A law passed last year by the US Congress aimed at criminalising the transmission of sexually explicit material to children via the Internet is unconstitutional, according to arguments heard on 19 March in the Supreme Court. The court heard legal representations from an association of online service providers, publishers and free speech advocates that stated… Continue reading US: Internet Free Speech Case
A decision by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) affecting advertising in US magazines distributed in Canada is being appealed against by the Canadian government. The WTO has ruled that Canada was in violation of international trade agreements by levying taxation on Canadian editions of US magazines. The case arose through a 1995 Canadian law that… Continue reading CAN: Government Appeals Against WTO
President Clinton has called upon broadcasters to provide free advertising time for political campaigners. He blamed the TV industry for inflating the cost of fighting elections, saying that candidates spent $400 million on commercials in 1996, against $25 million in 1972. The initiative provided a focus for discussion among several US Congressmen at the American… Continue reading US: Clinton Asks For Free Advertising
As the formal concilation began on the nrevised EU broadcasting directive, the Dutch Presidency has proposed a compromise on the sensitive issue of pay-TV broadcasting of major events that are deemed to be so important as to require “free-to-air” broadcasting, ie via conventional, non-subscription channels. The compromise would permit individual MS to decide whether events… Continue reading EU: Council Seeks Compromise On Events
IPC Magazines is launching Uncut, a monthly magazine that hopes to bring together music and movies in one package.The title will cater for discerning males between the ages of 25 and 45. Uncut intends to be an entertaining guide to all that’s best in music, movies, books, TV and hi-fi. It will be edited by… Continue reading The Uncut Version
It has been widely reported that Granada is to make a takeover bid for YTTV some time in the very near future. However, Granada has now indicated that it would not be making any moves in this direction for at least three months.YTTV released its final results on *Profits Soar For Yorkshire Tyne Tees. Its… Continue reading Granada Not So Keen On YTTV
News International and BT have joined forces to work on LineOne, a mass-market Internet service.LineOne hopes to provide a fast and easy way for consumers to access the information and entertainment they want, when they want it. The service offers subscribers 24-hour news, sport, entertainment, education and shopping. In addition, there will be access to… Continue reading One Line For BT And NI
MTV’s monthly music magazine Blah Blah Blah has closed a year after it made its debut. Publisher Attic Futura are reported to have failed to get sales over the 30,000 mark.MTV: 0171 284 7777
On 13 March the Council of Ministers responsible for the Internal Market achieved a Common Position on a modification of rules on the labelling, presentation and advertising of dietary foodstuffs (Directive 89/398/EEC). A compromise proposal from the Dutch Presidency was supported by all except the UK representative. The proposal included foods aimed at sportsmen and… Continue reading EU: Common Position On Food Labelling
It is reported that Andrew Goulborn, formerly deputy managing director of Mediacom has been poached by Saatchi and Saatchi. Goulborn will be Saatchi and Saatchi’s first communications director. He will report directly to the company’s joint chief executive, Adam Crozier, and will head a team of forty.
