DIGITAL TELEVISION
Voluntary Political TV Advertising Urged (NYT)
REGULATION
World Governments Expand Restrictions on Internet,
Report Says (CyberTimes)
New Anti-Slamming Rules (FCC)
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
Capitol Offense (WSJ)
On the Web, the Race for a Better Wallet (WSJ)
MERGERS
AtHome to Buy Web Ad Firm In Stock Deal (WSJ)
RADIO
Radio Free Iraq's Strong Signal (WP)
ANTITRUST
Sending Messages in a Battle (WP)
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DIGITAL TELEVISION
==================
VOLUNTARY POLITICAL TV ADVERTISING URGED
Issue: Digital TV
A Presidential Advisory Committee on digital television will submit its
submit a report after over one year of deliberation. The Committee stops
short of recommending mandated free time for political candidates, but
suggests that free time be part of any campaign finance reform. The
recommendations also include the creation of a permanent trust fund for
public broadcasting, setting aside channels for educational programs and
services, and providing Internet access for schools and libraries. Funding
would come from fees broadcasters are required by current law to pay for
providing non-broadcast services. Even though a majority of the Committee
supported free time for candidates, a recommendation on for free time was
not included in the core report. "We could have done a report calling for
huge numbers of new mandates," said Committee co-chair Norman Ornstein.
"We'd have gotten comfortable majorities for them and it would have made
everyone feel good -- and nothing would have happened." The recommendations
will be given to Vice President Gore today and will have to be implemented
by Congress and the Federal Communications Commission.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A18), AUTHOR: Lawrie Mifflin]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/tv-panel-ads.html
GUIDELINES DIVIDE PANEL ON DIGITAL TV
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec3, p.1), AUTHOR: Tim Jones]
http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,ART-20360,00.html
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REGULATION
==========
WORLD GOVERNMENTS EXPAND RESTRICTIONS ON INTERNET, REPORT SAYS
Issue: Internet Regulation
A new report, Freedom of Expression on the Internet
http://www.hrw.org/hrw/worldreport99/special/internet.html, released
earlier this month by Human Rights Watch finds that the world's newest form
of mass communication, the Internet, is under attack around the globe from
laws, policies and police actions seeking to restrict content. But there is
good news as well: the Internet is, so far, irrepressible. "Nineteen
ninety-eight can be characterized as (a time of) increasing censorship
regulation -- and going beyond regulation to prosecution," said Jagdish J.
Parikh, online research associate for Human Rights Watch and author of the
Internet section of the report.
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: Pamela Mendels
mendels( at )nytimes.com]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/12/cyber/cyberlaw/18law.html
NEW ANTI-SLAMMING RULES
Issue: Telephone Regulation
FCC Adopts New Anti-Slamming Rules and Unveils Further Measures to Protect
Consumers from Phone Fraud; Slammed Consumers Relieved From Paying Phone
Charges (FCC 98-334, CC Docket No. 94-129). URL below links to news release
and statements from Commissioners.
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1998/nrcc8096.html
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ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
===================
CAPITOL OFFENSE
Issue: Electronic Commerce
The recording industry is struggling to contain piracy made easier by MP3
compression technology and the Internet. So EMI Group PLC's Capitol Records
is none too happy with the Beastie Boys' decision to post songs for free on
the band's website. With possibly 20,000 total songs available free on the
Internet, one record company executive calls the Beastie Boys' endorsement
of MP3 files "disappointing. It makes cleaning up the Net that much more
difficult." Mike Diamond -- aka Mike D -- said, "The record-buying public is
more technologically advanced and more involved with the Web than people at
the record labels. Nobody is going to stop this. It's out there. The kids
are using it."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A1), AUTHOR: Eben Shapiro]
http://wsj.com/
ON THE WEB, THE RACE FOR A BETTER WALLET
Issue: Electronic Commerce
The race to create the standards for electronic wallets is drawing the Web's
biggest titans. E-wallets would hold identification, credit cards, and
address books; they would make online purchases easier. Providers of the
technology would be able to amass data on what sells and who's buying.
America Online has rolled out Quick Checkout, Yahoo! has YahooShopping, and
another portal site, Excite, is pushing its own system. But there are
privacy concerns: "You never know what kind of record you're building on
yourself that might come back to haunt you later on," said the Center for
Democracy and Technology's Ari Schwartz. "Look at Monica Lewinsky's
book-purchase records."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Thomas Weber]
http://wsj.com/
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MERGERS
=======
ATHOME TO BUY WEB AD FIRM IN STOCK DEAL
Issue: Mergers
AtHome Corp, controlled by a consortium of cable operators led by TCI, has
agreed to purchase Narrative Communications Corp for $103.1 million in
stock. Narrative creates and distributes animated Web advertising for
companies like Amazon.com, Lexus, and Procter & Gamble. AtHome provides
high-speed Internet access through cable systems.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B10), AUTHOR: David Bank]
http://wsj.com/
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RADIO
=====
RADIO FREE IRAQ'S STRONG SIGNAL
Issue: Radio
Radio Free Iraq is a new division of Radio Free Europe. With a $5 million
budget, RFI has to broadcast reports that sound objective and meet
journalistic standards to have any credibility with the Iraqi audience,
which doubtless is listening for signs of propaganda. The question, of
course, is 'Is anyone listening?'
[SOURCE: Washington Post (D2), AUTHOR: Frank Ahrens]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-12/18/165l-121898-idx.html
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ANTITRUST
=========
SENDING MESSAGES IN A BATTLE
Issue: Antitrust
The Department of Justice has received more than 2,300 email messages about
the Microsoft case. You can send your opinion to microsoft.atr( at )usdoj.gov.
DoJ spokeswoman Gina Talamona said, "It seems like the appropriate thing to
do for a case that has so much to do with technology," she said. Article
includes quotes from some of the messages.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (F1), AUTHOR: Rajiv Chandrasekaran]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-12/18/066l-121898-idx.html
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...and we are outta here. Have a great weekend. We hope that current events
don't distract you too much from thoughts of peace and good will to all.