BROADCASTING/CABLE
Cablevision May Aid Merger Bid
A TV House Divided
OPEN SOURCE
Nonprofit to Create Open Source Software
INTERNET
The Web on the Campaign Trail
Spanish Net Law Sparks Protest
BROADCASTING/CABLE
CABLEVISION MAY AID MERGER BID
Cablevision System Corp.'s rumored role in saving the barely-breathing
EchoStar-DirecTV merger is closer to becoming reality. Cablevision and
EchoStar have orchestrated a deal in which EchoStar would sell some of its
spectrum space and satellite capacity to Cablevision, creating a competitor
for areas where the merger would otherwise have created a monopoly. The deal
is designed to make the merger acceptable to the US Department of Justice
and the FCC, the latter of which rejected the merger earlier this month.
"This addresses the fundamental concerns raised about going from two
satellite competitors to one," said Gene Kimmelman, co-director of Consumers
Union's Washington office. "If done appropriately, it means the marketplace
is no worse off competitively, and in theory, should be better off."
[SOURCE: The Washington Post, AUTHOR: Frank Ahrens]
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A28514-2002Oct27.html)
A TV HOUSE DIVIDED
Under fierce competition from satellite services, Time Warner's cable
division is selling new features that give viewers more control over TV
content. So-called "Personal Television" can turn TVs into personal digital
video recorders, making it easy for viewers to skip over commercials. But as
Time Warner Cable promotes the services, its plans are colliding with the
interests of networks and studios, including its own Turner Broadcasting and
Warner Bros. Studios, which live off of programming schedules and
advertising sales. The internal struggle at AOL Time Warner is indicative of
a broader battle unfolding between service providers and content providers.
Satellite and cable companies say they are giving viewers what they want,
while networks and studios feel they are being robbed. AOL Time Warner chief
Richard D. Parsons feels that the company is well positioned to survive the
internal strife, since "we have all the pieces inside.... All of our guys
know that where we are going to find growth in this business is by finding
ways to deliver the stuff that we have created to an expanded audience."
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: David D. Kirkpatrick]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/28/technology/28HOUS.html)
OPEN SOURCE
NONPROFIT TO CREATE OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE
Software industry pioneer Mitch Kapor has started a nonprofit organization,
the Open Source Applications Foundation, to create open-source software
applications. The foundation's first software program will be a personal
information manager, code-named Chandler. The program will combine email and
calendar functions with tools for sharing files among multiple users --
similar to the functionality of Microsoft Outlook Express but without the
reliance on the more expensive Microsoft Exchange. Chandler would offer this
kind of performance to smaller organizations at much lower cost by using
peer-to-peer technology. "Individuals and small organizations are at a
disadvantage today," said Kapor. "I'm in favor of end-user empowerment and
decentralization." The foundation will offer its code free to individuals or
organizations, provided they also make any code they produce using the
foundation's work freely available as well.
[SOURCE: The New York Times, AUTHOR: Lawrence M. Fischer]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/28/technology/28SOFT.html)
INTERNET
SPANISH NET LAW SPARKS PROTEST
According to a new Spanish law, any Web site located in Spain that engages
in commerce must register with the Spanish government. The rule has prompted
over 300 Web site owners, many of whom are small-scale nonprofits, to take
down their pages in protest. The government says the law, which stems from
European Union directives, aims to encourage online commerce by making the
Internet a safer place to do business, keeping Internet companies subject to
the same tax and commerce laws as traditional firms. But opponents say Spain
has gone far beyond the spirit of the EU guidelines. "This law is a huge
blow to freedom of expression in Spain," said Carlos Sanchez Almeida, a
lawyer for Kriptopolis, a digital rights and Internet security site. The law
also applies to foreign-hosted Web sites if the people transacting business
on them are physically in Spain.
[SOURCE: Wired News, AUTHOR: Associated Press]
(http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,56021,00.html)
THE WEB ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL
Weather they're running for a US Senate seat or for county sheriff,
candidates are turning to the Web to post their campaign platforms, solicit
donations and find all-important volunteers for their grass-roots campaigns.
Candidates say that the Web enhances old-fashioned door-to-door campaigns by
reaching potential voters when it is convenient for them and in general
reaching them more often. Importantly, the Internet allows candidates to
disseminate information that is unfiltered by the media or other sources.
"Everything I release to the media is subject to editing or is condensed,"
said Dirk Anderson, a Republican candidate for sheriff in Lewis and Clark
County in Montana. "I can't get anything in the paper the way I want unless
I buy an ad. But I can put anything I want on the Web."
[SOURCE: New York Times, AUTHOR: Jeffrey Selingo]
(http://www.nytimes.com/2002/10/24/technology/circuits/24poli.html?pagewante
d=1)
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