Chairman Michael Powell has already expressed concerns that the deal would create significant concentration in the direct broadcast satellite business: U.S. Federal Communications Commission staff are recommending the agency block EchoStar Communications Corp.’s plans to acquire rival satellite television provider DirecTV and its parent Hughes Electronics, people familiar with the …

Sex columns are popping up in school papers at colleges all over the nation. Ooh, risque. Actually not: in this time of great political and policy turmoil, what could be less controvertial than sex, the great equalizer and of interest to all? It wasn’t Natalie Krinsky’s idea. But the editors …

Jerry Falwell calls Mohammed a “terrorist” tomorrow night on 60 Minutes: In a 60 Minutes interview with CBS News Correspondent Bob Simon, Falwell also affirms the Christian Right’s steadfast support for the state of Israel against its Islamic enemies and hints that right-wing religious groups are influencing U.S. government policy …

Frontline takes on allegations that FBI agent John O’Neill warned about al Qaeda but was ignored. He died in the World Trade Center: When the Twin Towers fell on Sept. 11, 2001, among the thousands killed was the one man who may have known more about Osama bin Laden and …

Courney Love settled her suit against Universal instead of going to court – here’s why: Rock star Courtney Love strode into the Beverly Hills Hotel in late February for the recording industry’s hippest party: the annual pre-Grammy bash thrown by music mogul Clive Davis. When she walked into the hotel, …

Clear Channel evil, or merely monopolistic and rapacious? Federal regulations prohibit any broadcaster from owning more than eight radio stations in a single market. But here along California’s southern border, industry giant Clear Channel Communications Inc. has figured out a way around the rules–and that has left its smaller competitors …

George Harrison will be remembered with what should be a musical night to remember on the anniversary of his death, November 29 at London’s Royal Albert Hall: the show is being put together by his widow Olivia and Eric Clapton, one of Harrison’s oldest and dearest friends. As LAUNCH already …

The murder of Daniel Pearl still outrages and sickens me. His family seeks to redirect my feelings and those of others around the world on his birthday, October 10: his family and countless friends are preparing to mark his 39th birthday on Oct. 10 — the first since he was …

UK fans respond to free downloads with feverish frenzy: British and Irish music fans scrambled for a piece of the action on Thursday as some of the music business’s heavyweights opened up their archives for free downloads in a bid to combat Internet piracy — and boost sales. But “Digital …

Verizon and the RIAA, with the movie companies behind them, faced off in court today: Music companies tried to persuade a judge Friday to let them obtain names of Internet file-swappers without going to court first, a move that could dictate how copyright holders deal with Internet piracy in the …