cni-directories: Regional Bells and News Ads
Regional Bells and News Ads
Richard W Meyer (RMEYER@TRINITY.EDU)
Tue, 11 Feb 1992 10:31:41 CST
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1992 10:31:41 CST
From: Richard W Meyer <RMEYER@TRINITY.EDU>
Subject: Regional Bells and News Ads
Several messages in these forums about the newspaper ad wars between the
Baby Bells and the news industry have left me a little confused. In
contrast to an unfair competition battle, it seems to me there is an
opportunity here for gains from trade. With one sureptitious exception
I don't think the regional phone companies have much in the way of a
news gathering capability. On the other side, the newspapers have a
well intrenched news gathering infrastructure. Doesn't that create a
nice opportunity for trade: newsmen gathering news and phone companies
helping to distribute it through a new medium? Or is this a case where
newsmen forget what business they are in? They are not in the newspaper
printing business, they are in the news reporting business. Seems to
me they could work with the Bells, not war with them.
Unless the following scenario comes to fruition. Is there a devious
motivation for Ameritech to buy so many library automation packages?
Consider: aunt Matilda in Terre Haute calls her neice in Evansville.
During the conversation she mentions that she is being audited by the
IRS. Her favorite phone company monitors and logs the conversation.
(If you don't think that is possible, you haven't heard of NSA.)
With the powerful capability of some of its software, the phone
company indexes the IRS audit fact, groups it with similar info, and
distributes a news story about all the old ladies in Indiana who are
audited by IRS. Anyone who wants to know about this sort of thing can
just subscribe to their telephone company provided news and information
service. Where does this leave newspapers? Or libraries?
Suppose that instead of just buying input from the newspaper gatherers
the telephone company also buys input on you shopping habits from the
national grocery chains, and so forth. Sort of becomes a fairly potent
news agency at this point.
Still, no need for war when gains from trade are available.
RICHARD W. MEYER TELEPHONE: 512/736-8121
Director of the Library
Trinity University
715 Stadium Dr
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78212 E-MAIL: RMEYER@TRINITY.EDU
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