INTERNET
ICANN Chief Says He Will Step Down In 2003
Comcast Sued Over Former Web-tracking Policy
Webmasters Agree: Not All On Web Is Archive-worthy
OWNERSHIP
Clear Channel's Big Radio Ways Are Getting a Lot of Static These
Days
INTERNET
ICANN CHIEF SAYS HE WILL STEP DOWN IN 2003
M.Stuart Lynn, president and CEO of the Internet Corporation for Assigned
Names and Numbers (ICANN) will be stepping down in March 2003 to pay more
attention to his "personal life and health." Lynn has headed ICANN since
March 2001. ICANN vice president Andrew McLaughlin is also planning to step
down and will work on a part-time basis. Lynn put forth a controversial
proposal in February calling for an overhaul of the ICANN board that would
include ending general elections with the Internet public. U.S. lawmakers,
Internet activists and some ICANN board members criticized the plan saying
it would give commercial interests too much control over the Internet.
Despite the protests the board is considering Lynn's proposal and may
approve several elements in June.
[SOURCE: San Jose Mercury News, AUTHOR: Reuters]
(http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/news/editorial/3352279.htm)
COMCAST SUED OVER FORMER WEB-TRACKING POLICY
Lawyer Steven Goren has filed a class-action suit against Comcast accusing
the cable company of violating a federal privacy law by recording the Web
browsing activities of its 1 million high-speed Internet subscribers. Goren
is seeking damages of $100 per day for every Comcast subscriber from
December to Feb 13. Comcast is currently seeking U.S. approval for a merger
with AT&T and in responding to the accusations stated it "has not in any way
compromised [subscriber] privacy or linked Internet usage data to personally
identifying information about any specific subscriber." Goren is arguing
that Comcast has violated that 1984 Cable Act prohibiting companies from
collecting customer information without obtaining "prior written or
electronic consent".
[SOURCE: USA Today, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.usatoday.com/life/cyber/tech/2002/05/28/comcast-sued.htm)
WEBMASTERS AGREE: NOT ALL ON WEB IS ARCHIVE-WORTHY
Last week, at the FedWeb 2002 conference at the National Institutes of
Health, officials of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
and other agencies reached no consensus as to which parts of an agency's Web
site constitute federal records. NARA wants to help agencies develop best
practices for managing public records on Web sites, which are subject to
rules governing retention and disposition that apply both to what appears on
browser screens and to back-end databases and scripts. Consultant J. Timothy
Sprehe, who joined the agency representatives in a panel discussion, urged
agency webmasters, content managers and records officers to talk to each
other and agree on ground rules for retention.
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Patricia Daukantas (Government Computer
News)]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20930-2002May28.html)
OWNERSHIP
CLEAR CHANNEL'S BIG RADIO WAYS ARE GETTING A OF STATIC
Radio used to be a local medium. There were a few big companies in the game,
but until 1996 no single broadcaster could own more than 40 stations
nationwide, or more than four in one city. But the Telecommunications Act of
1996, which removed many ownership limits, changed all that. Now one
company, Clear Channel Communications Inc., owns more than one of every 10
in the nation. Thanks to a succession of mergers involving nearly 70
companies in the past six years, Clear Channel has grown from just 30
stations to more than 1,220. Despite it's enormous reach--Clear Channel is
also the nation's largest concert promoter and one of the largest billboard
companies--the company lost money every quarter last year, piling up an
annual loss of $1.1 billion. In an effort to turn the financial tide, Clear
Channel stations are motivated by two imperatives: keep the ads rolling in
and the costs in line. "Every issue we discuss, every decision we make,"
says Bennett Zier, regional vice president of Clear Channel's 8 Washington
area stations, "comes down to a simple test: Will it increase ratings or
revenue? If it doesn't, let's move on."
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Paul Farhi]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23996-2002May28.html)
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