BRIEFLY SATELLITE MERGER REJECTION URGED.Byline: - From staff and wire reports The Writer's Guild of America asked the Federal Communications Commission Federal Communications Commission (FCC), independent executive agency of the U.S. government established in 1934 to regulate interstate and foreign communications in the public interest. to reject a proposed merger of the country's two major satellite television companies, saying it could discourage diversity in programming. ``The continued separation of EchoStar and DirecTV is the only hope of having three competitors for television service to the typical home,'' the guild said in a statement, referring to cable television as the third choice. ``Three is vitally better than two.'' If EchoStar merges its Dish Network See DBS. with DirecTV, which is owned by Hughes Electronics, the result would be a company with more than 17 million subscribers. In a filing with the FCC (1) (Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC, www.fcc.gov) The U.S. government agency that regulates interstate and international communications including wire, cable, radio, TV and satellite. The FCC was created under the U.S. , the guild also expressed concern about companies being allowed to own broadcast and cable networks. The union, which represents television and film writers, asked the FCC to hold hearings in Hollywood to hear from the creative community before it relaxes rules restricting the ownership of television stations and networks. In other news Tuesday, the ABC Family  The novelty of research or terms used in this article is disputed.Disney, Walter Elias Disney Co., and Echostar over the channel has been rescheduled to that date from Jan. 10. New bill may free bands from deals SACRAMENTO - Singers and performers in California's $41 billion recording industry could break their long-term contracts under a bill introduced by state Sen. Kevin Murray For the California State Senator, see . For the member (Volunteer) in the Irish Republican Army, see and List of members of the Irish Republican Army. Kevin 'Bulldog' Murray , D-Culver City. The bill would also block record contracts beyond seven years, ending a longtime industry practice. The bill, which must pass this year and be signed by the governor to become law, bans record companies from collecting damages against artists who walk out after seven years. Murray, a former music agent, manager and attorney for singers, introduced the bill, SB1246, after a hearing on record contracts held last September. Recording artists such as Hole singer Courtney Love Courtney Love Cobain[1] (born Courtney Michelle Harrison on July 9 1964) is an American rock musician and Golden Globe-nominated actress. Love is best known as lead singer for the now-defunct alternative rock band Hole, and for her two-year marriage to Nirvana and Eagles drummer Don Henley slammed long-term contracts as unfair to artists. They told senators the standard seven-album contract often forces artists to spend 14 to 15 years with the same record label. State law prevents personal service contracts beyond seven years. But a 1987 exception exempts the record business from state labor laws, which Murray's bill repeals. Shareholders try second Ovitz suit LOS ANGELES Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. - Shareholders of The Walt Disney Co. will try a second time to prove that the company's board was negligent in hiring former president Michael Ovitz Michael S. Ovitz (b. December 14 1946, Los Angeles, California) is a former talent agent and Hollywood powerhouse who served as the head of the Creative Artists Agency from 1975 to 1995. . A lawsuit was originally filed in 1997 challenging the severance package A severance package is pay and benefits an employee receives when they leave employment at a company. In addition to the employee's remaining regular pay, it may include some of the following:
That suit was dismissed by a court in Delaware in 1998 because shareholders failed to prove the payout was improper. An amended complaint amended complaint n. what results when the party suing (plaintiff or petitioner) changes the complaint he/she has filed. It must be in writing, and can be done before the complaint is served on any defendant, by agreement between the parties (usually their lawyers), was filed last week in Delaware Chancery Court The Chancery Court of York is an ecclesiastical court for the Province of York of the Church of England. The presiding officer, the Official Principal and Auditor, has been the same person as the Dean of the Arches since the nineteenth century . . Disney is incorporated in Delaware. The amended complaint claims the Disney board was negligent in not consulting an expert before approving Ovitz's employment contract and that Disney Chairman Michael Eisner allowed Ovitz to collect a severance payment to avoid personal embarrassment. A Disney spokeswoman said the company will fight the suit. Gains posted by bargain chains COMMERCE - 99 Cents Only Stores reported Tuesday that retail sales for the fourth quarter totaled $158.5 million, up $38.5 million or 32.1 percent from sales of $120 million in the comparable period in 2000. Total sales for 99 Cents Only Stores, including its Bargain Wholesale operation, were $172.9 million for the fourth quarter that ended Dec. 31. That's an increase of $39.1 million or 29.3 percent vs. the fourth quarter of 2000. Total retail sales for the 2001 year were $522.0 million, up $119.9 million, compared with 2000, an increase of 29.8 percent. Total annual sales for 99 Cents Only Stores, including Bargain Wholesale, were $578.3 million, up $126.3 million, for an increase of 28 percent. The company opened 25 new stores in 2001. Bargain Wholesale sales for the fourth quarter and full year were $14.4 million and $56.3 million, respectively, vs. $13.8 million and $49.9 million in 2000. |
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