2012 February InfoTech & Telecom News

The February issue of InfoTech & Telecom News reports Montgomery County, Maryland is planning to launch a government-funded news Web site. Merlyn Reineke, executive director of Montgomery Community Media, which operates the two public access cable channels in the county, said he is unsure whether the county’s idea for a news site is a good one. “My basic concern is that nobody will use it,” he said.

Also in this issue:

• Ruling that blogger Crystal Cox is not a journalist granted protection under Oregon’s media shield laws, a U.S. District Court judge entered a $2.5 million judgment against her.

• Ann Arbor, Michigan estimates annual savings of $300,000 since the implementation of automated electricity meters in 2005.

• A San Francisco judge issued an injunction against a city ordinance that would require retailers to warn customers about alleged carcinogenic effects of cell phones.

• John Stephenson, director of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s information technology task force, makes the case for increasing FCC spectrum auctions.

• Albuquerque, New Mexico is the latest of a growing number of cities switching off traffic cameras used to catch motorists running red lights.