Electronic Commerce
NYT: Mail-Order Retailers Retreat on Tax Deal
Internet
NYT: From Jail and Boardroom, A Street Fight for the Internet
NYT: Tiny Web Broadcasters Return to Radio Days
Mergers
NYT: U.S. Acts to Bar Chancellor Media's L.I. Radio Deal
Legislation
TelecomAM: McCain and Burns Lay Out Agenda For 1998 Congressional Session
Telephone
TelecomAM: Bell Atlantic N.Y. to File LD Application with FCC In January
TelecomAM: Bell South Files with FCC For Louisiana InterLATA Authority
TelecomAM: Ameritech Clec Unit Files Tariffs In Missouri For First Local Foray
WSJ: Italy's New Telecom Alliances Face Tall Regulatory, Competitive
Hurdles
Advertising
NYT: All Aboard for Campaign for a Few Good Mentors
Content
NYT: A Hearing Focuses on Lyrics Laced With Violence and Death
** Electronic Commerce **
Title: Mail-Order Retailers Retreat on Tax Deal
Angry Customers Hinder Mail-Order Tax Accord
Source: New York Times (A1/C1)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/mailorder-sales-tax.html
Author: David Cay Johnston
Issue: Electronic Commerce
Description: Angry customer calls have some mail-order retailers backing a
was from a deal reported in the NYT yesterday. In the proposed deal,
mail-order retailers would begin collecting taxes on out-of-state purchases
in return for protection against multiple audits, the right to run
promotions and the right to maintain a limited business presence outside of
a home state. The public reaction "makes it a lot less likely that there
will ever be an agreement," said H. Robert Wientzen, president of the Direct
Marketing Association.
** Internet **
Title: From Jail and Boardroom, A Street Fight for the Internet
Source: New York Times (CyberTimes)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/110797kashpureff.html
Author: Peter Wayner
Issue: Internet
Description: A look at two central figures in the Internet domain name
controversy: Network Solution's Gabriel Battista and Eugene Kashpureff,
formerly of AlterNIC. The men have vastly different opinions about how the
domain name system (DNS) should be run: Mr. Battista prefers today's system:
his company has monopoly control on top-level domain names and is making a
good business of it. Mr. Kashpureff believes that there should be many
top-level domain registrars, all of them competing to offer the most
reliable service at the lowest prices. Long article includes Mr.
Kashpureff's protest act.
Title: Tiny Web Broadcasters Return to Radio Days
Source: New York Times (CyberTimes)
http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/nation/110797nation.html
Author: Jason Chervokas & Tom Watson
Issue: Internet Content/Radio
Description: Radio is hot again. Not only are radio stations hot commodities
right now, but webcast "radio shows" are reminiscent of radio's early days.
The Wicca Pagan Broadcast Network, for example, has attracted a small, but
dedicated following among New Agers. "Just like a real Marconi station with
the exception of everything being on the Internet," boasts its creator,
Talisman Winterhawk. This show and thousands like it are springing up all
over the Web and -- because they don't use radio spectrum -- are not subject
to Federal Communications Commission regulation. (Article lists URLs for a
number of webcast sites).
** Mergers **
Title: U.S. Acts to Bar Chancellor Media's L.I. Radio Deal
Source: New York Times (C10)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/radio-merger.html
Author: David Johnston
Issue: Mergers/Radio
Description: After approving more than 1,000 station mergers since passage
of the Telecom Act of 1996, the Justice Department filed suit to block one
for the first time. The department contends that Chancellor Media's plan to
buy four popular radio stations in Long Island would undercut competition,
drive up radio advertising rates, result in higher prices for consumers.
(Joel Klein, where have you been all my life?) Chancellor disagrees with the
department's conclusions: "The Government didn't mention the strong
pro-competitive benefit that you get from radio consolidation that allows
this group to compete more directly with other advertisers."
** Legislation **
Title: McCain and Burns Lay Out Agenda For 1998 Congressional Session
Source: Telecom A.M.---Nov. 7, 1997
http://www.capitol( at )cappubs.com/
Issue: Legislation
Description: Senators John McCain and Conrad Burns spelled out plans to
hold hearings in the Commerce Committee and the Communications Subcommittee
on local competition, Section 271 applications, slamming, satellites, cable
rates, and tower-siting issues in an effort to analyze the Telecom Act of
1996. McCain said, "I want to reach beyond the rhetoric to identify real
problems and develop real solutions, either through FCC oversight or, where
necessary, by legislation." McCain noted that the hearings are necessary due
to rising phone and cable rates, increasing consolidation and continuing FCC
rules.
** Telephone **
Title: Bell Atlantic N.Y. to File LD Application with FCC In January
Source: Telecom A.M.---Nov. 7, 1997
http://www.capitol( at )cappubs.com/
Issue: Long Distance
Description: Bell Atlantic N.Y. has put the New York PSC on notice that
it intends to petition the FCC for interLATA long-distance authority in New
York during the first week in January 1998. They also asked the PSC to
endorse its petition and confirm that Bell Atlantic has met the competitive
local checklist outlined in federal law. In its PSC filing, Bell
Atlantic says it has irreversibly opened New York's local phone market and
is meeting all requirements for offering long distance in its own region.
They said
they've signed 33 interconnection agreements with competitive providers in
N.Y., and have sold more than 108,000 lines wholesale to local exchange
resellers serving N.Y. businesses and residents. James Cullen, president and
CEO of Bell Atlantic's telecom group, said, "New York is the brass ring. The
$7 billion a year long-distance market is home to 61 of the Fortune 500
companies, and we must begin to serve it."
Title: Bell South Files with FCC For Louisiana InterLATA Authority
Source: Telecom A.M.---Nov. 7, 1997
http://www.capitol( at )cappubs.com/
Issue: Long Distance
Description: Bell South asked the FCC to approve its petition for
interLATA long distance service in Louisiana, one of the 2 states in its
region that
have endorsed BellSouth interLATA entry. The Louisiana PSC on Aug. 20
determined that the Bell company met open-local-market requirements of the
Telecommunications Act of 1996. Bell South said it has signed local
interconnection agreements with 87 competitors that "want to do business" in
Louisiana. They also mentioned that they've lost 10,000 customers to
wireline and wireless local competitors in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and
Shreveport. AT&T called BellSouth's application "a campaign to wear down
policy makers."
Title: Ameritech Clec Unit Files Tariffs In Missouri For First Local Foray
Outside Region
Source: Telecom A.M.---Nov. 7, 1997
http://www.capitol( at )cappubs.com/
Issue: Competition
Description: Ameritech Communications Inc., the competitive local
exchange carrier (CLEC) business unit of Ameritech, has filed tariffs with
the Missouri PSC for Ameritech's first offering of local exchange phone
service to customers outside of its five-state region. Pending PSC approval
on filed tariffs for local toll and interstate long distance service, ACI
plans to
market packages of local, interexchange and wireless phone services in the
St. Louis area in early '98. ACI is a familiar name already, since it
provides local exchange service to 500,000 customers in the Illinois portion
of St. Louis's metro area.
Title: Italy's New Telecom Alliances Face Tall Regulatory, Competitive Hurdles
Source: Wall Street Journal (B16B)
http://www.wsj.com/
Author: Jennifer L. Schenker
Issue: International
Description: A series of setbacks is roiling the telecom alliances
emerging in Italy. Delays in the issuing of Italy's third mobile license and
an unclear regulatory environment may curb competition in Italy when the
European telecom market opens to competition in January. This problem
underscores the ones that new entrants will have in challenging Europe's
phone monopolies, like Telecom Italia SpA.
** Advertising **
Title: All Aboard for Campaign for a Few Good Mentors
Source: New York Times (C10)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/mentoring-ad-column.html
Author: Stuart Elliott
Issue: Advertising
Description: The ability of the communications industry to change their
behavior for what are deemed laudable causes is being tested by an ambitious
project from the people who brought you the designated driver campaign. An
effort to promote mentoring has gained support from six television networks
who will work with nonprofits like One to One/The National Mentoring
Partnership, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the Points of Light
Foundation.
** Content**
Title: A Hearing Focuses on Lyrics Laced With Violence and Death
Source: New York Times (A19)
http://www.nytimes.com/[available via search]
Author: David Stout
Issue: Content
Description: A hearing called by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) examined the
effects of music on children. One parent testified to urge mandatory content
warnings for themes of violence, sex, drugs and death (there goes my Kiss
collection). A representative from the recording industry noted that it has
been labeling voluntarily since 1985 and mandatory labeling would "smack of
censorship."
*********