INTERNET
Groups Begin Public Awareness Campaign for Internet Board Election
(NYT)
Studies Reveal a Rush of Older Women to the Web (NYT)
U.N. Plans Internet Conference (NYT)
Office E-Mail Takes Over (WP)
BROADCASTING
Univision Begins Internet Venture (SJM)
EDTECH
School Decision Might Clear Way For Vouchers (USA)
MERGERS
Gannett Agreed To Acquire Central Newspapers (WSJ)
Deutsche Telekom May Bid For Sprint, Though Others Are Also
Interested (WSJ)
Recent History Shows Europe To Be Against Telecom Mergers (WSJ)
INTERNET
GROUPS BEGIN PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN FOR INTERNET BOARD ELECTION
Issue: Internet
The Center for Democracy and Technology, Common Cause and the American
Library Association, in cooperation with the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), launched the "Become a Cyber Citizen"
effort to recruit cyber citizens to help administer the Internet. ICANN,
which was selected by the Clinton Administration in 1998 to take over
administration of the network's domain name system, is seeking to register
new cyber citizens by July 31 so that individual Internet users are properly
represented on the board and are eligible to vote in the first election. The
nonprofit group is holding its first global elections this fall. ICANN has
already elected nine industry board members but has plans to elect nine
at-large members, who will represent Internet users in its general policy
making.
[source: New York Times (Cybertimes) Author: Jeri Clausing]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/cyber/articles/29domain.html)
STUDIES REVEAL A RUSH OF OLDER WOMEN TO THE WEB
Issue: Internet
In America, the Web is no longer the young male bastion it once was. "The
Web is now, in fact, very middle-aged," said Doug McFarland, senior vice
president and general manager at Media Metrix, the Web ratings firm. "It
tends to be used by people in their mid-40's on average. Not young people
who are popping pizza all day." And this year, for the first time, the Web
has reached a balance between men and women. The fastest growing group among
Web users in the last year, in fact, women over 55. There is still a
striking digital divide between this nation's rich and poor. Jupiter
Research figures show that only 21 percent of households with incomes of
less than $15,000 a year have Web access, compared with 78 percent of those
with incomes over $75,000, despite the drop in the price of a PC or an
Internet connection. Studies also show the World Wide Web remains mostly an
American phenomenon. The United States has more Web users than the next 15
countries combined.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C7), AUTHOR: Ian Austen]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/circuits/articles/29numb.html)
OFFICE E-MAIL TAKES OVER
Issue: Internet
A new study, called "E-Mail Behavior in the Workplace," revealed that e-mail
is replacing other traditional forms of business communication. Connducted
by Vault.com, a Web site for career and human resources information, the
study found that 80 percent of the 1,000 employees polled said e-mail has
replaced "snail mail" for the majority of their
business correspondence. 72.5 percent said it has replaced faxing and 45
percent said it has replaced phone calls.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E7), AUTHOR: Terence Chea]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16205-2000Jun28.html)
U.N. PLANS INTERNET CONFERENCE
Issue: Internet
The United Nations has announced that it would host a conference in July on
speeding up worldwide economic development through Internet technology.
Meeting participants will likely examine such problems as connecting to the
Net, training for its use and providing content in languages other than
English. "First among the issues that will be reflected on during our
ministerial round-table discussion (July 6) is that there is a 'digital
divide' between countries that are rich in information and countries that
are poor in information," said Ambassador Makarim Wibisono of Indonesia,
president of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), which is
organizing the conference.
[SOURCE: New York Times (Online), AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/06/biztech/articles/29un-tech.html)
BROADCASTING
UNIVISION BEGINS INTERNET VENTURE
Issue: Broadcasting/Internet
Univision Communications Inc. has launched its Internet venture. Until now,
Univision had kept its viewers in the dark on the cyber revolution with a
ban on all advertisements from dot-coms. Now that the network has launched
its own venture, it is expected to devote plenty of air time to educate
consumers on computer use and aggressively promote the site, along with
low-priced hardware and software deals with major manufacturers. The
publicity will reach millions of immigrants who have been among the
country's least connected. Sources say Univision will begin heavily
promoting its site in Los Angeles as early as next week, advertising on its
own network and passing out free disks at retail outlets. Through
partnerships with IBM and software manufacturers, Univision.com is also
expected to offer a PC and ISP package loaded with the Univision.com home
page, as well as around-the-clock Spanish-language assistance through an 800
number. Univision owns and operates 19 stations, and has 33 affiliate
stations and 1,029 cable affiliates in the United States. It also owns the
Galavision Spanish-language cable network. Content throughout caters
specifically to immigrant Latinos in the United States, a departure from
many of the portals attempting to capture Spanish-speakers here and abroad.
The Los Angeles-based network is the fastest growing broadcaster in the
United States, holding an 83 percent share of the prime-time audience that
watches TV in Spanish.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Lee Romney (Los Angeles Times)]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/breaking/merc/docs/000472.htm)
EDTECH
SCHOOL DECISION MIGHT CLEAR WAY FOR VOUCHERS
Issue: EdTech
Yesterday, the Supreme Court ruled that taxpayer funds can be used to supply
religious schools with computers and other educational equipment. The 6-3
ruling in a Louisiana case upholds a program that sends federal money to
public school districts to purchase and lend classroom equipment to private
and parochial schools as long as the goods are not used for religious
purposes. Previous rulings had limited loans and purchases to textbooks
because they could be screened easily for religious neutrality.
[SOURCE: USAToday (9A), AUTHOR: Donna Leinwand]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000629/2412396s.htm)
MERGERS
GANNETT AGREED TO ACQUIRE CENTRAL NEWSPAPERS
Issue: Merger
Gannett Co. plans to acquire Central Newspapers Inc., owner of the Arizona
Republic and the Indianapolis Star, for $2.6 billion in the latest string of
acquisitions by the newspaper giant. In a news release, Gannett said the
transaction has been approved by both companies' boards. In addition to its
two main newspapers, Central owns a series of smaller publications around
Indianapolis and Phoenix. Unlike other deals Gannett has made in recent
times, the proposed acquisition of Central Newspapers Inc., could pose
conflict with its TV station. The Federal Communications Commission rules
don't allow companies to own a TV station and newspaper in the same town.
Gannett would own the Arizona Republic and KPNX, an NBC-affiliate television
station in Phoenix. The FCC regulations on cross-ownership would require
Gannett to sell the station when the license comes up for renewal in 2006 if
it can't get a waiver. The proposed acquisition by Gannett would end a
family journalism dynasty that began with Eugene C. Pulliam, who began
delivering newspapers at age six and eventually owned dozens of papers.
Former vice president Dan Quayle, a grandson of the company's founder,
resigned from Central's board last year during his run for the Republican
presidential nomination.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHOR: MATTHEW ROSE]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB962225912996654839.htm)
DEUTSCHE TELEKOM MAY BID FOR SPRINT, THOUGH OTHERS ARE ALSO INTERESTED
Issue: Merger
Deutsche Telekom AG is looking to step forward with a bid for Sprint Corp.
after the merger with WorldCom got derailed. According to Mario Monti, the
European Competition Commissioner, the merger threatened competition in
global Internet services. Deutsche Telekom discussed the desire to acquire
Sprint and other U.S. targets during a management board meeting Wednesday,
according to a company official. Deutsche Telekom already owns a 10% stake
in Sprint and has discussed buying the company once before. It could use the
acquisition to establish itself in the U.S. market for wireless and Internet
services. In its determination to expand beyond its home market, Deutsche
Telekom has been lobbying Washington politicians and has acquired a
stockpile of ammunition in form of cash in readiness to pounce for anything
in the U.S market. However, the German company is not the only one
interested in acquiring Sprint. Other European companies are also interested
in Sprint, but few of the big players seem as able as Deutsche Telekom to
pull off a deal.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHOR: WILLIAM BOSTON]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB962220511121697960.htm)
RECENT HISTORY SHOWS EUROPE TO BE AGAINST TELECOM MERGERS
Issue: Mergers
Europe has become a more hostile place for splashy telecom mergers, with MCI
WorldCom and Sprint the latest companies to discover why. Mergers have
collapsed over disagreements about issues ranging from government ownership
to management positions to fights about the location of a company's
headquarters. Most recently, WorldCom's plan to buy Sprint was been thwarted
by antitrust authorities in Brussels, as well as by U.S. officials. In
recent months, several ambitious mergers have encountered difficulties. When
Vodafone AirTouch PLC pulled off its spectacular takeover of Germany's
Mannesmann AG early this year, it looked like every European phone operator
would be rushing to pair up. Telecom Italia SpA has yet to buy a single
European company of any size. Deutsche Telekom AG has held merger
conversations with a host of operators -- including Telecom Italia,
Telefonica SA, Qwest Communications International Inc., Equant NV -- but
failed each time to complete a transaction. British Telecommunications PLC,
which lost MCI Communications Corp. to a last-minute bid from WorldCom,
couldn't clinch a merger with Telefonica SA, say people close to the
companies. Big European deals "are more difficult to pull off," concedes Sir
Peter Bonfield, chief executive officer of BT. "Regulators have become more
concerned." Are European regulators trigger-happy?
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A18), AUTHOR: GAUTAM NAIK
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB962220372178687131.htm)
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