Or You Could Just Read a Book
Unlikely Warrior Leads the Charge for a Simpler PC
Gates to aid Libraries, in Footsteps Of Carnegie
UtiliCorp and Peco, Aided by AT&T, To Launch One-Step Utility Service
Fox-TCI Plan Creates First Serious Rival to ESPN
FCC Is Prepared to Reject SBC's Bid To Offer Long-Distance Phone Service
TCI Is Closing Deals With Time Warner, Others to Shed Subscribers, Slash
Debt
Microsoft's Gates Plans $200 Million Gift to Libraries
A Sporting Chance To Be No. 1
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Title: Or You Could Just Read a Book
Source: New York Times (A29)
Author: Rob Long
Issue: V-Chip
Description: In his op-ed, Long, a TV writer and producer, suggests a more
useful series of television ratings such as TV-NoWay "Program is set in an
apartment too spacious and hip for any of the characters to afford in real
life," TV-Woo "At filming, studio audience was encouraged to shout 'woo!'
during moments with even a hint of romantic undertone," and TV-Ug? "Male
lead is a balding, unattractive, schmo-like creature but, inexplicably,
strongly appeals to women of all ages."
Title: Unlikely Warrior Leads the Charge for a Simpler PC
Source: New York Times (C1)
Author: James Gorman
Issue: Info Tech
Description: Dr. Michael L. Dertouzos, the head of MIT's computer labs,
thinks that personal computers need a lot of improving. He details what's
wrong in his new book "What Will Be" published by Harper Collins. He
thinks PCs have too many features, too few of which we actually need, are
too complicated to understand, and often end up in charge of the user.
Title: Gates to aid Libraries, in Footsteps Of Carnegie
Source: New York Times (D1)
Author: Steve Lohr
Issue: Libraries/Philanthropy
Description: Bill Gates of Microsoft is planning to create The Gates
Library Foundation, which will spend $200 million over five years to help
public libraries, primarily those in low-income areas, gain Internet access.
Gates is being likened to Andrew Carnegie, an earlier philanthropist who
helped build more than 2,500 libraries. Critics will accuse Gates of being
self-serving by using this initiative to promote Microsoft products. The
library foundation is distinctive from other library support programs
because of its narrow focus and marks one of Gate's biggest philanthropic
investments. "This foundation is his first big sustained effort, something
that seeks to make a lasting change that could affect millions of people,"
stated Andrew Blau of the Benton Foundation, an organization made famous by
its brilliant, effervescent, humble, up with people daily headlines
service. This effort will be based upon Microsoft's commitment to the
Libraries Online! program, which provided training and financial support for
Internet connections to a number of libraries.
Title: UtiliCorp and Peco, Aided by AT&T, To Launch One-Step Utility Service
Source: Wall Street Journal (A3)
Author: Benjamin A. Holden
Issue: Mergers
Description: Peco and UtiliCorp, two utility companies, are going to
start, with support from AT&T, a new company that would let customers get
natural gas, phone, electric, Internet home security packages, and dog
walking services all in one package.
Title: Fox-TCI Plan Creates First Serious Rival to ESPN
Source: Wall Street Journal (B8)
Author: John Lippman
Issue: Mergers
Description: News Corp. and TCI have agreed to purchase a 40% stake in
Rainbow Media Sports Holdings Inc., which Cablevision Systems Corp. owns 75%
of, for $850 million. This purchase will allow News Corp and TCI to
challenge ESPN with a national sports network. ESPN is owned by Disney.
Murdoch is also currently trying to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers. The new
TCI-News Corp. creation will "sell national advertising by cobbling together
regional sports channels under one banner called Fox Sports Net. Though the
regional channels would show their usual local programming such as news and
highlights shows could be shown on all the regional networks
simultaneously." "The new venture would combine nine regional sports
channels jointly operated by News Corp. and TCI with eight regional sports
channels operated by Rainbow."
Title: Software Developer To Unveil Coupons For Use on Internet
Source: Wall Street Journal (B13)
Author: Jon G. Auerbach
Issue: Info Tech
Description: Open Market, a software developer company, is going to
release technology to create and send digital coupons. This may help
Internet marketers attract customers. The Blue Light Special has now come
online because Internet sellers could have sales. PointCast and Disney's
online store plan to use the technology. Analysts warn that Internet sales
are still too weak to even need coupons.
Title: FCC Is Prepared to Reject SBC's Bid To Offer Long-Distance Phone Service
Source: Wall Street Journal (B13)
Author: Bryan Gruley
Issue: Phone Regulation
Description: FCC Staffers are ready to reject SBC's proposal to provide long
distance phone service in Oklahoma. The FCC is skeptical that SBC has
really opened its local market for competition. SBC argues that it has
deals with 16 rival phone companies in Oklahoma, including Brooks Fiber
Properties. "But FCC staffers are skeptical of those claims, partly because
Brooks has just four residential customers -- all Brooks employees taking
service on an experimental basis."
Title: TCI Is Closing Deals With Time Warner, Others to Shed Subscribers,
Slash Debt
Source: Wall Street Journal (B14)
Author: Mark Robichaux
Issue: Cable
Description: TCI is close to finishing a deal with Time Warner and other
companies that will let TCI take off 800,000 subscribers and $1.1 billion in
debt. TCI is going through a large restructuring phase. Head people at TCI
now feel that local is better and are trying to decentralize the big
company. There are plans to break the company's 14 million cable households
into groups of two to three million subscribers.
Title: Microsoft's Gates Plans $200 Million Gift to Libraries
Source: Washington Post (A1)
Author: Elizabeth Corcoran
Issue: Libraries/Philanthropy
Description: Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, and his wife, Melinda
French Gates, will announce today the creation of a foundation dedicated to
providing computers and Internet connections to the nation's public
libraries. Microsoft will supply $200 million of software to the foundation
to give away. The foundation will also focus on training and support for
library staff. Gates stated that his vision is that "people will take for
granted that you can walk into your local library, get the latest book and
sit-down at a computer." A former Microsoft executive, Patty Stonesifer,
will head the foundation. Philanthropist Andrew Carnegie's approach to
libraries appealed to Gates. Gates reflected that Carnegie said "Ok, books
are this empowering [thing] that people should have access to." Gates
believes that now the same should be true of personal computers. This
library initiative developed out of the smaller Libraries Online! project,
which provided $17 million in cash and software to public libraries. The
success of Libraries Online! -- many participating libraries reported that
people are waiting in line to use the computers -- inspired Gates. The
Federal Communications Commission also recently announced discounts for
libraries and schools to gain Internet access with the creation of a $2.25
billion per year fund.
Title: A Sporting Chance To Be No. 1
Source: Washington Post (C1)
Author: Paul Farhi and Leonard Shapiro
Issue: Media Mergers
Description: Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. is going to buy nine regional
cable sports channels and chunks of the New York Knicks, Rangers, Madison
Square Garden, and Mary Lou Retton (ok, not really Mary Lou) from Cablevision
Corporation. Then News Corp. and its partner, mongo cable company
Tele-Communications Inc., will have everything they need to create a
national sports cable network to challenge ESPN, which Murdoch has
apparently wanted to do for awhile. The new network will go by Fox Sports
Net and "will showcase national sports, as ESPN does now, but will also
maintain its regional flavor" by showing more local sporting events during
the day (West Bronx bridge players rejoice!). Murdoch and Malone of TCI
will have achieved a heretofore unseen amount of "vertical integration" --
"the ability to create programs and distribute them simultaneously." Don't
try this at home. News Corp. and TCI also recently partnered in a satellite
TV venture and News Corp. just bought some of the Family Channel, which TCI
owned a stake in. These types of corporate inbreeding "make a mockery of
[Washington's] efforts to impose public control over cable's market
dominance and monopoly pricing," stated Gene Kimmelman of the Consumers Union.
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