MEDIA OWNERSHIP
ABC News, CNN Will Stay Separate
INTERNET
U.S. Backs Merging Net, Phone Numbers
DIGITAL DIVIDE
School Computerisation Programme Launched
Bridging the Digital Divide in South East Europe
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
ABC News, CNN Will Stay Separate
The long-rumored merger between news giants ABC and CNN is dead, according
to a top AOL Time Warner executive. "The potential problems associated with
the completion of such a transaction and the integration of these two
distinct and great cultures was more than we want to pursue at this time,"
AOL Time Warner confirmed in a press release last night. The deal would have
combined ABC's national new staff with CNN's international reporting and
reach, following a trend set by networks such as NBC and Fox of attempting
to capture the growing ratings of cable TV.
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Frank Ahrens]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A5805-2003Feb13.html)
INTERNET
U.S. Backs Merging Net, Phone Numbers
The Bush administration intends to join an international effort to link
e-mail addresses to phone, fax and cellular numbers. In an internal letter,
Assistant Commerce Secretary Nancy Victory advocated "seiz[ing] this
opportunity and tak[ing] steps to participate, consistent with the highest
standards of security, competition, and privacy." The electronic numbering
system (ENUM) would allow people to use a single identifier for several
purposes, furthering the convergence of Internet and telephony. So far, 13
nations plan trials of the system.
[SOURCE: CNET News, AUTHOR: Declan McCullagh]
(http://news.com.com/2100-1033-984591.html?tag=fd_top)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
School Computerisation Programme Launched
The Rwandan government announced on Tuesday plans to bring computer labs,
Web access and teacher tech training to the country's secondary schools. The
program, known as SchoolNet, has the support of both the World Bank and
USAID. President Paul Kagame urged Rwandans to learn to use the Internet,
noting the vast resources available for businesses to increase productivity.
Currently, the program has aided 13 schools, each receiving a computer lab
with 16 desktops.
[SOURCE: AllAfrica, AUTHOR: UN Integrated Regional Information Networks]
(http://allafrica.com/stories/200302130326.html)
Bridging the Digital Divide in South East Europe
One of the challenges of integration for EU-observant nations in South East
Europe is their technological separation from member nations. The South-East
European Research and Education Networking (SEEREN) project will help to
bridge this gap, connecting existing networks of participating countries
into the pan-European Gigabit European Academic Network (GEANT). Project
coordinator Jorge Sanchez-Papaspiliou hopes that the project will foster the
exchange of scientific know-how, such as "designing and running advanced
telematics applications such as telemedicine and teleteaching, and providing
the platform for the development and dissemination of the next generation of
[I]nternet technologies."
[SOURCE: The Scientist, AUTHOR: Andrew Scott]
(http://www.biomedcentral.com/news/20030213/07/)
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