DIGITAL DIVIDE
Ford Offers Workers PC's And Internet Service For $5 A Month (NYT)
Digital Divide in Rural America (NTIA)
MERGERS
Vodafone, Mannesmann Set Takeover At $180.95 Billion After Long Struggle
(WSJ)
USA Networks Says It Is Pursuing Small Movie Studios Exclusively (WSJ)
BROADCASTING
In Face Of Threats, Fox And CBS Join Pledge To Promote Diversity
PBS Reported Ready To Name A CNN Executive To Top Post (NYT)
TELEPHONY
Phone-Bill Math Takes a Toll (WP)
INTERNET
Congress Gets Bill to Continue Ban on New State Taxes on Internet (NYT)
DIGITAL DIVIDE
FORD OFFERS WORKERS PC'S AND INTERNET SERVICE FOR $5 A MONTH
Issue: Digital Divide
The Ford Motor Company said today that each of its 350,000 employees
worldwide would be offered a high-speed desktop computer, a color
printer and unlimited Internet access for just $5 a month (possibly
lower for workers in lower-wage countries), in a program that had its
genesis during Ford's negotiations in the fall with the United
Automobile Workers union. The offer extends to employees' families, who
will be encouraged to use the equipment, made by the Hewlett-Packard
Company, and who will be given e-mail accounts. Ford executives
portrayed today's initiative as an example of corporate munificence and
as a way to improve company communications with workers, but auto
industry experts said that it could carry several benefits for the
company, including boosting morale and making training available to
workers in their homes. Ford officials predicted that almost all
employees would take the computers. All will be eligible, even if they
already own a computer. Delivery will start in the United States in
April, and Ford is committed to the program for at least three years,
after which it will review it.
[Source: New York Times (A1) Author: Keith Bradsher]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/02/biztech/articles/04ford.htm)
DIGITAL DIVIDE IN RURAL AMERICA
Issue: Digital Divide
Assistant Secretary Rohde delivered testimony before the Senate Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on the digital divide in rural America
and efforts to ensure that viewers in small and rural markets have access to
local broadcast programming.
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/congress/20300testimony.htm)
MERGERS
VODAFONE, MANNESMANN SET TAKEOVER AT $180.95 BILLION AFTER LONG STRUGGLE
Issue: Merger
In a transaction that would eclipses AOL's planned acquisition of Time,
Germany's Mannesmann has surrendered to a friendly $180.95 billion merger
Britain's Vodafone AirTouch. After a bitter three-month battle, the two
companies finally reached agreement on a deal that is likely to reshape the
global-telecommunications landscape, creating the world's largest
mobile-phone operator. The gap between the U.S. and Europe, which is ahead
in the development of wireless services, could widen as a result of this
deal. Experts also expect The Vodafone-Mannesmann agreement to prompt rivals
to peruse their own plans to merge. "This is going to be a huge catalyst,"
said Paul Brilliant, London-based wireless analyst at Credit Suisse First
Boston. "There's a wave of consolidation coming." The deal is expected to
receive intense regulatory scrutiny from the European Commission, which has
taken an especially tough look at recent telecom deals.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A3), AUTHOR: Gautam Naik and Anita Raghavan]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB949581016407171705.htm)
USA NETWORKS SAYS IT IS PURSUING SMALL MOVIE STUDIOS EXCLUSIVELY
Issue: Cable/Ownership
USA Networks Chairman Barry Diller said he is pursuing small acquisitions in
film production but is in "no conversations" about buying a major movie
studio. Mr. Diller said companies in the movie and television business "are
going to have to get operating on a larger scale or face being
marginalized." Mr. Diller also said that his company is still in discussions
with major broadcasters about a television-cable alliance that would take
advantage of the recently relaxed station-ownership rules. Additionally, USA
Networks has plans to announce new cable-TV networks within the next couple
of months.
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (B6), AUTHOR: Martin Peers]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB94961722643898481.htm)
BROADCASTING
IN FACE OF THREATS, FOX AND CBS JOIN PLEDGE TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY
Issue: Media and Society
Facing threats of lawsuits and boycotts from the NAACP., Fox and CBS today
joined the other two major networks in signing commitments to make
television more ethnically diverse. The network agreements, much like those
signed by NBC and ABC last month, focus on changes in minority
representation both on-screen and off. They also provide that minority
recruitment will be considered in executive job evaluations. Kweisi Mfume,
president of the NAACP said that the agreements would bring "real,
meaningful, lasting change," But he also noted that where minority
representation in the entertainment industry is concerned, "It's not a
matter of having come a long, long way, but of still having a long way to
go."
[Source: New York Times (A14) Author: Associated Press]
(http://www.nytimes.com/00/02/04/news/national/naacp-tv.html)
PBS REPORTED READY TO NAME A CNN EXECUTIVE TO TOP POST
Issue: Public Broadcasting
The Public Broadcasting Service has chosen Pat Mitchell, the president of
CNN productions, to take the job of president, a PBS executive said
yesterday. Her appointment is expected to be announced officially at a news
conference in Washington Monday afternoon. At CNN, Ms. Mitchell held a range
of positions, mostly in the area of news and documentaries including the
24-hour documentary series "Cold War" and the recent 10-hour series
"Millennium." Ms. Mitchell will succeed Ervin Duggan, who resigned in
September, amid reports that he had been opposed by the managers of some PBS
stations for pushing too hard to concentrate power in the national
organization.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C6), AUTHOR: Bill Carter]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/pbs-cnn.html)
TELEPHONY
PHONE-BILL MATH TAKES A TOLL
Issue: Telephony
Since the 1930s, prices for telephone service have dropped more that 60
percent in inflation-adjusted dollars, according to the Bureau of Labor
Statistics. But one look at your phone bills might tell a different story.
Countless charges are added to local and long-distance bills. In addition to
federal, state and local taxes, phone companies impose a cadre of often
confusing fees including a "portability" charge, a national-access charge,
and monthly minimum fees. Gene Kimmelman, co-director of Consumers Union's
Washington office, finds this pile-on of charges troubling, especially since
the phone industry's costs are constantly dropping. "For the same amount of
long-distance usage, even if they're seeing a lower per-minute rate now,
when you add in new monthly fees [customers are] still paying about $2
billion more overall for the same amount of long-distance calling," he said.
If you have any questions about your phone bill that your phone company
can't or won't answer, you can call the Federal Communications Commission.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (E01), AUTHOR: Mike Musgrove]
(http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/business/feed/a9461-2000feb4.htm)
INTERNET
CONGRESS GETS BILL TO CONTINUE BAN ON NEW STATE TAXES ON INTERNET
COMMERCE
Issue: E-Commerce
A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress Thursday would ban new local and
state taxes that specifically target the Internet. The bill introduced by
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Christopher Cox, R-Calif., would make
permanent a current law which bans new taxes, but that expires next year.
Neither the current law, nor the new bill says anything about states
imposing current sales taxes on Internet purchases, but several members of
Congress are pushing a bill that would make prevent states from doing this.
Sales tax now accounts for about $150 billion in revenue to states, about
two-thirds of their total revenue. Some lawmakers remain cautious of taking
this source of income away from states. "What if they find that their
revenue sources are coming up short?" said Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M.
[Source: New York Times (A20) Author: Associated Press]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/02/biztech/articles/04tax.html)
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