LATEST ADDITIONS

The <A HREF="http://www.fcc.gov/">Federal Communications Commission</A> has turned down an appeal by a California-based Internet service provider hoping to piggyback its services on local cable television lines. <A HREF="http://www.ivn.net/">Internet Ventures, Inc.</A> had tried to exploit what it saw as a loophole in cable-access law that might have let the company use unallocated bandwidth for its Internet service.

February 4th's <A HREF="http://www.guidetohometheater.com/shownews.cgi?641">unanimous decision</A> by the <A HREF="http://www.fcc.gov/">Federal Communications Commission</A> to dismiss a petition from Sinclair Broadcasting seeking to modify the existing digital television broadcast standard has won praise from the <A HREF="http://www.ce.org/">Consumer Electronics Association</A>. "We commend the commissioners for today's unanimous decision," said CEA president Gary Shapiro. "With this ruling, DTV's future is clear and paved for success. The FCC has wisely provided broadcasters, manufacturers, and consumers with the certainty they need to move forward with the transition to digital television."

What's in a name? At the very least, lots of very expensive litigation for independent film-distribution site <A HREF="http://www.reeluninverse.com/">ReelUniverse.com</A>, which recently received a cease-and-desist demand from attorneys representing movie retailer <A HREF="http://www.reel.com/">Reel.com</A>, a subsidiary of Hollywood Entertainment Corporation, parent of <A HREF="http://www.hollywoodvideo.com/">Hollywood Video</A>, the second-largest video rental-and-retail chain in the US.

After the coming merger of <A HREF="http://www.aol.com/">America Online</A> and media giant <A HREF="http://www.timewarner.com/">Time Warner</A> was announced, the <A HREF="http://washingtonpost.com/"><I>Washington Post</I></A> ran a cartoon in which a man comes home to find every item in his house telling him "You've got mail!" AOL hasn't connected to the toaster yet, but may soon have its hooks in that other staple of American household appliances, the television set.