TELEPHONY
Toll Telephone Lines Seek to Lure Urban Poor (NYT)
Bell Atlantic Takes Advantage of an F.C.C. Rule Change (NYT)
AT&T Revamps Long-Distance Rate Hike Plan Changes (USA)
INTERNET
Study on Viability of Community Networks (NTIA)
Government To Create Big Web Site, Clinton Says (SJM)
Internet's Domain Administrator Is Sued (NYT)
JOURNALISM
At CBS, Lines Between News and Entertainment Grow Fuzzier (NYT)
MERGERS
FCC Broadens Its Investigation Of Aol, Time Warner Merger (WSJ)
TELEPHONY
TOLL TELEPHONE LINES SEEK TO LURE URBAN POOR
Issue: Telephone
In New York, special 540 toll lines on a local area code are used to lure
unemployed persons for a call that unexpectedly costs $19. The numbers are
advertised on fliers in low-income areas promising jobs. When called, the
recorded messages mention no specific jobs, just the telephone numbers for
job information lines at three hotels, two hospitals, and the health and
hospitals division of the hospital workers' union. Bell Atlantic, which
offers the 540 numbers in the New York City region, says it imposes strict
regulations, along with the New York State Public Service Commission. Ads
must state the cost of the call, and any call that can go over $3.50 must
state the cost at the outset and then give the caller 20 seconds to hang up.
But many of the 540 lines skirt these restrictions. And Bell Atlantic, which
gets 26 cents for the first minute of every call and seven cents per minute
thereafter, says it cannot check whether the jobs promised exist. "We can't
police all of them," John J. Bonomo, a Bell Atlantic spokesman, said.
Vendors come to the phone company with a proposal and they can charge
virtually any price. "If it's not obscene, unlawful or illegal, I can't
recall any case where we've turned them away," he said.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Amy Waldman]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/regional/ny-540-scam.html)
BELL ATLANTIC TAKES ADVANTAGE OF AN FCC RULE CHANGE
Issue: Telephone
By the end of July, Bell Atlantic will almost surely announce that it has
signed up a million long-distance customers in New York just since the
beginning of this year. That is something like a quarter-billion dollars in
annual revenue swiped from the likes of AT&T, WorldCom and Sprint in seven
months. Bell Atlantic and the other Baby Bells have accepted that the
Department of Justice and the FCC will be no pushovers for approving
in-region long distance service. By slogging through the hard, unglamorous
work necessary to win over the regulators rather than wailing over how
unfair it is, the Bells are getting all they really wanted from the
Telecommunications Act of 1996: a chance to jump into the pot of gold they
see in the long-distance market.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/biztech/articles/26neco.html)
AT&T REVAMPS LONG-DISTANCE RATE HIKE PLAN CHANGES
Issue: Telephony
AT&T is revisiting plans for a controversial rate hike that infuriated
consumers and regulators earlier this month. The long-distance company will
attempt to soften the impact of steep increases with new calling plans
intended to benefit consumers who make few long-distance calls. AT&T will
drop the $3 minimum fee it charged people who made few or no calls, but it
is raising per-minute rates by 13% to 56%. The company had recently withdrew
increases it had quietly put into effect at the same time it joined the
Federal Communications Commission in touting the reduction of access
fees. The new rate increase is intended to give consumers more options. Gene
Kimmelman of Consumers Union says the new rates are "a step in the right
direction" but disappointing, given that regulators have reduced AT&T's
costs by trimming fees it pays to local carriers.
[SOURCE: USAToday (2B),AUTHOR: Shawn Young]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000626/2399075s.htm)
See Also:
STATEMENT ON AT&T'S NEW CALLING PLANS FOR "LOW VOLUME USERS"
[SOURCE: Consumers Union]
(http://www.consumersunion.org/telecom/lowdc600.htm)
INTERNET
STUDY ON VIABILITY OF COMMUNITY NETWORKS
Issue: Digital Divide
Commerce Secretary William M. Daley today announced the award of a $100,000
contract to the Center for Civic Networking of Friday Harbor, Wash., to
study the sustainability of community networks, often the only means by
which communities without access to information technologies can get
information on health, public safety and community services. The contract is
one of several Clinton/Gore administration initiatives designed to help
close the nation's digital divide, the gap between Americans with access and
those without access to information technologies -- tools critical to
economic success and professional advancement. The project will focus on
locally-based, non-profit or public sector entities specializing in public
access networks supporting civic participation, community economic
development, health and human service delivery, and the arts. Topics to be
addressed include "Creating Demand Aggregation" and "Managing Organization
Change," among others.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/2000/ccnpr62200.htm)
GOVERNMENT TO CREATE BIG WEB SITE, CLINTON SAYS
Issue: Access to Government Information
President Clinton announced on Saturday that government is developing a Web
site that will make all online federal resources available at the click of a
mouse. The site, to be called firstgov.gov, will be created in 90 days or
less, President Clinton said on Saturday. "When it's complete, firstgov will
serve as a single point of entry to one of the largest, perhaps the most
useful, collection of Web pages in the entire world," Clinton said in what
was billed as his first Saturday Webcast to the nation. He said that by the
end of the year the government will make it possible for people to go online
to bid on, or apply for, some of the $300 billion in grants or $200 in
government contracts for goods and services. "Increasingly, we'll give our
citizens not only the ability to send and receive information but also to
conduct sophisticated transactions online," Clinton said.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Tim Ryan (Reuters)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/internet/docs/134340l.htm
)
INTERNET'S DOMAIN ADMINISTRATOR IS SUED
Issue: Internet
Afternic.com has filed what is believed to be the first lawsuit challenging
the work of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (Icann).
The company says Icann violated its own bylaws in refusing to approve
Afternic's application to become an accredited primary registrar for
Internet addresses. Afternic.com runs a Web site where people who already
own domain names can resell them. Icann did not act on the company's
application to become an official registrar because of the resale business.
But the two largest registrars of domain names, Network Solutions and
Register.com, have begun offering resale services similar to Afternic's.
"Icann believes that it has handled Afternic's application in an appropriate
manner, according to Icann policies and legal requirements, and consistently
with the manner in which other applications have been handled," Icann said.
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/biztech/articles/26doma.html)
JOURNALISM
AT CBS, LINES BETWEEN NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT GROW FUZZIER
Issue: Journalism
CBS, which for years has had the oldest audience of any of the broadcast
networks, is trying to take advantage of its surging ratings for
"Survivor," especially among younger viewers. Every Thursday morning, the
network's news program, "The Early Show," gives over two full segments to
exploring the latest developments in "Survivor" including a half-hour panel
discussion and the first interview with the latest cast member cast adrift
by his or her island compatriots. [And that's what we mean by "synergy,"
boys and girls] Far from being concerned about blurring any lines between
news and entertainment, CBS executives have expressed nothing but enthusiasm
for the links being forged between "The Early Show," and the two reality
series from CBS's entertainment division. "It's an experiment well worth
taking on," said Andrew Heyward, the president of CBS News. "All I can say
is: Thank God for 'Survivor,' " said Steve Friedman, the senior executive
producer of "The Early Show." Citing ratings increases he said are directly
attributable to the show's association with "Survivor," Mr. Friedman said he
said he is already looking forward to the possibilities for more ratings
coattails from "Big Brother."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Bill Carter]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/062600cbs-shows.html)
MERGERS
FCC BROADENS ITS INVESTIGATION OF AOL, TIME WARNER MERGER
Issue: Mergers
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has broadened their
investigation of America Online Inc.'s planned acquisition of Time Warner
Inc., even as shareholders for the two companies voted to approve the deal.
The FCC asked the two companies to provide information on everything from
the nitty-gritty of AOL's recent purchase of a 15% stake in TiVo Inc.,a
digital-video-recording company, to all documents relating to business plans
for the merged company. In an eight-page request, the FCC probes the nature
of AOL and Time Warner's relationships with each other and their partners,
and particularly focuses on whether these agreements prohibit competition.
The agency has requested information on AOL TV, the service that allows TV
users to surf the Web and chat online while watching shows. The regulators
also asked for information on the nature of nearly all of AOL and Time
Warner' partnerships and investments. To be approved, the merger must win
approval from U.S. and European antitrust regulators, who are examining the
deal.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B12), AUTHOR: Julia Angwin & Jill Carroll]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB961780477864475613.htm)
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