TELEPHONE
AT&T Says It Shouldn't Have to Grant Internet Access Via Upgraded
Cable Lines (WSJ)
COMPUTERS
At Comdex, the PC's Future Is Compact (WP)
Executives at Comdex Tout New Modem They Hope Will Boost Use of
the Internet (WSJ)
DTV
FCC Releases Digital Television Consumer Bulletin (FCC)
JOURNALISM
Slate's Coverage of Microsoft Trial Is Proving Difficult (NYT)
Christian Science Monitor Plan Includes New Format, Marketing and
Investment (WSJ)
BOOKS
Beyond Bestsellers: Online Buyers Mine the Blacklist (CyberTimes)
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
High Court Demurs on Campaign Funds (WSJ)
ANTITRUST
A Taped Gates Debates Some Definitions (WSJ)
A Testy Gates Dodges Deposition Questions (WP)
On Tape, Gates Seems Puzzled by Words Like 'Market Share' (NYT)
==========
TELEPHONE
==========
AT&T SAYS IT SHOULDN'T HAVE TO GRANT INTERNET ACCESS VIA UPGRADED CABLE LINES
Issue: Telephone
AT&T Corp. said its merger with TCI will be jeopardized if the phone company
is forced to give competitors equal access to the upgraded cable lines it
will spend billions to create under the deal. American Online and the Bell
phone companies had requested the FCC grant them equal access because AT&T
wants to use TCI's broadband cable connections to provide local telephone
service and Internet service to the home. AT&T formally responded to those
requests yesterday. For Internet service TCI already has an interest in the
At Home Network that could cut into America Online's market share if widely
promoted. AOL says that AT&T and TCI should be forced to let consumers
choose among several companies, including AOL, for Internet service. "This
is guerrilla warfare between companies trying to fight each other's
mergers," said Scott Cleland, a policy analyst.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B6), AUTHOR: Rebecca Blumenstein & Stephanie
H. Mehta]
http://www.wsj.com/
===========
COMPUTERS
===========
EXECUTIVES AT COMDEX TOUT NEW MODEM THEY HOPE WILL BOOST USE OF THE INTERNET
(WSJ)
AT COMDEX, THE PC'S FUTURE IS COMPACT (WP)
Issue: Technology
The Comdex computer industry show in Las Vegas this week is concentrating on
items for the home or for the individual. "We've become multiple-device
people," said Cheryl Currid, president of a market research firm. She also
is an example with her electronic telephone book, her wireless phone that
receives e-mail and her two-pound laptop. In a speech at the convention
Microsoft's Bill Gates did concede that the public would get overwhelmed by
so many devices and warned that users will only buy products if they
simplify rather than complicate their lives. But many companies are
announcing and displaying the newest in their product lines this week. In
the race for different and smaller, National Semiconductor is typical with
its WebPad, a three pound device that can hook up to the Internet via a
wireless connection and "let you sit on your couch and do e-mail." Compaq
announced the availability of digital subscriber line modems for its
computers to provide high speed data downloads over telephone lines.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B9), AUTHOR: WSJ Staff Reporters]
http://www.wsj.com/
[SOURCE: Washington Post (C10), AUTHOR: Shannon Henry]
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-11/17/094l-111798-idx.html
====
DTV
====
FCC RELEASES DIGITAL TELEVISION CONSUMER BULLETIN
Issue: FCC/Digital TV
From the FCC press release: "The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology
[Monday] issued a Digital Television Consumer Information Bulletin to
provide consumers with more information on what promises to be one of the
most significant developments in television technology since the advent of
color television in the 1950's." [The question-and-answer formatted
bulletin is available at the Internet address below.]
[SOURCE: FCC]
http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/News_Releases/1998/nret80
15.html
===========
JOURNALISM
===========
SLATE'S COVERAGE OF MICROSOFT TRIAL IS PROVING DIFFICULT
Issue: Ownership/Journalism
How does Microsoft's online magazine Slate cover the antitrust trial of
their parent company? Well, it appears as if they are having some difficulty
figuring that out themselves. "My initial thought was 'Can we get away with
skipping it?'" Michael Kinsley, Slate's editor, asked himself when the trial
first began. Since that time, three different reporters have been assigned
to the case, the first of which resigned after having described one
Microsoft lawyer as having "the warmth of a corpse." Although the
resignation was reportedly unrelated to the trial coverage, the magazine has
received much criticism in other media outlets. The most recent reporter to
cover the trial story for Slate began her first column with this
declaration: "I will not pretend to be an objective observer of the
Microsoft trial. You wouldn't believe me if I did."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C6), AUTHOR: Alex Kuczynski]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/yr/mo/biztech/articles/17trial.html
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR PLAN INCLUDES NEW FORMAT, MARKETING AND INVESTMENT
Issue: Newspaper
In an effort to get new readers and to appeal to a younger audience, the
Christian Science Monitor is redesigning its format and planning on an
advertising campaign. With only 1/3 as many readers as it had only 10 years
ago, the Monitor is getting new support from the Christian Science church to
reconfigure its front page and section fronts, to add additional coverage
and pages and to begin advertising in other print media for the first time
in a decade. The revitalization effort comes after the Christian Science
Church had systematically ended ventures in television, magazines and radio.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B8), AUTHOR: Alec Klein]
http://www.wsj.com/
BEYOND BESTSELLERS: ONLINE BUYERS MINE THE BACKLIST
Issue: Books/E-Commerce
What books are big sellers online? Well, according to Internet book
merchants they are not written by Steven King or John Grisham. The majority
of their sales come from books that don't appear on any bestseller list.
Internet audiences seem to have an appetite for the obscure. One example is
Marlo Thomas's 1970's children's album "Free to Be You and Me," which
appeared in Amazon.com's top 100 CDs list two months ago. The online market
for books is still too young to know exactly where it will go, but for now
it means money for publishers who aren't used to seeing it.
[SOURCE: New York Times (CyberTimes), AUTHOR: Bob Tedeschi ]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/11/cyber/articles/17commerce.html
==================
CAMPAIGN FINANCE
==================
HIGH COURT DEMURS ON CAMPAIGN FUNDS
Issue: Campaign Finance
The Supreme Court refused to hear two appeals yesterday effectively
upholding the Buckley vs. Valeo decision on campaign financing from 1976.
The failure of a push for a federal overhaul on campaign financing failed in
the last Congress creating more interest in the fate of two local efforts to
overhaul campaign-finance laws. A 1995 Cincinnati measure to cap
expenditures in specific elections and an Arkansas ballot initiative to
lower the limit on individual campaign contributions were both thrown out by
federal appeals court. Those decisions were confirmed by the Supreme
Court's decision not to hear the cases. The Buckley vs. Valeo ruling
allowed some limits on individual campaign contributions in the name of
preventing corruption but suggested such limits must be carefully
scrutinized. The ruling concluded that overall spending limits violate
First Amendment rights.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B11), AUTHOR: Edward Felsenthal]
http://www.wsj.com/
==========
ANTITRUST
==========
A TAPED GATES DEBATES SOME DEFINITIONS (WSJ)
A TESTY GATES DODGES DEPOSITION QUESTIONS (WP)
ON TAPE, SEEMS PUZZLED BY WORDS LIKE 'MARKET SHARE' (NYT)
Issue: Antitrust
In a taped deposition yesterday, Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates defended his
company in the government's antitrust trial against it. Mr. Gates reportedly
appeared testy and quibbled with Government Lawyer David Boise about the
definitions of several words including "market share" and "concerned". The
20 minute video expert of Gates - inconsistent with the image of him as
brilliant strategist and the world's richest man-caused the judge to laugh
out loud more than once. After yesterday's session, Microsoft spokesman
Mark Murry said that the taped segments had no relevance to the case. "The
government is simply trying to use Bill Gates testimony to inject some life
into their failing case."
[SOURCE: New York Times (C1), AUTHOR: ]
http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/98/11/biztech/articles/17soft.html
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