Universal Service
Today's Headlines are brief so that we can head out to the first meeting
of the Universal Service Administration Company
FCC: Hundt Challenges Universal Service Administrative Directors
Campaign Finance Reform
WP: AFL-CIO Urges "Soft Money" Ban, Other Campaign Finance Changes
Ownership
WP: Seagram to Acquire Rest of USA Network
Spectrum
WP: The FCC Didn't Catch a Code, And Thereby Hangs a Wireless Tale
Internet
WP: Free New Service Aims to Make Direct Internet Access Easy as AOL
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* Universal Service *
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At the FCC http://www.fcc.gov
Chairman Hundt Challenges Universal Service Administrative Directors to
Deliver the American Dream of the Information Highway to All Children
http://www.fcc.gov/Speeches/Hundt/spreh753.html
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* Campaign Finance Reform *
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Title: AFL-CIO Urges "Soft Money" Ban, Other Campaign Finance Changes
Source: Washington Post (A4)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-09/23/030l-092397-idx.html
Author: Frank Swoboda
Issue: Campaign Finance Reform
Description: The AFL-CIO has come out in support of banning "soft money"
contributions to political parties. The labor union also supports public
financing for federal political campaigns, free radio and television time
for candidates, and caps on contribution to political parties and to
individual candidates. Labor gave $9.5 million in soft money in 1996 and
could use that money for political organizing in future elections. The
AFL-CIO also announced plans to raise funds for voter registration and
"issue advertising." [See also NYT (A25): AFL-CIO Calls for Overhaul of
Campaign System "Awash With Dirty Money" by Steven Greenhouse]
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* Ownership *
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Title: Seagram to Acquire Rest of USA Network
Source: Washington Post (C1)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/
Author: Bloomberg News
Issue: Ownership
Description: Ending a long ownership dispute, Seagram has agreed to pay $1.7
billion for Viacom's half of the USA Network, a highly-rated cable channel.
With the announcement, Seagram's stocks rose and Viacom's dipped. Viacom
will use the cash to pay off debt and will now turn more attention to the
troubled Blockbuster video store chain. USA Network will become an outlet
for Seagram's Universal Studios. [See also NYT (D1) Seagram Deal With Viacom
On Cable Unit by Geraldine Fabrikant
http://www.nytimes.com/yr/mo/day/news/financial/viacom-seagram.html]
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* Spectrum *
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Title: The FCC Didn't Catch a Code, And Thereby Hangs a Wireless Tale
Source: Washington Post (C3)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-09/23/122l-092397-idx.html
Author: Allan Sloan, Newsweek's Wall Street Editor sloan( at )panix.com
Issue: Spectrum/Auctions
Description: Sloan writes that it was great that the Federal Communications
Commission moved to auction off spectrum to raise cash for the US Treasury.
But it was a screw up to make the FCC a lender as it became in the "C-block"
auction for personal communications services. And it was a major screw up
when the FCC missed filing documents that stated that the licenses won in
the auction were mortgaged -- which could end up costing the US billions of
dollars. Many of the winners in the C-block auctions now can't get Wall
Street backing and filing for bankruptcy.
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* Internet *
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Title: Free New Service Aims to Make Direct Internet Access Easy as AOL
Source: Washington Post (C3)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-09/23/117l-092397-idx.html
Author: Rajiv Chandrasekaran
Issue: Internet Sales and Services
Description: CNet Inc of San Francisco http://www.snap.com and some of the
nation's largest telecommunications companies launched a new, free service
yesterday. They provide free software that makes the hassle of setting up an
Internet connection easy. Snap Online also helps packages the World Wide Web
-- organizing the computer network into "channels" for news, sports,
entertainment, and other topics. CNet's Snap Online hopes to challenge
America Online for new customers -- mainly from revenues from advertisers.
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