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It's been a tough couple of years for those who like to make digital copies of audio recordings. What started with SCMS copy-restriction schemes in DAT machines has quickly spilled over into current digital formats such as those proposed for DVD-Audio. But a glimmer of hope has shone through the haze.

Is community radio at death's door? More than 1000 churches, schools and community organizations nationwide have applied for licenses to operate 10W-100W FM stations. Despite a strong grass-roots movement, and the support of Federal">http://www.fcc.gov/">Federal Communications Commission chairman William Kennard, the low-power radio (LPFM) movement is about to be buried by the combined weight of the National">http://www.nab.org/">National Association of Broadcasters, National">http://www.npr.org/">National Public Radio, and their many friends in the US Congress.

US lawmakers have honored their promise to address a languishing small-webcaster royalty bill that was put">http://www.stereophile.com/news/11468/">put on hold prior to the fall elections.

The Recording">http://www.riaa.com/">Recording Industry of America is among the many organizations celebrating the recent ratificationftp://ftp.loc.gov/pub/thomas/c105/h2281.ih.txt">ratification; by the U.S. Congress of two treaties signed by more than 100 nations at the 1996 World Intellectual Property Conference in Geneva.

The slippery slope established by the Telecommunications Act of 1996 could soon get much slipperier. Three major media conglomerates have teamed up to pressure the Federal Communications Commission to drop the remaining restrictions on the ownership of broadcasting stations.

At AXPONA 2026, Ken Micallef speaks with Western HiFi's Mike Stephens about the gear shown in the company's room at the show, including a Consonance Linear200 MkII integrated amplifier, Consonance Compact Monitors, and a Well Tempered Lab Amadeus Jr/T3 turntable.

For the last several months, the major record labels have been ramping up what some have viewed as a stealth assault on their customers by increasingly deploying technology that restricts the use of audio CDs (see previoushttp://www.stereophile.com/news/11113/">previous;). While an increasing number of music fans have been crying foul, one consumer has decided to fight back in court.

It's been an up-and-down week for consumer-electronics companies, as revealed by recent earnings reports surfacing around the globe. First, the bad news: Sonyhttp://www.sony.com">Sony; reports that its profits fell 32% in the latest fiscal year, and cites the strong yen for depressing the value of the consumer-electronics and entertainment company's overseas earnings.

In the children's fable, Chicken Little, the archetypal alarmist, induced fear and panic in his community by running amok and shouting, "The sky is falling! The sky is falling!" The hysterical fowl has many relatives among journalists and economists, who regularly issue dire warnings about the forthcoming Year 2000 problem.

The last day at CES is low-key. Displays at the Las Vegas Convention center are already being broken down by mid-day, and many attendees have already left.