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Beginning early next year, digital satellite radio startups may have some competition from terrestrial broadcasters, thanks to an October 10 decision by the Federal">http://www.fcc.gov">Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Sales of recorded music declined by 9.2% on a monetary basis and 11% on a unit basis worldwide during the first half of 2002, according to recently released figures from the International">http://www.ifpi.org">International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). The drop is a continuation of a long slump that began in the mid-1990s, blamed by many music industry executives on the widespread use of CD burners and the popularity of downloading tunes on the Internet. Others acknowledge that increasing competition for consumers' time and money—especially films on DVD—is eating into music industry profits.

We've heard the sad tales from the record labels and distributors about their ever-weakening music sales, but there are other players in the market who are also feeling the pinch: retailers.

A "victory for consumers" may be a windfall for class-action attorneys and 41 states participating in a price-fixing">http://www.stereophile.com/news/10818/">price-fixing case against the music industry. Some schools and public libraries may also benefit.

Not all Washington lawmakers are on the Hollywood payroll. Some even risk offending Big Entertainment by upholding their sworn duty to protect their constituents' interests. Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) is such a legislator.

If you peer back into audio history, you'll discover that long-term formats are generally established at the mass-market level and then perfected or re-invented by those with audiophile inclinations. One could argue that SACD and DVD-A are attempts at turning that rule on its head. But the slow start exhibited by both formats (with the copy-restriction issue a new and rather large stumbling block) indicates that, once again, the mass market needs to get involved before we can really move forward.

The Adcom">http://www.stereophile.com//amplificationreviews/678/">Adcom GFA-555 power amplifier has long been regarded as a classic design and still commands decent prices on the used market. Anthony H. Cordesman and various other Stereophile writers check in with their opinions.

The Monsters are Due on Maple Street: In the 1960 Twilight Zone episode with this title, inexplicable power outages and celestial lights cause the citizens of an idyllic American town to accuse one other of being aliens. Fear feeds suspicion, hysteria turns to mayhem, and soon lynch mobs roam the streets and former friends are burning down each other's homes.

Texas">http://www.ti.com">Texas Instruments has released a new chip that advances the performance of high-resolution digital audio while limiting consumers' ability to enjoy it.

For quite a while now, Pioneer and Marantz have stuck their necks out with the few universal SACD/DVD-A/DVD/CD players available. Not any longer, as Onkyohttp://www.onkyousa.com">Onkyo;, Teac and Yamaha join the club with new machines, aimed at consumers hedging their bets as to who will win the high-rez format wars.