OWNERSHIP
Minorities and the Media: Little Ownership and Even Less Control
DIGITAL DIVIDE
Philanthropy Meets Technology
INTERNET
Limits Sought on Wireless Internet Access
U.S. Court Says No to Web Libel Lawsuit
OWNERSHIP
MINORITIES AND THE MEDIA: LITTLE OWNERSHIP AND EVEN LESS CONTROL
Media mergers and buyouts of minority-owned outlets have all but crippled
the diversity of voices in the media marketplace. A discouraging report from
the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
demonstrates that in 2001 only 3.8 percent of the country's full-power
commercial TV and radio stations were minority-owned. Business owners site a
lack of capital as critical in their inability to resist buyouts and gain
control of additional outlets. The effects are disastrous, as broadcasters
are forced to alter their cultural content in favor of lighter, syndicated
fare.
[SOURCE: Alternet, AUTHOR: Dana Rawls]
(http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=14751)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
PHILANTHROPY MEETS TECHNOLOGY
A group of researchers at Stanford University are doing more than just
generating ideas about how to make technology accessible and relevant in
developing nations -- they're turning their ideas into realities for many
underserved communities around the world. The Digital Vision Fellowship
program, funded by the Reuters Foundation, consists of fellows from a
variety of disciplines who produce small-scale IT solutions that increase
access and mesh with the culture of a particular community. The fellows work
with nonprofits and foundations familiar with the targeted regions in order
to implement the final project. "In general, it's just taking something from
an idea to a proven concept," said Stuart Gannes, the program's director.
"The goal here is not just create a bunch of academic papers that people put
on the shelf."
[SOURCE: The Mercury News, AUTHOR: Dan Lee]
(http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/business/4756888.htm)
INTERNET
LIMITS SOUGHT ON WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS
The rapid success of Wi-Fi networks, seen by many as a driving force behind
the future resurgence of the tech market as well as the deployment of
broadband, is facing a potential roadblock from the federal government. The
Department of Defense worries that the wireless technologies employed by
Wi-Fi networks might interfere with military radar, and is thus seeking
limitation on the technology. Industry officials met with DOD brass last
week in an effort to reach a solution, which may include creative spectrum
sharing to reduce the likelihood that consumer wireless users will crowd out
military frequencies. To date, no degradation in government radar capability
has been reported.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: John Markoff]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/17/technology/17WIRE.html)
U.S. COURT SAYS NO TO WEB LIBEL LAWSUIT
The US Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit (VA) refused to hear a case in
which a Virginia prison warden had filed a libel suit against two
Connecticut newspapers that had published stories to the Web. The ruling
comes less than a week after Australia's highest court ruled that a US-based
company would have to litigate a claim brought against it by an Australian
businessman in that court. In the 4th Circuit case, the matter in question
was the newspapers' intent "to direct their Web site content... to a
Virginia audience." The court ruled that the Web sites were designed for
residents of Connecticut, as evidenced by the local content. The court only
ruled on the jurisdictional issue of the case and not the merits of the
warden's defamation claim.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1023-978069.html)
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