Court TV: Case of the Curious Witness
The Tough Guy in Local Phones
Shake-Up in Murdoch Company Jars Investors
New Service Tracks Web Use
Web Discussion Forums Both Public and Private
The Newspaper Industry is Thriving, But Several Projects Are Exploring
Danger Signs
Children's Radio Pioneer Is Challenged by Disney
FCC Rules on Local Phone Networks Are Thrown Out by Appellate Court
TV Ratings: "I" for Inadequate
Bell Atlantic, Nynex Agree to Measures Aimed at Fostering Rivalry in Northeast
The Ratings Flap
Back to Basics For Classroom Computers
WB woos and wins Sinclair
Hundt Calls on Congress to Protect Spectrum Licenses From Bankruptcy
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Title: Court TV: Case of the Curious Witness
Source: New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/(B5)
Author: Walter Goodman
Issue: Journalism
Description: In Decatur, GA, Court TV has been credited with having caused a
mistrial, a first for the cable TV network. All witnesses are warned not to
read or watch reports of a trial. But in the Georgia case, one witness
watched her mother testify on Court TV while her husband recorded the
program. The defense lawyer in the case blamed television for "ruining" the
trial and many others. The question remains: does opening trials to TV may
them too public?
Title: The Tough Guy in Local Phones
Source: New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/(D1)
Author: Mark Landler
Issue: Competition
Description: "Our stockholders own the local phone network -- lock, stock,
and barrel. Now here comes the [Federal Communications Commission] saying,
'we'll let everybody else lease that network at a 70% discount.' They expect
us to tank our stockholders. No way." Statements like this make SBC
Communications chairman Edward Whitacre a lightning rod in the debate over
why competition has been slow coming to the local phone market.
Title: Shake-Up in Murdoch Company Jars Investors
Source: New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/(D1)
Author: Geraldine Fabrikant
Issue: Ownership
Description: After Rupert Murdoch installed his daughter in a senior
executive position at British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB), the top executives
who turned it into the leading pay television service resigned. The news has
helped drop BSkyB's stock price by 4%.
Title: New Service Tracks Web Use
Source: New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/(D4)
Author: John Markoff
Issue: Internet/InfoTech
Description: A second generation of Internet search engines are appearing.
Alexa Internet has started a service that providers surfers with information
about the popularity and location of the pages they view. Free software is
available at http://www.alexa.com.
Title: Web Discussion Forums Both Public and Private
Source: New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/(D6)
Author: Laurie Flynn
Issue: Internet Content
Description: Thousands of web sites offer online discussion areas --
affording users a chance to chat on just about any subject from Kathy Lee to
tofu. Many sites even specialize in online discussion. See
http://www.peoplelink.com, http://www.talkcity.com,
http://www.webchat.net, http://www.theplace.com,
http://www.iVilliage.com, http://www.icq.com, and http://www.excite.com.
Title: The Newspaper Industry is Thriving, But Several Projects Are
Exploring Danger Signs
Source: New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/(D9)
Author: Iver Peterson
Issue: Newspapers
Description: "The function of the press in society is to inform, but its
role is to make money," said A.J. Liebling. Well, at least the second part
is true now as advertising is up 8%, newsprint is costing less, and the
stock of every major newspaper company is higher than it was in July 1996.
Blue skies? Not really. Experts are studying issues like credibility and
loss of readership. The Nieman Foundation at Harvard will issue a "statement
of concern" next month. "One thing that jumps out at me from our polling is
that people trust television more than they trust newspapers. Now, that is
something to worry about for the newspaper business," says Lee Stinnett,
executive director of the American Society of Newspaper Editors.
Title: Children's Radio Pioneer Is Challenged by Disney
Source: New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/
Author: Andrea Adelson
Issue: Radio
Description: The Mouse is coming to radio. Disney will be offering 24-hr AM
programming for the 12 & under set and their families. "Although not first
on the dial with a claim on children's ears, broadcasting executives say
Radio Disney gives credence to a broadcasting niche that others have had
limited success exploiting."
Title: FCC Rules on Local Phone Networks Are Thrown Out by Appellate Court
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/(A3)
Author: John Wilke & Leslie Cauley
Issue: Competition
Description: A court's ruling limiting the Federal Communications
Commission's ability to set terms and prices of connection agreements may
significantly delay competition in the local phone market. In a harshly
written ruling, the Court said that the FCC trampled on states' rights to
implement key elements of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The FCC is
planning an appeal to the Supreme Court. FCC Chairmen Reed Hundt said, the
ruling "is an invitation to the Balkanization of national telecommunications
policy." Its a big victory for the Baby Bells and GTE.
Title: TV Ratings: "I" for Inadequate
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/(A22)
Author: Newton Minow & Craig LeMay
Issue: V-Chip
Description: Editorial by a former FCC Chairman and a Northwestern
University teacher points out that the public still has a place in the TV
ratings debate. The same law that began the ratings process -- the
Telecommunications Act of 1996 -- also includes a provision that all
broadcasters attach any letters they have received about violent programming
to their applications for license renewal. The letters may not cost the
stations their license, but they send a powerful message to programmers
about the kind of shows the audience wants to see.
Title: Bell Atlantic, Nynex Agree to Measures Aimed at Fostering Rivalry in
Northeast
Source: Wall Street Journal http://www.wsj.com/(B6)
Author: Leslie Cauley
Issue: Competition
Description: In order to gain approval for their pending merger, East Coast
local phone companies Bell Atlantic and NYNEX have agreed to measures that
are aimed to quicken competition in their home markets. The companies will
base charges to competitors on "forward-looking" instead of imbedded costs,
will use a uniform system to switch customers to competitors, and allow
small rivals to pay in installments instead of up front fees. "This is what
we've been waiting for -- strong regulatory action to open up the [local
phone] markets," said MCI. "From what we've heard, this is a goo thing" for
the industry. The FCC will oversee this agreement for four years.
Title: Court Overrules FCC On Phone Rate Rules
Source: Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/ (7/19/97, C1)
Author: Mike Mills
Issue: Local Competition
Description: A three judge panel in St. Louis declared that the
Federal Communications Commission had
overstepped its bounds by setting standard pricing guidelines that
existing phone companies can charge their potential competitors for the
use of their networks to provide services. This is the third in a
recent string of events that many see as indicative of the weakness of
the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996. The first is the
failed merger talks between AT&T and SBC. The second, AT&T executive John
Walter's resignation last week. Although the judges ruled that "the FCC
lacks jurisdiction to issue the pricing rules," it is worth noting that
the court did not challenge the agency's pricing methods. FCC Chairman
Reed Hunt called the ruling "very regrettable," and it is expected that
the agency will appeal the decision in the Supreme Court.
Title: The Ratings Flap
Source: Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/ (C6)
Author: John Carmody
Issue: TV Ratings
Description: On Friday, NBC producer Dick Worl took some time to
complain that TV writers have not done their homework and that they
should write about the ratings system issue as a threat to the First
Amendment. He went on to attack Sen. John McCain, who is a leader on
the issue, pointing out the ironic fact that he is "leading the charge
on protecting children from those murderous 30-inch Sonys out there,
when this is a man who voted against the five-day waiting period and
voted against the Brady Bill." McCain countered that "the
agreement...has absolutely nothing to do with gun control and everything
to do with providing parents with information they may or may not choose
to use to determine what programs their children watch." NBC president
Warren Littlefield weighed in on the issue saying that, "This [issue] is
serious. It started, I think, as a little snowball that was rolling
down the hill. And as broadcasters, I think we're looking at a
potential avalanche right now."
Title: Back to Basics For Classroom Computers
Source: Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/ (WashBusiness, 17)
Author: Robert O'Harrow Jr.
Issue: Education Technology
Description: Parents often complain that the computers in other schools
are better, faster, and bake better cookies than the ones that their
children have access to. These same parents, when faced with the
reality of what it would cost to replace "outdated" computers, are
unwilling to pay to give their children the competitive edge that they
complain so much about. One company realized that kids don't need
Pentium processors to get a head start on computer literacy and has
built laptop sized machines that cost about $200. The AlphaSmart Pro can
run for 200 hours on a pair of AA batteries, and can perform basic word
processing functions. Additionally, the computers have the ability to
download and upload text to Apple and IBM-compatible machines.
Title: WB woos and wins Sinclair
Source: Broadcasting&Cable http://www.broadcastingcable.com/(p.4)
Author: Steve McClellan
Issue: Ownership
Description: The Sinclair/WB network deal may have "opened the gates," says
a WB station manager. "I don't think there's a group in the country that's
not assessing its own network relationships right now and saying 'wow, wait
until the next [affiliate contract negotiating] go-round.'" The deal largely
reduces the main advantage UPN had over WB -- distribution.
At the FCC http://www.fcc.gov
FCC Chairman Reed Hundt Calls on Congress to Protect Spectrum Licenses From
Bankruptcy Law Delays
http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Hundt/spreh740.html
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