MEDIA OWNERSHIP
FCC Holds Hearing on Localism in Charlotte Media
INTERNET
Warnings Target Rogue Drug Sites
Commentary: The Irony of 'Network Neutrality'
SCIENCE
Solar Burst Could Scramble Phones, Power Lines
-------------------------------------------------------------------
E-Government for All:
Take part in our upcoming virtual conference, Nov 3-14
Information and free registration: http://www.egov4all.org/
-------------------------------------------------------------------
MEDIA OWNERSHIP
FCC HOLDS HEARING ON LOCALISM IN CHARLOTTE MEDIA
FCC Chairman Michael Powell traveled Wednesday with FCC Commissioners
Michael Copps and Johnathan Adelstein to Charlotte, NC for a hearing
inspecting how broadcasters serve their local communities. In the wake of
the FCC's June decision to loosen media ownership rules and the effects of
this decision on localism, television and radio licenses in the Carolinas
are up for renewal. At the hearing, speakers lined up to voice their
opinions and thoughts to Powell, Copps and Adelstein about localism and the
media ownership rules. Broadcasters have a special task and privilege to
serve the local communities, Copps noted. Carolina broadcasters believe they
are following the FCC rules and doing a good job of serving local
communities, added Jim Goodmon, president and chief executive of Capitol
Broadcasting Co., which owns stations in Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham and
Wilmington. "Part of the problem is that broadcasters don't know exactly
what responsibilities they should shoulder," he said.
SOURCE: FortWayne.com; AUTHOR: Paul Nowell, Associated Press
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/business/7078793.htm
INTERNET
WARNINGS TARGET ROGUE DRUG SITES
Drugstore.com has launched a public awareness campaign to warn consumers
about the dangers of buying medications from rogue Internet sites. "The
Internet is a great tool to help consumers manage their health," said the
company's chairman, Peter Neupert. "Unfortunately, there are a growing
number of unscrupulous businesses using the Internet to deceive the
public... many times without a doctor's prescription." Rogue sites have
thrived as cash-strapped consumers and local governments turn to Internet
pharmacies in Canada and other countries to get cheaper drugs says Carmen A.
Catizone, executive director of the pharmacy board association. Small
legitimate online pharmacies are now trying to differentiate themselves from
sites that offer potentially dangerous drugs without prescriptions and sites
that link customers with doctors who churn out thousands of prescriptions
after brief telephone consultations. Drugstore.com's "Safe Shopper" campaign
offers guidelines and information about how to recognize rogue websites,
unlicensed and unregulated sites and proper licenses and website
certification seals.
SOURCE: Washington Post; AUTHOR: Gilbert M. Gaul and Mary Pat Flaherty
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A9062-2003Oct23.html
THE IRONY OF 'NETWORK NEUTRALITY'
[Commentary] Commercial success of the Internet came because government
regulation of companies entering this market was limited, argues Diana
DeGette in News.com. During this period, companies fought efforts by states
to impose sales taxes on Internet purchases, opposed suggestions to develop
federal broadband standards, and argued against antitrust lawsuits proposed
by the Department of Justice. Ironically, these same companies that
supported the absence of regulation are now hassling the federal government
to impose regulation on the Internet. DeGette says companies like Microsoft,
Amazon and Yahoo are trying to prevent their competitors from engaging in
the same fair business practices that they themselves use to give consumers
products that they want. She says these companies created a coalition to
push federal regulators to create new rules to prevent some broadband
providers from teaming with other companies to offer joint products and
services. "The cruel truth is that the game at hand, advocacy of selective
government regulations to suit a particular class of industry special
interests, could actually do harm to an industry that has thrived on open
competition and needs that continued openness to foster a recovery," she
writes.
SOURCE: News.com; AUTHOR: Diana DeGette
http://news.com.com/2010-1028-5093991.html
SCIENCE
SOLAR BURST COULD SCRAMBLE PHONES, POWERLINES
Space weather forecasters say a coronal mass ejection (CME) was detected
Wednesday and is expected to reach earth Friday about 3 pm ET. Satellites,
pagers, cell phones and electrical grids could be affected by this powerful
ejection of magnetic solar material. In the midst of these electromagnetic
events, power companies often refrain from peak uploading and downloading of
power across the grid. Airlines are also alerted because some navigation
systems may be affected. Forecasters say the effects of this ejection could
last 12 to 18 hours. "[Magnetic storms] affect our banking systems, our TVs
and cell phones, all the luxuries of life," says Larry Combs, NOAA space
weather forecaster. These storms can also produce displays of the northern
lights. NASA's Space Weather Web site is predicting that the northern lights
could be visible as south as Oregon and Illinois. Solar activity is rated
similar to the hurricane or earthquake rating system, on a scale from one to
five, with five being the most intense. Friday's activity is expected to be
a three, or moderate.
SOURCE: CNN; AUTHOR: Marsha Walton
http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/10/23/solar.forecast/
----------------------------------------------------------------------