ABC, NBC and Fox plan to broadcast live coverage of ceremonies throughout the week for former President Ronald Reagan, they said. CBS couldn’t be reached for comment at our press time, but on its Web site CBS provided a live feed Mon. of the ceremonies in Cal. ABC News began coverage in Cal. with anchor Peter Jennings and plans extensive live coverage including the funeral procession on Wed. to the Capitol, a ceremony in the Rotunda, and the state funeral at the National Cathedral on Fri., ABC said in a statement. ABC News’ radio coverage will continue through the President’s funeral on Fri. ABC’s regular programming will be interrupted for special reports throughout the week, officials said. NBC also plans live coverage of the events and was nailing down details at our press time, a spokeswoman said. Preliminary plans at Fox News include live coverage on Wed. with anchor Britt Hume and on Fri. with a special of the burial in Cal. with Chris Wallace, a spokeswoman said.
The Census Bureau (Census) has issued an Automated Export System (AES) broadcast advising AES filers that the AES Production Region opened earlier than expected at 6:00 a.m. EDT on Monday, June 7, 2004.
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice stating that, at the request of the petitioner, it is postponing the preliminary antidumping (AD) duty determination on outboard engines from Japan until no later than July 16, 2004 (from June 16, 2004).
The ITA has previously stated that the China-wide rate applies to all entries of subject merchandise except for entries from exporters/producers that are identified individually above.
In its first full week available, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King from New Line Home Entertainment was the top-rented DVD in the U.S., Rentrak’s preliminary Home Video Essentials data for the week ended May 30 showed Thurs. Rentrak said the title earned $6.64 million on DVD in the week for a total of $6.73 million to date. Last week’s #1 DVD -- Paramount’s Paycheck -- slipped one notch to #2, earning an additional $4.54 million for a total of $9.50 million to date.
The European Union (EU) countries recommend a “less elaborate” and “lighter” preparatory process for the Tunis phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which starts this month with a discussion on next steps. In a preliminary statement sent to the WSIS Executive Secretariat last week, the EU warns that the “prepcoms” should be kept within the “budgetary resources available,” be accurately costed out and not be too expensive. To reduce costs, 2 preparatory meetings could be in Geneva, where ITU and UN facilities could be used, it said. The EU itself probably won’t hold regional meetings, but instead would prefer to have the points of the Declaration of Principles (DoP) and the Plan of Action (PoA) be referenced at thematic conferences. As for the hotly debated digital solidarity fund, the EU said it had “yet to be convinced of the need for the creation.” Statements of other WSIS participants aren’t as strong on specific questions. Canada, like the EU, said it wants to avoid lengthy negotiations over a new document, instead building on the 2 documents produced by the first WSIS, and aim for a short inspirational chair’s communique with accompanying leaders’ statements, substantive reports and announcements. But at least on funding and internet governance more debates are expected, officials said.
In its 4th week available, Take-Two Interactive’s Red Dead Revolver for PS2 was again the #1-rented videogame in the U.S., Rentrak’s preliminary Home Video Essentials data for the week ended May 30 showed Thurs. Rentrak said the title earned an additional $322,485 in the week for a total of $1.03 million to date. The Xbox version of the game was again at #5, earning $194,433 in the week for a total of $617,141 to date. The only other game in the top 10 that wasn’t for PS2 was Ubisoft’s Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow for Xbox at #9 (up 3 in its 10th week, $141,355 in the week and $1.89 million to date). The only other publisher with more than one SKU in the top 10 was Electronic Arts with 2: Need for Speed Underground at #4 (up 3 in its 28th week, $204,151 in the week, $8.17 million to date) and James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing at #10 (up 10, 15th week, $139,844 in the week, $3.14 million to date). Rounding out the top 10 were one game each from Midway Games, Eidos, Sony Computer Entertainment, Vivendi Universal Games and Atari: Respectively, NBA Ballers at #2 (up one, 8th week, $259,462 in the week, $2 million to date), Hitman: Contracts at #3 (down one, 6th week, $240,495 in the week, $1.62 million to date), Syphon Filter: Omega Strain at #6 (down 2, 4th week, $191,286 in the week, $602,729 to date), Van Helsing at #7 (down one, 4th week, $168,307 in the week, $578,060 to date) and Transformers at #8 (up one, 4th week, $141,451 in the week, $392,095 to date).
The International Trade Administration (ITA) has issued a notice stating that at the request of the respondent, Hulett Aluminium (Pty) Limited (Hulett), it has postponed the final antidumping (AD) duty determination on certain aluminum plate from South Africa until no later than October 4, 2004.
Pursuant to the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000 (the Offset Act), the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has issued a notice of its intent to distribute assessed antidumping (AD) or countervailing (CV) duties for fiscal year (FY) 2004 to affected domestic producers for certain qualifying expenditures they incur after the issuance of an AD or CV order. Written certifications to obtain a continued AD or CV offset under a particular order must be received by August 2, 2004.
The Irish govt. this week announced plans to create a national register of next-generation 3G phones, aimed at safeguarding children. Communications Minister Dermot Ahern said that with 3G mobile phones capable of carrying video clips set to emerge later this year, children need more protection than is available with prepaid phones. “A national register of picture phones has proven impractical by virtue of the fact that we already had millions of GSM handsets in existence when picture-phones became available,” Ahern said: “But 3G is different.” Ahern said the govt. intends to work with the Irish Cellular Industry Assn. (ICIA) to establish the registry, and is trying to form a working group to develop proposals. However, he said, while he understands that industry wants to recoup infrastructure investment and doesn’t want to be saddled with onerous responsibilities, the need to protect children is an “absolute necessity.” Under the registry scheme, anyone who buys a 3G phone will have to provide name, address and other identifying information, a govt. spokesman told us. Asked whether the register could raise privacy or data protection concerns, the spokesman said any “privacy issues that might obtain would be no different to what currently applies.” Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner would oversee such issues, he said. As to whether Ahern expects industry opposition to his proposal, the spokesman said, “he has a very good working relationship with the mobile industry. He believes they understand why he is holding this view and the necessity for it.” ICIA Chmn. Joan Keating confirmed the group has had preliminary talks with the govt. However, she said, operators are “unclear about the usefulness of doing [the register] or what purpose it will serve.” Among the many details to be nailed down are how the accuracy of such a list can be ensured, how the information will be gathered, and who will pay for building and maintaining the register. Ireland now has 3.4 million mobile phones, with a penetration rate of 87% at the end of 2003, the govt. said. About 80% of Irish operators’ prepaid phone customers are already voluntarily registered under various incentive programs, Keating told us.