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shockin' blue fiend, oh fiendin' for the fiend, shockin' blue on WBAI 99.5 FM, New York 99.5
FM, yeah.
You're listening to your radio station WBAI, time is 8 o'clock, time for Off The Hook.
Here we go!
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99.5 FM, New York
99.5 FM, New York
99.5 FM, New York
You know if they're telling you the truth because most of the time they have ulterior motives
They've written the story already witness, you know things like takedown. They just want you to verify little bits and pieces
They want your sound bites, which they can just sort of insert
The only thing you should really ever agree to do I think is live television
Where they can't cut away to a commercial just as you start to say something interesting
Live radio is good too, but you know, it's hard to find radio stations that allow you to speak out
I think we do. Well, we're we're the exception. We're the exception
but if you tune down the dial you won't find very many others and in fact the the
Struggle to get low power FM on to the on to the radio dial is being fought tooth and nail
Oh, yes by two strong entities, you know, they are
Go ahead. No, I know give a wild guess. I would imagine one of them being the FCC
We're the two big evils. You think the FCC is one of them? Actually the FCC is pushing it. Okay. Well
The chairman canard again kudos to you, sir. I'd give you a hug except I'm not that kind of guy
And I'm here in New York and you're in DC
Metroliner, oh, that's true. Yeah. All right. Look out there, sir. You're gonna get a hug. I
Think he deserves it, you know, he does. I mean he's not on the back. Yeah
He's a good guy. I like it. I tell people this all the time. Let's see the two evils
Yeah, hold on. That's it. I'm being told it's illegal to suck up to the FCC on the air. Oh, I'm sorry
Whatever no, I'm never mind that again. We'll probably get a fine. Okay. Well, anyway, I should be happy to pay
We're honored to know
Let's just continue. We're in the wrong. Mm-hmm. Let's see. I know the FCC does not oppose low-power FM
No, which are basically stations like radio mutiny and steal this radio and things like that, you know, except alternative voices
Well, that's because they couldn't be licensed by the FCC it was impossible but now you know the possibility exists
So who do you think is is really steadfast against this probably the large music?
consortiums who don't particularly want that their music like going out the same ones who are trying to fight mp3. Mm-hmm and
The large super mega corporations that own like 14 stations. Okay. Well, you're half, right?
Actually, you're a quarter right because you're half right on one of those. Oh, thank you
You're totally wrong on the music thing. Well, I don't know actually they haven't said anything
Popular target lately
But the National Association of Broadcasters which represents those mega corporations
Has come out dead set against it and the other entity which might surprise a lot of people has come out dead set against low-power
FM National Public Radio
Really? Yeah, it doesn't surprise me. It might surprise people out there, but does not surprise me because I'm very familiar with the way those
those
That's a word I can use
Those people the way they they operate basically swallowing up frequencies everywhere. They can possibly find a space
and just sort of
Making sure that they feed their signal into your head one way or another the Microsoft of broadcasting
Well, yeah, I guess except Microsoft isn't affiliated with them as they are with NBC
But yeah, it's it's it's that mentality just basically you will submit to us
I used to think I used to think and I still do to a degree that that
Religious FM was the big threat for non-commercial radio because they swallow up frequencies that could be used for you know
College radio stations and in fact, it is a commercial product that they are peddling. So now
NPR though has has all this money behind them and the thing is the way the way it works with the corporation for
public real tongue-twisted corporation for public broadcasting and viewers like you and
Yeah, federal funds things like that the way it works
The more money you get the more you can spend and the more you can buy up other stations and expand your signal
You know, that's why it's so troublesome when when we talk about accepting federal money here at BAI
Which is something that a lot of us are loathed to do
It's it's a troubling precedent to set it really is
So yeah, the F's the National Public Radio totally against low power FM. You have to wonder about that, you know, they're against
Alternative voices. I kind of like all things considered. Well, that's fine. You know, you won't have any trouble hearing it. That's for sure
I guarantee you no matter where you are in the country. You will not be away from an NPR transmitter
Usually listen to it on the web. Anyways, it's disgusting. It really is
I counted no more than no less actually than 16 different frequencies
You can hear all things considered on between here and Montauk Point. Whoo. Is that incredible? Only one frequency you can hear us on
Sure, so if you're listening to us, you're you're that much better because you're more selective
It's really it's really sad though, I have nothing against them
I have nothing against you know commercial radio stations, but come on guys give other people a chance
You know, I think that the NAB particularly National Association of Broadcasters says that they can't possibly
Coexist with low-power FM because there'll be interference issues. I think the FCC should say to them
Okay, then take your station off the air. So these low-power FM people can survive
What the problem with that is money?
Yeah
Why why is it that the people with the money are the people that have the right to speak out and have a radio station?
Why is that because they have the money?
Yeah, but but that's not the way the airwaves should work
The airwaves are not the way the something that is owned by a corporation. They're the public airwaves
I agree with you
but
Just about any question you can ask
As to why this group is capable of doing something that some other group can't can usually be summarized with well
They have all the money. Mm-hmm
It's a troubling situation, but it happens to be
What we live with well, yeah, but I'm saying we don't have to live with that unchallenged
True and that's what I hope people
Continue to do challenge things
Speaking of money speaking of lots of money speaking of the media
You heard the news today
Oh boy, well CBS and Viacom want to merge
Okay, this is where it gets confusing
Maybe some of our listeners can help us out with this one because I've been asking this question all day of all kinds of
People and nobody knows the answer to it
CBS right now is owned by Westinghouse, correct?
CBS also owns all kinds of radio stations including k-rock WNW W CBS W F a n w ins
They own all these stations or they indirectly owned by Westinghouse, but they're owned by Infinity Broadcasting, which is owned by CBS
Which is owned by Westinghouse. Okay, so we've got like four layers of paperwork
We got you got a lot of things going on here
So now all of a sudden out of the blue Viacom runs in Viacom being the owners of paramount Simon and Schuster
Blockbuster video and
And of course all those nice
Cable networks that we're so happy with MTV vh1 Showtime
Nickelodeon
TV land things like that
They want to step in and and merge with CBS all of a sudden CBS will have a strong presence in cable now
Which they never had before but the question is for the game show network the question that I have and a real confusing issue here
Where does Westinghouse fit in have they have they bought CBS? Are they going to buy CBS from Westinghouse?
Are they taking over Westinghouse is MTV gonna be a military contractor now?
How does it work? I was about to say they're too busy making nukes to really bother themselves with the mine
Well, maybe not
I'm just I'm just not that familiar with the way the whole corporate structure works and I have not seen mention of Westinghouse any
Place in any of the news items about this. So how does Westinghouse they say it's a it's a it's a merger
Well, is it a merger or is Westinghouse selling them CBS? How does that work?
So one of you will financial experts out there, please. Give us a call two and two two zero nine two nine hundred
We don't want theories you want facts, you know
I want people to tell us what's going on here because this is important
This is really a mega merger here and just more instance of how fewer and fewer people are controlling more and more of the media
It's really it's really sad. Imagine if the news instead said Pacifica had been taken over by Viacom
How would you feel about that? I wouldn't feel too good about that. Oh, we'd be linked up with MTV
We'd get all the cool music and you know things that no it is bad
It sucks because they only program a few songs out of like 10 million. I don't watch MTV. So are you lucky?
We're closer to home we have some
You're lucky no you really cable TV has gotten as bad as commercial TV ever was except now you're paying for it
And you get to see commercials too on top of that
All right, Kevin Mitnick update Kevin has been transferred yet again this time to Lompoc, which is a much better place
Than the place who was in before San Bernardino. I
Understand that there's at least the possibility. He's getting kosher food
I have not heard the details and the reason being that Kevin is not no longer allowed to call us until
We verify that he can call us. It's a big bureaucratic mess
Huh?
They have to send us a letter of some sort his grandmother called me a couple of days ago and said that they needed
To send me a letter so I could verify that it's okay for him to call me and the thing is he can't call
Collect anymore. He has to pay for it himself out. Yeah, so that's really gonna hurt and it's gonna make things a lot more difficult
The prison pay phone rates. Yeah. Yeah, you can imagine what that's gonna be like. I
Also heard and I'm not sure about this yet
We'll probably send him rolls of quarters
We can send money orders and I don't have the address yet. The address will be on the website as soon as we get it
Which is www.freekevin.com
The thing is I've heard and I'm not I'm not entirely certain about this that
He was transferred to Lompoc
Minimum security prison as opposed to the Lompoc camp
Now if you recall the camp is similar to the place fiber-optic went to back in 1994
Where it's kind of like a dormitory you have some degree of freedom
You can look at the sky and go outside a little bit. You just can't leave
Minimum security, of course is much worse. It's actually behind barbed wire fences and with prisoners and cell blocks and things like that
If that is true, I can't imagine why they would put him in such a place other than retribution of some sort or
Sending some kind of stupid message. He really doesn't belong in a place like that
He's already been in prison over four years four and a half years. In fact
Most of that time without trial. Come on guys when where's gonna end?
So we'll have more information including his address. Hopefully next week as soon as we get it. Keep checking the website. We'll
update people as we get information, but again, it's very hard to communicate because
Well, it's they've made it very difficult unfortunately
Getting back to the FCC for a moment
This is very disturbing news in the Associated Press a court court ruling overturning federal protection of telephone customer records
Puts the interest of phone companies over the rights of consumers a top federal regulator says there'd be your friend Bill Kennard
Yeah, he said the court's decision to reject the Commission's rules remove important protections to consumer privacy
I think it's a sad day when the First Amendment rights of telephone companies to solicit business
Outweighs the rights of consumers to protect their privacy
Things such as calls made to a doctor or to a help group and the frequency of such calls could
Become information that marketers snatch up and use to target you as if the telephone companies don't have enough money already
Gouging you for the service. Yeah, it's unbelievable
Basically, what they can do is it's it's it's like when you dive into a computer and look at somebody's somebody's phone records
Yeah, a big invasion of privacy that we're all going ballistic over now. The phone companies are gonna say yeah, we'll offer that service
We'll say how many times this person calls this place. We'll tell you that and
Then you can use that to market things
It's disgusting, but that's uh, that's how apparently they want to conduct business. I say if they do things like that
We target them and we show who's doing this because it'll become pretty obvious and it's it's already started to become obvious
Look what I got in the mail. Nice little
Letter from AT&T. Did that stuff? Yeah, but listen to this noise that you're about to hear. Oh
ready
What does that sound like that sounded like plastic? It was plastic plastic falling on the table
And it's my new credit card my new MasterCard from AT&T AT&T sent you a MasterCard AT&T sent me a MasterCard
They only built in calling cards. Well, you know, it's interesting
It's interesting you should say that because they did only deal with calling cards there
There is an AT&T MasterCard of sorts, but you have to apply. That's a corporate thing, right?
but
The problem with this MasterCard is that I never asked for it
I never asked for this MasterCard and here it is sitting in my hand MasterCard right there. I
Mean, you know, this is this is this is nuts. So I looked in the in the mailing
and
Hang on there's about 50 pages in here. So you have to bear with me while I find the one it's applicable. I here we go
Welcome to AT&T personal rewards be yourself be rewarded start with $100 in free AT&T calls
Yes, get ready to be rewarded. Why as a special
Thank you for being a preferred AT&T customer
Oh, you've been enrolled in what we think is the best rewards program ever AT&T personal rewards with more ways to earn points and exciting
Redemption options. It's easy to get rewarded for the things you do every day. Are you excited?
Come on
They're exciting up call this number to activate your AT&T personal rewards membership and your AT&T personal rewards
Citibank MasterCard then start using your card for everyday purchases and watch the points add up
This card replaces your AT&T calling card. So cut up your old AT&T calling card. They actually say oh, yeah
Yeah, it says that right there. Now. What does this tell you? This tells you that they they basically take your calling card
They can't use your calling card as a way to approve you for a MasterCard that doesn't make any sense
So they have to be diving into your credit report without your authorization
Is there any other any other possibility here?
So they went into my credit report said yeah, I guess he qualifies and sent me a MasterCard just like that. I
Mean I resent a little dumbstruck. Yeah, I resent this kind of this kind of intrusion as you should yeah
Let's uh, let's call them I have a special number here might as well be their privacy was opposed to zero
Okay, I'm waiting for a dial time is there a doctor in there I hear we go
It's gonna ask him a simple question, that's all this is the number on the card. Yeah
Supposed to activate it. Maybe I'll get a computer entirely possible
Thank
You for calling AT&T personal rewards if
AT&T is your current long-distance carrier press one now if your long-distance carrier is other than
AT&T press two now, I'm gonna try and get you here too. Yeah. Yeah, I'm not I don't have a touch-tone phone
So I can't press anything. I'm sorry, but I did not receive your response. You know why cuz I don't have a touch-tone phone
Thank you for calling AT&T personal rewards
If AT&T if you're you don't care about people don't touch-tone phones
Do you they're not worthy enough to even like be talked to carrier is other than AT&T press two now
Okay, I'm not pressing anything. You might notice that it's not because I'm being stubborn because I don't have a touch-tone phone
Sorry, we are still unable to understand your entry. What are you gonna do?
Please stay on the line while we transfer you to an AT&T representative
That's just a mock me or something wait, okay, we'll wait we won't wait forever
Actually, I just had a very brief question I got it. I got a master card from AT&T. I was just wondering why
Okay. Well pretty much the only reason you got that was because they did um, you were credit credit worthy
You had a good credit background
for some reason Citibank was actually the ones that sent them out and
They just decided to send them out to everybody that was credit worthy
Uh-huh. So they basically checked me out and made sure I had a good credit record
I'm not a hundred percent. Sure. I can transfer you over to that number. Okay, that'd be great. Thank you very much
Okay
Classical music from NPR
They'll get you wherever you are welcome to AT&T personal rewards Citibank mastercard, you're not real are you?
You want me to speak my number
I'm not gonna do that over the air. It's that's not secure. I mean
But surely you don't want me to avoid unnecessary delay. Yeah, please touch tone or speak your 16-digit
Okay, well now I'm not gonna speak it or touch tone it because I'd rather have the delay than read my number out loud
Hearing this crowd. Okay. Yeah, well you can touch those people with pens and pencils
He's getting agitated
Listen I can't do that. There's a reason I just have a very simple question
Really I do. Thank you. Thank you so much
Yeah, hi, my name is Emmanuel I just had a very brief question concerning why I got the MasterCard in the mail because I never asked for it
I don't have it right in front of me. I just I just had the phone number. So I just like to
I know I didn't apply for it. I definitely know I didn't apply for it
I just wondering did you send it out to everybody who was an AT&T customer or something?
That's what I can't pull up anything without having the account number about I can with your social security number
And then I'd be able to see which kind of account
So if I give you my social security number, we could we could clear this up. I guess
No, that's okay. I'll just I'll just go with my original assumption, but thank you very much for you for your help
All right, my pleasure the universal card service
That's interesting corporate America is out of control
You know if you want to clear it up just give us your social security number and we'll be happy to
Keep even more information. Well, evidently they already have it if they're giving you credit. I
Never give phone companies credit, but apparently they went and took it anyway, and I never give them credit information not once
All right
Another bit of joyous news from AT&T. Oh, but that's where the blue death starts
If if you listen to past shows and you can hear them all on the Internet
You know that we've been playing around with something called AT&T easy reach which
Basically was a service that allowed you to have a single phone number that would follow you around for the rest of your life
Yeah, and so we got one of these numbers right when they introduced the service
back in the early 90s, I think and I remember we the number we got was
700 700 number and then it was seven five one twenty six hundred and
And you had to dial oh seven hundred seven five one twenty six hundred we originally had that set up to go to our voice
bulletin board
And of course you had to route it through AT&T any other phone company and it would go someplace else
So the way the 700 exchange the 700 area code works its carrier specific
So then a couple years after we had that number the the number that we're supposed to keep the rest of our lives
They sent us mail saying that they're changing the number
And instead of having a 700 number we would have a 500 number and 500 area code for some reason this was going to be
even more
Convenient than the 700 number. However, they allowed us to keep the 700 number, but also have a 500 number
Okay
So now you're just adding an extra line to your now we have to two numbers
two different numbers and to be all honest
I don't remember what the 500 number was because they only had a couple of exchanges and they gave us some bizarre number
So we still have the 700 number, but now this letter they just sent us
Says that AT&T would like to take this opportunity to notify you a valued AT&T customer something
I already know because they send me MasterCard
on November 15th
1999 AT&T easy reach 500 700 service will be discontinued
Yeah, the phone number for life didn't last too long declaring you dead now, I don't know
They're gonna revoke your card
This was a service that provided optional features and in no way will affect the other AT&T services to which you subscribe
I like that. This was a service. It's already gone. We regret any inconvenience. This may cause now
This is the interesting part
The FCC will normally authorize such a proposed discontinuance of service unless it is shown
that customers would be unable to receive service or a reasonable substitute from another carrier or that the public convenience and
Necessity is otherwise adversely affected if you wish to object to this discontinuance
You should file your comments within 15 days after receipt of this notification letters should be addressed to the Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC
2 0 5 5 4
referencing section
63 dot 71
application of AT&T Corp
Your comments should include specific information about the impact of this proposed discontinuance upon you or your company
including any inability to acquire reasonable substitute service
We know AT&T easy reach 500 700 services have helped you stay connected by allowing people to reach you at different places
The good news is that now we have a more complete way for you to stay connected AT&T personal network
That's more costly likely. Well, they don't this whole big thing, but I can get an 800 number and you know
I'm sure pay more for that. Of course
The whole point of having a 700 number was that you wouldn't be getting an 800 number
You'd have basically a choice where the person could either pay for the call you pay for the call and you could route it to
All kinds of different places at you know, the touch of a touchtone
So we'll just have to see if their service
Continues to allow that somehow I doubt it. Let's um, let's try giving a call to them
Here the FCC actually to our number I'm not sure if it's going to work actually
It might
Please enter your destination number now destination number. Okay. Well onto the number again. I don't think this is gonna work
Please hold your call is being transferred. I wonder where it's being transferred to
What company what company is this quest how did I get you?
Yeah, you're the long-distance company, okay, I'm trying to reach an AT&T number I
Don't suppose you can route me to an AT&T number can you
Uh-huh
Okay, I'll give it a shot
Thank you problem with that. I don't know why we got quest apparently quest is our long-distance company, which is something else
I'm going to verify in just a second, but
apparently
We can't access that because the carrier access codes don't work here. I don't think let's try it
Don't don't please
One oh one oh two eight eight and then Oh seven hundred
And the phone number see if this works that's very convenient it allowed us to dial so maybe it'll work
It always took a long time to connect so I'm not disillusioned yet
All right now I'm starting to get disillusioned because it should have connected by now I
Feel that like the Jeopardy theme song should be playing now. No, this is this is this is silly
There's no way I can call this number
Actually, you know there might be a way I can call this number if I go through 800 the 800 number that AT&T has I
Think that allows me to call that. So, okay, let's see if we can figure this
I don't like when things just die like that, you know, that's not right. Well, it's just gonna die on November 15
Yeah, it's true. This is a prelude of things to come. All right
All right, so here we are calling AT&T now
AT&T to place a calling card or credit card call press 1 to place a collect call press 2 for AT&T
customer service press 3 for double o info US directory press 4 for operator assistance
Press 0
Okay, I think we're pressing 1
Please dial the area code and 7-digit number that you are calling
Alright, let's try this. Please enter 0 1 and the international number that you are trying to reach now
All right. Let's give this a shot
Effective November 15 1999 AT&T intends to discontinue easy reach
700 services
Please contact your AT&T service representative at 1 800 9 8 2 8 4 8 0 for further information
If you have an easy reach pin enter it and then press the pound key
If you don't have one just press the pound key to complete this call
See, that's the option you can even pay for the call. You need help. Press star H
If you are calling an easy reach subscriber and you were given a personal identification number or pin
You should enter that number and then press the pound key
If you were not given a pin just press the pound key. The pound key is below
This was back in the day when people didn't know what a pound key was
That's right, you got a master pin you could set the pins you must use a calling card to pay for this call
To charge this call to your card. Okay, we get the idea you get the idea
That's you had all kinds of different options and you had different pins
You could give out to different people and you had a master pin that you could use to set things up
That's pretty cool. Oh, that's gonna go away November 15th. Unless people speak up and I think about it. That was pretty cool
Thing is I don't think anybody has that service anymore. So I doubt there's gonna be much of a grassroots organization
Routing up to to save it a couple of other things that are pretty interesting
First I want to call the the 700 number to verify a long-distance carrier as quest which I
Didn't know anybody around here had quest in the first place
Actually, I heard a couple of people did but it's fairly new in this area. So what number is that?
That's the number we were talking about last week. In fact, the one seven hundred five five five four one four one
Tells you a long-distance company
Okay, sometimes it asks for a special code because our BAI phone system kicks in so I'm gonna put that in
Thank you for choosing quest communications
Thank you for choosing quest communications. That's not cool
They announced it twice
Apparently, yeah, they do
And also one of our listeners wrote in thanks to Danny B for sending this to us
Remember we were we were complaining last week that there's no number for regional calls
You don't know who your regional carrier is regional being not local not long-distance
But in between right and that's the way that some of the long-distance companies really are raking in money because they're getting people to
Switch their regional calling over to them pay more than the local phone company. Well, there is a number there is
There is a number and it's kind of interesting. It's the 700 exchange not the 700 area code
So it's not let's try that. So it's your local area code and then so well, you don't dial the area code
You just dial 700
Then for one for one
You
Well, it should work
I might have confused our phone system by doing that, but I've tried it from different phones and it works from everywhere except here. Oh
Trust us folks
Okay, well that apparently is our local company our regional company
But any event yeah try that in fact, I'm told that any four digits will work 700 plus any four digits
And really I'd like to know from people around the country if that works for them as well because it works here in New York
Works everywhere. I've tried except here. So they have an entire exchange dedicated
Well, how many people did you know in the 700 exchange to start with? No unusual exchange?
So that's got to be an interesting
An interesting feat. Yeah, but it's definitely something that people need to know as far as who your regional company is
It really should be a local phone company
If it's not then I hope you have a really good deal with them so that you won't get get ripped off too badly
So that's that's information. I tried it from a pay phone
Try it from a pay phone in the subway the other day and you know what I got. I got the 9x communications network
Apparently apparently they forgot to disconnect their their recording there or change their name or something like that
So put 9x loose, that's great. Yeah. Yeah into that kind of thing. I guess I guess it's kind of cool
All right. Let's take some phone calls through into 209 to 900
Did you see this new story in today's paper police have confiscated a potentially lethal homemade cannon capable of firing potatoes up to 160 feet
six youths in the seaside town of
Christiansund in southern Norway used instructions on the internet to build the weapon from everyday household objects
This homemade weapon is extremely dangerous both for those using it and those being fired at a police spokesman told the
Newspaper that has an unpronounceable name and takes up two lines
The boys loaded potatoes down a plastic tube where an electric ignition device from a gas-fueled barbecue was installed
Police said the cannon was capable of launching any object similar in size and weight to potatoes
Okay, but potatoes seem to be the choice
But I'm more worried about the speed because anything at a certain speed can be very damaging
Well, they don't say the speed so much as as the the length the distance 160 feet
All right. Well, what's the average you've ever gotten hit by a potato? You'd appreciate that something going that
Oh, I've been hit by a baseball and a softball and other things pretty fast, which would also fall to about 160 feet
So yeah, it could be very I believe these are raw potatoes not cooked. Ooh, so that they're harder that way
Yeah, well, they won't burn you that way. Well, no, that's true
But I'm more worried about the people firing the gun and I got a little propane tank hooked up to a plastic PVC tube
I mean, come on
yeah, a
Survey of teenage internet users found that more than half said they have visited websites containing pornography offensive music lyrics gambling or messages of violence and hate
the study of 501 American 501
501 American teens by the polling firm of Yankovic partners was released yesterday. I bet the one was like Yankovic jr
That made a big stink over not being included
The research was sponsored by a firm that makes filtering software for corporations while 58% of all teens surveyed said they visited objectionable sites
Those with poor grades reported doing so more often. What do you think about that?
I said I'd like to draw an artificial connection is that a 78% of teens who said they had a C average or less
Also said they visited such sites particularly for music
violence or gambling
Of the teenagers said they accessed objectionable sites 79% reported accessing the internet from the classroom or school library
67% from home 64% from a friend's house
The teen said they spent an average of ten and a half hours online each week
And the study also found that while parents were aware that their teens were often online
One out of four admitted knowing very little about what their kids were viewing
Okay, how much TV are these kids watching and how many nudie channels are they watching?
There aren't that many nudie channels to be honest and the nudie channels that exist don't show you much nudie stuff
They really don't compared to like if you go to the theaters, which there aren't very many of either
Thank you very much mega Giuliani
But anyway, I'm just I'm just pointing that out. Thank you. Yeah. All right. Our phone lines are full
So let's take some phone calls two one two two zero nine two nine hundred pick a magic numbers
That is not you know that I always pick a number four. Okay, we're gonna go with three
Three just went out. All right, I'm gonna go with five. Oh, that was a good one. Yeah. Good evening. You're on the air
Speak up, please
The question about CBS I see when you ask a question to be a listener you get an answer right away
Thank you very much for calling. What what is the answer? Okay, the answer is that
Westinghouse for didn't eat by
the
CBS
Westinghouse
No, yes, CBS CBS merged with Westinghouse Westinghouse was totally
Reorganized they sold off all their defense businesses. Uh-huh in the early 90s. Actually the
What's a car Amazon from infinity they they also bought infinity broadcasting car Amazon rose to the top of
the Westinghouse management, but his predecessor a guy named Jordan actually
they sold all their defense businesses to
Various defense companies like Lockheed. I think some of its in Boeing some of its in Raytheon
So Westinghouse does no more defense contract. That's right and and their
Generator business was sold to a Swiss company. So I don't be and I assume that included the Atomic Energy
Division what about the washing machines?
Then
After they did that they changed the name of the company from Westinghouse to CBS
So there is no more Westinghouse. Actually, there is they spun off some companies that they didn't they couldn't so sell some
Small industrial production companies were put into a group and that was called CBS and that was spun off to the reason
It just some of it came public
Short while ago. Well, I visited the Westinghouse website earlier today and there were they listed three companies underneath them
One of which seemed to be a defense related company now, maybe that's an old website
I think you'll find CBS in there. They list the they list any media companies. No, but but the company was called Westinghouse
Yeah, that's that's what they they as I said, they rolled the whole group of
Smaller divisions into a separate company spun that off and they called that Westinghouse
So basically the board of directors from Westinghouse sat down and they said we're now going to call ourselves CBS and they selected
What was left that was the largest
That was the old essentially the the broadcasting properties were the only thing that was left
So wait, there is a Westinghouse, but it's not the same Westinghouse. Yeah, it's a separate company
CBS may have a
Stock position in it, but it's it's a it's a totally separate company. Huh? So that I'm confused. I
Rather like that
Corporate reorganizations, but what the reorganizations are all about but if you remember in the there are a lot of defense mergers
In the you know, the middle 90s
Tremendous a lot of companies just sold their defense divisions to the larger defense companies
Mm-hmm, so that space is so Westinghouse. I don't I don't I believe Raytheon has like the side-looking radar
You know the radar division, right? Well, you need some kind of charred and compass to figure all this
Really crazy. All right. Thanks. Thanks for straightening out some of it then
So now this there's two Westinghouses. There's a Westinghouse that there's there's only one Westinghouse
But the original Westinghouse became CBS and like those guys just said, okay you lower middle management people you take this like
Conglomeration of little things Westinghouse when the CBS is owned by Westinghouse
No, this gentleman just said that CBS is now its own independent corporation, but Westinghouse bought CBS, right?
All right
What happened to Westinghouse when they bought CBS they turned into CBS the board of directors for Westinghouse who had CBS as a like?
Property decided that okay. We're now just going to call ourselves CBS and then they spin off the Westinghouse
Westinghouse stuff off, but they still call it Westinghouse. Yeah, but it's not just put it someplace else
But it's not the same company anymore because how is it not the same company?
It's the same people the same name
It's not the same people because all the same people all the people are at CBS
So what they just hired a bunch of new people out of nowhere, I guess or else they like gave it to junior middle
Man, I said corporate America is out of control. I have no understanding of this. This is nuts
But you know, what's what's interesting is that?
Viacom Viacom was the company that CBS was forced to spin off back in like around 1970
Because I guess we were worried about this kind of thing happening. So they were spun off and now they're coming right back
bigger than ever kind of like that whole little breakup thing of the telephone companies and then the
Mergers between the mergers. Yeah
It's it's pretty frightening. All right, two one two two zero nine two nine hundred. Good evening. You're on the air
Hey Emmanuel, all right, you know who this is, of course one of the media people. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah
In fact, you're you're in the company. You're you're at MTV. You're
You're the company that is gonna be affected
We had the memo passed on our you know, all of our desks as we came in. Uh-huh this morning. What's what's the mood?
Well, you know some of us are worried some of us aren't but we did a little research like you said, you know back
in the 70s, yeah, they were split up and
then
You know today when they got together
Supposedly
Viacom bought it for like 30 billion dollars, right 35 billion. I think yeah, that's a lot
Um, I don't know. I think it's more media related than anything, especially because right across the street, you know
It's the other studio that's going up right now, you know, wait, which studio is that? I can't keep track which one that's ABC
ABC is building a studio down in Times Square. Okay. Yeah
There that you would not believe it's like if you ever have the chance to see them test this sign
You got to see how bright this is and it's only at 30% brightness and it totally lights up Times Square in the daytime
Uh-huh. So at night I can't even imagine what they're gonna do with it. But uh, yeah
so apparently, uh, we just went in and took it and
the CEO of
CBS is going
Supposedly to step down to see Oh
From what I understand the guy that the guy that owns Viacom. He's got the funny first name with Sumner. Yeah
Great name some he's gonna continue, you know, he's like sipping brandy next to his fireplace someplace tonight Sumner
But yeah, he's he's like 75. He's gonna step down at some point then the president of CBS is gonna take over
That's that's my understanding. Not that I care
Yeah, I couldn't carry either but uh, well now I wanted to throw the two cents in the pot there because what do you guys?
Advise calm own right now
We own a lot that's on right on the website if you go to Viacom calm and go to sites
We own like amusement parks
Which amusement out which amusement parks down a paramount parks, I don't even know where they are. Okay
And you own paramount obviously not a frequent pass holder to those parks. Wait, you own paramount, which means that you on Star Trek, right?
UPN. Yeah. Well actually now that's interesting. You have a 50% stake in UPN
I didn't happen to know that and it's illegal
The one of the few things that's still illegal is for one company to own two networks
So you're gonna have to work something out with that MTV vh1 comedy central
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon TV land Google which is our goggle or something. I don't know
That's one of those new networks. Nobody gets yeah
Yeah, we got actually
There's a bh1 or a country bh1 soul each one smooth
MTV
MTV X MTV s now before you get excited MTV X is simply like metal, right? Yeah, that's all it is
Okay, you know like let's try to stay young now what I understand
I have satellite and we get several hundred channels that nobody ever sees
Who is watching these other channels the studio engineers over there?
Oh, yeah, pretty much because they have to sell it all as a package
It's called like a digital suite if you want to buy one you buy the whole package
Uh-huh, and a lot of companies don't want to do this. They're like, oh, I'd rather buy much music instead
So wait, who's buying much music?
a lot of companies I know
You can get it on USSB
Uh-huh. Yeah, but they're not in danger of being bought out by Viacom. Okay, that's that's all
But we did buy the box like six months ago or something
I remember so we do own the box which used to be that thing on UHF. Oh, yeah
Call the 900 number get ripped off $3 to watch your video, right? I didn't know if I had that anymore
Yeah, I know we have it on our satellite system at work
But I haven't seen it broadcast anywhere else except for here in Queens really late
Sometimes I want to Spanish channels. They play that as filler, but it's so distorted. You hardly can hear it
We bueno, you know thumbs up to them. The mood there is kind of what sustained you for you or what?
Well, you know what I'm worried about as part of the is thing is either works gonna die out
Perhaps the staff or it's just gonna drastically increase because so why to the y2k scare
Speaking of the y2k scare. No, that's that's something interesting. Isaac. Why are you prepared? Am I prepared? Oh
9999 that's right. I actually don't think there's gonna be much to that
Well, why not the nine nine nine nine is like a pretty significant date
Well, actually because the Nostradamus predicted seventh month the 99 which seven would translate to September
I'm very honest, you know, well here all those missiles with nine nine ninety nine. Boom. Oh, I'm worried about well
nine nine nine nine was an end-of-file descriptor end of
Program descriptor for cobalt and the world descriptor and a couple of other large mainframe machines
But one of the things that people don't really kind of realize is that dates on these machines were still stored with zero nine
Zero nine. Yeah, nine nine. So you're not gonna see four nines in a row
All right
Well, that's uh, all right, I guess that alleviates my fear just well
Still may be problems, but I don't foresee it. All right, and somebody asked me about the Microsoft NSA thing
Good evening. You're you're on the air. Yes, Emmanuel
I'd like to mention that what I don't like about the commercial stations and the fact that I hope that the AI stays on and
They don't let you talk I talk about freedom of speech they don't let you talk well, I call things like a wrap
you know, they they they cut they they they
Unless you're like getting to your point. Like I called WCBS is asked the mayor or asked the governor you called. That's the mayor
Yeah, and then they they they say what do you want to talk about?
I told him what I want to talk about I say it and then they cut you off right away
That's what's known as a normal human reaction
No, that's what's known as not freedom of speech and not a WB AI type of thing. In other words
All right. Let me ask you a question. What do you want to talk about?
I want to talk about the fact that the K rock day line is an 800 number and he said it's free to join
It's free to use but guess what when you want to listen to you
But you could you leave your messages, but guess what when you want to listen to them? You got a call a 900 number
Well, that's that's a scandal of the week. But thank you very much for for sharing it with us
He said he was calling k-rock. He was calling k-rock owned by CBS. Okay, I was gonna point that out. Yeah
Wow, so I told me change their policy tell us about this NSA thing. Oh the the Microsoft NSA
You're interested in that go ahead. Oh, okay. Well, it's kind of been like a wonderful topic being tossed around certain circles
It's a very old piece of news, but it's a new piece of news with the release of service pack 5 Microsoft forgot to do something
Which is basically remove all their debugging tags before they shipped it so something that was noticed beforehand was that part of the
ADV API 32 that they allow it's a conglomeration of like advanced API's
And 32 bits. Mm-hmm part of which is the cryptographic
system
For Microsoft had this little thing with having more than one key now
What it's supposed to do is allow a common set
instructions to do certain cryptographic functions on your Windows machine 95 98 NT and
2000 and to
Double check different components you would add to the cryptographic segment of this
So it was supposed to be a verification for export regulations. Okay, where you know, they ship Windows
NT out to
Cambodia or something trains leaving the station Isaac. I'm sorry. That's I'm so we're just running out of time here
you don't need a whole history of and
It's supposed to be a way of verifying that. Yes, this particular component should be exported. What happened?
What happened was that?
With the release of service pack 5 the tags were still attached and there were two keys
There was a lot of speculation on what the second key was for. The first one was called
Underscore key. The second one was underscore NSA key. That's not good
So the theories have been bouncing around about why this is here like oh gee the NSA threw a key in there so that they
Can like play with all our cryptographic stuff and you know, make sure it's all exportable
Well, it turns out that they may have just shot themselves in the foot
because how this particular thing was implemented by Microsoft and the twisted screwy way that they have is that
The different security packages are supposed to be verified by the key in this case the Microsoft certification key
And if that fails they go to the second key, which would be the NSA key
It's really fun because you can replace either of the keys
So the reason you can't you can repeat replace either key what happens is that if you replace the first key Windows itself
Like pukes and dies because it can't verify its own software. Okay, however, you can replace the second key
Which means all of a sudden you take your stock Windows NT your stock 95 your stock 98 that's supposed to have these like
Export controls in it from the NSA and everything and you can replace the second key so that it falls over and you can have
Just about anything you want
So by ask the NSA asking Microsoft to do this
They wound up shooting themselves in the foot
By basically opening it to anybody to drop anything they want just by running a happy little program that replaces the key in the DLL
What what do you personally think happens here? You think is somebody with well the ulterior motives?
I'm sorry
The speculation was that oh geez
Well, the NSA did this so that they can add software and change Windows that they can monitor us
well, I
Think that's a sham simply because we already have utilities like back orifice
That do a fine job of looking at everything on your drive and managing to capture all your keystrokes
What I think is
Really the issue here is that Microsoft willingly or at least was
Coerced to the point where a government agency was capable of saying you have to put this in here so that we feel more safe
My question is is the only indication. This is the NSA the fact that it says NSA key
Yeah, there's another piece there that says, you know, NSA might stand for network server
It could also be a big joke couldn't it?
It could be a big joke
But the the point is that the system was devised to stop people from adding non
Greater than 40-bit encryption technology to the exported version of Windows and
It's kind of amusing that they wound up shooting themselves in the foot by specifically requesting that this other key be put into place
That is interesting. I'm sure they'll be when did this actually come out?
the NSA thing occurred
end of August early September
But the relative the realization that there were two keys was made in 96 by a gentleman in the UK
I'm talking about till now because the NSA thing was like a big hype, especially considering the the Waco engagement
The Microsoft hotmail security bug. It's it's it's it's a fact that was kind of like well-known for a while
What does Waco have to do with this?
government agencies interfering with
Private individuals so far as privacy and security. I say I'm trying to demonstrate the climate that would have made this such a big deal
Well, I'm sure we'll be hearing more about this in future weeks
So we'll look into it more and get people information cool deal. Yeah, it's taking my phone call. Good evening. You're on the air
Hello. Yes, go ahead a quick question
Is there a way to get rid of the national access?
Contribution charge on my long-distance bill to to choose a carrier who won't hit me up for seven dollars a month
Just for the privilege of of my having them as their carrier become an expatriate
well, the thing is that that charge is mandated by by the
Federal government is it mandated the government says they have to charge it. It's not something that's permissive. I believe it's it's man
You know, it's man. I you know, the government doesn't make companies charge fees as far as I know
Well FCC regulations do require that sometimes that you know, they they get back their money somehow
I mean there are companies that might swallow the loss if your bill is big enough
So if you have a big account and you say, you know
We're gonna move our account to another company unless you drop this charge. They may drop the charge. They might well
They're not gonna drop it. They're just gonna pay it for you. Yeah
Not that I found I mean I'd sure like to know about that but these charges are driving everybody crazy
Well, the thing is if you don't have a long-distance carrier
They charge you for not having a long-distance carrier, which is really absurd and and the charge is almost the same. Yeah
We live in sad times
Some people don't realize that the reason
Myself and Emanuel and other people are really griping is that my telephone line for instance
I make about 30 cents worth of calls per month. Meanwhile, my taxes and everything else bring the bill up to like 15 bucks
Yeah, it's rather ludicrous. It's crazy. Good evening. You're on the air
Yes, hi
You mentioned earlier something about getting credit cards without asking about it. Ah, yes, and you'd like to know how to do that
No, actually, I wanted to tell you some remedy. Oh
I get
offers for credit card
Usually it comes with the envelope saying no postage necessary if mailed in the United States, right you attach a brick to it
Yeah, I know I fill it up with garbage
Ah
But what do you do when they already send you the card
Well, my point is am I liable for charges on this card? I've never asked
Yeah, the thing is I can't protest this because I didn't send me an envelope that has postage paid and the card has my
Name on it. So well, you could pay the 33 cents
All right, I'll give you the quarter and the six but then I don't have to wait for him to do something
I could just mail off things to all the big companies. I don't like that. Just say six pennies. I don't nickel and three pennies
Point is we've been deluged with junk and we were paying for it because that's why you have to pay all these stupid fees
To to subsidize junk like this, you know
It's really sad. So if anyone has any creative uses for my
Unwanted MasterCard, please. Let me know. I still have to call it to verify it though to
Know to verify that it's mine or probably they want my social security number. I bet that's what they want
They already have it. It's the only way they can give you one
I don't know what what what they want
Maybe they want my social security number in my voice so they have that so they can use it to open doors and that
But they gave it to us. Really? Yeah, well, we'll follow up on this in weeks ahead
If anyone has similar stories, please email us OTH at 2600 comm or write to us off the hook care of WBA
I 120 Wall Street, New York, New York 1 0 0 0 5
We'll be back again next week with another exciting adventure in the land of corporate America and cyberspace
Till then Emanuel Goldstein for Isaac. Have a good night
I
Mean
Join mumia
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included in this discussion will be comments by Dred Scott keys and mumia's literary agent Francis golden an
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