Live from The Future of Music Policy Summit in Washington, D.C., Mike provides some insight into what’s on the mind of thought leaders in the area of copyright protection, legal sharing and other related topics. Joining us today is special guest Derek Slater, a student fellow with the Berkman Center, who is on a panel with Mike on Sept. 13.

Hey, I am the first to slam the telcos (aka former Baby Bells), but I have to say, BellSouth gets huge props for this:

Evacuees to the Houston Astrodome and surrounding Reliant Center facilities will be receiving an important New Orleans product – their local editions of The Real Yellow Pages® from BellSouth.

With the thousands of evacuees who are temporarily located at the Astrodome and surrounding Reliant Centers, BellSouth is having directories delivered to assist evacuees in reaching family, businesses and important resources prior to returning to the New Orleans area.

“The evacuees located in the Houston area are BellSouth customers, neighbors and family.  We hope having a local resource with important numbers including insurance companies, schools and other and resources will be of great assistance to all evacuees,” said Ike Harris, President of BellSouth Advertising & Publishing Corporation.

Approximately 900 directories are scheduled to be delivered on Monday, September 12.   Evacuees who have already found housing in the Houston area, but still want a copy of their local directory can go online to www.realpageslive.com and access any of the more than 500 BellSouth directories, or they can call (800) 422-1955, provide their Louisiana home telephone number and ask for a copy of their local directory.

Over the next few weeks, BellSouth will work with SBC Communications to provide directories to other centers located in Texas and neighboring states hosting Hurricane Katrina Evacuees.

Pretty cool stuff, but it makes me miss "The World's Most Dangerous Places" with Robert Young Pelton. His interview with Ahmad Shah Massoud is one of TV's greatest moments. The book (which I own) is available on Amazon.

From 1980-1987, I had the dream job of writing a weekly sports broadcasting column at The Everett Herald. In addition to taking potshots at local sportscasting figures, I also had the privilege of interviewing some of the top national sportscatsers (as well as up and comers such as Bob Costas and Chris Berman). Among the nicest and most professional of the big guys was Chris Schenkel, a classy ABC sports stalwart. I remember speaking with him on the phone for an hour from his home in Indiana. Schenkel was an icon from the ABC Wide World of Sports days and an era without slomotion instant replays and myriad camera angles. It was an era when economy of language that bristled with insight was far more important that hubbub about team squabbles and police blotter activities. Schenkel will be missed.