TELEVISION
Disney, Time Warner Strike Deal, Continue Long-Term
Negotiations (WSJ)
Win Now or Lose Forever (NYT)
ABC, Time Warner Truce Signals A New Era For Viewers (USA)
What to Do With Time Warner Stake? (USAToday)
Even on TV, Puberty Can't Last Forever (NYT)
POLITICAL DISCOURSE
Negative Political Ads Not Necessarily All Bad (USA)
A Made-for-TV Windfall (WP)
Consultants Pursue Promising Web of New Business (WP)
ARTS
Ford Devotes $40 Million More to Art (NYT)
EDTECH
Certifying Liberal Arts Majors for a High-Tech World (CyberTimes)
INTERNET
Point and Clique (WP)
Internet Taxation (House)
WIRELESS
Wireless Innovations in Communications Initiative (NTIA)
INTERNATIONAL
12 Companies to Bid for Billions in German Wireless Licenses (NYT)
PRIVACY
US West v. FCC -- The Privacy of Telephone Records (EPIC)
TELEVISION
DISNEY, TIME WARNER STRIKE DEAL,CONTINUE LONG-TERM NEGOTIATIONS
Issue: Cable
Just as the Federal Communications Commission was hearing arguments from
both Time Warner and Disney (ABC's parent company), on the Time
Warner/Disney battle royal, Time Warner put Disney back up on its system in
seven major cities. Had the FCC decided that Time Warner was wrong to take
it down in the first place, the company would have been in a very poor
position to negotiate with Disney, indeed. As it stands, the conflict that
led Time Warner to remove ABC's signal is not resolved, but on hold until
July. At issue is how much Time Warner thinks it should pay Disney for
carrying ABC stations on its cable network, versus how much Disney thinks it
should receive. Negotiations broke down, and Time Warner removed Disney,
claiming that it no longer had permission to put it on its system. Disney
claimed that that wasn't true-that Time Warner had permission to use the ABC
signal until May 24. Meanwhile, a whole bunch of people had to miss "Who
Wants to Be A Millionaire."
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (), AUTHOR: Joe Flint]
(http://interactive.wsj.com/articles/SB957310449597181790.htm)
See Also:
HEAVILY PRESSURED TIME WARNER PUTS ABC BACK ON CABLE, FOR NOW
Issue: Cable
[SOURCE: New York Times (A1), AUTHOR: Carter & Labaton]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/disney-timewarner.html)
THE NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN DISNEY/ABC AND TIME WARNER
[SOURCE: FCC]
(http://www.fcc.gov/disney_tw/)
A PUBLIC RELATIONS BATTLE MADE A POOR SUBSTITUTE FOR GAME SHOWS AND SOAP OPERAS
[SOURCE: New York Times (C10), AUTHOR: Barringer & Rutenberg]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/disney-time-image.html)
WIN NOW OR LOSE FOREVER
Issue: Cable
[Op-Ed] Media companies are no longer rivals jockeying for position; they
are behemoths locked in a power struggle. The Internet has created an
atmosphere of unparalleled opportunity and uncertainty. With everyone
agreeing that billions will be made on the Internet, each company wants to
be the ONE that "eats the pie whole." Today's media companies are
full-service entertainers that can provide everything an audience might
want. But in that setting, competitors aren't just an unavoidable part of
doing business, they have actually become an impediment to doing business.
Garber concludes: "the skirmishes among Time Warner, Disney, Fox, Sony,
Bertelsmann and the other pretenders to media pre-eminence have less to do
with traditional economics than with dynastic politics. These companies are
modern warriors that don't believe they have to live with one another. As
they see it, the world may be big enough for only one of them -- one king of
the media hill and a group of vassals."
[SOURCE: New York Times (A31), AUTHOR: Neal Garber, author]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/oped/03gabl.html)
See Also:
TIME WARNER AND ABC: A GLIMPSE OF THE BROADBAND INTERNET FUTURE
[SOURCE: Center For Media Education]
(http://www.cme.org/press/000502pr.html)
ABC, TIME WARNER TRUCE SIGNALS A NEW ERA FOR VIEWERS
Issue: Cable
[Editorial] Despite Time Warner's quick decision Tuesday to return ABC
programming to the screens of up to 8 million cable viewers, the
impression that customers' interests are secondary to the pursuit of profits
may linger. Increased competition from satellite TV, not concern for
subscriber well being, was a key factor in pushing Time Warner to plug ABC
back in. In just the first three months of this year, DirecTV signed up more
than 400,000 customers, a 33% jump over last year. While continued
consolidation of media players still poses a threat to competition,
increased options should give consumers the opportunity to "vote with their
feet, even a lumbering giant has to tread lightly."
[SOURCE: USAToday (26A), AUTHOR: USAToday Editorial Staff]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000503/2222750s.htm)
WHAT TO DO WITH TIME WARNER STAKE?
Issue: Mergers
The $60 billion AT&T-MediaOne merger would create a cable TV behemoth
controlling 40% of U.S. cable lines and exceeding a 30% federal cap aimed at
preventing a cable operator from dictating much of the nation's programming.
Included in the deal is MediaOne's 25% stake in Time Warner Entertainment
(TWE). Industry analysts think the FCC may ask AT&T to sell off its share of
TWE in order to win merger approval. (Selling MediaOne's stake in Time
Warner would drop AT&T's share of cable lines to 28%.) Or AT&T could sell
off Liberty, whose channels -- such as Discovery and Encore -- are featured
on Time Warner systems. But unless AT&T waits until mid-2001, selling
Liberty would mean AT&T would incurring billions in tax payments. AT&T thus
has asked the FCC for an 18-month waiver to comply with the 30% limit. Some
officials say it's unlikely the agency will give AT&T much more than six
months. But AT&T could use that time to negotiate a deal with Time Warner to
provide phone service on Time Warner cable systems. AOL, which is buying
Time Warner, may allow such a deal, if AT&T will AOL to offer Internet
service on AT&T cable systems.
Welcome to the multimedia, broadband Internet world.
[SOURCE: USAToday (2B), AUTHOR: Paul Davidson]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000503/2222714s.htm)
EVEN ON TV, PUBERTY CAN'T LAST FOREVER
Issue: Television/Lifestyles
How many times do we get to mention Beverly Hills 90210 and/or Party of Five
in Headlines? The shows are ending this month and Weintraub notes the
contrasts between these shows' depictions of teenagers vs TV shows of the
50s, 60s and 70s -- presenting them as far more complicated, thoughtful and
sexy than the innocent, perky and sometimes goofy young people on earlier
series like "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis," "The Patty Duke Show," "My
Three Sons" and "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet." The shows dealt with
teenagers outside of the standard family context -- in part because of the
splintering of the national television audience led advertisers and networks
to target a specific audience: in this case, teenagers themselves. "In the
past the comic struggles of the teenagers on television were always in the
context of the family," said Ron Simon, curator at the Museum of Television
and Radio. "They didn't reflect the hidden truths and confusions of what it
meant to be a teenager. These shows tried to reflect that." 90210's success
fostered the creation of the WB network which is marketed specifically to
teenage audiences.
[SOURCE: New York Times (B1), AUTHOR: Bernard Weinraub]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/arts/teen-tv.html)
POLITICAL DISCOURSE
NEGATIVE POLITICAL ADS NOT NECESSARILY ALL BAD
Issue: Political Discourse
A recent study reveled that voters do not feel as negative about negative
campaign ads as we might think. "Voters think it's OK to criticize your
opponent," says Brad Rourke, director of the Project for Campaign Conduct,
run by the Institute for Global Ethics, a non-profit foundation in Camden,
Maine. In the institute's survey, 68% of respondents said it is fair to
criticize an opponent for talking one way and voting another, and 65%
approved of criticizing a candidate for not paying taxes on time. Many
experts say that it is the news media who give negative ads a bad rap.
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, a political advertising expert who is director of
the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center says, "It's
the press that tells us a campaign has gone negative the minute you have a
fair, legitimate attack."
[SOURCE: USAToday (22A), AUTHOR: Martha T. Moore]
(http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20000503/2222626s.htm)
A MADE-FOR-TV WINDFALL
Issue: Political Discourse
Television advertising is largely responsible for the rising cost of running
for office. At least one dollar in five raised by all federal candidates now
goes to TV advertising, according to campaign finance analyst Dwight Morris.
Media strategists are all for this trend -- they receive a commission for each
ad they place. Television stations are also prospering from this trend, and
this is annoying the media strategists, who claim broadcasters charge too much.
"Local TV stations charge 5 to 10 times what they did 20 years ago to
deliver the same audience," said Neal Oxman of the Campaign Group Inc., a
Philadelphia media consulting firm. "They're getting away with flat-out
stealing compared to what they're delivering." Political commercials were
the third-largest TV advertising category in 1998, trailing only automotive
and retail ads, a recent Bear Stearns study estimated. This year, political
ads are expected to add $600 million to stations' revenue -- up 40 percent
from 1996.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A1, 5/2/00), AUTHOR: Dan Morgan]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A51015-2000May1.html)
CONSULTANTS PURSUE PROMISING WEB OF NEW BUSINESS
Issue: Political Discourse
"The Era of the Imagemaker," said Michael McCurry, President Clinton's
former White House spokesman, "is giving way to the Era of the Webmaster."
As the price of
television air time has gotten out of control, political consultants have
begun to look to the Web for their clients' salvation. This election year
has seen Bill Bradley and John McCain make good use of the medium's
fundraising capabilities, and companies such as eContributor.com or
eCommercial.com, are further exploring ways in which the Web could change
the way in which campaigns are conducted, and making money as they do it.
"By the election of 2004, the venue of the entire campaign will move to the
Internet," says political consultant Dick Morris. "An entirely new class of
political consultants will emerge." He doesn't stop there, either. "The
current crop are like silent film stars -- their skills will no longer be
valuable in the Internet era," Morris said. "They're good at condensation,
at the 30-second spot. The new environment of the Internet calls for
elaboration, for expansiveness." Morris is now behind Vote.com, a site that
polls Web surfers and then spams Capitol Hill inboxes with their opinions.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (A1), AUTHOR: Susan B. Glasser]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57851-2000May2.html)
ARTS
FORD DEVOTES $40 MILLION MORE TO ART
Issue: Philanthropy/Art
The Ford Foundation's New Directions/New Donors program will provide $40
million in one-time challenge grants of $1 million-$2.5 million each to 28
arts institutions that have creative new programs. "We want to jump-start
the connection, to tie together the new wealth and the fresh activity in the
arts," said Susan V. Beresford, the Ford Foundation's president. The
grantees, to be announced today, will have 3-5 years to find matching money
for the grants. Ford is trying to encourage the newly wealthy to contribute.
Ford has close to $14 billion in assets and must distribute 5% each year to
retain its tax-exempt status. The foundation's arts budget in the United
States has grown to $15 million this fiscal year, up from $9 million in
1996, and it has allocated $10 million for nonprofit arts institutions
overseas, up from $5 million in 1996. Ms. Beresford said that Ford was
exploring other new arts programs, including grants to individual artists.
Charitable donations have been up recently in all areas except the arts,
culture and humanities. To accompany the new program, the Ford Foundation is
also making a $2.5 million grant to the Nonprofit Finance Fund, which will
develop and disseminate information addressing capitalization, endowment
management, individual donor development and board leadership at arts
institutions.
[SOURCE: New York Times (B3), AUTHOR: Judith Dobrzynski]
(http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/arts/ford-donate.html)
EDTECH
CERTIFYING LIBERAL ARTS MAJORS FOR A HIGH-TECH WORLD
Issue: EdTech
Tek.Xam, a four-hour technology skills exam designed for students with
non-technical degrees, aims to give liberal arts graduates a ticket to the
new economy. For graduates who have analytical skills that high-tech
employers need, the test creators hope it will provide some proof of
expertise. "It's very clear there are millions of college students who are
earning degrees in areas that don't indicate technology skills -- liberal
arts, education and other non-tech areas," said Brian Regrut, executive
director of Tek.Xam. "Someone who is going out with a degree in German or
English may want this." [Already scores of Headlines staff and former
staffers are lining up to fail the exam] To date, 67 mostly private colleges
and universities in 24 states have offered a pilot or formal version of the
test, and about 1,700 students have taken it. The schools see the test as a
way to make their graduates more marketable in the workplace. "The
education market usually doesn't move at Internet speed," said Mark Warner,
who is managing director of Columbia Capital, a venture capital firm based
in Alexandria, Va. "We thought it would be an optional exam students would
take to help them get a job. But there's growing evidence from some schools
that they want to use this for all students."
[SOURCE: CyberTimes, AUTHOR: Rebecca Weiner]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/cyber/education/03education.html)
INTERNET
POINT AND CLIQUE
Issue: Journalism
For yet another example of a dotcom company aggregating information
available from countless other sources, wrapping it in a slick marketing
campaign and selling it to anyone who will buy ($199 a year for a
subscription?); check out Inside.com. The company is seeking to sell inside
information to insiders (now why didn't I think of that?). The idea is that
if the insiders don't subscribe, they won't be insiders anymore. If they do
subscribe, they'll maintain their insider status, and keep getting good
tables at restaurants.
[SOURCE: Washington Post (C1), AUTHOR: Howard Kurtz]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58393-2000May2.html)
INTERNET TAXATION
Issue: Internet/Legislation
Live Webcast today at 10:00 am (eastern). Subcommittee on
Telecommunications, Trade, and Consumer Protection hearing focusing on H.R.
4202, the Internet Services Promotion Act of 2000 and H.R.
1291, the Internet Access Charge Prohibition Act of 1999. Witnesses will be
by invitation only.
[SOURCE: House of Representatives]
(http://com-notes.house.gov/cchear/hearings106.nsf/12b6a0781fa86e88852567e50
07558f4/418724b1ff3fd1e7852568d3004c63ab?OpenDocument)
WIRELESS
WIRELESS INNOVATIONS IN COMMUNICATIONS INITIATIVE
Issue: Wireless
Media Advisory: The Wireless Innovations in Communications Initiative (WICI)
Committee will hold a meeting focusing on federal public safety land mobile
communications. A detailed information briefing will be provided by
representatives from the Federal Law Enforcement Wireless Users Group
(FLEWUG). The briefing will outline the operational environment of federal
public safety agencies; highlight developing trends; provide an overview of
the operational requirements; and describe specific issues related to
federal public safety land mobile communications. Meeting attendees are
encouraged to join in the discussion. Based on discussions following the
briefing, industry representatives are encouraged to prepare responsive
presentations for subsequent meetings. WICI is a National Telecommunications
and Information Administration (NTIA) initiative structured to enable the
federal government to promote more actively innovation in the development
and use of new communications technologies.
May 9, 2000 1:30 - 3:30 p.m. in Room 6800, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401
Constitution Ave. N.W.
Online registration for industry representatives is required. Instructions
for registration are provided on the NTIA web site at
(www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/wici/ )
[SOURCE: NTIA]
(http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/wici/mediaadvisory5900.htm)
INTERNATIONAL
12 COMPANIES TO BID FOR BILLIONS IN GERMAN WIRELESS LICENSES
Issue: International/Spectrum
In the wake of the spectrum auctions in Britain, many of the same
competitors have signed up for a potentially bigger auction in Germany. As
many as six licenses for so-called third-generation wireless voice and data
services are up for grabs. These licenses will be made available for an
advanced new series of high-speed services that could make it possible to
transmit video or surf the World Wide Web in full color using mobile
devices. Biddy for licenses in Germany -- which has 22 million more people
than Britain -- could reach $50 billion.
[SOURCE: New York Times (C4), AUTHOR: Edmund Andrews]
(http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/00/05/biztech/articles/03auction.html)
See Also:
WIRELESS WINDFALL IGNITES DEBATE IN GERMANY
[SOURCE: Wall Street Journal (A18), AUTHOR: William Boston]
(http://wsj.com/)
PRIVACY
US WEST V. FCC -- THE PRIVACY OF TELEPHONE RECORDS
Issue: Privacy
On May 1, the Electronic Privacy Information Center, 14 consumer
organizations, and 19 law professors filed a brief
(http://www.epic.org/privacy/litigation/USWest/cert_pet.html) in support of
a petition for certiorari that asks the U.S. Supreme Court to review the
10th Circuit's opinion in US West v. FCC, a decision that raises troubling
concerns for the future of telephone privacy. See EPIC's archive on the case
for more information (http://www.epic.org/privacy/litigation/uswest/)
[SOURCE: Electronic Privacy Information Center]
(http://www.epic.org/)
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The Benton Foundation's Communications Policy and Practice (CPP)
(www.benton.org/cpphome.html) Communications-related Headline
Service is posted Monday through Friday. The Headlines are highlights
of news articles summarized by staff at the Benton Foundation. They
describe articles of interest to the work of the Foundation -- primarily
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While the summaries are factually accurate, their often informal tone does
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