8/29/96
Title: Telecom Law Faces Challenge in Court
Author: Leslie Cauley
Issue: Telecom Act/Competition
Description: Local competition rules, released Aug 8, will face stiff legal challenges by RBOCs, GTE, USTA, NARUC, and several states. Will probably delay competition in most areas for up to a year. Rules were expected to take affect ~30 days from today.
8/30/96
From Wall Street Journal
Title: Time Warner, Turner to Meet on Merger Plans
Author: Eben Shapiro
Issue: Corporate Mergers
Description: Gerald Levin of Time met with Ted Turner of Turner Broadcasting at Mr. Turner's Montana pad to wrangle over the thorny points of their proposed merger (their companies, not them). Issues under discussion include, layoffs, management structure, and what to do with Turner's New Line Cinema.
The Washington Post (pre-1997 Fulltext) - Washington, D.C.
Date: Aug 30, 1996
Start Page: A.30
Section: EDITORIAL
Document Types: EDITORIAL
Text Word Count: 468
The problem of traffic is a more immediate issue on the Internet at the moment than the specter of taxation. One recent survey showed that 24 percent of the American population older than 16 now has access to the Internet, and the resulting strain on the system is beginning to show. This happened most notoriously in the crash of the 6-million-user America Online system a few weeks ago, during which vast numbers of people -- and not a few small businesses -- had it suddenly and dramatically borne in upon them that they had become dependent on their hookups.
http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/21862753.html?dids=218...
9/3/96
from the Wall Street Journal (B1)
Title: Baby Bells Profit by Tapping Phone Paranoia
Author: Gautman Naik
Issue: Caller ID/Privacy/phone services
Description: General Electric and the Baby Bells are pulling in up to $4 million a year for extra services such as call waiting, caller ID, call blocking, etc. Some of these services are an extra $8.00 a month. The services are a dream for the paranoid phone owner. Intelligent software in the master computers provides the brains behind many of these options. 10 million people have caller ID and the number is increasing by 10% each year. Even those who use these services admit it's a little creepy or a little like Big Brother.
9/3/96
In the Wall Street Journal (B1)
Title: Diller sees TV's Future in Local Shows
Author: John Lippman
Issue: TV Programming
Description: Barry Diller, ruler of the FOX network, plans to use the 11 staions of Silver King Communications as TV forms of "a city magazine or an alternative newspaper."
9/3/96
Title: Staffs pay price for big-ticket mergers: Layoffs follow skyrocketing radio, TV mergers
Author: Steve McClellan
Issue: Mergers
Description: Big mergers mean big layoffs in broadcasting
9/3/96
Title: Court OKs Cable Regs
Author: Harry A. Jessell
Issue: Rate Regulation
Description: Court of Appeals upholds cable rate regulation spawned by 1984 & 1992 cable acts. PEG-access upheld. Program-access upheld. "Red Lion is alive and well," says Gigi Sohn. Reed Hundt says ruling can be used to justify recently ordered children's programming rules.
9/5/96
from Wall Street Journal
Title: WebTV Networks to Offer Internet Link over Television Set
Author: Staff
Issue: Internet and TV
Description: Palo Alto company will provide Internet access through digital terminals attached to TVs. Flat rate of $20/month for web, e-mail, home banking, and even screening material for kids. Digital boxes cost $330-350, but can't be used to access cable-Internet.
9/6/96
From the Washington Post (A22)
Title: Electronic Open Government
Author: Editorial
Issue: Government Information
Description: Next week the Senate may address the new electronic FOIA
Freedom of Information Act. This FOIA and the parallel House resolution
would demand that all transcripts and public documents from government
committees be placed on the Internet.
9/6/96
From the New York Times (D2)
Title: Behind an Internet Message Service's Close: Pressure from
Church of Scientology is Blamed for the Shutdown
Author: Peter H. Lewis
Issue: First Amendment
Description: Rather than divulge the name of an internet user accused of
distributing Church of Scientology documents without permission, a Helsinki
internet service provider shut down. The Helsinki-based service known as
anon.penet.fi was a global network used primarily by folks wishing to stay
anonymous including political dissidents and people suffering from drug
ailments. Earlier news stories attributed the shut down to accusations
that certain network users were using the system to transmit enormous
amounts of child pornography. Police investigators have now dismissed
those claims. In Finland, the internet does not have the same privacy
rights as snail mail or phone calls.
9/10/96
from Broadcasting and Cable:
Title: Ownership Rules on the Way
Author: Chris McConnell
Issue: Media Ownership
Description: FCC plans review of broadcast ownership rules this Fall, but new rules could emerge much sooner. (What's wrong with this picture?)
9/10/96
COMMON CARRIER BUREAU TO HOLD PUBLIC
FORUM ON SEPTEMBER 12TH TO DISCUSS ACCESS CHARGE REFORM AND UNIVERSAL
SERVICE ISSUES RAISED BY THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996 [DA
96-1504].Forum on September 12 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Commission
Meeting Room, 1919 M Street, N.W. Contact: Richard Lerner at (202)
418-1520. Internet URL: /Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Public_Notices/index.html
9/12/96
From the New York Times (A1)
Title: The Internet's Gatekeeper May Cash In on Its Role
Author: Peter H. Lewis
Issue: Internet Regulation
Description: Solutions, Inc. a private company that the government put
in charge of distributing domain names for the Internet, may go public.
Critics say that if the Herndon, VA based-company were to start selling
stocks it would be like, "a business going public because they've
discovered oil under a national park."
9/12/96
from the online version of the Chicago Tribune
Title: Net Activism Scorecard
Author: Michelle V. Rafter
Issue: Political Participation through the Web
Description: Series of articles outlining who's politically active on the web (CDT, EFF, Voters Telecom Watch, and Net Action); what issues they are fighting on; and how people can become involved. Available at http://www.tms.tribune.com
9/13/96
From the Wall Street Journal (B1)
Title: Phone Companies Call for Customer Surcharge
Author: Bryan Gruely
Issue: RBOCS
Description: RBOCS are lobbying the FCC are
encouraging the FCC to let them charge customers a fee for keeping their
old phone numbers when they switch carriers. Many consumer advocates are
saying, "LAME." As people switch local carriers, more databases/exchanges
will need to be developed to keep service moving. The locals will most
likely have to carry these costs.
9/13/96
FCC Reform Bill Approved, But With Killer Amendments © Associated Press
An FCC reform bill that might have found its way through Congress in the waning days of the session appeared to be effectively killed during a House subcommittee markup today, when Republicans won approval of two controversial amendments on Internet regulation and foreign ownership of television stations.
House Commerce ranking member John Dingell, D-Mich., and Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee ranking member Edward Markey, D-Mass., strongly objected to the two provisions, with Dingell even signalling that he would remove his name as co-sponsor of the legislation. Telecommunications and Finance Subcommittee Chairman Jack Fields, R-Texas, said he would work with the Democrats to try to resolve their concerns, staff said.
The panel approved, 8-7, an amendment from Commerce Trade
and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee Chairman Michael Oxley, R-Ohio, that would increase the amount of direct foreign ownership allowed for U.S. broadcast and telephone licenses. Approved by voice vote was another amendment, from Rep. Rick White, R-Wash., that would prohibit the FCC from regulating the Internet.
Similar versions of both amendments were originally included in the House-passed version of the telecommunications reform bill earlier this year, but were struck during negotiations with the Senate. In addition, the committee approved Dingell's proposal to strike from the bill the "leash law," which would have prohibited the FCC chairman from traveling more than 50 miles outside the District of Columbia for two years. The rest of the bill is intended to require the FCC to streamline its management and eliminate unnecessary regulation.
9/16/96
From the New York Times (D1)
Title: Sizing Up Internet as Engine of Development
Author: Steve Lohr
Issue: Internet Growth
Description: Critics have worried that the internet will promote the
decline of urban centers. But so far all the internet has done is cement
the market power and intellectual domination of already existing centers
(aka NYC and silicon valley come up high on this list. NYU just released a
study on this entitled: "Leaders and Losers on the Internet." The
blessings of technology are spread unevenly. The deregulation following
the telecom act will simply accelerate the growth of urban areas already in
the lead. Some other researchers claim that the internet is not yet that
culturally significant since all people do is browse around and not that
many dollars change hands.
9/16/96
From the Wall Street Journal (A2)
Title: NYNEX's Bad Service is Issue in Bell Atlantic Deal
Author: Leslie Cauley
Issue: NYNEX
Description: In order for Bell Atlantic and NYNEX to close their $20
billion deal, regulators need to approve. Many regulators are being
recalcitrant b/c NYNEX has provided such embarassingly bad service.
Interested readers might want to cruise over the special WSJ section on
telecommunications.
From the Wall Street Journal (special section)
Title: It's War: The battle for the telecommunications dollar is turning
into a free-for-all. The big question is who's going to be left standing?
Author: G. Christian Hill
Issue: Telecommunications deregulation
Description: (mongo article) As cable, long distance, local, internet,
cellular, computer companies invade each other's market, what will happen?
Also many are taking on new services or new allegiances to provide
customers with one-stop-shopping. This article has nice chart with the
future prospective for different communications corporations.
From the Wall Street Journal (special section)
Title: English Lessons: If Britain is any indication, telecom competition
will happen--but slowly
Author: Kyle Pope
Isuue: Telecommunications Deregulation
Description: London has so many phone companies that for awhile the
streets were in perpetual disrepair b/c of all the digging to put new lines
in. But Britain's market is not all that open, the old monopoly still has
90% of residential and half the business market. US companies are
watching Britain closely for lessons on how to survive.
From the Wall Street Journal (special section)
Title: Going Long: The baby bells all have their sights set on the
long-distance market. But each has it's own invasion plan
Author: Gautam Naik
Issue: Baby Bells
Description: AT&T, Sprint, and MCI used to control the long-distance
market. Now the seven baby bells are getting into the act. Some analysts
say that the bells will have 10-30 percent of the market in one to three
years. They each have different strategies for how to invade.
From the Wall Street Journal (special section)
Title: In the loop: The FCC has told Baby Bells they have to make their
networks available to rivals. The Bells see things a bit differently.
Issue: Baby Bells
Description: Baby Bells are challenging in court the FCC order to open
their local loops (connections that go from customers' homes to switching
centers) to rivals.
From the Wall Street Journal (special section)
Title: Writing the Rules: Will competition arrive smoothly? That's
largely up to the state regulators
Author: Michael Totty
Issue: deregulation/states
Description: State PUC's will determine things like: number
portability, universal service, how the different phone networks will
connect, and much more.
9/16/96
Title: A stroll down FCC's memory lane...
Author: Chris McConnell
Issue: FCC
Description: Outstanding issues at the FCC due to be acted on soon:
1) Expanding the AM Band to reduce interference
2) Satellite delivered, digital radio service
3) Criteria for choosing broadcast license winners
4) Equal Employment Opportunity Forfeiture Guidelines
5) TV Ownership rules
6) Advanced (Digital) Television
Title: Ratings rollout could be delayed
Author: Cynthia Litteton
Issue: V-Chip
Description: Jan. 97 deadlines for program ratings may not be met. Two recent reports (AMA and Center for Media and Public Affairs) highlight the ill-effects of TV on kids and the rise of TV violence.
from Telecommunications Reports:
Title: Jt Brd focuses on Replacing CCL Revenues, Ensuring Service to Insular Areas
Author:Lynn Stanton
Issue: Universal Service
Description: Recap of Joint Board meeting last week. Discussion of access charges highlighted.
COMMISSION ADOPTS SIMPLE PROCEDURE FOR UTILITY COMPANIES TO ENTER INTO
THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY. Report No: DC 96-87. by R&O. Action
by: the Commission. Adopted: September 12, 1996. Dkt No.: GC- 96-101.
FCC No. 96-376 News Media Contact: Rochelle Cohen (202) 418-0500. OGC
Contact: James Olson or Lawrence Spiwak at (202) 418-1880. Internet URL:
/Bureaus/Miscellaneous/News_Releases/nrmc6068.txt
9/18/96
From the New York Times (D7)
Title: Time Warner Says Turner Will Run Cable Networks
Author: Mark Landler
Issue: Media Mergers
Description: Mr. Turner will run the cable networks owned by Time-Warner and Turner. This is one of a series of steps to define Mr. Turner's roll in the new mega company.
9/18/06
Title: Lucent Unveils Net Software for Phone Calls
Author: John Keller
Issue: Info Technology
Description: AT&T's equipment spinoff, Lucent, announced new software that greatly improves the quality of Internet phone calls. Plans to market it too AT&T and the RBOCs, and web browser companies.
9/20/96
From the New York Times (A1)
Title: Cellular Industry Rejects U.S. Plan for Surveillance: Costs and
Privacy Issues--Polic want technology that pinpoints wireless users within
a half-second
Author: John Markoff
Issue: Privacy Issues/Cellular Services
Description: The cellular industry rejected technology designed by the
federal government to keep closer track of cellular phone users. The
Justice Dept says that a 1994 law allows them to pinpoint cellular users
within half a second, monitor voice mail, and wireless conference calls.
The FBI says it's just trying to keep up with new technologies. The
cellular industry and privacy advocates claim that the FBI is trying to
gain more wiretapping authority.
9/23/96
From the New York Times (D1)
Title: Turner Deal is a Chance for Turnaround at Time Warner
Author: Mark Landler and Geraldine Fabrikant
Issue: Media Mergers
Description: The merger may re invigorate Time Warner's lagging stock
and make stock holders less grumpy.
9/23/96
From the New York Times (D1)
Title: More users now taking direct route to the Internet, a Survey Finds
Author: Peter H. Lewis
Issue: Internet Services
Description: A new survey shows that computer users are going straight
to the net and not as often using commercial service providers like AOL or
Compuserve. Also illustrated in the survey is that many computer users
are not all that impressed with the on-line world or the service they are
getting. While users ranked the web and the Internet as most liked
features, no on-line service got a positive rating from the majority of
users. Home banking and shopping were least liked. (This article has a
lot of good stats about access.)
9/23/06
from Broadcasting & Cable
Title:ALTV may seek must-carry rule for satellite companies
Author: Harry Jessell
Issue: Broadcasting (Must Carry Rule)
Description: Association of Local Television Stations may seek legislation requiring that satellite companies that carry _some_ local broadcast TV signals carry _all_ local stations.
9/25/06
From the Washington Post (special magazine)
Title: Fast Forward
Author: --
Issue: Internet Rates
Description: Many articles on the rates and details of internet service
providers
9/26/96
CPI CALLS FOR CONDITIONS ON PLANNED BOC MERGERS
The Competition Policy Institute--a Washington advocacy group
that tracks telecom and energy issues--has asked the FCC "to
impose conditions" on the proposed acquisition of NYNEX Corp. by
Bell Atlantic Corp. CPI said the merger would "create risks to
the development of competition for local telephone service." It
proposed that the Bell Atlantic-NYNEX merger--and the proposed
merger of SBC Communications, Inc., and Pacific Telesis Group--be
delayed until the Bell regional holding companies satisfy the
Telecommunications Act of 1996's section 271 "competitive
checklist" requirements in each of the states where they provide
service. "Requiring these companies to open their networks to
competition in every state as a precondition to the mergers'
approval will, CPI believes, act to mitigate the threat to
competition posed by the increase in scale and scope of these
companies," the organization said.
CHAIRMAN HUNDT SAYS MORE CAMPAIGN FREE POLITICAL TIME AND DIRECT
COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN CANDIDATES AND PUBLIC IS NEEDED; PRAISES BELO
BROADCASTING INITIATIVE. Hundt. Internet URL:
www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Miscellaneous/News_Releases/spreh.637.txt
SPEECH BY CHAIRMAN REED HUNDT AT THE BROADCASTING AND CABLE INTERFACE
CONFERENCE, SEPTEMBER 24, 1996, NEW YORK, NY, "REINVENTING THE SOCIAL
COMPACT".
http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Hundt/spreh637.txt
9/26/96
SENATE LEADERS URGED TO SUPPORT NTIA'S TIIAP PROGRAM
Fourteen Senate members have urged their leadership to allocate
$21.5 million for the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration's telecom infrastructure grants program in the
anticipated "continuing resolution" to fund government
operations. In a Sept. 20 letter to Senate Majority Leader Trent
Lott (R., Miss.), the group said the spending bill approved by a
House-Senate conference committee "almost eliminates" NTIA's
Telecommunications and Information Infrastructure Assistance
Program by allocating only $4 million. "It is imperative that
funding for this vitally important program that provides federal
matching support. . .to bring advanced telecommunications
services to millions of Americans be restored," the 14 senators
said. The $21.5 million figure is close to the funding level
approved by the House.
9/27/96
From the New York Times (D1)
Title: Belo to Buy Journal Co. of Providence--9 TV Stations included in a
$1.5 billion deal
Author: Iver Peterson
Issue: Media Mergers
Description: Providence Journal Co. of Rhode Island is being bought by
A. H. Belo Co of Dallas. Belo is a newspaper publisher started in the
1800's. Providence Journal was started when Rhode Island was still
making some bucks in whaling. The resulting conglomerate will have 18 TV
outlets making it the 10th largest TV group in the US. Both companies run
newspapers, but both get most of their profits from their TV holdings.
EXECUTIVES, U.S. OFFICIALS LAUNCH NATIONAL `NETDAY'
Top telecommunications and technology executives joined
government officials today in launching a national "NetDay 96"
initiative to connect schools and libraries to the Internet.
Briefing reporters at the Hine Junior High School in southeast
Washington, D.C., Education Secretary Richard W. Riley praised
the all-volunteer NetDay effort, saying that no student should be
barred from exploring the online world because of the financial
condition of their school. "We don't want learning online to
become a `fault line' in American education," Mr. Riley said.
National Telecommunications and Information Administrator
Clarence (Larry) Irving said that computers have become as
essential to late-20th century schools as pencils and paper were
30 years ago. While computers have become more commonly found in
classrooms, connections to the Internet now are essential so they
can be used to their fullest potential, Mr. Irving said.
9/30/96
From the New York Times (D5)
Title: The World Wide Wait: Don't Get Mad, Get Off
Author: Sreenath Sreenivasan
Issue: WWW
Description: A new software called Freeloader will download requested
pages from the WWW and store them automatically on the user's hard drive.
While Freeloaders working, users can go play golf. Many companies are
developing software that encourage people to get off line. One industry
executive believes that the WWW is a lot like cable. When you first get
cable, you're very excited by all the channels, but in the end you only use
a couple. People will tend to visit the same few WWW sites over and
over.
9/30/96
From the Wall Street Journal (B10)
Title: ABC, CBS Plan to Revamp Lineup of Children's TV
Author: Elizabeth Jensen
Issue: Children's TV (Low-Tar Cigarettes for Tots)
Description: ABC just redid its kids lineup. CBS just partnered with
Children's Television Network. Both moves are to get a bigger piece of the
lucrative kids' tv market.
Title:Watchful Eyes on Interactive TV
Author: David Hilzenrath
Issue: Interactive Television
Description: OH firm developing tech to allow Internet access through television.
Title: Cable takes another shot at Supreme Court
Author: Dan Trigoboff
Issue: Television (Must Carry)
Description: New must-carry case to be heard at Supreme Court this fall. Cable lawyers think they have a good shot at winning.
9/30/96
Title: Hundt calls for free time
Author: Harry Jessell
Issue: Free time for candidates
Description: FCC Chairman Reed Hundt calls upon broadcasters to provide free time for political candidates. Will evaluate the current proposals after November election.
Title: No further TV ownership relaxation
Author: Harry Jessell
Issue: Media Concentration
Description: Greg Simon reiterates Clinton's opposition to any further relaxation of TV ownership rules.
9/30/96
FCC CHAIRMAN CHALLENGES NEW MEDIA PLAYERS TO RENEW SOCIAL COMPACT BY HELPING LINK SCHOOLS TO INTERNET
FCC Chairman Reed E. Hundt today challenged Internet access
providers and other private companies participating in the
emergence of new information industry media to help renew "the
social compact between the communications industries and the
public." In an address on children and the information
superhighway at the Children's Now Conference in Menlo Park,
Calif., Mr. Hundt stepped up his campaign for industry support in
wiring the nation's classrooms to the Internet. By passing the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress gave the FCC a mandate
"to find a way to make communications services affordable for all
schools and libraries in the country," Mr. Hundt said.
Recommendations scheduled to be adopted Nov. 7 by the
federal-state joint board on universal service will guide the FCC
in writing rules that will determine "how quickly and how
effectively" an "on ramp to the Information Highway" will be
constructed for schools, he noted.
"We must decide will we provide support for schools building the
ramp all the way to every classroom, or will the support stop at
the school wall?" he said. "Will the ramp be a high-speed,
high-bandwidth connection that puts schools on the cutting edge
of technology? Will we define the term `affordable' so that
schools and libraries are given the resources they need to build
ramps that will work?" Tight budgets mean schools "can't strike
a good deal on phone connections if they can't get a bargain on
putting wiring into the classrooms. They can't learn with the
Internet if they get a discount on a phone line but still have to
pay high rates for usage," he added. Although the cost of
linking "every classroom in the country" to networks has been
estimated at $10 billion over five years, that amounts to "less
than 2/10ths of 1% of revenues of the information technology
industry," Mr. Hundt said.
The FCC Chairman that "all traditional media to date have
typically been party to some sort of social compact. The cable
[TV] industry gets right-of-way but does PEG [public,
educational, and government access channels], leased access, and
must-carry. Satellite operators get to use spectrum but have to
set aside 4% to 7% for educational purposes. Broadcasters are
renewing their social compact through three hours of children's
educational TV per week. As the new media emerges, private
companies in this area need also to give some thought to their
abilities to contribute to the public good. I would like to see
at least one Internet access provider take up the challenge to
make online learning a reality for each school and each classroom
in that school." He suggested a model for Internet access
services dedicated to providing schools a "low, flat monthly
rate" for connection and usage.