to use its software in cable set-top boxes. For Cable and Wireless,
the talks come as the company is looking to dispose of some consumer
businesses in order to focus on providing high-speed services to businesses.
Some analysts say that a large CWC investment by Microsoft could spark a
merger of Britain's big three cable companies -- Telewest Communications
PLC, CWC, and NTL Inc. David Svendsen, chairman of Microsoft UK is eager to
deploy his company software in the developing high-speed market. Svendsen
said, "Computers go beyond the desktops that we know today; they will be in
mobile phones and televisions."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E2), AUTHOR: Bloomberg News]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/)
LYCOS TO TAKE ON AOL
Issue: Mergers
Lycos and USA Networks called off their planned merger on Wednesday, but
Lycos has emerged from the failure as a stronger company and in a better
position to negotiate with other suitors or acquisition targets. The first
of those deals is expected to be announced on Monday. The new deal involves
working with a software company to move it one step closer to competing
directly with America Online. The partnership would give customers software
to enable them to access the Internet from desktop computers.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (Online), AUTHOR: Noelle Knox (Associated Press)]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WAPO/19990512/V000925-051299-idx.html)
MCCIAN CHARGES BIAS IN REVIEW OF SBC OF MERGER PACT
Issue: Merger
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ) has accused the
Federal Communications Commission of prejudice in its review of the planned
merger between SBC and Ameritech. Sen. McCain is concerned about comments
made by FCC staff member Thomas Krattenmaker, who said that deal, as
currently structured, "flunks the public interest test." In a letter to FCC
Chairman, William Kennard, Sen. McCain urged the Chairman to "do whatever is
necessary to remove the institutional unfairness and prejudice that has been
permitted to taint this proceeding." In response, a FCC spokesman said the
Chairman Kennard has "expressed his full confidence in the expertise and
integrity of the commission's staff."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A6), AUTHOR: Dow Jones Newswires]
(http://wsj.com/)
AT HOME -ROAD RUNNER FACE UNCERTAINTY
Issue: Mergers/Cable
Upon the AT&T's announcement of plans to purchase MediaOne, shares of At
Home, the high-speed cable modem service, soared due to speculation of an At
Home/RoadRunner merger. AT&T, which owns a controlling share of At Home,
will also gain 34% ownership of Roadrunner if their deal with MediaOne comes
to fruition. People close to the situation, however, have doubts on a future
RoadRunner/At Home deal, which could prove to only antagonize regulators.
"Talk about pushing more things together only raises more flags for
regulators," said cable analyst Tom Wolzien. He "wouldn't be surprised to
see the At Home-RoadRunner merger on the back burner until everything else
is resolved." There is growing concern that AT&T is positioning itself to
control the emerging broadband market. While At Home and RoadRunner are not
direct competitors, they do offer the same type of service, which might
provoke Washington to further scrutinize AT&T's acquisition of MediaOne.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Leslie Cauley and Rebecca
Blumenstine]
(http://wsj.com/)
ART
ART ONLINE: THE INTERNET MOUNTS A MASTERPIECE
Issue: Arts
The Grove Dictionary of Art, the most comprehensive art reference, is now
available online and is testing the thesis that the digital book's time has
come. Grove's Dictionaries (www.groveart.com) sells subscriptions to the
online dictionary which includes the text of the print version, additions
and updates and links to the artworks in the online collections of museums
and galleries around the world. Said one fine arts librarian, "We're
definitely going to get it," she said. "The minute the printed version was
printed, it was obsolete. Scholarship happens all the time; people are
finding out new things all the time. And with an online version, things can
be updated all the time." The print version costs $6,000-$8,800 while an
online subscription costs $1,500/yr for five concurrent users ($2,000 for
ten users).
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Judith Dobrzynski]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/05/circuits/articles/13grov.html)
THERE MAY BE MONEY IN INTERNET ART AFTER ALL
Issue: Art
Slovenian artist Teo Spiller has just sold a piece of Web art to a municipal
gallery for about $500. The sale of Spiller's work, "Megatronix," was openly
negotiated via the World Wide Web. "Megatronix" represents one of the first
items of Internet art to be sold to a museum of collector. Until now,
artists have not experienced much luck in selling digital art. Different
model for selling art online are still in the development stages. A new
nonprofit service, AMICO, scheduled to begin in this summer, might aid
digital artists in showing their work. Other ideas, such as services that
offer fee based downloads of digital art, being experimented with by a
variety of players. "If we think Net art as Art, then we should be able to
support it, said Steve Dietz, director of new-media initiatives at the
Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis.
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Mathew Mirapual]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/05/cyber/artsatlarge/13artsatlarg...)
INTERNET
NET FRAUD TARGETED BY SEC
Issue: Internet
The Securities and Exchange Commission took aim at Internet fraud this week,
filing 14 enforcement suits across the country. Twenty-six companies and
individuals were targeted in the suits, which seek to curb the use of the
Internet to dupe investors. Schemes in the suits included interests in gold
mines, computer software, prefabricated hospitals in Turkey, and a product
described as a new way of processing gold. Eight of the cases involved the
sale of so-called "prime bank" notes, a non-existent type of security.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Howard Mintz]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/sec051399.htm)
See also:
SEC TARGETS INTERNET FRAUD
[SOURCE: Washington Post (Online), AUTHOR: Marcy Gordon (Associated Press)]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WAPO/19990513/V000159-051399-idx.html)
WEB SITES INCREASINGLY POST PRIVACY POLICIES
Issue: Privacy
A new study indicates the leaders of electronic commerce got the message
when threatened by Congress and the White House with legislation requiring
privacy disclosure information and procedures. Georgetown University
conducted the study with money from 17 companies and using data from Media
Metrix, a company that monitors traffic on the Web. The study results
include the following findings:
*almost 2/3 of the 364 Web sites analyzed voluntarily post a notice of
their privacy policies or describe how they use personal information;
*more than nine out of ten of the Web's top 100 sites have some statement
or disclosure; and
* three-quarters of those give computer users some choice about how their
information is used.
However, only about 10% of the sites in the survey include all of the
elements of a privacy agreement by Federal Trade Commission and industry
officials.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E1), AUTHOR: Robert O'Harrow Jr.]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/daily/may99/privacy13.htm)
See also:
SURVEY FINDS WEB PRIVACY PRACTICES BETTER
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Aaron Pressman (Reuters)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/438088l.htm)
NEW PRIVACY STUDY SAYS MAJORITY OF SITES PROVIDE WARNINGS
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/05/cyber/articles/13privacy.html)
INTERNET STUDY SHOWS USAGE BY U.S. ADULTS JUMPED
Issue: Internet
A survey, released Wednesday by Media Research Inc., showed that the number
of US adults with access to the Internet -- either at home or work --
climbed 16.3% to 83.7 million. The Cyber Stats report used data the was
collected between March 1998 and February 1999. Other findings: The number
of adults with access to the Internet represents 42.4% of the US adult
population. The total number of adults who used the Internet over the past
thirty days is 64.2 million. About 44.9 million accessed the Internet from
home, compared with 31.3 million from work. Men (51.4%) use the Internet
more than women (48.6%). More than 53 million adults reported having used an
online service.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/438095l.htm)
LIVEWIRE: PUTTING HUMAN FACES ON INTERNET STATS
Issue: Internet
A survey of US Internet users by Nielsen/Net Ratings
(http://www.netratings.com) says the number of Internet users is up to 40
million. "During any given week, the average Internet user logs on five
times, visits seven Web sites and spends a total of two hours and nine
minutes online," according to the report. The author of the article tried to
put a human face on the Internet statistics by looking at her family and at
neighbors. One of her conclusions: "If your mom's using something, it's a
good indication that whatever it is -- e-mail, the Web -- has attained
mass-media status."
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Michelle V. Rafter]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/438096l.htm)
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