ACTIVISM
Cultural Sabotage Waged in Cyberspace (NYT)
San Francisco Residents Protest Increasing Dot-Com Presence (WSJ)
INTERNET
Consumer Advocate Releases "Open Access" Principles (CFA)
Commercialization of the Internet: The Interaction of Public
Policy and Private Choices (EPN)
In Praise of the Mom-and-Pop I.S.P (NYT)
FBI to Release Papers On Carnivore System (WSJ)
Net, Wireless Phone Titans Gird For Battle (USA)
JOBS
High-Tech Summer Boot Camp Puts Students A Step Ahead (SJM)
Phone Strikers Threaten End Of Pact Talks (NYT)
POLITICAL DISCOURSE
Spanish-Language TV, A Channel To Latino Voters (WP)
Late and messy, but Not Bad News for the Gore Campaign (NYT)
TELEVISION/RADIO
TV Makers to Raise Digital-Set Output Despite Mixed Signals
About Standard (WSJ)
FCC Approves AMFM/Clear Channel Merger (FCC)
INTERNATIONAL
China's Censor Is Customer No.1 (NYT)
British Telecom Will Increase Stake In Germany's Viag Interkom to 90%
ACTIVISM
CULTURAL SABOTAGE WAGED IN CYBERSPACE
Issue: Online Activism
RTMark (its name derives from "registered trademark" but is pronounced "art
mark") is an investment firm. But the promised returns are not money, but
acts of cultural sabotage like switching voice boxes in Barbie and G.I. Joe
dolls, creating Gatt.org, a look-alike Web site that lampooned the World
Trade Organization, and purchasing recorded books by conservative pundits so
leftist speeches can be recorded over the original material and the tapes
can be put back onto sales racks in book stores. RTMark's motto is to attack
without causing physical injury, and its projects sometimes go to extremes.
There is the yearly Corporate Poetry Contest, for example, in which users
send in actual e-mail exchanges with customer service representatives. Some
entries sound like found poetry composed in business-speak. The three
founders communicate mostly by email and rely on being small, mobile and
intelligent. Through the Web, RTMark offers anti-corporate pranks, arguing
argues that the freedom to appropriate and transform corporate products and
Web sites is good for intellectual progress.
[SOURCE: New York Times (D10), AUTHOR: Alissa Quart]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/circuits/articles/17rtma.html)
SAN FRANCISCO RESIDENTS PROTEST INCREASING DOT-COM PRESENCE
Issue: Activism
Although many cities in America are fighting to attract Dot-com companies,
San Franciscans believe their increasing presence in their city is too much
of a good thing. Indeed, 30,000 San Francisco residents have consequently
signed a petition that will put a measure on the November ballot to limit
the growth of technology companies in the city. To San Franciscans, the
technology companies are displacing families, artists' groups and
nonprofits, who can no longer afford to stay in their otherwise lower-rent
neighborhoods. "Landlords are jumping on the bandwagon, they have to live in
this expensive town too," said 33-year-old artist Tim Crowe, who lives
above a loft-style art gallery. Critics also say the process is undermining
the city's economic and cultural diversity. Mr. Crowe said he is moving his
studio out of the neighborhood --and the city -- to a cheaper warehouse in
Oakland. "I understand raising rents but not tripling them, which is what's
happening." To the dot-com businesses, they see themselves as boosters of
the local economy and profess astonishment at the hostility they are
receiving. "They call us dotcommies, dotcommunists, even e-holes," says Alex
Clemens, newly appointed director of community relations for high-speed
Internet access provider Northpoint Communications Group Inc., which has its
headquarters in the city's South of Market (SoMa) district.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Ann Grimes]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB966465642203150050.htm)
INTERNET
CONSUMER ADVOCATE RELEASES "OPEN ACCESS" PRINCIPLES
Issue: Open Access
From Press Release: In a hearing before the Committee
on State Affairs of the Texas House of Representatives, Dr. Mark N. Cooper,
Director of Research for the Consumer Federation of America (CFA), today
released a set of principles to guide policymakers as they set the rules for
nondiscriminatory, open access to the broadband Internet. "If implemented,
these eight simple principles will guarantee that consumers can enjoy the
benefits of an extremely fast Internet brought to them by companies
competing on a level playing field," said Cooper. The eight principles
listed by Dr. Cooper are: 1. Ban Discrimination, 2. Maximize ISP Access, 3.
Enforce Nondiscrimination Through Private Action, 4. Minimize The
Anticompetitive Effects Of Technical Limitations, 5. Require Comparably
Efficient Interconnection And Nondiscriminatory
Operational Support Systems, 6. Ensure Confidentiality Of Customer
Information, 7. Require Subsidy Free, Nondiscriminatory Pricing, and 8.
Require Wholesale Relationships Between ISPs And Facility Owners
Each of these principles is described in detail in the three-page document
today provided to the Texas Legislature, available online at
http:/www.consumerfed.org/internetaccess/8principles.pdf
[SOURCE: Consumer Federation of America]
(http://www.consumerfed.org/releases.html)
COMMERCIALIZATION OF THE INTERNET: THE INTERACTION OF PUBLIC POLICY AND
PRIVATE CHOICES
Issue: Internet
This paper, published by the Institute for Policy Research, looks at the
Internet access market to explain why commercialization of the Internet has
developed so successfully. It offers four major explanations: 1)anticipated
technical and operational challenges did not materialize; 2) Internet access
proved malleable both as a technology and as an economic unit; 3)
privatization fostered attempts to adapt the technology in new uses,
locations, market settings, and applications; and 4) propitious timing to
the growth of the World Wide Web. The paper draws lessons for policies
governing the commercialization of other government-managed technologies and
for future development of the Internet access market.
[SOURCE: Electronic Policy Network]
(http://www.epn.org/whatsnew/full_cite/249.html)
IN PRAISE OF THE MOM-AND-POP I.S.P.
Issue: Internet Service Providers
Comparing local ISPs to small telephone operations of years gone by and
independent bookstores. Boardwatch magazine recently reported that there's
more than 7,400 providers in North America, an increase of roughly 2,000
over last year. "A lot of I.S.P.'s are part of another business," said Todd
Judd Erickson, managing editor of Boardwatch. Mr. Erickson pointed out that
Denver's two main newspapers used the servers, routers, modems and phone
lines they already had on hand to offer Internet service, as do several of
the nation's banks. "If they have to have the equipment in their office
anyway, they might as well offer Internet service," Mr. Erickson said. It is
the typical homespun Internet service provider, serving a thousand or so
local customers from a small office filled with modems, that has it rough
these days. "The pure dial-up I.S.P. play is tough to make money on because
it's becoming such a commodity," Mr. Erickson said. "If you don't like your
I.S.P., just go with another one." The only way to compete with big online
services like AOL and their large advertising budgets is 1) personalized
customer service, 2) paid referrals and 3) a sense of community.
[SOURCE: New York Times (D1), AUTHOR: Katie Hafner]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/08/circuits/articles/17ispp.html)
FBI TO RELEASE PAPERS ON CARNIVORE SYSTEM
Issue: Privacy
The Justice Department has announced that the FBI expects to begin releasing
some of the 3,000 pages about its Carnivore e-mail surveillance system to
the public in about 45 days. The government added that more releases should
follow every 45 days until all the pages have been evaluated for release.
But the Electronic Privacy Information Center, which sued under the Freedom
of Information Act to get all the FBI's documents describing the system, is
not satisfied. It wants the FBI to commit to releasing a specific number of
pages every 45 days. Otherwise, the FBI could release as few pages of the
3,000 pages as it feels like, stretching the process forever. "With no clear
commitment to evaluate a specific number of pages in each interval, this
process could stretch on for many months or even years," said David Sobel,
the group's general counsel.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (Interactive), AUTHOR: Associated Press
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB966482302719511921.htm)
NET, WIRELESS PHONE TITANS GIRD FOR BATTLE
Issue: Wireless
About 1 million Americans currently access the Web on wireless devises, and
that number could grow to 100 million in five years, when nearly all mobile
phones will have Web access, says Mark Zohar of Forrester Research. As the
popularity of the wireless Web grows, wireless telephone carriers and
Internet giants are locked in a struggle to control Internet commerce and
content on wireless phones. Currently, the carriers are in control, and they
typically demand hefty upfront payments, or a cut of commerce fees, to offer
links to portals such as Yahoo and AOL. Carriers also generally prevent
users from choosing what content will go on the first screen. The Media
Access Project, a public interest law firm, is studying whether federal
regulators ultimately can force wireless carriers to offer Web sites equal
access to their phones, says Andrew Schwartzman, the group's president.
[SOURCE: USAToday (3B), AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000817/2558526s.htm)
JOBS
HIGH-TECH SUMMER BOOT CAMP PUTS STUDENTS A STEP AHEAD
Issue: Jobs/Digital Divide
This Friday, 28 students will graduate from a summer boot camp program
designed to train young Silicon Valley residents from poor communities to do
high-tech jobs that would ordinarily go to foreign workers. The Evergreen
Valley College program, funded by a U.S. Department of Labor grant, will
expand to other community colleges and training centers in the next few
months to train local residents on welfare-to-work programs, workers whose
companies have left the area and those already in the industry who want to
seek more technical positions. The program was conceived to meet the
information technology industry's shortage of workers -- estimated at up to
400,000 -- by training U.S. workers. A portion of the funds comes from the
$500 fee that companies pay for each visa to hire a foreign worker under the
H-1B program. The students summer boot camp program were trained to work as
system administrators. "We don't have a worker shortage. We have a skill
shortage," said Henry Estrada, one of the instructors who taught at the
Evergreen boot camp. "Part of the answer to that is right here in Silicon
Valley. We have a lot of very capable people in our communities who just
need an opportunity to learn the skills the high-tech industry needs."
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: K. Oanh Ha]
(http://www.mercurycenter.com/svtech/news/indepth/docs/solar081700.htm)
PHONE STRIKERS THREATEN END OF PACT TALKS
Issue: Jobs
Late yesterday, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the
northern unit of the Communications Workers of America announced they will
break off negotiations with Verizon if an agreement is not reached by
midnight tonight. The move puts pressure on the telecom giant which is also
trying to handle a growing number of requests for repair and new service
from customers. "The company still refuses to abandon its position that the
percentage of jobs moved should be calculated on a net basis, with incoming
jobs counted as offsetting any jobs moved out, no matter what craft is
affected," a message to local union presidents read. "In addition, the
company's position on the overall percentage of jobs that can be moved
remains unacceptably high." Verizon said it would try to address these
issues, and others, before the midnight deadline. "We all want to get this
done quickly, as it seems the two groups are tired like us and want this to
end," said Eric Rabe, Verizon's spokesman. "Maybe they're trying to send the
remaining bargaining party a message." CWA's mid-Alantic unit was not
included in the midnight deadline and is thought to be holding up the talks.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Simon Romero]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/081700verizon-strike.html)
See Also:
UNIONS THREATEN TO LEAVE TALKS
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E3), AUTHOR: Sarah Schafer ]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40571-2000Aug16.html)
POLITICAL DISCOURSE
SPANISH-LANGUAGE TV, A CHANNEL TO LATINO VOTERS
Issue: Political Discourse/Diversity
As the U.S. Hispanic population grows in both numbers and visibility, both
political parties are eagerly courting this important demographic group. How
are Spanish-speaking citizens being brought into the English-speaking
political process? Much of that process involves the major news medium that
serves Hispanics as a broad national group: Spanish-language TV. Both
Telemundo and Univision are attempting to tackle the challenge, using
convention coverage from Philadelphia, and then Los Angeles, as a lead story
night after night.The ratings on Telemundo's evening newscasts have gone up
by 70 percent, according to the network's news president, Joe Peyronnin.
"Spanish-speakers in this country realize that they need to be informed
about what's going on here... The notion that Hispanics only want to hear
news from their home countries is ridiculous. They want to know what's
relevant to them locally...In the next presidential election after this one,
Hispanics will make up 35 percent of the total population of the United
States. We need to keep this population in the loop."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (C1), AUTHOR: Marie Arana]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A40129-2000Aug16.html)
LATE AND MESSY, BUT NOT BAD NEWS FOR THE GORE CAMPAIGN
Issue: Political Discourse
A look at how the Democratic convention is organized and how well its
playing for and on TV.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A17), AUTHOR: Marks & Nagourney]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/081700dem-cvn-media.html)
See Also
TV RATINGS SLIP ON SECOND DAY
[SOURCE: New York Times (A18)]
(http://www.nytimes.com/)
LOW-DRAMA CONVENTION STIRS HUNGER FOR PUNDITRY
Although the Web promises immediacy and immersion for convention junkies,
most sites turn out to be little more than electronic journals.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A21), AUTHOR: Rick Lyman]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/081700dem-cvn-surf.html)
A POLITICAL INTERLOCUTOR LEARNING THE JOB ON THE CONVENTION FLOOR
A look at the filming of "last Party 2000," a documentary directed by
Donovan Leitch. Mark Benjamin shot "Last Party" during the 1992 campaign and
released it in 1993; although well-received, it was overshadowed by the
critically acclaimed "War Room."
[SOURCE: New York Times (B1), AUTHOR: Rick Lyman]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/081700hoffman-film.html)
TELEVISION/RADIO
TV MAKERS TO RAISE DIGITAL-SET OUTPUT DESPITE MIXED SIGNALS ABOUT STANDARD
Issue: DTV
TV manufacturers this fall will increase production of sets that can show
high-definition digital broadcasts, despite a scarcity of programs for them
and a review of technical standards that may lead to design changes. By
separating the digital receiver from the TV set, consumers will be able to
use the advanced-display capabilities of new TVs to view satellite
broadcasts and movies on digital videodisks, and to add a receiver for
digital broadcasts when those become common later. While traditional analog
TVs can't process digital signals, digital or HDTV sets are able to receive
analog programming. But these digital TVs will come at a price. The smallest
TV models with a built-in digital receiver to be sold by Thomson Multimedia
SA's U.S. subsidiary, which makes RCA and Proscan TVs, with a 34-inch
screen, will be priced at about $3,500.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B12), AUTHOR: Evan Ramstad]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB96646685163693093.htm)
FCC APPROVES AMFM/CLEAR CHANNEL MERGER
Issue: Mergers/Radio
The FCC announced that it approved the transfer of control of AMFM, Inc. and
its subsidiary licensees, including 490 radio facilities, to Clear Channel
Communications, Inc. To satisfy the Commission's local radio ownership and
radio-television cross-ownership rules, and the concerns of the Commission
and the Department of Justice (DOJ) about the impact on competition, Clear
Channel and AMFM propose, concurrently with the merger, to divest 122 radio
stations in local radio markets in 37 areas to either third party buyers or
to an insulated trust. Therefore, the approval of the merger is conditioned
on the divestiture or the assignment to the trust of radio stations in the
following areas: Albany, NY, Allentown, PA, Austin, TX, Biloxi-Pascagoula,
MS, Cedar Rapids, IA, Cincinnati, OH, Cleveland, OH, Columbia, SC,
Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX, Daytona Beach, FL, Denver-Boulder, CO, Des Moines, IA,
Ft. Pierce, FL, Grand Rapids, MI, Greensboro-Winston Salem-High Point, NC,
Greenville-Spartanburg, SC, Harrisburg, PA, Houston, TX, Jackson, MS,
Jacksonville, FL, Los Angeles, CA, Miami, FL, Melbourne, FL, New Haven, CT,
Orlando, FL, Pensacola, FL, Phoenix, AZ, Providence, RI, Raleigh-Durham, NC,
Richmond, VA, San Diego, CA, San Francisco, CA, San Jose, CA, Shreveport,
LA, Springfield, MA, Stamford-Norwalk, CT, and Waco, TX. [Get out those
checkbooks, readers. Let's buy some media outlets!]
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Mass_Media/News_Releases/2000/nrmm0034.html)
INTERNATIONAL
CHINA'S CENSOR IS CUSTOMER NO.1
Issue: International/Censorship/Advertising
The Chinese government has welcomed advertising as the country's economy
moves centrally-controlled to market driven. The ads are seen as a way to
replace government subsidies to TV stations and periodicals. But the
government also criticizes advertising as a conduit for fraud and foreign
ideas. So the price for advertising in one of the world's fastest-growing
markets is rigid government control. "They will try to be as lenient as
possible, but whenever anything touches cultural values or political
stability, it is something they have to crush right away," said Louisa Ha,
president of Dr. Ad Marketing International, a consulting firm based in the
United States that focuses on China.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Jennifer Lee]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/financial/columns/081700china-adcol.html)
BRITISH TELECOM WILL INCREASE STAKE IN GERMANY'S VIAG INTERKOM TO 90%
Issue: International/Mergers
Thursday, British Telecommunications PLC announced that it will purchase an
additional 45% stake in Viag Interkom for 6.65 billion euros ($6.09 billion)
and take control of the German telecom operator. British Telecom (BT)
already owns a 45% interest in Viag Interkom. The final price paid by BT for
the 45% stake may be adjusted, depending on the what Viag Interkom might pay
for a third-generation mobile phone license in Germany. Viag Interkom
operates the smallest of Germany's four mobile-phone networks, as well as a
fixed-line business. Viag Interkom's principal asset is E2, a wireless
operator with about two million customers. It also owns a fixed-line
business that provides phone and data services to corporate customers. The
acquisition represents an important step for BT in its attempt to become a
pan-European player. BT's acquisition of Viag Interkom could be a boost for
Concert, a venture between AT&T Corp. of the U.S. and British Telecom,
because it would help Concert better serve
corporate customers in the German market, Europe's largest.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A17), AUTHOR: Gautam Naik And Donata Reidel]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB966497394557700465.htm)
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