M-Audio is considering its gaming options for consumer market, Product Mktg. Dir. Jason Ivan told us. Arcadia, Cal., pro audio company changed its name from Midiman last month and entered consumer market for first time this summer with release of Sonica external USB audio card with digital and analog connectors. Audio upgrade device, targeted at videogamers and home theater enthusiasts, started shipping last month but -- so far, anyway -- only major retailer carrying it is CompUSA, which is selling it for $79.99. Only other place it can be bought is direct from company’s Web site, www.m-audio.com, for $89.95. But Ivan said company was looking for additional retailers and “reception has been great” so far. M-Audio also is planning to ship Sonica in Europe and Japan but timing was unclear. Among factors that made company decide to enter consumer space was DVD’s ability in last couple of years to drive multichannel audio demand among even mainstream consumers, Ivan said. On game front, company has no additional specific plans at this time, we were told. But Ivan said M-Audio might decide to introduce multichannel audio card targeted at gamers at some point in future that he said would be superior to products being offered now by others. M-Audio also may consider branching out beyond audio products in consumer market, he said, but he didn’t offer specifics. Company was started in 1988 and its pro products have included audio cards, microphones, speakers. Ivan said goal of company was to bring professional-level quality to products aimed at consumer market. He told us company had been “highly profitable since 1993” and sales had expanded more than 190% in last 2 years.
Buying a Dell TV or Gateway DVD recorder rather than goods from established CE brands might not be a put-off to U.S. shoppers but an appealing alternative instead, a new survey finds. The study, released Thurs. by online research firm InsightExpress (www.insightexpress.com), contends Americans are ready for PC vendors such as Apple, Dell, Gateway, Hewlett- Packard and others to move beyond the desktop and into their living rooms.
A federal bankruptcy court judge Wed. rejected EchoStar’s $200 million bid to buy Loral Space & Communications’ 7S satellite, ruling that the proposed acquisition raised both credibility and antitrust issues.
A federal bankruptcy court judge Wed. rejected EchoStar’s $200 million bid to buy Loral Space & Communications’ 7S satellite, ruling that the proposed acquisition raised both credibility and antitrust issues.
Landlord Flatirons North, unable to reach agreement on lease for DataPlay’s former hq with prospective buyer of its assets, has made $1.3 million purchase offer of its own. William Reynolds, senior executive at Flatirons, filed papers with U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Denver, proposing to buy DataPlay’s assets, excluding its technology portfolio.
Space superiority and use of satellite communications and GPS technologies is focus of Joint Suppression of Enemy Air Defense Forces (JSEAD) conference sponsored by Assn. of Old Crows. Speakers at Jan. 6-7 classified-only event include officials and technologists from Air Force Space Operations School, National Reconnaissance Office, Joint Spectrum Center, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. JSEAD conference is 8:30 a.m., Red Flag Facility, Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. -- 703-549-1600.
Labels’ “ill-gotten gains” from digital recorder and media royalties as well as copy-protected discs should be turned over to plaintiffs, complaint asks court in Cal. class-action suit against 5 major record labels over copy-protected music discs (CED June 18 p1). In addition to labels, suit appears to seek charges against disc replicators, retailers and possibly providers of copy-protection technologies.
New Skies said it wouldn’t oppose temporary authorization for Loral to use Papua New Guinea orbital slot at 121 degrees W to serve U.S. market with C-band payload it’s expected to launch aboard EchoStar KU/Ka-band satellite this summer. In comments to FCC in response to Loral’s request that Commission place C-band payload on permitted space station list, New Skies said it had superior rights to Loral that “must not be compromised” because it was by Netherlands to use slot just 0.2 degrees away, and Netherlands had priority over Papua New Guiana under ITU rules. Commission shouldn’t grant Loral unconditional market access, New Skies said, because it would encourage other administrations to make market access decisions without consideration of ITU priorities. Unconditional approval would complicate international coordination for all administrations and their satellite operators, which would be “especially deleterious for the U.S. and its well-developed satellite industry,” New Skies said in comments. It said that in future it would deploy C-band satellite to 120.8 degrees W orbital location on NSS-11 satellite that would include service to U.S. Company said it didn’t object to temporary authorization for Loral if: (1) Loral terminated its C-band operations at least 30 days before NSS-11 satellite was launched or relocated. (2) Loral informed its customers, in writing, that service from 121 degrees W orbital location was being provided temporarily. (3) Loral, within 7 days of receiving notification from New Skies of date it would bring NSS-11 network to use, would informs its customers that service from slot would terminate 30 days before that date. (4) Electronic version of Commission’s permitted list on its web site indicated all limitations and conditions on Loral’s ability to service U.S. market.
House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) and other key members are urging House Administration Committee leaders not to move campaign finance reform measure that would require TV stations and other media to give preferential treatment to federal political candidates when selling ad space. Tauzin, ranking Democrat Dingell (Mich.), Rep. Green (D-Tex.) and House Telecom Subcommittee Chmn. Upton (R-Mich.) sent letter late Wed. to Chmn. Ney (R-O.) and ranking Democrat Hoyer (Md.) to shoot down attempts to adopt amendment by Sen. Torricelli (D-N.J.) that was attached to bill (S-27) that Senate approved earlier this year. House Administration Committee is holding hearing today (Thurs.) on campaign finance bill by Sens. McCain (R-Ariz.) and Feingold (D- Wis.). Although it’s expected to be committee that will move bill to Senate floor (CD June 22 p2), Ney, Hoyer and other members in recent weeks have raised questions on constitutionality of Torricelli amendment. House Commerce members also sent letter to Reps. Hays (R-Conn.) and Meehan (D-Mass.), who are likely to reintroduce similar campaign finance measure in near future. Letter said: “[B]y requiring television broadcast, cable and satellite companies to provide candidates with rates equivalent to the least expensive spot in the same time period over the past year and making those spots nonpreemptible, the Torricelli amendment goes well beyond merely clarifying existing law and fulfilling its original intent…[W]e find troubling the notion that federal government officials, through this amendment, would be awarding themselves far superior treatment than even the most favored advertisers during the preelection period.” Broadcasters applauded effort to remove Torricelli amendment, with NAB Pres. Edward Fritts saying: “Far from being ‘reform,’ the Torricelli amendment would result in perpetual political campaigns and more negative attack ads.”
Remnant of Russia’s Mir program will be sold to highest bidder as Space Media’s online retail division consigned Soyuz space capsule to Superior Galleries, Beverly Hills for auction May 5-6 at Santa Monica Museum of Flying, company said Wed.