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Communications Law Commons™

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Legislation

1998

Articles 1 - 10 of 10

Full-Text Articles in Communications Law

A Birthday Party: The Terrible Or Terrific Two’S? 1996 Federal Telecommunications Act, Kathleen Wallman Dec 1998

A Birthday Party: The Terrible Or Terrific Two’S? 1996 Federal Telecommunications Act, Kathleen Wallman

Federal Communications Law Journal

As we celebrate the second anniversary of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, we can see that the predictions of instant cross-industry competition that were made at its birth were rather euphoric. Despite the unexpected twists and turns of the first two years, there have been a number of significant market developments suggesting that the lowering of barriers that the Act effected have put things on the right course. However, the success of the Act will be rather fragile during the next few years, as it is subject to reversal by market as well as judicial forces. We should therefore continue …

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New German Telecommunications Act, The, Axel Spies, Jan F. Wrede Jun 1998

New German Telecommunications Act, The, Axel Spies, Jan F. Wrede

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

In the wake of the debate in Germany on how to weather the storms against the "marketplace Germany" (Unternehmensstandort Deutschland) the new German Telecommunications Act ("TA") has been earmarked as a milestone. Its supporters hail the TA to spur competition in Germany's telecommunications market, which they expect to have a turnover of over DM 100 billion (app. US $66 billion) by the year 2000.... This article seeks to summarize the salient features of the TA and to outline the perspectives for potential foreign investors in the German telecommunications market as to the regulatory environment such investor will face. For this …

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"Chilling" The Internet? Lessons From Fcc Regulation Of Radio Broadcasting , Thomas W. Hazlett, David W. Sosa Jun 1998

"Chilling" The Internet? Lessons From Fcc Regulation Of Radio Broadcasting , Thomas W. Hazlett, David W. Sosa

Michigan Telecommunications & Technology Law Review

Congress included the Communications Decency Act (CDA) in the Telecommunications Act signed into law on February 8, 1996. The bill seeks to outlaw the use of computers and phone lines to transmit "indecent" material with provisions of jail terms and heavy fines for violators. Proponents of the bill argue it is necessary to protect minors from undesirable speech on the Internet. The CDA was immediately challenged in court by the American Civil Liberties Union, and the special 3-judge federal panel established to hear the case recently declared the Act unconstitutional. Yet, its ultimate adjudication remains in doubt. Ominously, the federal …

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Communications Policy Leadership For The Next Century, Michael K. Powell May 1998

Communications Policy Leadership For The Next Century, Michael K. Powell

Federal Communications Law Journal

Those of us involved in the communications field realize the dramatic changes and challenges posed by the passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. In particular, those in charge of implementing the Act's provisions face serious challenges. There are three ways that those in leadership positions may prevail in this "communications revolution" so as to facilitate development. First, it is essential to be familiar with the fields of economics and competitive analysis, and to understand that competition and markets will prove superior devices for managing change. Second, the importance of technology must be emphasized. Finally, emotion or special interest politics …

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The "Public Interest" Standard: The Search For The Holy Grail, Erwin G. Krasnow, Jack N. Goodman May 1998

The "Public Interest" Standard: The Search For The Holy Grail, Erwin G. Krasnow, Jack N. Goodman

Federal Communications Law Journal

During the last eighty years, there is likely no single area of communications policy that has generated as much scholarly discourse, judicial analysis, and political debate as has the simple directive to regulate in the "public interest." While remaining at the heart of current communications regulatory policy debate, the public interest standard has been subject to evolving, and often elusive definitions that reflect the change in American culture from generation to generation. As broadcasters begin the transition to a more flexible digital technology, there have been calls for a reexamination of the public interest standard. But the genius of the …

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The Fcc And Aids Education: Helping Broadcasters Serve The Public Interest, Jason B. Acton May 1998

The Fcc And Aids Education: Helping Broadcasters Serve The Public Interest, Jason B. Acton

Federal Communications Law Journal

Despite recent advances in medical technology, AIDS remains a very serious international health threat. Even with the presence of new drug therapies that have helped to prolong the lives of those who suffer from the disease, scientists have been unable to develop a cure. Consequently education remains the primary weapon available in the war against AIDS. Unfortunately, AIDS education initiatives have found little support in the broadcast community. To renew their licenses, broadcasters are required to act in the public interest— requirement that has traditionally required very little. However, given the threat AIDS presents to society, the FCC should require …

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Electronic Communications And The Law: Help Or Hindrance To Telecommuting?, Jennifer C. Dombrow May 1998

Electronic Communications And The Law: Help Or Hindrance To Telecommuting?, Jennifer C. Dombrow

Federal Communications Law Journal

During 1997, an estimated 11.1 million workers preformed some portion of their work by telecommuting. This number is expected to grow as employers continue to discover the benefits that can result from instituting a telecommuting policy. This growth may be hindered, however, by controversy concerning employee privacy rights. Although the use of electronic communications in the workplace is common, the laws addressing employee privacy rights and employer monitoring rights concerning these communications are ambiguous. New legislation is necessary to specifically define the respective rights of employers and employees. Without this new legislation, the benefits of electronic communications in the workplace, …

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Section 332 Of The Communications Act Of 1934: A Federal Regulatory Framework That Is "Hog Tight, Horse High, And Bull Strong", Leonard J. Kennedy, Heather A. Purcell May 1998

Section 332 Of The Communications Act Of 1934: A Federal Regulatory Framework That Is "Hog Tight, Horse High, And Bull Strong", Leonard J. Kennedy, Heather A. Purcell

Federal Communications Law Journal

In 1993, recognizing that state and local regulatory practices were harmful to the development of widespread low-cost commercial and personal mobile radio services, the U.S. Congress passed, and President Clinton signed, legislation that freed wireless carriers from a dual federal-state regulatory structure. As a result, sections 332 and 2(b) of the Communications Act were revised to endow the FCC with exclusive jurisdiction over wireless regulation. Unfortunately, some courts and regulators have concluded that Congress did not intend to grant the FCC exclusive authority over wireless communications. Such rulings could be attributed to a misguided focus on traditional preemption analysis rather …

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Networked Health Information: Assuring Quality Control On The Internet, Kristin B. Keltner Mar 1998

Networked Health Information: Assuring Quality Control On The Internet, Kristin B. Keltner

Federal Communications Law Journal

The Clinton Administration's Health Information and Applications Working Group promotes networked health information provided to all citizens through the Internet as one way to lower health care costs while improving the health of Americans. Managed care organizations and private health information providers already use the World Wide Web to disseminate consumer health information to broad segments of society. No standards exist to ensure that the information these Web sites carry is accurate and otherwise free from corruption. Disclaimers as to the reliability of the information as well as to the responsibility of the information provider for any harm caused by …

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Balancing The Scales: The 1996 Telecommunications Act And Eleventh Amendment Immunity, Cynthia L. Bauerly Mar 1998

Balancing The Scales: The 1996 Telecommunications Act And Eleventh Amendment Immunity, Cynthia L. Bauerly

Federal Communications Law Journal

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 explicitly created a role for federal courts in the interconnection process. However, parties' ability to seek federal review of interconnection agreements is no longer as straightforward as the language of the Act implies. The Supreme Court's unnecessarily novel and narrow reading of Eleventh Amendment immunity in Seminole Tribe v. Florida renders unenforceable the federal review provisions of the Act against state regulatory commissions. While some interconnection agreements may find their way into federal court, for example, where a party seeking to interconnect sues an incumbent provider instead of the state commission, enforcement of a federal …

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