Haste Makes Waste!
In our rush to get Headlines out this morning, we missed
a couple of articles you might want to know about.
Sorry for the additional email.
Universal Service
TelecomAM: Rise & Shine:
Universal Service Company Gets Out of Bed,
Tries to Get Organized
Consumer Issues
WSJ: Consumer Groups To Pressure FCC On Cable-TV Rates
TelecomAM: Consumers Resist Packages That Combine Phone,
Cable & Electric, Says Survey
Campaign Finance Reform
WP: Legal Scholars Enter Constitutional Fray on the
Side of Campaign Finance Bill
Internet
TelecomAM: Internet Access Service Aims to Counter
Market Dominance
Volunteerism
NYT: Push for Volunteerism Brings No Outpouring
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* Universal Service *
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Title: Rise & Shine: Universal Service Company Gets Out of Bed, Tries to
Get Organized
Source: Telecom AM http://capitol.cappubs.com/am/
Issue: Universal Service
Description: The Board of Directors of the Universal Service Administrative
Company (USAC) met for the first time Monday less than sure of its function.
Tony Butler of the National Urban League questioned why there are three
bodies created to do one job. There are also boards for two additional
companies -- the Schools and Libraries Corporation and the Rural Health Care
Corporation. These two companies are not related to USAC in any way other
than their board members sit on the USAC Board. USAC will administer
universal service funds until a permanent, independent, nonprofit is picked
to do he job. The work of the Schools and Libraries Corporation and the
Rural Health Care Corporation will continue whether USAC continues or not.
The Schools and Libraries Corp will administer the $2.25 billion annual fund
for telecommunications discount for these eligible entities; the Rural
Health Care Corp will administer a $400 million annual fund.
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* Consumer Issues *
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Title: Consumer Groups To Pressure FCC On Cable-TV Rates
Source: Wall Street Journal
http://wsj.com/
Author: Barbara Martinez
Issue: Cable TV Regulation
Description: The Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union
(publisher of Consumer Reports) plan a press conference to pressure the
Federal Communications Commission to lower cable television subscription
rates. They plan to "attack the agency charged with overseeing the cable
industry for its failure to crack down on cable-industry abuses and
sky-rocketing rates." A spokeswoman for the National Cable Television
Association said the trade group would oppose any further government
intervention and added that consumers are "very educated these days. They
continue to subscribe to cable because they se it as a good deal." Since
passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, cable rates have increased at
a rate three times that of inflation, claims the Consumers Union. But Wall
Street analysts believe that rates are up because of growing programming
costs. The consumers groups may find that there is no Congressional support
for increased regulation of the cable industry. [For more information call
202.462.6262]
Title: Consumers Resist Packages That Combine Phone, Cable & Electric, Says
Survey
Source: Telecom AM http://capitol.cappubs.com/am/
Issue: Competition
Description: Consumers "want more choices -- not fewer -- among providers of
their energy, telecommunications and home entertainment services," a new
survey by RKS Research & Consulting concludes. Some 75% of the affluent,
educated customer segment of the survey sample said they would prefer buying
phone electricity and cable services from separate vendors as compared to
48% of the entire 1,000 household sample. Consumers are aware of their
options in telecommunications with two-thirds having switched their long
distance provider in the last year and 44% aware of the imminent prospect of
choice for electrical and cable TV services. If they did choose one vendor
for the all-in-one package, 33% said they would select the services from
their electric company, 19% from their phone company, 12% from their long
distance company, and only 4% from their cable company.
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* Campaign Finance Reform *
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Title: Legal Scholars Enter Constitutional Fray on the Side of Campaign
Finance Bill
Source: Washington Post (A5)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-sri/WPlate/1997-09/23/023l-092397-idx.html
Author: Helen Dewar & Ceci Connolly
Issue: Campaign Finance Reform
Description: Responding to critics of campaign finance legislation that say
key provisions are unconstitutional, sponsors of the bill released a letter
signed by 126 legal scholars that disputed that claim: "we all agree...that
the current debate on the merits of campaign finance reform is being
sidetracked by the argument that the Constitution stands in the way of a ban
on unlimited contributions to political parties and a voluntary spending
limits scheme based on offering inducements such as reduced media time."
Political spending has been equated with free speech in Supreme Court
decisions starting with Buckley v. Valejo (1976). [To navigate your way
through campaign finance reform, visit Destination Democracy
http://www.destinationdemocracy.org/intro.html]
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* Internet *
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Title: Internet Access Service Aims to Counter Market Dominance
Source: Telecom AM http://capitol.cappubs.com/am/
Issue: Internet Sales and Services
Description: Snap! Online, developed by CNET, provides Internet subscribers
with easy navigation guides to the World Wide Web. It is backed by the three
largest long distance providers -- AT&T, Sprint, & MCI -- two Baby Bells --
Bell South and Bell Atlantic, and independent access providers like
EarthLink. With 3.5 million online users, the service hopes to compte with
America Online which will have 12 million subscribers after the purchase of
CompuServe is complete. The 10,000 ISPs think they can compete with AOL if
they can improve their content. Many of these services provide subscribers
with Internet browsers when they sign up. These browsers initially point to
the access providers sites, but there's little more information there than
rates and baud rates -- and 80% of subscribers never change their settings.
ISPs will now point subscribers directly to Snap!
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* Volunteerism *
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Title: Push for Volunteerism Brings No Outpouring
Source: New York Times (A16)
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/national/volunteerism.html
Author: Judith Miller
Issue: Volunteerism/Political Participation
Description: While some volunteer and social-service groups are reporting
increased interest in volunteering since April's Summit for America's
Future, there is little evidence of masses of individuals coming forward
nationwide. And some wonder volunteerism is the best use of resources to
solve major social problems. Jon Van Til, professor at Rutgers University,
says "Wouldn't it be better if [companies] went to these organizations and
said, 'You've got a choice -- a $1,000-a-day accountant doing a $5-an-hour
job picking up trash, or a gift of $1,000.'" Many organizations, he
contends, would "quickly take the money." Assessing the effects of
volunteerism will be hard unless better methods of tracking it are developed.
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