Benton RSS Feed

FCC Acts to Cut International Phone Call Costs
WSJ: International Phone Calls' Costs Are Cut
NYT: Calling Overseas May Get Cheaper
WP: FCC Moves to Lower Cost of Overseas Phone Calls
see also
TelecomAM: FCC Sets Cap On International Call Termination Rates
http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
FCC: Commission Adopts International Settlement Rate Benchmarks
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/International/News_Releases/1997/nrin702
8.html

Microsoft/Apple Deal: Let the Spin Begin
WSJ: The Battle Beyond Apple
NYT: The Apple of Microsoft's Eye
WP: Microsoft May Be Real Winner in Apple Deal
see also
NewsWorks: Business Section
http://www.newsworks.com/NewsWorks/business/front/0,1011,,00.html

Mergers
TelecomAM: BT/MCI: The Engagement Ring Has Lost Its Sparkle

Television
WP: Public TV Wants Pay-Channel Option
TelecomAM: FCC Increases Level of Closed Captioned TV
*********************************************
* FCC/International Phone Calls *
*********************************************
Title: International Phone Calls' Costs Are Cut
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/ (A3)
Author: John Wilke & Gautam Naik
Issue: International/Phone Regulation
Description: The average international phone call may drop from the current
$.88/minute to $.20/minute over the next five years because of rules adopted
by the Federal Communications Commission. The rules call for long distance
carriers to negotiate new, lower rates with foreign carriers to complete
overseas calls. These "settlement charges" are now often three to five times
over actual costs. Long distance carriers applauded the new rules. There is
much opposition to the plan in the rest of the world.

Title: Calling Overseas May Get Cheaper
Source: New York Times(A1)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/phone-rates.html
Author: Mark Landler
Issue: Phone Regulation/International
Description: Yesterday the FCC issued new orders to reduce the amount
U.S. companies pay foreign carriers to complete overseas calls. As a
results, call costs could drop to 20 cents per minute from 88 cents per
minute according to FCC Chairman Reed "Call Em Like I See Em" Hundt.
Representatives from international phone companies argued that the FCC could
not regulate charges of foreign carriers.

Title: FCC Moves to Lower Cost of Overseas Phone Calls
Source: Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/ (G1)
Author: Mike Mills
Issue: Phone Regulation/International
Description: The FCC established new phone regulations that could
dramatically drop consumers' costs for international calls. These
guidelines would lower what U.S. long distance companies pay foreign carrier
to complete international calls. Many foreign companies keep these charges
inflated to generate income for their governments. Some analysts argue that
the FCC does not have the jurisdiction to make such regulation. U.S.
callers spend about $14 billion a year on calls to other countries.
*********************************************
* Microsoft/Apple Deal *
*********************************************
Title: The Battle Beyond Apple
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/ (A12)
Author: George Gilder, Gilder Technology Report
Issue: Info Tech
Description: The big story in information technology, Gilder's editorial
says, is *not* Microsoft's investment in Apple. The central conflict in
economics is the battle between the past and the future -- "the war between
the existing configuration of industries and the industries that will soon
replace them." Today, the battle lines are drawn by those who are focusing
on the desktop computer and the television and those who focus on
overthrowing these establishments through the Internet. "WebTV is a dancing
dog." You are amazed not by how well it dances. "You are amazed it dances at
all. AppleOS and Windows are of the past -- Java is the future.

Title: The Apple of Microsoft's Eye
Source: New York Times (A28)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/editorial/08fri3.html
Author: NYT Editorial Staff
Issue: Mergers
Description: Microsoft will invest more than $150 million into Apple
Computer. And "odd or not, the bailout is good for both." The deal helps
Microsoft because it solidifies a demand for its software on Apple machines.
The agreement helps Apple financially. However, "With Microsoft now
moving to dominate software access on Apple machines as well, the Government
needs to make sure that Microsoft lives up to its legal obligations to make
it commercially easy for other software companies to write programs that
work effortlessly under Windows."

Title: Microsoft May Be Real Winner in Apple Deal
Source: Washington Post(G2)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-08/08/073l-080897-
idx.html
Author: Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Issue: Mergers
Description: The deal between Microsoft and Apple helps keep Apple going
but may give Microsoft more important gains. Microsoft promotes its
browsing software, lowers antitrust concerns, and calls more of the shots on
how Java standards are developed, and therefore some argue, how the future of
computing develops. Microsoft is going to invest money in Apple and Apple
is going to make Microsoft Explorer the choice of ease for Mac customers.

*********************************************
* Mergers *
*********************************************
Title: BT/MCI: The Engagement Ring Has Lost Its Sparkle
Source: Telecom AM http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Mergers
Description: MCI are British Telecommunications are conducting a "strategic
review" that may end the proposed merger of the two companies or, at least,
may get BT concessions from MCI. "It's fine by me if BT reverts to being a
U.K. cash cow," said one U.K. fund manager. "It's better than doing a deal
that fundamentally misvalues MCI, just to be a global player." Article
includes analysis of possible outcomes.

*********************************************
* Television *
*********************************************
Title: Public TV Wants Pay-Channel Option
Source: Washington Post (G1)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-08/08/076l-080897-
idx.html
Author: Paul Farhi
Issue: Public TV
Description: Public broadcasters have requested that the government allow
them in the future to raise money by charging for noncommercial programs
like "Barney and Friends," "Nova," and "Barney and Friends are Shipped to
Outerspace: The Nightmare Ends." Because of the miracle of digital, a TV
station can offer 5 or 6 channels. Public stations could make some of their
channels money-raising vehicles by renting out stations to commercial
broadcasters or selling subscriptions for programming without fund-drives.
Federal funding for public TV has been shrinking and PBS is trying to find
ways to rely less on government support.

Title: FCC Increases Level of Closed Captioned TV
Source: Telecom AM http://www.telecommunications.com/am/
Issue: Disabilities
Description: The Federal Communications Commission adopted rules that will
increase the amount of television programming that is accompanied by closed
captioning for the deaf or the hearing impaired. All new programming will
have to captioned after an eight-year transition period and 75% of pre-rule
programming must be captioned by 2008. "I think Congress gave us a tough row
to hoe on captioning," said FCC Commissioner Rachelle Chong. "This is one
of those striking the balance items" where the FCC needs to implement
regulations that don't put undue economic burden on the industry.
*********
Fare thee well, SG.

Universal Service
Telecom AM: Nominations Sought For Universal Service Administrator
Committee

Media Campaigns
NYT: Actor-Director Focusing on Children

Budget Issues
WSJ: Don't Count the Revenue Yet

Arts
WSJ: Taking the Public Out of "Public Art"

Internet Content
NYT: What Vonnegut Didn't Say Is All the Talk on the Internet

Business Ventures
WP: Pepco Plans Phone, Web, Cable Service
WP: MCI and Seattle Company Announce
New Internet Broadcasting System
*********************************************
* Universal Service *
*********************************************
Title: Nominations Sought For Universal Service Administrator Committee
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/omaha/am/article/970806.8
Issue: Universal Service
Description: Nominations are due August 22 to the Federal Communications
Commission for membership on the Universal Service Administrator Advisory
Committee (CC Docket 96-45) and August 15 for membership on the board of
directors for three universal service-related entities. The committee will
include representatives of the following: state public utility commissions;
school and library groups; rural health care providers; low-income
consumers; and the telecom industry, including wireless telecom carriers,
incumbent local exchange carriers, competitive local exchange carriers,
interexchange carriers, and private network operators. The administrator
will be appointed for a five-year term. For more information, contact
Frances Downey at 202/418-7371. The FCC also seeks nominations for
membership on the boards of directors (CC Docket Nos. 96-45 and 97-21) of
the Universal Service Administrative Co., the Schools and Libraries Corp.,
and the Rural Health Care Corp., which perform specified functions relating
to administering the universal service support mechanisms. "In order to
minimize controversy surrounding the selection and appointment of board
members and to expedite the appointment process, members of the industry and
non-industry group represented on the USAC, Schools and Libraries Corp., and
Rural Health Care Corp. Boards are encouraged to nominate for each board
seat, a candidate who possesses substantial experience in, and knowledge of,
telecommunications issues," said the FCC. For more information, call
202/418-7391. [For more on universal service see
http://www.benton.org/Policy/Uniserv/]

*********************************************
* Media Campaigns *
*********************************************
Title: Actor-Director Focusing on Children
Source: New York Times (A18)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/reiner-educ.html
Author: Mary Tabor
Issue: Children
Description: The President's State of the Union Address mentioned nurturing
children from the first days of life. The National Governor's Association's
convention had early child development as a theme. ABC-TV and Newsweek of
done special issues on the subject. Actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife,
Michele Singer Reier, are orchestrating much of this behind the scenes. Mr.
Reiner has put movie making on hold for a year to help run the "I Am Your
Child" campaign. "I now have a power base and a media base and an ability to
reach out to people and get a message across," Mr. Reiner said. "And if I
don't use those capabilities to disseminate this information to the public,
then, I think, that is negligent." [For more information on acting on behalf
of children see http://www.kidscampaigns.org/]

*********************************************
* Budget Issues *
*********************************************
Title: Don't Count the Revenue Yet
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/ (A14)
Author: James Gattuso, Citizens for a Sound Economy
Issue: Budget Issues/Spectrum
Description: A key element to the balanced budget agreement is a plan to
raise $20 billion on spectrum auctions between now and 2002. But even though
auctions have been successful -- raising revenue for the Treasury and moving
spectrum into the private market quickly -- there have been problems. Some
bidders bit off more than they can chew and are having difficulty paying for
the licenses they won. Some are even facing bankruptcy which could tie up
the spectrum for years. Gattuso suggests that all future winners "Show [the
FCC] the money" before they are declared a license winner. [For more on FCC
spectrum auctions see http://www.fcc.gov/wtb/auctions.html]

*********************************************
* Arts *
*********************************************
Title: Taking the Public Out of "Public Art"
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/(A14)
Author: Harry Boyte, Humphrey Institute
Nancy Kari, College of St. Catherine
Issue: Arts
Description: In editorial, authors contrast two art openings this year. One
is the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial which, they note, depicts citizens as
passive, waiting to receive government largesse. The other, "A New Deal for
the Arts," celebrates the contributions of "ordinary people" to building the
commonwealth. "We need to retrieve and adapt the idea of commonwealth
democracy...if we are again to have any prospect of productive citizenship
and active democracy."

*********************************************
* Internet Content *
*********************************************
Title: What Vonnegut Didn't Say Is All the Talk on the Internet
Source: New York Times (A19)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/080697vonnegut.html
Author: Ian Fisher
Issue: Internet Content
Description: A recent episode "seems to have cemented [Kurt Vonnegut's]
belief that the Internet is not a part of the future worth trusting." An
e-mail message has been circling the globe with Vonnegut's commencement
address at MIT. The author did not write or deliver the speech however, the
text came from Mary Schmich of the Chicago Tribune. "How can I know whether
I'm being kidded or not, or lied to?" Vonnegut asks. "I don't know what the
point is, except how gullible people are on the Internet." (Yeah, but it
makes for great dinner conversation, Kurt)

*********************************************
* Business Ventures *
*********************************************
Title: Pepco Plans Phone, Web, Cable Service
Source: Washington Post (A1)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/digest/biz3.htm
Author: Martha Hamilton & Mike Mills
Issue: Competition
Description: While many telecommunications companies are backing off of
competing in local phone and cable TV markets, Potomac Electric Power
Company (Pepco) will soon offer District of Columbia customers phone,
Internet, and cable services. The joint venture will RCN Corp of Princeton,
NJ will invest $300 million to build out Pepco's fiber optic network to
reach area home. Service will begin in the District and surrounding areas
and eventually reach the entire 6.6 million-household Washington-Baltimore
region.

Title: MCI and Seattle Company Announce New Internet Broadcasting System
Source: Washington Post (D11)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-08/06/030l-080697-
idx.html
Author: Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Issue: Info Tech/Internet Content
Description: MCI and Progressive Networks are teaming up to provide better
audio and video transmissions over the Internet. The companies plan to sell
the services to businesses that operate Web sites including cable TV
stations, sports teams, and record companies. Consumers do not have to pay
for the service.
*********

Over the Weekend
WP: Orbit Wars
WP: Top Regulatory Posts Remain Unfilled

Universal Service
Telecom AM: Missouri Becomes 30th State to Adopt
FCC's School Universal Service Discount
Telecom AM: Idaho Seeks Comments On How To Make
Universal Service Subsidies Explicit

Capitol Hill & Campaign Finance Reform
B&C: Budget bill brings broadcasters benefits
WP: Encryption: Who Will Hold the Key?
NYT: Arts Funds As Catalyst In Heartland
WP: Congress Can Reform -- Honest
WSJ: FCC May Try to Fix Campaign Financing
NYT: Imagine a Lobbyist Who Won't Play Golf

Old vs. New Media
WP: Even Before Books
NYT: Fast Times at Wired Hit a Speed Bump

Business
NYT: Watch 800 Companies Stuff Themselves Into One Phone Booth
WSJ: On-Line Larceny Prompts Venture To Develop Lucrative New Business
WSJ: With USA Network Up For Grabs, Heat Is on Its Chief
WP: Library Manager LSSI Adds a Calif. System to Its Collection

International
NYT: The Price of Truth
WSJ: Ancient Spanish Town Becomes Infoville
*********************************************
* Over the weekend *
*********************************************
Title: Orbit Wars
Source: Washington Post Magazine (8/3/97) (p.8)
http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-08/03/007l-080
397-idx.html
Author: Mike Mills
Issue: Satellites
Description: The new space race is on. Billions of dollars are being
invested launching satellites for global communications. It's "the ultimate
egalitarian product," says cellular telephone billionaire Craig McCaw. "We
are granting people the right to interact with each other. This will have an
impact on central authorities."

Title: Top Regulatory Posts Remain Unfilled
Source: Washington Post (8/2/97) (A1)
http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-08/02/118l-0802
97-idx.html
Author: Cindy Skrzycki
Issue: Regulation
Description: Seven months into President Clinton's second term, only 63 of
109 top level jobs in independent regulatory agencies are filled. Fifteen
nominees are awaiting Senate confirmation and the White House must still
nominate 31 more. These agencies are responsible for the day-to-day work of
the government including making policy decisions and issuing rules on a wide
variety of health, safety, environment, workplace, telecommunications, and
business issues. At the Federal Communications Commission, one seat has been
vacant for over a year, there are two "holdover" commissioners, and the
chairman is awaiting confirmation of his successor so he can resign.

*********************************************
* Universal Service *
*********************************************
Title: Missouri Becomes 30th State to Adopt FCC's School Universal Service
Discount
Source: Telecom AM http://www.telecommunications.com/omaha/am/article/970804.8
Issue: Universal Service
Description: The Missouri Public Service Commission The Missouri commission
"finds that it is in the public interest to take whatever action is
necessary to enable Missouri schools and libraries to participate in the
benefits of the federal Universal Service Fund." Missouri joins 29 other
states in approving the Federal Communications Commission's discount matrix.
[For more information on telecommunications in Missouri, see
http://www.benton.org/Library/State/missouri.html]

Title: Idaho Seeks Comments On How To Make Universal Service Subsidies Explicit
Source: Telecom AM
http://www.telecommunications.com/omaha/am/article/970804.13
Issue: Universal Service
Description: The Idaho Public Utilities Commission is seeking comment on how
to identify, measure, and modify implicit universal service subsidies in the
state. Under a 1997 state law that brings Idaho in line with the
Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Commission must identify and quantify
subsidies and propose a mechanism to remove implicit subsidies and make the
explicit. Comments are du August 8; replies are due August 22. [For more
information on telecommunications in Idaho, see
http://www.benton.org/Library/State/idaho.html]

*********************************************
* On Capitol Hill *
*********************************************
Title: Budget bill brings broadcasters benefits
Source: Broadcasting&Cable http://www.broadcastingcable.com/(p.14)
Author: Paige Albiniak
Issue: Budget Issues
Description: Broadcasters had extra reason to cheer last week's budget
agreement. Buried in the massive bill are provisions that "will help secure
broadcasters' analog and digital future in television." The return of analog
channels will be delayed until 85% of a station's viewers can receive its
digital service either off the air or through satellite or cable TV. The
bill also relaxes ownership restrictions so that a station in a large market
may keep its digital channel and bid for one of the returned analog channels
in the same market. "i would have wanted to see a more reasonable standard
where it was more likely than not that the spectrum would be given back,"
said Media Access Project's Gigi Sohn. "The notion that this protects the
consumer is a lot of bunk." [For more information see
http://www.essential.org/map/plain/plainprogram/digitaltv/index.html or
http://www.benton.org/Policy/TV/]

Title: Encryption: Who Will Hold the Key?
Source: Washington Post (WashTech p.15)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-08/04/011l-080497-idx.html
Author: Elizabeth Corcoran
Issue: Encryption/Privacy
Description: In a world where information is increasingly becoming gold,
encryption is the way to protect it. Two bills are moving through Congress
on the matter. One, from the House, champions loosening existing
restrictions. The other, from the Senate, promotes a plan to provide law
enforcement agencies with "spare keys" to unlock scrambled information. [see
http://www.cdt.org/ for more information]

Title: Arts Funds As Catalyst In Heartland
Source: New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/arts/nea-heartland.html(B1)
Author: Irvin Molotsky
Issue: Arts
Description: Although the majority of National Endowment of the Arts grants
go to "the Coasts," the biggest impact if it was closed would be in smaller
communities in the middle of the country. "geographic isolation is the
greatest threat to the arts in the United States," says a director from
Iowa. The end of the NEA would add to that isolation. [For more information
on the Arts see http://www.openstudio.org/]

Title: Congress Can Reform -- Honest
Source: Washington Post (A19)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-08/04/032l-080497-
idx.html
Author: Reps. Asa Hutchinson (R-AK) and Tom Allen (D-Maine),
co-chairs Bipartisan Freshman Campaign Finance Reform Task Force
Issue: Campaign Fiance Reform
Description: Freshmen Members of Congress are working hard to reform
campaign finances. They have come up with the Bipartisan Campaign Integrity
Act of 1997 that would ban "soft money" contributions, tighten candidate
disclosure rules, and require third-party, "issue advocacy" radio and
television advertisements. The bill's aim is to restore the public's faith
in political institutions and elected officials.

Title: FCC May Try to Fix Campaign Financing
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/(A1)
Author: Alan Murray
Issue: Campaign Fiance Reform/Free Time for Candidates/Digital TV
Description: In the next few weeks, the Federal Communications Commission
plans to issue a Notice of Inquiry on the public interest obligations of
digital TV broadcasters. Broadcasters got a huge gift from the public this
year -- free spectrum to make the transition to digital TV -- and now we'll
explore what broadcasters must give back in return. Free time for political
candidates is high on the list for FCC Chairman Reed Hundt: "Making
available a sufficient amount of TV time for candidates would address the
single greatest contributor to the spiraling cost of running for office.
Public servants should not be consumed by chasing money to pay for access to
public property." President Clinton has also created an Advisory Committee
to make recommendations on digital TV broadcasters' public interest obligations.

Title: Imagine a Lobbyist Who Won't Play Golf
Source: New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/080497lobbying.html(D3)
Author: Dan Carney
Issue: Lobbying
Description: Lobbyists for technology companies are priding themselves on
their frugality: "We don't do golf. We don't take people to the Kennedy
Center." And they don't have grand offices. But these companies are seeing
the list of Washington issues they are interested in growing. They include
preventing telephone companies from charging access fees for Internet use,
digital TV compatibility, encryption, copyright law, and -- everyone's
favorite -- the budget deal (and how to make it friendly to tech companies).

*********************************************
* Old vs. New Media *
*********************************************
Title: Even Before Books
Source: Washington Post (A18)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-08/04/021l-080497-
idx.html
Author: WP Editorial Staff
Issue: Old vs. New Media
Description: Amazon.com, the online bookstore, is getting a lot of attention
because of the online writing contest with John Updike. But the round-robin
writing style isn't new, its an old campfire game. The Internet is proving a
medium for reviving older enjoyments of the past -- like letter writing.

Title: Fast Times at Wired Hit a Speed Bump
Source: New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/080497wired.html(D1)
Author: Amy Harmon
Issue: Magazines
Description: The mainstream media have adopted many of the "ideas about the
emerging technosociety that Wired was first to herald." Now the magazine
must make the leap from "culture to commerce" and decide if they the same
people who got it started are right for the transition. "The people who are
brilliant at starting these things are not necessarily the people who should
take it into the stage of growth that Wired is at," said MIT's Nicholas
Negroponte.

*********************************************
* Business *
*********************************************
Title: Watch 800 Companies Stuff Themselves Into One Phone Booth
Source: New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/phone-profits.html (D1)
Author: Seth Schiesel
Issue: Competition/Long Distance
Description: Since long distance deregulation in 1984, 800 companies have
entered the market draining AT&T's market share and prices down. The top six
long distance carriers have seen declines in their net incomes for the past
two quarters.

Title: On-Line Larceny Prompts Venture To Develop Lucrative New Business
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/(A11A)
Author: Lisa Bransten
Issue: Online Commerce
Description: The Great American Success Story meets the Information Age. Two
guys have a great idea: sell software over the Internet. Sales boom, BUT
most are done with fraudulent credit cards and the sellers are responsible,
not the credit card company. Build a better mousetrap that filters out bad
guys. Fraudulent sales drop from over 50% to less that .5% of sales. Guys
start selling better mouse trap.

Title: With USA Network Up For Grabs, Heat Is on Its Chief
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/(B1)
Author: Eben Shapiro
Issue: Ownership
Description: Cable TV's USA Network, the object of a fierce legal battle
between Seagram's Universal Studio's and Viacom, is redoing its schedule in
hopes of adding ratings and ad dollars. Industry rumors have the legal
battle ending soon with Universal taking over the network. Seagram's Frank
Biondi has had harsh words for USA's management team and is said to be
seeking a new top level executive.

Title: Library Manager LSSI Adds a Calif. System to Its Collection
Source: Washington Post (WashBusiness p.10)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-08/04/007l-080497-
idx.html
Author: Richard Drezen
Issue: Libraries
Description: Library Systems and Services (LSSI) of Germantown, Maryland now
runs the Riverside, California public library system. LSSI's COO said,
"We're a company of librarians and we've served the library community for
more than 16 years. We're going to use existing staff and our people,
experience and resources to make Riverside County Free Library System a
showplace for public/private partnerships." LSSI streamlines administrative
procedures so libraries can serve their communities will longer hours of
basic service. Eleanor Jo Rodger, president of the Urban Libraries Council,
stresses that "outsourcing is not about libraries. Its about local
governments trying to contain costs."
[For more on libraries see
http://www.benton.org/Library/Kellogg/buildings.html and
http://www.benton.org/Library/Libraries/]

*********************************************
* International *
*********************************************
Title: The Price of Truth
Source: New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/(A19)
Author: Anthony Lewis
Issue: Journalism
Description: The American press may think they have it bad -- large damages
in libel and other legal actions, Government blocks to information, an
unloving public -- but its nothing compared to what's happening around the
world, especially Latin America. Over the past ten years, 173 Latin
journalists have been murdered and many of the cases have never been solved.

Title: Ancient Spanish Town Becomes Infoville
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/(A9B)
Author: Carlta Vitzthum
Issue: International
Description: Villena (population 31,000) is Spain's first cybervillage. More
than 2,000 families have signed up for IBM personal computers, software and
free training. They also get free maintenance, a help desk, and an ISDN
connection to a mainframe computer in nearby Valencia. Each participant pays
92,000 pesetas (~$595) some of which has been underwritten by soft loans
from local banks. Most of the $12 million program is funded by IBM and
Telefonica de Espana SA.
*********
Sleep well, Bill.

Internet Content
NYT: Inventing Consumer Activism for the Net
WSJ: Tracking Disease Hot Zones on the Net
WSJ: Between the Lines: A Guide to Online Chat

Campaign Fiance Reform
NYT: Whose Speech Is Protected

Government & Technology
NYT: Gates Pitches to Governors Group

Disabilities & Media
WSJ: The Vision Thing

*********************************************
* Internet Content *
*********************************************
Title: Inventing Consumer Activism for the Net
Source: New York CyberTimes
http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/073197consumer.html
Author: Laurie J. Flynn
Issue: Online Activism
Description: Consumer fraud using the Internet seems to be growing as fast
as the medium itself. Terrence Gardiner, a Silicon Valley mechanical
engineer, has started a new watchdog organization, WebGuardian Inc.
http://www.webguardian.com to help people resolve consumer disputes
arising out of cyberspace. See also Better Business Bureau Online
http://www.bbbonline.org, National Fraud Information Center
http://www.fraud.org, Electronic Privacy Information Center
http://epic.org/, and Blacklist of Internet Advertisers
http://math-www.uni-paderborn.de/~axel/BL/. [For more examples of online
activism see http://www.benton.org/Practice/Best/advoc.html]

Title: Tracking Disease Hot Zones on the Net
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/(B1)
Author: William Bulkeley
Issue: Health
Description: The Program for Monitoring Emergency Diseases, ProMed-Mail, a
nonprofit e-mail news service, aims to be "an early warning system" of
epidemics around the world. "By rapidly disseminating disease reports to the
world's medical community...outbreaks may be identified -- and perhaps
contained -- before they can spread as AIDS did."

Title: Between the Lines: A Guide to Online Chat
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/(B6)
Author: Robin Frost
Issue: Internet Content
Description: Internet chat rooms seem to have a language all their own. Chat
is of the moment, happening as you type. Article includes 6 sample
conversations.

*********************************************
* Campaign Fiance Reform *
*********************************************
Title: Whose Speech Is Protected
Source: New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/oped/31boni.html(A27)
Author: John Bonifaz, National Voting Rights Institute
Issue: Campaign Fiance Reform
Description: The American Civil Liberties Union is fighting a legal battle
to block Maine's new law that calls for full public financing of state
elections. The ACLU and its Maine affiliate say that the voluntary system is
"coercive," "chills" the speech of candidates who opt for private campaign
financing, and will be a harm to low-income voters. Under the Maine Clean
Election Act, candidates that receive public money agree not to accept
private contributions and abide by spending limits. Candidates qualify for
public funds by raising $5 contributions from up to 2,500 voters.

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* Government & Technology *
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Title: Gates Pitches to Governors Group
Source: The New York CyberTimes
http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/073197gates.html
Issue: Government and Technology
Description: At the National Governor's Association's (NGA) summer meeting
yesterday, Microsoft CEO Bill Gates urged the governors to get their
state governments online. Touting the ability of the Internet to
increase efficiency and lessen paper work, Gates stressed the ability of
technology to bring people closer to their representatives, and to give
them greater access to government information. The incoming chairman of
the NGA, Ohio Gov. George Voinovich said he would try to put together a
conference within six months to look into improving the use of
information technology by state governments. "Microsoft would like to
sponsor something like that," Gates said. [See also: Lamar Alexander
Rebuts Clinton On National Education Tests, The Washington Post, A4
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-07/31/110l-073197-idx.html
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* Disabilities & Media *
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Title: The Vision Thing
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/(A1)
Author: Lisa Bannon
Issue: Disabilities
Description: Disney is taking heat already from a new Mr. Magoo movie in
production. In the 50's, Mr. Magoo was The Man -- he won two Academy Awards
and helped sell US Treasury bonds, recruit men for the Navy, and sell light
bulbs for General Electric. One academic critic wrote, "He is American
individualism in its purest form." Now the cartoon character is vilified.
The National Federation of the Blind says bringing back the character
"implies that its funny to watch an ill-tempered and incompetent blind man
stumble into things and misunderstand his surroundings." Disney counters
that Magoo isn't blind; he's "visually limited."
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Sorry for the delay today. We had a Eudora meltdown 8-(