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Just to follow up on Jeff Cohen's comment's on the Fox network's alleged
public and private agendas:
 
Kim McAvoy of the Feb. 6 "Broadcasting & Cable" writes an explanatory article
re: Sen. Larry Pressler's proposed changes to telecommunications policy.
 Bullets from the
article are as follows:
 
* Repeal all cable rate regulation one year after enactment.
 
* Repeal all broadcast ownership rules, including national ownership caps,
duopoly for radio and TV, one-to-a-market rule, newspaper-broadcast
crossownership prohibition, broadcast-cable crossownership ban,
and all rules dealing with LMAs and time-brokerage agreements.
 
* Permit broadcasters to use spectrum, now reserved for HDTV, for "ancillary
and
supplementary services, as long as the licensees provide without charge to
the
public at least one advanced TV program service.  Broadcaster would be
subject
to a fee for using spectrum for broadcasting services.
 
* Allow foreign ownership of telecommunications and media companies, as long
as
U.S. companies are given comparable market access.
 
* Remove state and local barriers to permit cable to enter local telephone
markets one year after enactment.
 
* Permit telcos to offer, one year after enactment, cable services in the
service area.
 
* Prohibit FCC from granting video dialtone applications for one year after
enactment and freeze all current video dialtone activity for one year.  After
that time, however, telephone companies would no longer be required to obtain
authority to offer video services.
 
* Permit telcos to buy out cable systems in their regions.
 
>>Cohen's speculations sound less and less like "Oliver Stone" to me!
 
Stephen McCarthy ([log in to unmask])