Universal Service
Kennard Attacks Arguments Against E-Rate (TelecomAM)
Broadcasting
Kid-Tested Quality Programming: The News on the
New Programs (FCC)
Personal Attack and Political Editorial Rules (FCC)
Internet
Corporations urge privacy policy to protect
children using Internet (ChiTrib)
Filter Used by Courts Blocks Innocuous Sites (CyberTimes)
Online Services
Justices agree AOL isn't liable for messages posted on service
(ChiTrib)
AOL Held Not Liable For False Posting (WP)
Telecommunications Legislation
Curry Seeking to Tax Telecommunications (WP)
Mergers
EU Says MCI-Worldcom Deal Likely (NYT)
** Universal Service **
Title: Kennard Attacks Arguments Against E-Rate
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Universal Service
Description: In a speech to the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Reno, FCC
Chairman William Kennard defended the e-rate program. Chairman Kennard said
1) phone rates will continue to fall, 2) the corporation that administers
the e-rate is legal and becoming more efficient, 3) administrative salaries
have been capped, and 4) use of the program's funds to network individual
classrooms is allowed explicitly by the Telecom Act. The Chairman's remarks
come at a time when Congressional opponents plan to try to cut all funding
from the program during separate Senate and House appropriations mark-ups
this week.
** Broadcasting **
Title: Kid-Tested Quality Programming: The News on the New Programs
Source: FCC
http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Ness/spsn813.html
Author: Commissioner Susan Ness
Issue: Children's Programming
Description: A preliminary assessment and a look at the challenges ahead for
children's television programming. Commissioner Ness said "I believe that
the vast majority of commercial broadcasters have accepted the need to
provide at least three hours of educational programming and are making a
good-faith effort to comply with the letter and spirit of the rules."
Title: Personal Attack and Political Editorial Rules
Source: FCC
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/Public_Notices/fcc98126.html
Issue: Broadcast Regulation
Description: "Pursuant to a May 22, 1998 order of the United States Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in Case Number 97-1528, by
recorded vote on June 18, 1998, the Commission voted two to two, with
Chairman Kennard not participating, on whether to grant or deny the Joint
Petition for Expedited Rulemaking Action and for Clarification, filed August
25, 1987 in Gen. Docket No. 83-484 by the Radio Television News Directors
Association, the National Association of Broadcasters, et al., seeking
repeal of the personal attack and political editorial rules. Commissioners
Ness and Tristani voted to deny the petition and Commissioners Powell and
Furchtgott-Roth voted to grant it." Joint Statement of Commissioner Susan
Ness and Commissioner Gloria Tristani
http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Tristani/Statements/stgt816.wp. Joint Separate
Statement of Commissioners Powell and Furchtgott-Roth
http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Powell/Statements/stmkp817.wp.
** Internet **
Title: Corporations urge privacy policy to protect children using Internet
Source: Chicago Tribune (Sec 1, p.4)
http://chicago.tribune.com/news/nationworld/article/0,1051,ART-10874,00....
Author: Frank James
Issue: Privacy
Description: With the threat of regulation looming, a group of major
corporations announced they will get parental permission before soliciting
personal information online from children under 13. The Online Privacy
Alliance http://www.privacyalliance.org/ -- which includes Microsoft, IBM,
and America Online -- said this is but one measure that members will be
asked to obey. But the Clinton Administration expressed disappointment
because the group did not detail how it would enforce its policies. "When
you are a company that is targeting children under 13, you may not, must
not, engage in the collection of data from kids without their parents' prior
consent," said Christine Varney, an adviser to the corporate alliance and a
former commissioner on the Federal Trade Commission. "That's a big step
forward from what had been the emerging practice in some quarters of the
Net." [See also "Companies Form Internet Trade Group"
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/f/AP-Internet-Privacy.html]
Title: Filter Used by Courts Blocks Innocuous Sites
Source: New York Times (CyberTimes)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/06/cyber/articles/23filter.html
Author: Matt Richtel
Issue: Internet Regulation
Description: WebSENSE software is a computer program used by some of
country's top court systems to block access to questionable material on the
Internet. In addition to denying access to pornographic sites, the software
program also denies access to many other less graphic sites, like a home
page for a New Jersey grocer and the Liza Minnelli Web site. In a study to
be released today by the Censorware Project, an Internet watchdog
organization, it claims that the software makers also mislabeled as sexually
explicit several advocacy and free speech sites. One Censorware Project
official said that the study looks closely at the limitations of filtering
software. "Judges and court employees don't need to be protected against
themselves or their baser instincts with public money," said Jonathan
Wallace, a New York attorney who helped compile the study. The makers of
WebSENSE said that the filter only mislabels sites in a small percentage of
cases.
** Online Services **
Title: Justices agree AOL isn't liable for messages posted on service
Source: Chicago Tribune (Sec 3, p.3)
http://chicago.tribune.com/business/businessnews/article/0,1051,SAV-9806230
322,00.html
Author: Reuters News Service
Issue: Online Services
Description: The Supreme Court has let stand a ruling by federal appeals
court that a section of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 "gives
on-line firms immunity from liability for information that originates with
third parties," Reuters reports. The ruling is a victory for America Online
which could have been held liable for defamatory material posted on its system.
Title: AOL Held Not Liable For False Posting
Source: Washington Post (C3)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-06/23/053l-062398-idx.html
Author: Reuters
Issue: Online Regulation
Description: Yesterday the Supreme Court handed America Online Inc. a
victory by allowing a ruling to stand that computer service providers may
not be held liable for defamatory material posted on their systems. The high
court denied an appeal by Kenneth Zeran, who had sued AOL for defamation.
** Telecommunications Legislation **
Title: Curry Seeking to Tax Telecommunications
Source: Washington Post (D3)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-06/23/082l-062398-idx.html
Author: Emily Bazelon
Issue: Legislation
Description: Prince George, MD's County Council will meet today to discuss
whether to charge companies to build transmission towers and lay down
fiber-optic cable. "Under the proposed legislation, the county would collect
5 percent of gross revenue generated by companies that dig cables under
roads or string wire across public airspace. In lieu of the annual rental
fee, companies could negotiate to provide in-kind services such as Internet
and high-speed phone lines to government offices and schools."
** Mergers **
Title: EU Says MCI-Worldcom Deal Likely
Source: New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/f/AP-MCI-Worldcom.html
Author: AP
Issue: Mergers
Description: The European Union seems prepared to approve the MCI-WorldCom
merger. "We're still talking, but as it stands now, we probably have a
deal," said Stefan Rating, spokesman for EU Competition Commissioner Karel
Van Miert. "I can confirm that substantial progress has been made on this
case." The EU has set July 15 as the deadline for a decision on the merger;
it will probably consider it on July 8.
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