MISC. WAS AMUSED at the fine print beneath Doppler Computer’s Times ad on Dec. 6: “Prices and offers good through Tuesday, Dec. 5, 1995.” Reminds me of one of those art grants that only gets widely publicized after its deadline.
SIGN O’ THE TIMES (Marquee at the Varsity): “1-900, Seven, To Die For.” If you call 1-900-7-TODIE-4, by the way, you get the psychic hotline run by Sly Stallone’s mom.
KANADIAN KORNER: Last week we raved about the new NW Cable News channel. But we didn’t mention that it’s replacing the CBC in TCI Cable neighborhoods. It’s not the least popular channel on TCI now, but (according to TCI’s market research) it’s the least-popular channel TCI isn’t forced to carry by law or by parent-company contracts. At a time of big political doings in Canada (which just might lead to B.C. breaking off and creating the “Cascadia Nation” some regional think-tankers advocate) and Hollywood’s drive to monopolize all culture in the world, a channel devoted to Canadian news and entertainment’s more important than ever. (Besides, it’s the only place to see the venerable Brit soap Coronation Street.)
In recent negotiations with the county over a new franchise, TCI claims it’ll consider putting the CBC back when it gets done installing a new 70-channel system over the next year or three. But even then, TCI might not seriously consider adding a channel that doesn’t offer additional subscription or advertising revenue to the cable operator. The ultimate answer is an Internet video dialtone system (which could grow from the cable-modem system TCI says it’ll install eventually). That’ll let you get any programming anyone makes available anywhere, even Canada, without cable-company gatekeepers deciding for you. Speaking of people deciding what to let you see…
THE REAL INDECENCY: By the time you read this, Congress may have already passed the big-media-monopoly act (a.k.a. the “Telecommunications Reform Bill”) with its draconian, unconstitutional Internet censorship add-on (a.k.a. the “Communications Decency Act”). The latter is essentially the dreaded Exon/Gorton Amendment passed in the Senate version of the “reform” bill but omitted from the House version. The House-Senate conference committee convened in November to resolve differences between the two versions of the bill. Rep. Rick White (R-Bainbridge), a member of the conference committee, offered up his own Net censorship proposal; it would have been slightly more tolerant of certain words and images that a court might decide was “indecent” but not “harmful to minors.” But instead, the conferees sucked up to the Pat Robertson lobby and sent just about the worst bill they could to the floors of both chambers.
To use Newtspeak, the self-proclaimed GOP revolutionaries are really engaged in a reactionary “second wave” endgame. They’re trying helplessly to rein in not just an uncomfortably new technology but a cultural movement that threatens the very premises of centralized, authoritarian society. Under it, anybody who uploads a public newsgroup message, web page, or bulletin-board file containing anything the forces of hypocrisy don’t like (rap lyrics, fine-art nudes, Ulysses, Greek statues), even if labeled “Adults Only,” could potentially get two years in jail and a $100,000 fine.
While the censorship amendment attacks one of the most freedom-based mediums ever invented, the main part of the “reform” bill attempts to prop up a centralized, authoritarian culture on another front, by letting big media corporations own all the broadcast stations they like and control both print and broadcast outlets in the same town, and by letting phone companies charge customer-gouging rates (though cable rate-gouging was taken out during the conference process). Clinton’s previously threatened to veto the “reform” bill with or without a censorship amendment, but he might be tempted to sign it anyway to avoid offending Big Media at the start of his re-election drive.
For more info on how you can get involved to fight this, call the National Campaign for Freedom of Expression’s local offics (622-3486), or access the Electronic Frontiers Foundation website, or the Activism Online site run by the RealAudio folks.
YOU’D BETTER ALSO ACT SPEEDILY to send your suggestions for the annual Misc. In/Out List. Send hard copy c/o The Stranger, or leave email .
