Benton RSS Feed

DIGITAL TELEVISION
Nov 9 PIAC Meeting (NTIA)
Digital-TV Ads Aim to Shuffle Leadership (WSJ)

MEDIA & POLITICS
Traffic to Election Web Sites Increases (CyberTimes)
Cyber-Chat for Election Junkies (WP)

TELEPHONE
AT&T's Chairman Presses Cable Firms On Phone Ventures (WSJ)

EDTECH
Textbook Publishers Put Extras Online (CyberTimes)

JOBS
Tackling the IT Worker Shortage Crisis (NTIA)
ABC Workers Stage 24-Hour Strike; Lockout Is Response (ChiTrib)
ABC Locks Out 1,500 Strikers (NYT)
Dispute Ends In A Lockout At ABC Inc. (WSJ)
ABC Locks Out 2,200 Workers (WP)

NEWSPAPERS
Newspaper circulation stays level, in general (ChiTrib)

INFOTECH
Connecting the Global Community (NTIA)

ANTITRUST
Gates on Tape: Scant Memory of Key Details (NYT)
Gates Appears Sullen In Trial Videotape (WSJ)
Gates Denies Bullying His Competitors

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DIGITAL TELEVISION
==================

Nov 9 PIAC MEETING
Issue: Digital Television
The next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of
Digital Television Broadcasters is scheduled for November 9, 1998. The
meeting will be held at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center,
Polaris Room, 1300 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC. [For more
information on the Committee's deliberations, see
http://www.benton.org/Policy/TV/piac.html including a summary of the last
meeting at http://www.benton.org/Policy/TV/meeting7.html
[SOURCE: NTIA]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/pubintadvcom/novmtg/

DIGITAL-TV ADS AIM TO SHUFFLE LEADERSHIP
Issue: Television
Using a variety of media, some of the major television manufacturers are
promoting television sets for HDTV. The rollout of HDTV programming means
people need special televisions to see the broadcasts, although recent
surveys indicate the public does not know much about the new technology.
This year with HDTV sets priced around $7000 only a few hundred thousand
will be sold compared to 30 million regular televisions. Major TV
manufacturers are creating big advertising campaigns for television or in
magazines in an effort to get a jump on the rest of the market and hoping
the technology will catch on quickly. Panasonic's advertising campaign, for
instance, is its largest in eight years. The two largest manufacturers,
Sony and RCA, are not joining the other companies in promoting HDTV. They
are waiting until they have HDTV sets to sell in a few months.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B16), AUTHOR: Evan Ramstad]
http://www.wsj.com/

================
MEDIA & POLITICS
================

TRAFFIC TO ELECTION WEB SITES INCREASES
Issue: Media & Politics
With the growth of the Internet population and the availability of quality
candidate information online, political websites are seeing record-braking
traffic. Raney reports, In general, traffic to election-related Web sites
increases tenfold on Election Day and the day before. Even so,
administrators of several major Web sites that carry election-related
material said the number of visitors so far this year exceeded their
expectations. At America Online, the traffic in the election area was double
the amount predicted. For more information see The Democracy Network
http://www.dnet.org, Project Vote Smarthttp://www.vote-smart.org,
California Voter Foundation http://www.calvoter.org and America Online
http://www.aol.com.
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: Rebecca Fairley Raney]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/11/cyber/articles/03traffic.html

CYBER-CHAT FOR ELECTION JUNKIES
Issue: Politics/Internet
America Online and other Internet news sources are vying to provide election
coverage tonight that will be interesting and interactive. In addition to
Peter Jennings and Sam Donaldson, AOL will host online chats with John
Kennedy Jr. and Mary Matalin. Kathleen deLaski of AOL says, "It sounds
strange, but people want to talk about it while they're watching it." For
those who are anxious for content AOL is planning charts, graphs and a text
feed from National Public Radio [for non-subscribers, http://www.AOL.com].
The ABC website [http://www.ABC.com] will have simultaneous coverage of
the election reports. Other television networks and newspapers are also
making special plans for election information and analysis [
http://www.MSNBC.com, http://www.CNN.com,
http://www.Washingtonpost.com, http://www.nytimes.com]. People
preparing for this night's coverage remember election night 1996 when many
Web sites were brought to a crawl by digital traffic jams. [SOURCE:
Washington Post (D1), AUTHOR: Howard Kurtz]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPcap/1998-11/03/050r-110398-idx.html

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TELEPHONE
=========

AT&T'S CHAIRMAN PRESSES CABLE FIRMS ON PHONE VENTURES
Issue: Local Telephone
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal prior to his first speech to a
major cable organization Monday, AT&T Corporation Chairman Michael Armstrong
was concerned about television cable companies entering the phone business.
His position was that either they will be partners of AT&T or they will be
rivals. If cable companies are not willing to work with his companies, he
promised to use wireless technology and the local phone lines of the
regional Bells to bring local competition to the market. AT&T is trying to
convince cable companies to sign on with them to create local telephone
service. One company which has already been negotiating with AT&T is Time
Warner, Inc. which has one of the most technologically advanced cable
networks in the country.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B19), AUTHOR: Leslie Cauley]
http://www.wsj.com/

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EDTECH
======

TEXTBOOK PUBLISHERS PUT EXTRAS ONLINE
Issue: EdTech
College textbook publishers are using the Web to supplement print products
and to increase sales. With online lesson plans, extra chapters, homework,
tests, interactive exercises and "course management systems" for professors,
the goal is to ease the burden on instructors and help students learn more.
Rick Leyh, who founded his own publishing company, Digital Springs Inc.
after 22 years of experience in college textbook publishing wants to use the
Web to publish content that can then be eliminated from the printed
textbooks, "dropping the production costs for the printed products and the
ultimate cost to the student consumer." For example, a publisher might use a
Web site to publish information that needs to be updated frequently. The
textbook can then refer students to the site at relevant points. The Web
"has the potential to improve profit margins, since publishers will not have
the printing, customer service and shipping costs associated with
traditional print instructor items," one publisher said.
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: Jamie Murphy]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/11/cyber/articles/03textbook.html

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JOBS
====

TACKLING THE IT WORKER SHORTAGE CRISIS
Issue: Jobs
From speech by Larry Irving at a conference on the Shortage of Information
Technology (or IT) Workers: "This conference comes at a critical time. It
was only a week ago that President Clinton signed into law a bill that will
double the number of foreign information technology workers that high-tech
companies can hire over the next few years. High-tech companies lobbied hard
for this legislation because they are facing a crisis. Currently, one out of
every ten (or 346,000) high-tech jobs remains unfilled, and high-tech
companies claim this is because they cannot find enough skilled workers in
America to hold these positions."
[SOURCE: NTIA]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/speeches/102898itworkers.htm

ABC WORKERS STAGE 24-HOUR STRIKE; LOCKOUT IS RESPONSE (ChiTrib)
ABC LOCKS OUT 1,500 STRIKERS (NYT)
DISPUTE ENDS IN A LOCKOUT AT ABC INC. (WSJ)
ABC LOCKS OUT 2,200 WORKERS (WP)
Issue: Jobs
About 2,000 union employees of ABC have been locked out of their jobs after
they staged a one-day strike yesterday. The off-camera employees stuck
protesting the network's attempt to replace their existing health plan in an
effort to trim costs. ABC will not allow the workers to return until they
guarantee the network that they will provide notice before striking again.
For the past two years, members of The National Association of Broadcast
Employees and Technicians have been working at ABC without a contract. The
networked has pledged to continue broadcasting without interruption.
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 3, p.1), AUTHOR: Jim Kirk]
http://chicagotribune.com/textversion/article/0,1492,SAV-9811030294,00.html
[SOURCE: New York Times (A27), AUTHOR: Monte Williams]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/regional/ny-abc-strikers....
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (C19), AUTHOR: Kyle Pope]
http://www.wsj.com/
[SOURCE: Washington Post (D7), AUTHOR: Lisa de Moraes]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/tv/features/ent001.htm

==========
NEWSPAPERS
==========

NEWSPAPER CIRCULATION STAYS LEVEL, IN GENERAL
Issue: Newspapers
In an increasingly competition media market, newspapers may be bragging over
just being able to hold their own. Chicago-area-based Audit Bureau of
Circulations released its latest figures on circulation on Monday. Newspaper
sales are down 0.3% for the six months ending Sept 30 when compared to the
same period last year. Sunday paper circulation is down 1%. Major news
events -- like the publication of the Starr report in many papers -- led to
dramatic sales increases, but the overall pattern is modest gains to modest
loses throughout the industry. The USA Today reported the biggest increases
(Hey, Mom, its like reading TV!) and the LA Times had a light increase, but
circulation was down at the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
[SOURCE: Chicago Tribune (Sec 3, p.3), AUTHOR: Tim Jones]
http://chicagotribune.com/

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INFOTECH
========

CONNECTING THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY
Issue: InfoTech
From speech by Larry Irving: "There is no question that in the last six
years, we have truly observed a revolution in the technological field that
promises to transform global communications and worldwide trade. What I'd
like to talk about tonight is the "evolution of that revolution" and how we
can harness this new potential to promote global goals. To quote Yogi Berra,
"If you don't know where you're going, when you get there you'll be lost."
While we are in the throes of technological change, it is important to
remember that technology is not the end in itself; it is just a tool, a
powerful means to achieve our ideals."
[SOURCE: NTIA]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/speeches/102998cfr.htm

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ANTITRUST
=========

GATES ON TAPE: SCANT MEMORY OF KEY DETAILS (NYT)
GATES APPEARS SULLEN IN TRIAL VIDEOTAPE (WSJ)
GATES DENIES BULLYING HIS COMPETITORS (WP)
Issue: Antitrust
Bill Gates finally made his debut appearance in the Government's antitrust
case against Microsoft, talking on a giant video screen in the D.C.
courtroom. Yesterday, the prosecution showed two hours of taped deposition
in which Gates appeared uncomfortable and evasive. He responded with "I
don't recall" to many questions, and claimed to have no memory of email
messages that he both sent and received. He was vehement, however, in
denying that his company had engaged in any anti-competitive behaviors to
dominate or divide markets.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C8), AUTHOR: Steve Lohr and Joel Brinkley]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/11/biztech/articles/03soft.html
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHOR: John Wilke and Bryan Gruley]
http://www.wsj.com/
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A1), AUTHOR: Rajiv Chandrasekaran]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/longterm/microsoft/micro.htm

*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*
OK folks, let's do it the Chicago way -- VOTE EARLY AND OFTEN!

TELEPHONY
Houston Phone Company Fined $1.12M (WP)
F.C.C. Fines Brittan for Phone Slamming (NYT)
Proposed AT&T-TCI Merger Questioned (WP)

TELEVISION
At Networks, Creativity Yields to Commerce (WSJ)
NBC May Face Boycott by Players After Lockout Ends (NYT)

CAMPAIGNS
From Sea to Shining Sea, the TV Campaign Is All Attack Ads, All the
Time (NYT)

ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
Visa Touts Ease of Shopping on Internet (WSJ)

ANTITRUST
In Eighth Day, Microsoft Trial Slows Its Pace (NYT)
Microsoft Presses Court Attack on Rivals (WP)
Gates Videotape Is Delayed Again As Microsoft Trial Plods On and On
(WSJ)

==========
TELEPHONY
==========

HOUSTON PHONE COMPANY FINED $1.12M (WP)
F.C.C. FINES BRITTAN FOR PHONE SLAMMING (NYT)
Issue: Telephony
As part of the Federal Communications Commission's efforts to crack down on
companies that switch people's long-distance service without permission,
regulators imposed the second largest "slamming" fine ever. The FCC charge
that Brittian Corp. of Houston, Texas forged forms to authorize a change in
people long-distance phone carrier. "This is the part of the FCC's
continuing effort to take the profit out of slamming,'' said FCC Chairman
Bill Kennard, whose agency has received 16,500 slamming complaints this year.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (WPOline), AUTHOR: Jeannine Aversa (Associated Press)]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WAPO/19981029/V000236-102998-idx.html
[SOURCE: New York Times (C19), AUTHOR: Bloomburg News]
http://www.nyt.com/

PROPOSED AT&T-TCI MERGER QUESTIONED
Issue: Merger
Protection of competition and protection of consumers were the two main
concerns of companies and consumer groups filing comments with the FCC on
the merger of AT&T and TCI. The plan to provide local telephone and
Internet service using TCI's cable television lines was a key concern. GTE
said, "Consumers will suffer, since they will be deprived of the competitive
choices that otherwise would develop." GTE and other major telephone
companies want assurances that they also will be able to gain access to the
high-speed lines and their use will be governed by traditional phone company
regulations. AT&T and TCI have said they are willing to provide access to
other companies but that they do not want the government to create
regulations forcing it. SBC Communications and Sprint want TCI to sell its
interest in Sprint Spectrum, a condition that TCI has said it will consider.
The National Association of Broadcasters and the Consumer Electronics
Manufacturers Association want TCI's cable system to be forced to carry the
new digital channels of broadcasters, just now coming on line. The FCC must
consider comments as it reviews the merger to assure it is in the "public
interest."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (WP Website), AUTHOR: Jeannine Aversa (Associated
Press)]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WAPO/19981029/V000320-102998-idx.html

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TELEVISION
==========

AT NETWORKS, CREATIVITY YIELDS TO COMMERCE
Issue: Television
The glitz and glamour of the network television business is giving way to
serious concerns for the bottom line. The management style of the leaders
of the major networks is likely to be focused on increasing ad sales at
their local O&O stations, developing new businesses and cutting overhead.
Mel Karmazin, elevated to the top post at CBS Corp. this week, is known to
promote increased ad sales at local stations and has been known to be very
involved in monitoring costs, even small ones. Scott Sassa, 39, named this
week to head programming at NBC, has already started seven cable channels.
In addition to the network, Sassa will be helping to program CNBC and MSNBC.
Programming deals, also a concern as network television viewing continues to
decline, are becoming more likely to have some network financial ownership.
ABC's Robert Iger is taking advantage of the Walt Disney Company ownership
to produce programming. Fox also has Fox studio to depend on for
programming outputs. While NBC has lost far more audience than the other
major networks this year, CBS may ultimately be in the worst position
because it ranks last among the Big Four in terms of the younger viewers
that advertisers prefer.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B1), AUTHOR: Kyle Pope]
http://www.wsj.com/

NBC MAY FACE BOYCOTT BY PLAYERS AFTER LOCKOUT ENDS
Issue:
NBA basketball players are threatening to withhold interviews from NBC and
the Turner Sports cable network for the remainder of the current
professional basketball lockout and during the coming season. Patrick
Ewing, the union president, says the television networks have taken an
active role in "promoting this lockout." The current television contracts
contain guaranteed television rights fees paid from the networks to the NBA
this season, although they also include clauses for the networks to recoup
the losses in subsequent years. The players contend the guarantee makes it
easier for the team owners to continue their lockout and press for player
concessions. Current negotiations include player-conduct issues that will
include the size of fines for players who fail to make themselves available
for mandatory news media sessions, reducing the probability that the threat
to withhold interviews will continue into the season. The NBA has already
cancelled one month of games
[SOURCE: New York Times (C23), AUTHOR: Mike Wise]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/sports/basketball/103098bkn-television.html

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CAMPAIGNS
==========

FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA, THE TV CAMPAIGN IS ALL ATTACK ADS, ALL THE TIME
Issue: Campaigns
Negativity in campaign ads may be nothing new, but the sustained level of
attack is striking as Election Day nears. At dinner time, on TV sets around
the country people can tune into the this years political messages, which
Sack describes as "Jerry Springer-style vitriol." Many people worry that the
trend in negative advertising will result in a hardened and distrustful
electorate. "The most notable thing to me is how difficult it is this year
to penetrate the public mind, how cynical they are and how they are
skeptical of anything anybody says," said Raymond Strother, a Democratic
consultant
[SOURCE: New York Times (A25), AUTHOR: Kevin Sack]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/103098campaign-tv.html

=====================
ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
=====================

VISA TOUTS EASE OF SHOPPING ON INTERNET
Issue: Electronic Commerce
"E-commerce

EDTECH
Boston Becomes 1st Big City to Link Entire School System to Web (WP)
Company Offers Schools Advertiser-Supported Computer Labs (CyberTimes)

INTERNET
Letter to the Internet Corporation for
Assigned Names and Numbers (NTIA)
Replay on Internet Porn (WP)
Candidates in Tight Races Turn to Web, Survey Finds (CyberTimes)
Nielsen Partners With Web Measurement Company (CyberTimes)
Intel Is Investing In Health Firms On The Internet (WSJ)

TELEVISION
Commissioner Ness's Remarks at the MSTV Annual Update (FCC)
Gay Church Sues TV Station for Rejecting an Infomercial (NYT)

TELEPHONY
Phone Fee Quirk Benefits New Providers (NYT)
SBC Communications, Inc and SNET Merger (FCC)
Tariffing of Digital Subscriber Line Services (NTIA)

SATELLITE
Iridium Is Set to Launch Call Service But Concerns Mount Over
Performance (WSJ)

JOBS
Vacancy Announcement: Associate Administrator for Policy
Analysis and Development (NTIA)

ANTITRUST
In Its Case Against Microsoft, U.S. Now Cites Note From Apple (NYT)
U.S. Signals New Focus in Microsoft Case (WSJ)
U.S. Uses Apple Notes Against Microsoft (WP)

======
EDTECH
======

BOSTON BECOMES 1ST BIG CITY TO LINK ENTIRE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO WEB
Issue: EdTech
On Monday Boston became the first large urban school district in the U.S. to
link all its public schools, libraries and community centers to the
Internet. The city possesses one computer for every 10 students in its 128
schools and aims to have a computer for every four students by 2001. The
effort, a partnership between government and private industry, has raised
over $26 million in outside support. Each Boston public school has at least
one computer lab. About 60 percent of the system's 4800 teachers have been
trained on using computers as instructional tools. The effort led by Boston
Mayor Thomas Menino is intended to give economically disadvantaged students
access to technology, improved education and additional career
opportunities. [This story appeared in the Washington Post on Tuesday.]
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A6), AUTHOR: Pamela Ferdinand]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-10/27/041l-102798-idx.html

COMPANY OFFERS SCHOOLS ADVERTISER-SUPPORTED COMPUTER LABS
Issue: EdTech/Advertising
Faustian bargain or sensible horse trade. ZapMe!, a new company, is offering
schools thousands of dollars worth of free computer equipment, software and
Internet access in exchange for the right to post advertising in schools.
"When I first heard about this, I asked the ZapMe! people 'Are you sure your
offices are in San Ramon and not the North Pole?'" said Theodore F. Maddock,
technology coordinator for Mt. Diablo High School, a public school that uses
ZapMe! and serves a largely poor and minority student body in Concord, CA.
"This is one of a number of commercial initiatives that tie in access to
selling students' eyeballs," said Jeffrey Chester, executive director of the
nonprofit Center for Media Education, an electronic media public interest
group in Washington, D.C. Mr. Chester added, "Selling is not the purpose of
public education. Educating students is." Mendels reports, Schools that join
get free computer equipment and services -- including a satellite dish, 15
personal computers for a computer lab and Internet access -- as well as
support and maintenance of the system. It is a package worth about $9,500 a
month over a three-year period, according to Frank J. Vigil, president of
the company.
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: Pamela Mendels
mendels( at )nytimes.com]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/cyber/education/28education.html

========
INTERNET
========

LETTER TO THE INTERNET CORPORATION FOR ASSIGNED NAMES AND NUMBERS
Issue: Internet
"Based on a review of ICANN's submission, other public submissions, and on
public comments on those submissions, the Department of Commerce regards the
ICANN submission as a significant step towards privatizing management of the
domain name system. Overall, the submissions we received supported moving
forward with the ICANN structure. We note, however, that the public comments
received on the ICANN submission reflect significant concerns about
substantive and operational aspects of ICANN. We strongly recommend that you
review and consider the many thoughtful and constructive comments posted at
www.ntia.doc.gov. The submissions of the Boston Working Group and the Open
Root Server Confederation, among others, articulate specific concerns, many
of which we share. As you refine your proposal, we urge you to consult with
these groups and others who commented critically on your proposal to try to
broaden the consensus."
[SOURCE: NTIA]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/icann102098.htm

REPLAY ON INTERNET PORN
Issue: Internet/Content [Editorial]
The constitutional challenge to the 1996 Communications Decency Act will
soon be revisited in a Philadelphia court. Critics of the original law have
already filed suit against Congress's revised version the 1996 Act, which as
rejected by the Supreme Court last summer. While the new law replaces the
"indecency" standard with "harmful to minors" and now only applies to
commercial Web sites, the "new measure is an echo of the original bad idea."
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A18), AUTHOR: Washington Post Editorial Staff]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-10/28/010l-102898-idx.html

CANDIDATES IN TIGHT RACES TURN TO WEB, SURVEY FINDS
Issue: Media & Politics
Elaine Kamarck, researcher at Harvard University's Kennedy School of
Government, has found that the more competitive the political contest, the
more likely a candidate will try to reach out to voters online with a Web
site. "In a competitive race, you would not want to leave even one stone
unturned," Ms. Kamarck said. "In competitive races, people are on the Net."
Of the 46 candidates running in competitive races for Governor or United
States Senate, only one candidate -- Gov. Lincoln Almond of Rhode Island --
did not have a campaign Web site. Of the 36 major-party gubernatorial
candidates, 83% of the incumbents have campaign sites, while 92% of their
major-party challengers do. Of 28 candidates said to be in competitive
gubernatorial races, 27 have Web sites. Candidates in Senate races are not
quite as Web-friendly and Ms. Kamarck believes it is because the races are
less competitive. In 34 Senate races nationwide, 77% of the incumbents have
campaign Web sites, and 64% of the major-party challengers have them.
However, all of the 18 candidates in competitive races for the Senate have
sites, Ms. Kamarck said. In the House, only 19% of the 409 incumbents
running for re-election have campaign sites, while 52% of the 371
challengers had sites. Two factors may influence these numbers: Many
challengers with sites are vying for open seats, and many of the incumbents
are running unopposed. Ms. Kamarck found that of the 78 minor-party
candidates in gubernatorial races, just 44% had Web sites. Of the 72
minor-party candidates for Senate, 33% were on the Web, and of the 295
running for Congress, 34% were online. "In direct contrast to those who
think the Web will be so revolutionary, the minor party candidates are not
using the Web," Ms. Kamarck said. "They're not there. And the major parties
are there." See also "Candidates for New York Governor Are Big Online
Spenders"
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/cyber/articles/28campaign.html
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: Rebecca Fairley Raney
rfr( at )nytimes.com]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/cyber/articles/28campaign-side...

NIELSEN PARTNERS WITH WEB MEASUREMENT COMPANY
Issue: Mergers
Nielsen Media Research, the television audience measurement company, will
acquire a minority interest in NetRatings, a company that tracks Internet
usage. Nielsen's main competition in this new field will be the combined
Media Metrix and RelevantKnowledge companies -- they announced a merger on
October 12. "It's back to the future," said Jim Nail, an analyst with
Forrester Research. "Two weeks ago we started to solve the competing
technology problem that's been preventing a standard from evolving, with a
single vendor providing numbers for the industry. Well, now we're back to
where we were." According to John Dimling, Nielsen's president and chief
executive, the company had developed both a measurement technology and a
sample pool of Internet users this summer, "but we found that NetRatings had
a technology that was better than anyone else's, including ours, so we went
in that direction."
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: ]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/cyber/articles/28ratings.html

INTEL IS INVESTING IN HEALTH FIRMS ON THE INTERNET
Issue: Health
Intel Corporation has made minority investments in health-care start-up
companies that are providing information on the Internet. Most of the
companies are providing personalized medical information. Making the
announcement, Intel Chairman Andrew Grove said that consumers are
transforming the medical industry with information from the Internet. He
admitted the corporation's support also was to encourage more use of
connected personal computers. Meeting participants presented data showing
that nearly half of Internet users have checked the credentials of their
doctors online and that some online support-group participants have improved
since joining the groups.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B4), AUTHOR: Dean Takahashi]
http://www.wsj.com/

==========
TELEVISION
==========

COMMISSIONER NESS'S REMARKS AT THE MSTV ANNUAL UPDATE
Issue: Digital TV
Commissioner Ness makes four main points on the conversion to digital
television: 1) We've come a long way; 2) There will be bumps along the way;
3) The Government's formal role is winding down as the new TV antennas are
being turned on; and 4) You need to keep your viewers foremost in mind. Also
contains interesting tidbits like: "the FCC has granted 104 Construction
Permits for new digital stations."
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Ness/spsn817.html

GAY CHURCH SUES TV STATION FOR REJECTING AN INFOMERCIAL
Issue: Advertising
The Cathedral of Hope, the nation's largest gay and lesbian church, filled
suit against Chicago TV station WGN for breaking an agreement to air a
church infomercial. The Dallas-based church spent two years producing an
infomercial intended, in part, to counter the recent anti-homosexual
campaign launched by conservative Christian groups. "We wanted mostly to
reach out to lesbian and gay teen-agers but also people living in rural
areas, to tell them there is this possibility that you can be gay and
Christian, there is this possibility that you are a child of God, " said the
Rev. Michael Piazza, pastor of the Cathedral of Hope. In July, WGN-TV
accepted an initial payment and scheduled five showings of the
advertisement. One week later, according to church officials, the station
returned the check and canceled the agreement.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A16), AUTHOR: Pam Belluck]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/wgn-ads.html

=========
TELEPHONY
=========

PHONE FEE QUIRK BENEFITS NEW PROVIDERS
Issue: Telephony
Federal Communications Commission will soon have to determine how data and
voice services will be regulated in this age of convergence. Current
regulations have lead to a situation that benefits new local phone
companies, but incumbent carriers claim is unfair. Reciprocal compensation,
which was intended to help newly competing phone companies share the cost of
local calls, now allows local entrants to change incumbents for calls their
customers make to Internet service providers, who are most often carried by
the new entrants. The reciprocal compensation rules have resulted in more
than $500 million in fees that Regional Bells will have to pay to new phone
companies this year alone.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C4), AUTHOR: Seth Schiesel]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/phone-fee.html

SBC COMMUNICATIONS, INC AND SNET MERGER
Issue: Mergers
From the news release: The Commission has approved the transfer of
communications licenses and authorizations from Southern New England
Telecommunications Corp. (SNET) to SBC Communications, Inc. (SBC), thereby
granting the companies' merger application. In accordance with the
Communications Act, merger applicants must persuade the Commission that
their proposed merger will serve the public interest. In this case, the
Commission concluded that the merger is unlikely to have any anticompetitive
effects or any other adverse effect on the public interest. The Commission
further found that the merger is likely to produce some tangible public
interest benefits, including possible improvements in wireless competition.
Based on these determinations, the Commission concluded that the merger is
in the public interest.
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1998/nrcc8077.html

TARIFFING OF DIGITAL SUBSCRIBER LINE SERVICES
Issue: Bandwidth
NTIA made a letter filing with the FCC on Tariffing of Digital Subscriber
Line Services, CC Docket Nos. 98-79, 98-103, 98-161, and 98-165: "A number
of incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs) have filed tariffs with the
Commission covering so-called digital subscriber line (DSL) services, which
can provide end users with relatively high speed connections to Internet
Service Providers (ISPs). The Commission has solicited comment on the
question of whether such services are interstate offerings that can be
tariffed at the Federal level.(1) For the reasons set forth below, the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) believes
that the services at issue are interstate in nature. The Commission should
therefore permit the associated tariffs to go into effect, subject to the
conditions discussed below. The Commission should make clear, moreover, that
its decision (1) does not address the jurisdictional classification of
dial-up calls to ISPs; (2) does not disturb myriad State commission rulings
that, under existing interconnection agreements, such calls were intended to
be treated as local calls, thereby obliging ILECs to compensate competitive
local exchange carriers (CLECs) for dial-up calls to ISPs that are
terminated via CLECs' facilities; and (3) leaves in place the long-standing
access charge exemption for ISPs and other information service providers."
[SOURCE: NTIA]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/fccfilings/102798dslltr.htm

==========
SATELLITES
==========

IRIDIUM IS SET TO LAUNCH CALL SERVICE BUT CONCERNS MOUNT OVER PERFORMANCE
Issue: Satellites
A month after it had planned to start service, Iridium will begin
planet-wide communication service. This Sunday Iridium will turn on service
on its $5 billion system to commercial users. Iridium has 66 low-orbit
satellites to offer communications to or from any point on the globe. The
start of telephone service was delayed by quality problems which company
officials now say have been remedied by software changes and by
repositioning a series of antennas at satellite gateways where calls are
downlinked and connected to the commercial telephone system.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Quentin Hardy]
http://www.wsj.com/

====
JOBS
====

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT: ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR FOR POLICY ANALYSIS AND
DEVELOPMENT
Issue: Jobs
The Associate Administrator for Policy Analysis and Development provides
advice and assistance to the Assistant Secretary for Communications and
Information and is the principal official of the National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (NTIA) responsible for the analysis and
development of domestic telecommunications and information policy positions
of the Executive Branch of the Federal government. In this capacity, the
incumbent is responsible for the analyses, review, and formulation of
domestic telecommunications and information policies; and, at the direction
of the Assistant Secretary, the presentation of such policies before the
Congress, the Federal Communications Commission, industry and the public.
Incumbent is responsible for the (1) development and management of NTIA's
domestic telecommunications and information policy program to meet long- and
short-term policy goals and objectives, (2) direction and review of policy
research studies and analyses which incorporate the legal, economic,
technical and social aspects of domestic telecommunications and information
policy (3) integration and coordination with other units of NTIA of the
results of these studies and analyses into policy options and
recommendations for the Executive Branch, and (4) preparation of program
plans, budget documents, and periodic progress reports. Close date Nov 13.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/otherinfo/documents/sesntia2.htm

=========
ANTITRUST
=========

IN ITS CASE AGAINST MICROSOFT, U.S. NOW CITES NOTE FROM APPLE (NYT)
U.S. SIGNALS NEW FOCUS IN MICROSOFT CASE (WSJ)
U.S. USES APPLE NOTES AGAINST MICROSOFT (WP)
Issue: Antitrust
One part of a host of new documents introduced by the Justice Department
Tuesday, was a handwritten note from Apple Computer's chief financial
officer Fred Anderson, explaining why Apple had agreed to use Micrsoft's
Internet Explorer on Macintosh computers. In the note, Anderson claims that
Microsoft had "threatened to abandon Mac" if the company did not make
Internet Explorer the default browser. If all goes as planed, tomorrow the
government will begin showing parts of the 20-hour videotaped deposition
given by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Steve Lohr & Joel Brinkley]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/biztech/articles/28soft.html
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHOR: John Wilke]
http://www.wsj.com/
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A8), AUTHOR: Rajiv Chandrasekaran]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/longterm/microsoft/micro.htm

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Sorry, no Chicago Trib coverage today.

RACE/GENDER
The FCC Cuts Paperwork, Adds Race/ Gender Reporting (B&C)
The Whitemaling of The Network News (B&C)
Editors Delay Goal on Diversity And Add a Concern for Women (NYT)

CAMPAIGNS
This Year, Voters Can Track Last-Minute Contributions Online
(CyberTimes)
New Deal, New Venues (B&C)

INTERNATIONAL
European Law Aims to Protect Privacy of Data (NYT)
British Telecom Plugs In (WP)
Hong Kong Confronts Foreign Phone Giants (NYT)

TELVSION
TV Sports Lose Some of Their Power to Reach America's Men (NYT)
The Dawn of HDTV, Ready or Not (NYT)
EchoStar takes Big 4 to Court (B&C)

INTERNET
Higher-Speed Internet Standard Is Approved (NYT)
Making Tomorrow's Internet a Good Place for Children (NYT)
From Online to On the Line (WP)

TELEPHONY
Determining Universal Service Support for High Cost Areas (FCC)
CALEA (FCC)
Bringing Competition to the Local Telephone Markets (NTIA)

COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
Microsoft, in Push to Extend Windows, To Unveil Smart-Card Operating
System (WSJ)

ANTITRUST
U.S. Antitrust Case Against Microsoft Is Closely Watched by Europe's
Officials (WSJ)
Microsoft's Refrain: Where's the Harm? (NYT)

============
RACE/GENDER
============

FCC CUTS PAPERWORK, ADD RACE/GENDER REPORTING
Issues: Minorities/Ownership
In presenting a new plan to streamline the applications and reports stations
file with the FCC, Chairman William Kennard announced that the agency will
now require TV and radio stations to identify the race and gender of their
owners. The new information gathering is part of the FCC's attempt to
promote opportunities for women and minorities. "Any effort to determine the
extent of minority and female ownership is a step in the right direction,"
said Gigi Sohn of the Media Access Project. "Until you identify the problem
you can't think of ways to solve it." The new electronic filing system has
caused some concern for commissioners Susan Ness and Gloria Tristani, who
worry that the public will no longer have the tools to interpret the
stations' data.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting & Cable (P16), AUTHOR: Bill McConnell]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/

THE WHITEMAILING OF NETWORK NEWS
Issue: Journalism/Race/Gender
An overwhelming amount of the "expert" SoundBits shown of the network
evening news come from white men. According to the "Who Speaks for America"
study -- sponsored by Freedom Forum's Free Press/Fair Press project -- 87
percent of TV experts are male and 92 percent are white, while women only
accounted for 13 percent and minorities just 6 percent. "There is no
justification" for the lack of diversity among quoted experts in network
newscasts, says Andrew Tyndall, director of the study. Tyndall concludes
that the networks are more likely just lazy than biased in their selection
of experts. He suggests that the extra effort to diversify the group of
experts might help pull in the younger, larger audiences that networks
crave.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting & Cable (P30), AUTHOR: Steve McClellan]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/

EDITORS DELAY GOAL ON DIVERSITY AND ADD A CONCERN FOR WOMEN
Issue: Journalism
The governing board of the American Society of Newspaper Editors agreed last
week that "the nation's newsrooms must reflect the racial diversity of
American society by 2025 or sooner." The board also agreed to add women to
its annual census of newsrooms -- an attempt to find evidence of a "glass
ceiling" that prevents women from rising to the highest positions in
newsrooms. The group's original goal for newsroom diversity was 15% by the
year 2000. Minorities comprise 26% of the US population.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C8), AUTHOR: Felicity Barringer]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/newspaper-women.html

==========
CAMPAIGNS
==========

NEW DEAL, NEW VENUES
Issues: Politics/Journalism
While the major broadcast networks will provide more coverage of this year's
mid-term election campaigns than ever, you will not be able to see most of
it on TV The major television networks will be distributing a majority of
their election coverage on cable and the Internet. Both CBS and ABC are
reducing their election night on-air coverage compared to the 1994 off-year
elections. "No matter how compelling the story, people out there don't seem
to be watching it as much as they used to," say Lane Vernardos, executive
producer of special events for CBS News. Network officials privately explain
that reduced election coverage also allows for fewer preemptions of the more
profitable entertainment shows.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting & Cable (P6), AUTHOR: Steve McClellan]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/

THIS YEAR, VOTERS CAN TRACK LAST-MINUTE CONTRIBUTIONS ONLINE
Issue: Campaign Finance
Last minute campaign contributions are usually significant and overlooked,
but the Federal Election Commission and the California Secretary of State
are giving voters their first chance this year to review the flood of
last-minute campaign contributions on the Web. The California Voter
Foundation, a non-partisan group that champions online disclosure, estimates
that in California races, 25 percent of all contributions in the six months
before Election Day are made in the last two weeks. "This will be really the
first time we've had true disclosure," said Robert M. Stern, co-director of
the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, a non-profit research
group that examines campaign finance. "I think this is the forerunner of a
massive amount of information for the voters in two years." FEC
http://www.fec.gov. California Secretary of State http://www.ss.ca.gov
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: Rebecca Fairley Raney
rfr( at )nytimes.com]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/cyber/articles/26donate.html

==============
INTERNATIONAL
==============

EUROPEAN LAW AIMS TO PROTECT PRIVACY OF DATA
Issue: Privacy/Electronic Commerce
The new European Union law protecting personal data went into effect October
25. Some fear the law may interrupt electronic commerce with the US because
it prohibits American-style buying and selling of personal data, Andrews
reports. The law is intended to block companies from using the data for uses
that consumers did not intend -- like selling it to other companies for use
in marketing. The risk in the US is that the law prohibits any company doing
business in the European Union from transmitting personal data to any
country that does not guarantee comparable privacy protection.
[SOURCE: New York Times (A1), AUTHOR: Edmund Andrews]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/biztech/articles/26privacy.html

BRITISH TELECOM PLUGS IN
Issue: International
After attempting to buy MCI Communications Corp. last year, British
Telecommunications PLC created a new effort for international business in
July by opening a North American satellite broadcast operations center in
Washington, D.C. BT is hoping its new Washington "teleport" facility will
help it expand its less than 10% share of the U.S. market for satellite and
fiber-optics transmission of video signals. BT has worldwide revenue of $30
million a year for moving video signals for commercial clients, a figure
that makes them one of the top three in the field. In addition to an
increasing number of teleconferences for smaller businesses, the BT
operation has included recent transmissions of the Academy Awards program,
the World Series, ABC's Monday Night Football and will handle John Glenn's
return to space on Thursday.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (F5), AUTHOR: Mike Mills]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/digest/wtech002.htm

HOGN KONG CONFRONTS FOREIGN PHONE GIANTS
Issue: International/Competition
MCI Worldcom is warning Hong Kong that it may be left out of the information
age if it does not soon open its local telephone market to competition.
"Hong Kong is teetering on the edge," asserted Steve Liddell, president of
the MCI Worldcom Asia Pacific unit. "It will either embrace the brave new
age of telecommunications or return to an age of protectionism." Hong Kong
maybe is not buying this line: "It is not our policy goal to be the most
liberal telecommunications hub in Asia; that's a rather empty thing," said
Geoffrey Woodhead, a senior adviser to K.C. Kwong, the secretary for
information technology and broadcasting. In the next few weeks, the local
government will decide if it will allow additional competitors in the market
of 6.8 million people. In the last three years, Hong Kong has licensed three
local companies to provide service in addition to Hong Kong Telecom, the old
monopoly provider.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Mark Landler]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/hongkong-telecom.html

==========
TELEVISION
==========

TV SPORTS LOSE SOME OF THEIR POWER TO REACH AMERICA'S MEN
Issue: Television Economics
"Sports as an advertising and marketing vehicle is going through a midlife
crisis," said David Verklin, chief executive at Carat North America in New
York, a unit of Aegis Group PLC that buys time and space for marketers. "Ad
people have so fallen in love with sports that they assume no matter what
you buy, it will be fantastic," Verklin added. "But sports does not have
unlimited viewer loyalty, unlimited program capacity or unlimited price
elasticity." Sports used to deliver dependable large audiences, but ratings
for this month's World Series were the worst ever and football ratings are
down this year. Media outlets may lose millions if they have to lower their
advertising rates for programming they have spent so much on. "Sports was
once impervious, but some of its cachet may have disappeared," said Igiel,
who is executive vice president and director for U.S. broadcast at the Media
Edge unit of Y&R in New York. "Sports has held up better than most
programming," he added, "but it's now suffering some of the same erosion of
viewership that everything else on television has."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Stuart Elliott]
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/tvsports-ad-column.html

THE DAWN OF HDTV, READY OR NOT
Issue: Digital TV
Starting on or near November 1, more than three dozen television stations
will begin digital broadcasts. ABC plans to offer the first high-definition
program on Sunday -- the 1996 remake of Disney's 101 Dalmatians. After
buying digital TVs, viewers will be able to receive sharper, clearer
television images. But digital television receivers also hold the potential
to enrich the medium with user interaction of the sort now available on
computers, Brinkley writes. Although eventually all broadcats will be
digital, "I think we will be able to count our viewers on our fingers and
toes," said Martin Franks, a senior vice president for CBS. "It's fairly
clear that there are more transmitters than receivers at this point."
Digital sets are expensive -- around $7,000 each. Early programming is
expected to duplicate current, 'analog' shows.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: Joel Brinkley]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/biztech/articles/26hdtv.html

ECHOSTAR TAKES BIG FOUR TO COURT
Issue: Satellite
As part of the continuing battle between broadcasters and satellite TV
distributors over which households can legally receive imported network
signals, EchoStar filed a suit last week against the Big Four broadcast
Networks. EchoStar wants the courts to discard the old method of determining
customer eligibility for imported signals for a more liberal model. A recent
ruling in Florida determined that satellite companies were illegally
importing network signals to nearly a million viewers.
[SOURCE: Broadcasting & Cable (P19), AUTHOR: Paige Albiniak]
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/

========
INTERNET
========

HIGER-SPEED INTERNET STANDARD IS APPROVED
Issue: Bandwidth
The International Telecommunications Union, a United Nations Group, has
approved a technical standard for digital subscriber line service (DSL) put
forth by Microsoft, Intel and large, local phone companies. The version of
DSL promises to deliver data to the home at a speed of 1.5 million bits per
second. Phone companies will use DSL technology to compete with cable
modems. DSL modems should be available in stores by mid-1999 and priced
around $150.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C2)]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/biztech/articles/26digi.html

MAKING TOMORROW'S INTERNET A GOOD PLACE FOR CHILDREN
Issue: Internet
Advocates for children, professors, software producers and others gathered
in Washington to ask how the Internet can avoid Newt Minow's famous
description of television as a "vast wasteland.". What can be done, they
wanted to know, to insure that the Internet and other technologies become
something edifying rather than stultifying for children? "We need to have
this debate and discussion now at the outset, while this medium is at this
fluid stage, so we can figure out how to do it right this time, as opposed
to television," said Kathryn C. Montgomery, president of the non-profit
Center for Media Education. A conference in Washington, DC last week focused
not on online pornography or pedophiles. Instead, participants tried to
figure out what is known and unknown about the effects of the emerging media
on children, and to begin to set a national agenda for insuring that
technology fulfills its promise, that it becomes more than a glitzy
extension of the popular commercial culture.
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: Pamela Mendels
mendels( at )nytimes.com]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/10/cyber/articles/25children.html

FROM ONLINE TO ON THE LINE
Issue: Long Distance
AT&T is presenting a new way to chat on the Internet. They want people to
forego the keyboard and use the phone! The new Chat 'N Talk service,
available through Lycos and other Internet services, allows people chatting
on the Web to quickly and anonymously shift their conversation to the
telephone. For those agreeing to move offline to use the phone system some
information, including a telephone number and a credit card number from the
initiator and a telephone number from the second party must be entered. By
using a password system AT&T promises privacy. Neither party sees the
other's telephone number. The person who initiates the call pays 15 cents
per minute.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (F22), AUTHOR: Robert O'Harrow Jr.]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-10/26/029l-102698-idx.html

==========
TELEPHONY
==========

DETERMINIONG UNIVERSAL SERVICE SUPPORT FOR HIGH COST AREAS
Issue: Universal Service
1) The Commission adopted the framework for estimating the costs incurred by
certain telephone companies for providing services to consumers in rural,
insular, and other high cost areas. Combined with specific variables, or
"inputs," that will be determined later, this framework will provide cost
information that can be used as part of the calculation of the amount of
universal service support that non-rural carriers may receive for serving
high cost areas. (Yeah, we know, time to make calculations like this would
be our dream job as well) 2) A Memorandum Opinion and Order and Further
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking addressing four issues: A) interim guidelines
for wireless providers for reporting their percentage of interstate wireless
telecommunications revenues; B) the Commission asked for comment on
establishing rules to deal with those situations in which universal service
contributors cannot derive the amounts of their intrastate and interstate
end-user telecommunications revenues readily from their books of account; C)
the Commission asked for comment on the extent to which its universal
service rules facilitate the provision of supported services by service
providers, such as wireless telecommunications providers and cable
operators, that historically have not provided services eligible for federal
universal service support; and D) the Commission asked for comment on how
much, if any, local usage eligible telecommunications carriers should be
required to provide to customers as part of a "basic service" package.
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1998/nrcc8074.html
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/News_Releases/1998/nrcc8073.html

CALEA
Issue: Wireless/Privacy
No, not the cartoon lion, that was Kimba. The Communications Assistance for
Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) "generally requires a telecommunications carrier
to ensure that its equipment, facilities, or services are capable of: 1)
expeditiously isolating, and enabling the government, pursuant to a court
order or other lawful authorization, to intercept all wire and electronic
communications; 2) providing access to call-identifying information that is
reasonably available to the carrier; 3) delivering intercepted
communications and call-identifying information to a Law Enforcement Agency
(LEA) in an acceptable form and at a remote location; and 4) protecting the
privacy and security of communications and call-identifying information not
authorized to be intercepted." The FCC has adopted a Further Notice of
Proposed Rulemaking addressing technical requirements for wireline,
cellular, and broadband Personal Communications Services (PCS) carriers to
comply with the assistance capability requirements of the Act.
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/News_Releases/1998/nret80
14.html

BRINGING COMPETITION TO THE LOCAL TELEPHONE MARKETS
Issue: Competition
"Now that we are nearly 1,000 days into the 1996 Telecommunications Act, I
can think of no better time than this conference to assess how far we have
come in promoting competition in telecommunications. I'd like to take this
opportunity to evaluate what has worked, what hasn't, and what we should do
from here. The good news is that we are now seeing increasing choice and
services in the local telephone market. After much anticipation, cable
companies are now beginning to offer telephone service. Cox, for example, is
offering service in Phoenix, Omaha, and Orange County. MediaOne is now
offering cable telephony service in Atlantia, Los Angeles, and certain areas
of Massachusetts, promising rates up to 47 percent lower than the
competition. And AT&T, of course, is banking on the success of cable
telephony in merging with TCI...."
[SOURCE: NTIA]
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/speeches/comptel98.htm

======================
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY
======================

MICROSOFT, IN PUSH TO EXTEND WINDOWS, TO UNVEIL SMART-CARD OPERATING SYSTEM
Issue: Computer Technology
Microsoft Corporation is poised to announce Tuesday a new operating system
for smart cards. Smart cards are credit-card sized cards that store
information, can identify card users and run small programs. Use of smart
cards is more popular in Europe where the cards are used for mobile phone
information, access to public transportation, and banking functions. Their
use is expected to expand in the U.S. as electronic commerce grows.
Microsoft's entry into the market with a Windows-based system is expected to
give a boost to the adoption of smart-card technology. Several operating
systems already exist. For Microsoft the effort may be a defensive effort
to stem the growth of Sun Microsystems' Java system.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B6), AUTHOR: Kimberley A. Strassel & David Bank]
http://www.wsj.com/

=========
ANTITRUST
=========

U.S. ANTITRUST CASE AGAINST MICROSOFT IS CLOSELY WATCHED BY EUROPE'S
OFFICIALS (WSJ)
MICROSOFT REFRAIN: WHERE'S THE HARM? (NYT)
Issue: Antitrust
Days before the opening of the Microsoft Corporation's antitrust trial here
in the U.S., a similar antitrust complaint was filed in Italy. While the
Italian antitrust authority has not ruled on whether it will consider the
complaint, a growing number of European authorities are taking interest in
the Microsoft trial which begins its second week today. Two groups within
the European Commission, competition authorities and electronic commerce
officials, have expressed concerns about Microsoft's dominance and could
create additional confrontations with Microsoft after the U.S. trial. One
EC official said, "Once you have universal platforms, openness should rule."
A Microsoft lawyer calls the Italian suit, "the whole hodgepodge of old
allegations."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Brandon Mitchener]
http://www.wsj.com/
[SOURCE: New York Times (C2), AUTHOR: Steve Lohr]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/biztech/articles/26soft.html

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