FCC DECIDES ON 5% FEES FOR DIGITAL BROADCASTERS

The Federal Communications Commission has ruled that digital broadcasters should pay the government 5% of their gross revenues for new pay-TV services such as all-movie channels or stock quotations. That percentage, which the FCC chose on the theory that it represents what the government would receive if spectrum for such services had been auctioned off, pleased neither the broadcast industry nor consumer advocates. The National Association of Broadcasters says the figure is too high, and will effectively discourage broadcasters from offering the kind of programming and data delivery that cable and others offer. Consumer advocates argue that the figure is too low, and won't represent fair compensation to the public for the great value given to broadcasters awarded digital channels. (USA Today 20 Nov 98)

E-STAMPS ON THE WAY - E-Stamp Internet Postage has struck a deal with America Online, CompuServe and Digital City to offer online stamp service to their members. E-Stamp offers a technology that allows Internet users to purchase postage online and print "digital stamps" on envelopes, labels, or directly onto a document, using a standard printer. The U.S. Postal Service has approved the E-Stamp system for test markets, and the company plans to roll out its service nationwide next year. (Investor's Business Daily 20 Nov 98)