引述 :『記者林睿康／台北報導 繼去年「台倚數位廣播公司」、「優越傳信數位廣播公司」、「福爾摩沙電台」和「好事數位生活廣播電台」因架設規模未達標準遭廢止後，國家通訊傳播委員會（NCC）今（17）日宣布，中國廣播公司數位廣播電台因在規定期限內未取得許可執照，因此依照衛廣法規定予以廢止，而數位廣播電台目前僅剩寶島新聲廣播電台股份有限公司。 行政院新聞局在2004年9月14日宣布，第一梯次數位廣播申請案總共有6件全區單頻網和9件地區區域網，共計有15家業者申請。 經審查後，最後有3家全區單頻網包括福爾摩沙電台、優越傳信數位廣播股份有限公司和中國廣播股份有限公司；3家地區區域網則包括台倚數位廣播股份有限公司、寶島新聲廣播電台股份有限公司和好事數位生活廣播電台，合計共有6家業者拿到籌備許可，並開始進行架設。 不過，4年多過去了，「台倚數位廣播公司」、「優越傳信數位廣播公司」、「福爾摩沙電台」、「好事數位生活廣播電台」和「中國廣播公司數位廣播電台」的架設規模都因在籌設期限內未達標準，未取得許可執照，因此，這5家數位廣播電台陸續遭NCC主動廢止。目前只剩下「寶島新聲廣播電台股份有限公司」。 NCC表示，其實數位廣播具有抗雜訊、抗干擾、音質近CD品質等多項優點，在歐洲早已相當流行，而台灣數位廣播推展不順利的原因，在於業者並沒有到很好的營運模式，加上台灣民眾還沒有培養出購買數位廣播器的觀念，導致已拿到籌備許可的業者一一退出數位廣播市場。 NCC說，數位科技是21世紀全球傳播發展趨勢，數位廣播的開放更能提升我國廣播產業由類比升級至數位，使廣播業者在業務經營上有更大的空間和利基，不過這一切還需要大家努力。 』

引述 :『（經濟日報╱費家琪、黃晶琳報導 2009.05.23） 有線電視產官學者一致認為，天下沒有白吃的午餐，新媒體與新平台加入，與內容提供者產生的版權問題，應該回歸商業模式，建立一套內容授權機制。 台灣有線寬頻產業協會日前舉辦「數位匯流‧新媒體‧新議題」座談會，探討未來數位匯流趨勢下產生的新媒體及新議題；除台灣有線寬頻產業協會理事長陳朝平外，並邀請政大廣電系教授陳清河、Turner集團亞太區副總裁陳永光、TBC台灣寬頻法務部副總裁林志峰、八大企劃部副總經理賴聰筆等，探討新興媒體出現及數位匯流趨勢，對原本法規及商業模式等所帶來的衝擊。 陳清河認為，手機、網路電視等新興媒體出現，形成新的通路，開始有了互動式服務，但法規沒有對新媒體做出規範，形成無法可循。在新媒體上的播映權，涉及的問題是版權與著作權，應該交由市場協商，由業者談出合理的模式，不需要政府介入處理。 陳永光指出，跨媒體平台出現，改變消費者的收視行為，但關鍵不在平台，而是內容業者及內容集成商在不同平台授權問題上要達成共識，這應由商業機制決定。身為一個商業機構，需要看投入及產出以及新成長機會，製播內容放在不同的平台，要有不同收入，讓投入跟產出達到平衡，如果主管機關介入，會打破這個平衡。 賴聰筆表示，觀察包含日本及亞洲在內的全球市場，頻道內容授權在不同平台包含有線電視、網路電視（IPTV）等，都是拆開賣，目前台灣無線電視業者遇到的問題是要載到MOD裡面去，無線電視業者多買網路電視版權，但無法向MOD收費，版權問題應該由市場機制來作決定，比較符合實際狀況 林志峰認為，網路上有很多白吃的午餐，大家都喜歡使用網路資訊，卻不喜歡付費，這是文創產業最大的殺手，如果網路上一切免費，大家都沒有好的東西可以看。但是像香港電訊盈科已經建立授權機制，這個新藍海市場，是頻道業者與平台業者值得開發的商機。 陳朝平則指出，好節目需要花相當的成本去製作，如果版權機制沒有建立起來，國外頻道也不會願意到台灣，但過去有線電視產業是高度管制，在重新評估法規前要先解除管制，如果政府介入市場機制，將阻礙內容產業發展。』

引述 :『As online viewership surges, media companies reconsider the wisdom of sharing their content for free. By Dawn C. Chmielewski and Meg James May 11, 2009 Online video site Hulu trumpeted its ascension to the media big time a few months back with a dash of sardonic humor. In its debut TV commercial, in which Alec Baldwin mocks the audience's addiction to the very shows he creates as a fictional network executive, the site calls itself "an evil plot to destroy the world." The joke is uneasily close to the truth for some in the television business. Once dismissed as "Clown Co." by Silicon Valley critics who scoffed at the notion that old media giants could ever harness the Internet, the website with a name that sounds like a Hawaiian dance has quickly upset the status quo. Hulu's traction with users has entrenched entertainment companies worried that the video site's runaway success could undercut the financial underpinnings of the industry. Those companies are fighting back, and the result could mean no more free passes for many signature cable programs that appear on Hulu. NBC Universal and News Corp. publicly launched Hulu a little more than a year ago as a gamble on television's digital future. The website allows viewers to watch thousands of episodes of TV shows for free, from current hits like "Family Guy" and "The Office" to old favorites like "WKRP in Cincinnati" and "I Dream of Jeannie." Hulu's simple design, expansive catalog and no cover charge have elevated it to one of the most popular websites for watching video. With 42 million viewers in March -- an audience nearly twice the size of TV's most popular show, Fox's "American Idol" -- Hulu whizzed past Yahoo and Microsoft's MSN, and is now nipping at the heels of Google's YouTube. "Hulu has certainly exceeded all of our expectations," said Jean-Briac Perrette, NBC Universal's president of digital distribution. "We've come a long way from Clown Co." Late last month, Walt Disney Co. overcame its initial skepticism and signed on as an equity owner of Hulu, which has nearly 150 content partners. That gives the video site even more star power with the addition of ABC's "Desperate Housewives" and "Lost," and cable hits such as ABC Family's "The Secret Life of the American Teenager" and Disney Channel's "Wizards of Waverly Place." "Our feeling is that -- and some of this is instinct, by the way -- media consumption online is growing and will continue to grow," Disney Chief Executive Robert A. Iger said in a call last week with analysts who grilled him about Hulu. "It is really important for us to establish ourselves there." But in making a bid for the next generation of Internet- attuned viewers, Hulu's owners have strained their lucrative relationships with cable and satellite operators. Companies like Time Warner Cable Inc. and DirecTV Group Inc. pay cable networks billions of dollars each year to carry programming. Believing that they should have exclusivity because their payments support the enormous cost of producing TV shows, such companies have been pushing back against the Hulu freebies. Investors also are wary that the media companies' embrace of the Internet-content-should-be-free philosophy threatens one of Hollywood's biggest profit centers: cable programming. "If you give away your premium content for free, you are basically hastening your own demise, signing your own death warrant," said Laura Martin, a media analyst with Soleil-Media Metrics. "There is a choice that companies have to make." Hulu illustrates the quandary that media executives face as they weigh the potential of the Internet against their dependable, old-line businesses. If the television industry does not find a way to preserve its two pillars of revenue -- advertising and subscription fees -- the consequences could be dire. Analysts point to the rapid deterioration of newspapers, which traded paying print subscribers for the expectation of big bucks from online advertising that have not materialized. The conflict has forced Hulu to make concessions that have hurt users who have come to expect a rich menu on the video site. In recent months, entire seasons of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" were abruptly taken off the site, along with episodes of other cable TV shows such as "In Plain Sight" and "Psych." Hulu even blocked access to a technology that lets its users watch content on their TVs. The move provoked outrage among fans of the software, called Boxee, drawing 385 angry comments on the company's website. "Big Media had better come out of their hole and embrace the power of Internet streaming or they'll be in big trouble down the road," wrote one poster who identified himself as Lew Ciokiewicz. Hulu's pullback in the case of "Always Sunny," one of the site's early favorites, underscores the tug of war within established media companies over the wisdom of placing TV shows on the Internet for free. The quirky sitcom about a group of slackers has become a signature of the FX cable channel. (FX is a division of Fox, whose parent company, News Corp., is one of Hulu's founding partners.) Even as FX acknowledged Hulu brought it new viewers, the cable network nonetheless demanded that the video site drop three seasons from its free online offerings over fears it would undercut the show's ratings and hamper lucrative DVD sales. "We are not going to take steps that ignore the needs of our partners," explained Hulu Chief Executive Jason Kilar. the summer of 2006, Hulu partners Fox and NBC were thinking primarily of their own needs. YouTube, the video site that Google Inc. would later buy for $1.65 billion, was beginning to look like the future of television. Initially designed as a platform to share homemade videos, it was quickly appropriated by users sharing TV highlights. That terrified media executives, who feared they were about to lose control of their shows. They had cause for alarm: Consumers were gravitating toward online video at a faster clip than they had with cellphones, DVDs and even high-speed Internet service. With the lessons of music piracy and Napster freshly in mind, Hulu was launched in March 2008 as a way of keeping TV programming safely in the hands of its creators and distributors.And by making it free, it could short-circuit piracy. It worked. Perhaps too well. "The appetite for full-length TV shows online was larger than anyone thought or expected," said Bobby Tulsiani, Forrester Research media analyst. "And now people are starting to wonder, do we even need the cable connections?" The country's largest cable operators aren't waiting around to find out the answer. In recent months, the operators have taken a hard line against cable networks for funneling their shows to Hulu. Some have gone so far as to stipulate that cable networks limit the number of episodes they make available online. Others have imposed an outright ban. The strictures buy time for cable operators until they can develop their own response to Hulu. That strategy puts cable networks in a corner. They don't want to jeopardize the multimillion-dollar payments they receive from cable and satellite operators, so they are approaching the website cautiously. For example, Turner Broadcasting System Inc. refuses to give popular shows like TNT's "The Closer" to Hulu, preferring to keep a handful of episodes on its own site. "We have to be mindful of the fact that we have a good business that works for all the players," said Andrew Heller, domestic distribution president for Turner Broadcasting. "We have to find ways to advance the business rather than cannibalize it." Even the cable channels owned by Fox and NBC have been stingy about what they provide on Hulu. Just five episodes of cable shows like "Psych" on NBC Universal's USA Network or "Dog Whisperer" on Fox's National Geographic channel appear on the site -- usually a week after their initial television run. Fox and NBC say there is little evidence that people are canceling their cable subscriptions because of Hulu. They contend that making shows available online provides valuable publicity, which stokes viewership on TV. Nonetheless, the two media companies are discussing ways to adapt Hulu to preserve their relationships with cable operators, whose carriage fees help underwrite the cable networks' programming. Operators have another incentive to come to the table: They want to keep customers signed up for their high-speed Internet service, which people need to watch shows online. NBC Universal and News Corp. are considering whether to adopt a cable industry initiative called authentication, which would require users to prove they are pay TV subscribers before they can watch current shows on Hulu. The partners also are discussing setting up a tiered system for online video, with some shows available for free -- such as prime-time network offerings -- while others would be reserved for existing cable TV subscribers. "Everyone is coalescing around a central area -- authentication," said Tony Vinciquerra, chief of Fox's television networks. "If we can move this in the right direction, it will be something relatively seamless to the consumer, and good for business overall." dawn.chmielewski@ latimes.com meg.james@latimes.com』

引述 :『（工商時報社論 2009.05.11） 科技進步帶來數位匯流，並使語音通訊、數據傳輸與影音傳播不再是涇渭分明的業務。因此，電信業者可以跨足影音傳播，變成有線電視的提供者，例如中華電信的MOD。而有線電視系統則能傳輸語音與數據，兼具電信服務功能。這使得原本井水不犯河水的電信與有線電視變成同業，並且同台競爭。 同業向來不愛競爭，中外皆然。但是，競爭對消費者有利，所以各國政府無不致力於保護競爭機制，不容許業者以聯合行為或其他不公平的競爭手段剝奪消費者的利益。惟最近發生的MOD「蓋台」風波，卻是一樁不折不扣的妨害公平競爭事件。遺憾的是，NCC非但不思阻止，還進一步助長這股反競爭的氣焰，致使數位匯流變成MOD訂戶的夢魘。 MOD是一種利用電信網路傳輸視訊，提供頻道節目給訂戶觀賞的電視，這種電視叫做IPTV（網路電視）。中華電信MOD的訂戶數超過70萬，規模約佔全國有線電視訂戶數的5分之1。至於傳統的有線電視，亦即早年的第四台，則占全國8成以上的市場，並與MOD處於激烈的競爭狀態。然而，自從去年9月份起，付費訂閱 MOD的收視戶，竟然看不到台視、中視與華視等無線電視台的偶像劇，收看到的盡是一些反覆重播的墊檔影片。 MOD被「覆蓋」一事，群情激憤，許多用戶在中華電信的官網上破口大罵，並要求退費、道歉。中華電信無辜地解釋：依照NCC的規定，MOD只能是IPTV的平台提供者，不能製播電視頻道節目；至於MOD的頻道則是由獨立的營運商「台灣互動」所提供，這家公司不播無線電視台的偶像劇，一切與中華電信無涉。而台灣互動則表示：無線電視台的外製節目，例如老三台的偶像劇，並未授權IPTV播出；由於著作權問題使然，因此無法播放觀眾所喜愛的偶像劇，希望客戶諒解。 中華電信與台灣互動講的都是實情，但是卻未道出市場的真相和經營者的無奈。經營者的無奈是：數位匯流下的新興電視MOD，根本沒有辦法在市場上以合理的價格買到主流頻道的播放權，所以MOD的內容拚不過頻道齊全的有線電視。 MOD 為何買不到頻道節目？真相是：有線電視的系統業者聯合頻道商，編織無盡的理由，想方設法回絕MOD的請求，讓MOD沒有頻道節目可播，如此即可鞏固有線電視的獨占地位和既得利益。所以，MOD向來「很難看」，因為主流頻道付諸闕如，故在收視戶的心目中，MOD就是一種次級品、劣等貨。 而今情勢更行惡化，MOD非但買不到主流頻道的播放權，現在連無線電視台的節目亦遭杯葛。數位匯流走到今天這種田地，NCC的發言人竟然還說：「NCC將修法訂出管理機制，確保同樣的頻道在不同平台上播放的內容是一致的，否則將要求該頻道從MOD上下架」。換言之，頻道商袒護傳統的有線電視是合法的，至於新興的 MOD買不到頻道節目的播放權，其責任應該自負，NCC將訂定法規令其收攤停播！ 這種處理原則，駭人聽聞。NCC非但沒有苦民所苦，為70餘萬的MOD訂戶申冤，還打算強制停播MOD架上的頻道。如此一來，數位匯流將成泡影，因為全國的收視戶將被迫繼續訂閱傳統的有線電視，徹底喪失選擇另一種收看電視的機會。 NCC 如果有擔當，現在就應該執行兩項政策。首先，NCC應該確保各種電視平台「必載」無線電視頻道的權利和義務，不能一國兩制，獨厚有線電視，卻對IPTV差別待遇。換言之，如果有線電視依照現行的法律可以無條件取得無線電視的播放權，IPTV當然可以比照辦理，這中間不容歧視與不公平待遇。如此即能完善解決 MOD遭覆蓋的問題。 其次，NCC應該重懲拒絕對IPTV授權的頻道商，徹底移除人為的市場障礙。政府有責任保護競爭機制，如此才能提升消費者權益，並實現數位匯流的美景。 』

引述 :『（經濟日報╱余麗姿報導 2009.04.29） 國家通訊傳播委員會（NCC）執掌電信、傳播產業政策，近來屢遭業界反彈，甚至向政院告狀，政院擬出手主導制訂「數位匯流白皮書」，預料將衝擊NCC的政策主導權。 為加速推動國內數位匯流，行政院最近由政務委員張進福領軍，行政院科技顧問小組委託台灣通訊學會草擬「數位匯流白皮書」，將在8月公布。 第二屆NCC擬定「有線電視數位化發展進程（草案）」，昨（28）日舉行諮詢會議，繼第一屆委員要求業者免費借用第一台後，本屆委員再加碼，要求一、二台免費借用，遭五大有線電視系統強烈反彈。 據了解，不少電信、有線電視系統與頻道業者，最近直接向行政院告御狀。有業者私下透露，NCC與業界彷彿「愈走愈遠」，沒有充分聽取業界心聲。 而行政院科技顧問小組最近更組成數位匯流推動小組，由張進福主持，委託台灣通訊學會進行研究，交通部長毛治國為該學會第一屆理事長。NCC主管的部分電信及通訊傳播產業規劃，已由這個推動小組進行研究中。 一位小組成員透露，如何達到電信廣播化、廣電電信化，將提出建議，供行政院做為政策參考。科顧組、NCC提出各自的版本，不同版本並陳，數位化政策也將更為周延。』

引述 :『（中國時報／林上祚澎湖報導 2009.04.28） 國家通訊傳播委員會（NCC）今日將舉辦諮詢會議，除了主張系統業者免費提供數位機上盒外，基本頻道數將從現有一百個，減少到只剩二十五台基本頻道。由於此舉將導致民眾申裝有線電視意願大幅降低，業者對NCC透過行政干預推動數位化政策，都大表反對。 業者表示，由於目前有線電視頻道，收視率最高的族群，是第五十到第五十八頻道的新聞頻道，未來如果降低基本頻道數，新聞頻道應該會維持一定比率，但九個頻道想要全數上壘，恐怕難度很高；另外，像ＨＢＯ等電影頻道，在國外因為都是付費頻道，未來要留在基本頻道的機率「幾乎是零」。 為了推廣數位化，NCC今日將舉辦有線電視數位化發展進程諮詢會議，除了維持第一屆NCC委員會，二○一二年完成北中高三大都會區有線電視數位化目標，NCC也主張，系統業者「免費借用」二台數位機上盒。 另外，為了解決有線電視頻道氾濫，導致部分頻道節目與廣告品質低劣問題，NCC準備同意讓系統業者，減少類比基本頻道數，換言之，目前一百多個有線電視類比頻道，數位化後，將有七、八十個頻道，例如ＨＢＯ電影、Discovery頻道，必須轉型為數位頻道。 為了避免讓既有頻道業者，被擠到數位頻道收入頓減，衛星廣播電視公會當初給予NCC的建議類比頻道，分二組收費，第一到第十七頻道（包括無線五台），每月收費九十元，第十八到第九十頻到（扣掉十個購物頻道），採取按機付費方式，一個月二百元。 不過，衛星公會建議的方案，NCC認為對消費者的選擇彈性不夠大，NCC方面並未採納。 據了解，NCC部分委員認為，以目前系統業者推廣數位化的「消極」態度，台灣有線電視數位化永遠推不起來，某位NCC委員強調，「數位機上盒免費借用二台，與基本頻道二十五台，已經是委員會內部的共識」。 NCC發言人李大嵩強調，有線電視數位化機上盒補貼政策，以及伴隨而來的頻道分組付費機制，目前都尚未定案，但強調有線電視二十五個基本頻道，不會與中華電信ＭＯＤ基本頻道完全相同。』

引述 :『17Million-Home Indie Net Looks To Build Audience Online by R. Thomas Umstead -- Multichannel News, 4/27/2009 12:00:00 AM MT In an effort to drive awareness and audience reach, independently-owned The Documentary Channel is turning to the Web. The 17 million-subscriber service, which offers short and long-form documentary movies, recently launched video channels on YouTube.com and Sling.com to offer full-length library content for free, according to channel CEO Jim Ackerman. The network is offering some 15% of its library on the Web, although Ackerman says none of the movies and specials will debut in cyberspace before premiering on the channel. But given the linear channel's limited digital distribution, the Web is a good option to reach viewers, particularly younger audiences. “We think younger audiences are moving increasingly to the Internet and are using their computers to fill their programming desires,” he said. “As far as we're concerned, if people watch our channel through the linear channel via the cable operator, or watch our programming through the cable modem that is provided by the cable operator, we're happy — we just want to make sure we reach consumers where they are.” The channel's Web play comes amidst a heated debate within the industry about the ramifications of offering free network content online. Most cable networks offer full-length episodes of their top shows on their respective Web sites in an effort to reach the increasing number of consumers who watch Internet video. But some network executives and several MSOs worry that such behavior will eventually lead to consumers “cord-cutting,” or dropping their cable service in favor of watching their favorite shows for free online. Cable operators, seeing less value for linear network content, could begin paying less in affiliate fees, leading to a dismantling of the dual advertising/affiliate-fee revenue stream networks currently enjoy. Over time, Ackerman admitted, offering content for free via the Web could have an adverse effect on network revenues. But programmers have to serve viewers wherever they are, he argued. “Our main business is our channel, but its undeniable the industry is changing,” he said. “At the end of the day, you have broadband Internet access in the home and at offices that is enabling consumers to watch, in a very high-quality fashion, programming — whether it's clips, movies or television shows — on their computer screens.” Ackerman said he's also concerned about MSO authentication proposals that would allow only cable subscribers to access long-form programming from cable networks. “I don't know what that does for the consumer,” he said. “If we put up any barrier that frustrates the consumer, someone else will satisfy that need. “If I pay my operator for broadband into the home, I want to make sure that what I choose to do through broadband I can do when I choose to do it.”』

引述 :『（Brain.com 2009-04-21）2013年，是台灣希望啟動有線電視全面數位化的起始年。現在台灣各有線電視業者，也努力推出各種新的營運模式，漸漸把「數位電視」的觀念植入各個家庭中。TiVo互動電視帶動美國家庭娛樂產業的變動，從近來好萊塢電影《末日預言》裡，男主角隨手打開電視接收到TiVo的服務，就可看出在美國本土發展已趨成熟。而TiVo來台，也希望帶起另一波風潮。』

引述 :『CNET新聞撰稿人：John Borland與Corey Grice,記者張雅雲/台北報導 1999/01/05 14:19:00 [新聞分析]聯邦反壟斷委員會委員對於AT&T以及Tele-Communications Incorporated(TCI)所申請的合併之批准，為消費者設立了一個非常不同的通訊世界的舞台，雖然這個舞台不見得比較廉價。 AT&T曾說此一合併的主要動機是取得通往消費者家庭的直接通路，讓它可以不經過現有電話公司的網路而提供區域性電話服務。 一旦該公司透過TCI的纜線取得此一連通管道，這個新合併的企業將有能力提供消費者更廣泛的整合性服務，包括了有線電視；本地、長途、以及無線電話服務；高速網際網路連結；以及呼叫服務。 通信產業對於合併的每一個程序正仔細觀察的當兒，消費者是否也應該注意什麼事？ 「我認為消費者將能以大約同等的價格得到更多的功能。」波士頓Yankee Group的資深通訊分析師Boyd Peterson表示。「我不確定這是不是指他們會因而實際上花更少的錢。」 對於傳統電話服務所提供之較低科技的服務感到滿足的消費者，避開了網際網路連結以及無線電話的使用，將較不會感受到因為此一合併而導致價位或服務品質上的重大改變，Peterson表示。「對於他們而言，這一切的利益可能並不明顯。」他特別提到。 即使該合併已經為FCC所批准並可能在新的一年之初進行，該公司的整合性科技要上市可能還要一段時間。 「它將不會是AT&T的銷售人員突然出現在您的門口、丟給您一隻行動電話和纜線數據機。」Peterson說。「它將會是更為漸進式的。」 Peterson表示，比較可能的情況是，這兩間公司將會開始提供共同的互相促銷，像是對於簽約使用AT&T遠距電話服務配套的客戶提供TCI有線電視與影片服務的折扣。在未來數年間，該公司計劃在纜線線路上開始提供影像電話服務。 情況在該公司能夠提供以IP(網際網路通訊協定)為基礎的電話服務時，將會有更重大的改變。這可以讓合併後的公司推出新服務，像是便宜的多線電話，並提供資訊與語音服務更緊密的整合。 所有人都在關注區域性線路 AT&T收購TCI的主要利益之一，是藉由TCI的有線電視網路，作為直接通往消費者家中的「區域性通路」。此一有線電視公司就像小型電話公司一樣，擁有進入數百萬家庭與企業的線路網路，這是AT&T在幾年前獨佔性結束時所必須放棄的。 該公司也可以藉由與其他有線電視公司簽訂協議，以擴充此一新能力。最近數週流傳的謠言是，AT&T與美國最大的有線電視經營者時代華納(Time Warner)即將簽訂協議，藉由時代華納的有線電視網路提供地區性電話服務。任何類似的交易將會顯著的擴張AT&T在小型電話公司領域中的據點，因為TCI的網路只達到美國三分之一的家庭。 然而消費者應該在乎他們的區域性電話服務來自何處嗎？ 立法人員在通過1996年的通訊法案(Telecommunications Act)時期望，藉由將競爭引入區域性的市場，消費者將可以得到比在AT&T一度獨佔市場時、以及其後數年間由小型電話公司管制性的獨佔時，享受更便宜的服務。 到目前為止，對於居家消費者之競爭幾乎不存在，而區域性的電話費率並沒有顯著的降低。然而很多分析師預期1999年將會是小型電話公司進一步開放區域性市場的一年，以贏得在1996的法案中所規定的進入長途電話市場的權利。 消費者的電話服務費用可能會因為各公司競逐市場佔有率而開始降低。 資料無所不在 當資訊時代飛快進展時，諸如AT&T的公司正竭力應付消費者對於高速網際網路連線、先進資料服務如「虛擬私人網路(VPN)」、甚至是影像服務如：視訊會議、隨選視訊的要求。 作為數十億美元交易的一部份，AT&T將取得TCI在@Home的股權。@Home是一間高速纜線網路連線服務公司，目標是家庭與小型企業使用者。藉由許多有線電視公司建立的混合式同軸光纖網路，纜線連線服務公司像是@Home－以及競爭者Road Runner－提供比撥接數據機快一百倍的下載速度。 此合併完成時，AT&T的消費者服務單位將會在@Home中擁有控制性的股權。加上電話巨人WorldNet的撥接服務，該公司將能提供消費者與中小企業多種選擇的網際網路連線方式。 纜線連線服務如Road Runner以及@Home的售價預期在明年會降價，只要標準化的數據機得以在店頭供貨－這讓纜線網路服務提供者如TCI不必負擔購買數據機並將它們租給訂戶的資本負擔。 在此同時，AT&T與時代華納將會簽訂某種協議的謠傳繼續散佈，協議內容是可能會藉由該纜線公司的網路提供高速的網際網路連線。 時代華納與MediaOne共同經營Road Runner，而簽訂交易可能會讓AT&T得以連通排行前兩名的高速纜線網際網路連線服務。AT&T曾說它不會討論任何謠言。 一手包辦 最終，此一與TCI的交易給予AT&T提供更多服務的能力，以及提供消費者更多方便，並且保證消費者每個月將只收到一件涵蓋所有通訊需求的帳單。 AT&T將能合併搭售語音、影像以及資料成為一個配套，對消費者以及中小型企業銷售，且視需要之不同而有提供不同的服務與定價方式。 AT&T一直是美國長途電話公� 』

引述 :『By JESSICA E. VASCELLARO Google Inc. is developing technology to connect its TV-ad brokering business to YouTube and eventually video on other Web sites, as it struggles to lure bigger advertisers to both services. The Mountain View, Calif., company also disclosed it was cutting its sales and marketing staff by nearly 200 positions, the company's biggest round of layoffs not associated with a merger. Google's director of television ads, Michael Steib, said in an interview that the company is working on technology that allows advertisers to buy ads across Google TV, which sells on-air commercials; YouTube; and video on other Web sites through the same interface. Google is testing the service, called Google TV Ads Online, with a small group of advertisers, he said. People familiar with the matter say the service -- which would leverage Google TV's targeting technology -- is likely to be introduced in the coming months. The company is hoping that the new service will make it easier for bigger brand advertisers to spend across both services, which are under pressure to ramp up their business despite the sour economy. [google job cuts and youtube ads] Associated Press Google's layoffs are the biggest in the Internet giant's history outside of a merger restructuring. But the feature is also part of Google's bigger vision of tying together various platforms to make it easier for advertisers to manage and measure their spending across traditional and online media, says Shishir Mehrotra, YouTube's director of product management for advertising. Google earlier this year canceled its efforts to broker ads across print and radio, but the company says it is confident that TV and video will be different. For the new effort to work, YouTube needs to secure longer-form video such as TV shows and movies, for which users are often willing to tolerate longer ads. While it is in talks with major media companies, YouTube to date has only signed a small number of full-length content deals with companies such as CBS Corp. Whether Google TV advertisers -- many of whom are just experimenting with the service -- will take advantage of the online video integration remains to be seen. Some TV ads may not be suited to run before or alongside online video. Mr. Steib said Google is working to determine the best formats. There are big strategic battles at stake. As more consumers watch TV online, Google and other Internet companies see fresh opportunity to wrest business from traditional TV-ad sellers such as stations and cable companies. But those companies are fighting back by creating their own online services and ad-selling platforms that compete with YouTube and Google TV. The service could position Google to sell ads against Internet-delivered TV as well. The company has been striking deals to make YouTube available through devices that play Internet-content on television, such as Apple Inc.'s Apple TV. Google is working on the new service as it continues to experience shakeout from the broader economic turmoil. The company laid off 100 recruiters earlier this year and has significantly cut back on temporary workers, terminated products and trimmed perks. Google ended the fourth quarter with 20,222 full-time employees. The latest staff cuts suggest that Google, whose ads alongside search results still sell relatively well, expects that the tough times will continue and could get worse. While it has been trying to diversify, 97% of the company's revenue still comes from online advertising. Google, which hired thousands of employees annually several years ago, has been scaling back that growth. In a blog post announcing the changes, Omid Kordestani, Google's senior vice president of global sales and business development, said the company "over-invested in some areas in preparation for the growth trends we were experiencing at the time." Write to Jessica E. Vascellaro at jessica.vascellaro@wsj.com』

引述 :『台北市木柵二期重劃區正式成為全亞洲第一座RFID智慧型社區。 經濟部商業司於2006年開始推動「RFID加值應用旗艦示範計畫」，目的是透過整合RFID應用功能，讓生活形成一個可分享彼此服務、資訊及資源的生活圈，創造便利生活應用的3S（Speed、Safety、Security）。 台北市木柵二期重劃區為計劃示範點，目前擁有「智慧巡房小幫手」、「活動履歷服務」、「智慧型門禁管家」、「智慧型壁掛資訊站」及「社區安全巡邏服務」等五項RFID建置系統，社區內約8000位居民可享用以上服務。 經濟部表示，本計畫的目標是協助既成社區，針對其需求提出適切之RFID方案，未來將繼續完成各項RFID系統的社區建置，並積極在全台各地推廣RFID智慧化便利社區。』

引述 :『As expected, the Federal Communications Commission Monday opened an inquiry into media content-control technologies, including for broadcasting, cable, satellite, the Internet, mobile devices. The FCC asks a host of questions, including whether commercials should be rated and what fixes, if any, could be made to the V-chip/ratings system. But the inquiry ranges far and wide, looking for info on whatever platforms are hosting video. "The media environment that children encounter is becoming increasingly complex," said the FCC. "In the majority of homes with children, there are at least three television sets, some of which receive signals over the air and others that are linked to cable or satellite....In addition, many homes have DVD players, computers with Internet access, and a variety of mobile devices, such as iPods or other MP3 devices and wireless devices such as cell phones and smart phones, that are capable of playing both audio and video. Each of these media outlets has its own type of password and/or program blocking system, which poses a significant challenge for parents trying to direct or supervise their children's exposure to video and audio programming."』

引述 :『TiVo and SeaChange join forces to integrate cable VOD services into the TiVo HD DVR experience. "By teaming with SeaChange we are enabling cable operators without OCAP/tru2way deployment plans to increase the breadth and depth of their offering by quickly deploying TiVo set-top boxes that seamlessly integrate VOD in a single, intuitive TiVo interface," said Tom Rogers, TiVo's president and chief executive officer. "This solution also enables participating MSOs to take their on-demand offering to a whole new level by highlighting VOD titles within TiVo universal search results. And the beauty of this is that it can be achieved faster and at a lower cost than most solutions that have been available to cable operators to date." As the leader in on-demand television solutions, SeaChange delivers billions of on-demand streams to millions of cable and IPTV subscribers globally. As the only universal cable box that can operate on any cable headend, TiVo HD DVR set tops combined with SeaChange VOD capabilities provide a cost effective way for operators to further differentiate their service with the award winning TiVo Service. "TiVo is synonymous with the optimal viewer experience and our collaboration is directly in line with SeaChange's focus on innovating to help television operators leverage the infrastructure they have in place today to provide new services and opportunities," said Bill Styslinger, president and CEO, SeaChange. "VOD has matured into a vital, core service and by offering another solution with TiVo, we're once again sure to put operators of any size in a better position to deliver rich on-demand services fast and cost effectively." The integrated experience will be available to participating cable operators on select TiVo branded high-definition cable set-top boxes later this year. 』

引述 :『TiVo lost 611,000 net subscribers in the last 12 months, to stand at 3.3 million as of Jan. 31, but the company claimed Comcast is making progress in deploying its DVR service. TiVoTiVo president and CEO Tom Rogers said Comcast "is fully marketing our product in the New England market and is in the process of adding and sharpening offers." In addition, he said, the nation's top cable operator is preparing to launch the service in Chicago. For example, he said, Comcast recently introduced a DVR at $9.95 per month with free TiVo service as an option for their triple-play with HD. Regularly, the TiVo service is an extra $2.95 per month on top of the regular DVR service fee. For the fiscal year ended Jan. 31, TiVo posted net revenue of $249.7 million, down 8% from the previous 12-month period, and a net profit of $103.6 million. In October 2008, EchoStar paid $104.6 million to TiVo after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear EchoStar's appeal in the patent-infringement case.』

引述 :『細數電信公司創立自有品牌之旅，除了中華電信的CHT手機，就只有台灣大哥大今（2）日準備打出的Taiwan Mobile自有品牌小筆電。而台灣大哥大把自有品牌處女秀擺在小筆電，而不是電信公司向來採購大宗的手機，藉此搶下國內行動上網龍頭地位的用意自是不言而喻。 　中華電信去年首度打出CHT自有品牌手機時，找來大陸的華為操刀代工，先後並祭出CHT3000及CHT5000共2款，其中 CHT3000型手機打出套裝價0元，果然以低價創造近10萬台銷量。雖然後來的CHT5000聲勢就不像前一款手機那麼響亮，但藉由0元3G及3.5G 手機，把中華電信3G用戶拉抬到目前的360萬，總用戶數一舉跨過900萬門檻。 　台灣大哥大這次祭出Taiwan Mobile小筆電，找來廣達代工，一方面有意凸顯與中華電在扶植本土廠商領域上的差異做法，另一方面，更有意藉此宣誓公司今年要在行動上網一役扮演領頭羊地位。 』

引述 :『台灣大哥大將在今（2）日宣佈，推出自有品牌小筆電（Netbook），這不僅是富邦入主台灣大以來，首次打出自有品牌產品，台灣大祭出Taiwan Mobile（TWM）品牌小筆電的做法，也創下國內電信市場先例。 　據了解，廣達將為台灣大這款自有品牌小筆電操刀設計、代工，台灣大哥大針對此表示，公司對於自有品牌的代工夥伴，不會公開宣佈。 　不過，台灣大網站已在昨（1）日公布相關訊息，相較於目前市售8.9吋螢幕的主流小筆電，台灣大這次打出型號TWM W101小筆電，採10吋大螢幕、Windows XP Home作業系統、英特爾Atom N270 1.6MHZ的CPU。 』