Campaign Finance Reform
NYT: Money Gains Access. So What?
WSJ: Don't Look Now: Election Reform Is Still Kicking
Television
WSJ: Washington Coverage Is Steady But Public
Doesn't Seem to Care
WSJ: High-Definition TV Is Dealt a Setback
WSJ: Oracle Plans to Integrate TV Programs With
Data From the World Wide Web
Telephony
WSJ: FCC Is Expected to Reject Ameritech Plan
NTIA: Forum on Internet Telephony
Internet Content
NYT: Court Upholds Law Covering Pornography
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* Campaign Finance Reform *
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Title: Money Gains Access. So What?
Source: New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/oped/13pols.html
Author: Nelson Polsby, Institute of Government Studies, UC Berkeley
Issue: Campaign Finance Reform
Description: The money=access equation gives access a bad name. Access is a
good and necessary thing in a democracy. Only detailed knowledge of
transactions can determine if communication is bribery (money for an
action), extortion (access for a price), or "the making of an alliance,
where like-minded leaders and followers band together to achieve outcomes
they both favor." We should worry if money is the only reason politicians
grant access, "But if there are other reasons why politicians do so, then
the connection between money and access shrinks accordingly."
[For more information on Campaign finance reform see Destination Democracy
http://www.destinationdemocracy.org]
Title: Don't Look Now: Election Reform Is Still Kicking
Source: Wall Street Journal (A16)
http://www.wsj.com/
Author: Gerald Seib
Issue: Campaign Finance Reform
Description: Although campaign fiance reform may seems like a Peanuts
cartoon -- where Lucy pulls the football away from CB just before he kicks
it -- there's actually a 50-50 chance something might be done this fall.
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) has politely declared war saying he and his allies
will attach campaign finance reform legislation to any bill that moves
through the Senate to force an open debate and vote on the issue. Current
reform efforts center around ban "soft money" contributions, tightening
rules on "issue advocacy" campaigns, and using computer technology to make
public disclosure of contributions instantaneous. Other concerns include
limiting campaign spending and free time for candidates. [For more
information on Campaign finance reform see Destination Democracy
http://www.destinationdemocracy.org]
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* Television *
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Title: Washington Coverage Is Steady But Public Doesn't Seem to Care
Source: Wall Street Journal (B1)
http://www.wsj.com/
Author: Tatiana Boncompagni
Issue: Television
Description: Nightly news coverage of "Washington news" -- relating to the
White House, government agencies, Congress and the military -- appears to
have held steady since 1990 according to the Center for Media and Public
Affairs, but only 51% of respondents to a Pew Research Center for the People
and the Press poll consider themselves "very and fairly closely interested
in that news. If reduced coverage isn't the reason for declining interest,
what is? The economy, stupid, says Georgetown University professor Diana
Owen. Politics is too distant for most people unless it affects their
pocketbooks. [For more on TV see The Debate On the Future of Television
http://www.benton.org/Policy/TV/]
Title: High-Definition TV Is Dealt a Setback
Source: Wall Street Journal (B5)
http://www.wsj.com/
Author: Kyle Pope
Issue: Digital TV
Description: ABC and Sinclair Broadcast Group announced that they will not
use digital television capacity to air high-definition television (HDTV)
that provides better pictures and cd-quality sound. Instead they will use
the technology to provide multiple channels. "Our share of viewing will
continue to erode as long as we remain a single channel in an expanding
multichannel marketplace," said the president of Disney's ABC. The network
hopes to tap into the $30 billion annual subscription fee market that is now
dominated by cable and satellite TV. It is also considering marrying the
television to the Internet: "With a click of the remote-control button,
customers will be able to tell us if they want a free sample of a new
headache remedy or wish to test-drive a new car." [For more on the
conversion to digital TV see Picture This: Digital TV and the Future of
Television http://www.benton.org/Policy/TV/digital.html]
Title: Oracle Plans to Integrate TV Programs
With data From the World Wide Web
Source: Wall Street Journal (B7)
http://www.wsj.com/
Author: Don Clark
Issue: Television/WWW
Description: Oracle will announce plans today to integrate television
programs with information from the World Wide Web. New technology will allow
Web information to be automatically integrated with TV programs using the
vertical blanking interval, "a space between TV signals that can be adapted
for sending data."
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* Telephony *
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Title: FCC Is Expected to Reject Ameritech Plan
Source: Wall Street Journal (B7)
http://www.wsj.com/
Author: Byran Gruley
Issue: Long Distance/Telephone Regulation
Description: The Federal Communications Commission is expected to reject an
application by Baby Bell Ameritech to offer long distance service in
Michigan where the company is the dominant local service provider. The FCC's
decision is expected to offer clear guidelines on what they Baby Bells must
do in order to offer long distance within their own regions. Ameritech
claims it has done everything asked of it in the Telecommunications Act of
1996. [For more on regulating basic telephone service see
http://www.benton.org/Policy/Regulation/phonereg.html]
At the NTIA http://www.ntia.doc.gov
NTIA announces forum on Internet Telephony
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/forums/telephony/telflyer.htm, one of a
number of new applications on the Information Superhighway, and examine the
corresponding policy implications. To be held September 4, 1997, in
Washington, DC. The forum is open to the public although seating is limited.
(Press Release http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/81297intertel.htm)
[For information on Internet Telephony regulation see
http://www.benton.org/Policy/Regulation/netreg.html]
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* Internet Content *
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Title: Court Upholds Law Covering Pornography
Source: New York Times (A17)
http://www.nytimes.com/
Author: AP
Issue: Internet Content
Description: A Federal judge in San Francisco has upheld an expanded Federal
child pornography law that bans computer-generated sexual images of children
or adults depicted as minors. The judge said that the law protects children
from exploitation without violating freedom of speech. Sex film distributors
and the American Civil Liberties Union opposed the law and may appeal it to
a higher court. Only pictures that are marketed as child pornography are
covered by the law. [CyberTimes also reports on Nerve Magazine
(http://www.nervemag.com/index.shtml), A Web Site Where Eros Wears Glasses
http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/081397nervemag.html]
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