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Ten Years Ago
Ten Years Ago... Whitacre Carves Out SBC Empire
Submitted by Benton Foundation on July 20, 2007 - 7:16amLast updated: February 21, 2008 - 7:20am
"Our stockholders own the local phone network -- lock, stock, and barrel. Now here comes the FCC, saying, 'we'll let everybody else lease that network at a 70 percent discount.' They expect us to tank our stockholders. No way."
Ten Years Ago... Hundt Criticizes AT&T-SBC Deal and DTV Plan
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 18, 2007 - 7:45amLast updated: February 21, 2008 - 6:54am
Ten years ago this week, then-FCC Chairman reed Hundt declared that a proposed merge between AT&T and SBC would be "unthinkable" under antitrust laws. He also criticized House and Senate reconciliation bills that would allow broadcasters to hold on to additional spectrum until
less than 5% of US homes are using analog TV sets.
Ten Years Ago... TV Broadcasters Gain Ground in Effort To Delay Return of Licenses for Auction
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 13, 2007 - 10:43amLast updated: February 21, 2008 - 6:51am
Ten years ago, the House Commerce Committee adopted a provision that would let television broadcasters keep their second spectrum licenses -- for the digital television transition -- beyond the FCC's 2006 deadline in areas where 5% or more of households continued to rely solely on over-the-air analog TV signals.
Ten Years Ago... Murdoch Set To Buy Family Cable Concern
Submitted by Benton Foundation on June 12, 2007 - 8:04amLast updated: February 21, 2008 - 6:48am
Ten years ago, Rupert Murdoch -- the man whose Fox Network brought to television the risque ''Married . . . With Children,'' the nihilistic series ''The Simpsons'' and the violent children's program ''Mighty Morphin Power Rangers'' -- agreed to pay $1.9 billion to acquire the cable channel controlled by Pat Robertson.
Ten Years Ago... Monopolies Still Rule the Local Phone Markets
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 22, 2007 - 8:36amLast updated: February 21, 2008 - 6:25am
Sixteen months after the Government opened the $100 billion local phone market to no-holds-barred competition, a new study found that fewer than half of 1 percent of Americans receive their residential phone service from a competitor to the monopoly provider. Moreover, the most likely rivals to the local monopolies -- AT&T, MCI, and other long-distance carriers -- were entering the residential market only grudgingly, according to the study, which was compiled by the Yankee Group. Of the 97 million households in the United States with a telephone in 1997, the study estimated that fewer than 500,000 were getting the service from a company other than their local monopoly. Even three years out, the study predicted the incumbent carriers will retain 90 percent of the market.
Ten Years Ago... Two Companies Go Head to Head to Develop Pay Satellite Radio
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 21, 2007 - 10:17amLast updated: February 21, 2008 - 6:23am
Ten years ago, two DC companies were vying to provide digital audio radio service or pay-for-play radio.
Ten Years Ago... So Far, Murdoch's Bid To Enter Satellite TV In U.S. Goes Nowhere
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 15, 2007 - 9:19amLast updated: February 21, 2008 - 6:17am
Ten years ago, Rupert Murdoch had cornered the satellite TV market in Asia and Europe and had start up companies in Latin America. But the US market was not falling into his lap.
Court Says Congressman Must Pay Damages
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 2, 2007 - 7:18amLast updated: February 21, 2008 - 6:01am
No, this isn't a "Ten Years Ago" feature... A federal appeals court in Washington ruled Tuesday that Rep Jim McDermott, Democrat of Washington, must pay damages to another congressman for giving reporters a tape of an illegally intercepted telephone call.
Ten Years Ago... Research Finds Media Show Women Preoccupied with Romance
Submitted by Benton Foundation on May 1, 2007 - 9:36amLast updated: February 21, 2008 - 6:00am
Ten years ago, Children Now released research showing that across a broad range of media, in films, in television, including commercials, and in magazines for teen-agers, women are more likely to be shown preoccupied with romance and personal appearance than they are having jobs or going to school.
Ten Years Ago... Bell Partners' Next Hurdle Is Credibility
Submitted by Benton Foundation on April 27, 2007 - 7:34amLast updated: February 21, 2008 - 5:57am
Ten years ago this week, Bell Atlantic and Nynex completed a regulatory steeplechase when the Justice Department announced it would not try to block their $22 billion merger.
