Telecommunications Sector

Major League Baseball's Screwball Economics

As another season begins, MLB faces an unsustainable future -- and you’re picking up the tab.

Fresh Humor From A Good Ol' Boy

Is Plano-based Telecom Giant Huawei China's Trojan Horse For Cyber Sleuthing and Warfare?

If you haven't seen the most recent 60 Minutes piece on the potential threat to U.S. telecommunications infrastructure posed by Plano-based Chinese telecom titan Huawei, watch it. If you have, the U.S. House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence released the results of its investigation Monday, ... More >>

Following in Pheidippides' Footsteps

73-Year-Old Dallas Man Convicted In International Telecom Swindle Worth $60 Mil

​Michael Signoretto is 73, and as of today the Dallas man faces up to 40 years in federal prison for his role in defrauding two British telecommunications companies out of of more than $60 million. Signoretto, who was just found guilty by a federal jury, didn't do this alone. He had plenty of co-c ... More >>

Belo in Fee Dispute With DirecTV, Which is Warning Customers They Could Lose WFAA

​Saw this heads-up for the first time last night. As it turns out, according to DirecTV's website, the satellite provider and Belo Corp. are engaged in a tussle over broadcast fees. Belo, which signed its agreement with the carrier in February 2001, says DirecTV isn't paying enough for the rights ... More >>

Country Music Television, Time Warner Cable Legal Tussle Lands in Dallas County Courtroom

​This morning, Courthouse News directs our attention to a legal dispute playing out in Judge Carlos Cortez's courtroom: Country Music Television v. Time Warner Cable, filed by McKinney Ave. attorney Michael Raiff. The original complaint itself isn't available: All of the available filings in the D ... More >>

Dish Network Gets Blockbuster For Around $230 Mil in Cash and a Pallet of Junior Mints

​The question "Why does Dish Network want Blockbuster?" was asked and answered late last week, though one Friend of Unfair Park suggested, "Twizzlers." Turns out, the Colorado-based Dish wanted it plenty bad -- more than Carl Icahn and the lenders who turned up to take the Renaissance Tower-based ... More >>

On-the-Auction-Block Blockbuster Thinks Amazon, Best Buy, CVS Are Interested

​Home Media Magazine directs our attention to this Friday filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York, where Renaissance Tower-based Blockbuster filed for Chapter 11 back in September. As we noted last week, Blockbuster's up for sale now, with Monarch Alternative Capital among the interested parti ... More >>

Happy New Year, Japan

In Case You Switched Providers in Recent Weeks, Dish Network, FOX Kiss and Make Up

Dish'ers, you're now free to watch FX's The League again. And if you're not, you should.​That's the word from the Dish Network, which just sent word that, nope, it's not gonna drop regular ol' FOX from its line-up after all. And, matter of fact, those 19 regional sports nets axed on October 1, inc ... More >>

At Least There's No Need to Put Fireworks on Fair Park's Wish List This Holiday Season

​Only a few months ago the city -- really, the Friends of Fair Park -- axed the Fair Park Fourth, because there weren't no money for fireworks. Then, at the last minute, City Hall found the dough in the back pockets of Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Neil and Kenny Goldberg. But that won't be an issue ... More >>

You Know Who Doesn't Have the Fastest Mobile Network in Dallas? Hint: It's Based in Dallas.

​Two things I probably should replace sooner than later: car and cellphone. Got the former covered. As for the latter, I'm still considering T-Mobile's HTC HD2, a little more this morning than yesterday. That's because, per PC Magazine's just-released survey of the fastest mobile networks, T-Mobil ... More >>

Fox Sports Southwest, DISH Network Face Off Over Added Dallas Stars Broadcasts

​It may take a while to get a response from DISH Network; a spokesperson tells Unfair Park most of its higher-ups are at the Consumer Electronic Show in Las Vegas. Till we get a response, then, this is Fox Sports Southwest's side of the story.This year, the network upped the number of Dallas Stars ... More >>

Better Than Fair

Cable Access's iMedia Goes Dark

​It's not the most surprising press release to ever arrive in the Unfair Park in-box -- especially given the fact that City Manager Mary Suhm's FY2009-2010 budget cut its funding ($246,000 for last fiscal year, about a third of its annual operating budget). But there it is: Dallas iMedia Network, ... More >>

Sailor Sheryl

Dora's Crying. Mommy, Make it Stop.

On Page 13A of Your Morning Paper is Dora the Explorer, crying all over a full-page ad that screams: "Time Warner Cable is Taking Dora Off the Air Tonight! Along with 19 of your favorite channels!" Which is a bit of a stretch. Spike? Please. MTV? Since when? 1985? TV Land? Since when? 1966? OK, thou ... More >>

Good Call: Nokia Siemens Is Actually Adding R&D Jobs in the DFW

Amidst all the gloomy news of local business shutterings of late, this ray of sunshine for folks in the telecom industry: Nokia Siemens Networks has announced the opening of a research-and-development facility in the area that the company's calling "another significant step in further accelerating t ... More >>

Time Warner North Texas Ain't Happy With Its Cell Service Either

Last Night: Kid Rock and Gretchen Wilson At The Granada

Kid Rock And Gretchen Wilson To Play Granada Tonight...For T-Mobile Customers

Good Points

Which is the Best Cell Phone Service in the DFW? What? Can't Hear You.

The NFL Wants Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones to Fix Its Cable Problem

Dallas-Based Kimberly-Clark Makes Procter & Gamble Want Its Mommy

Virgin Mobile Had Plenty of Warning a Dallas Family Was About to Sue

Hey, Belo, Maybe It's Time for a Split?

XM's Off a KLIF

Belo to Get New Life?

Channel 4: It's Foxy!

Who Hoak?

Unfair Park, Brought to You By AT&T?

Richie Rich Round-Up

No Stars Gazing

Internet Not Good for Everything? C'mon.

In the Matter of Kirk v. Klingon

Just for Kix?

Hotel dining in Richardson? About what you'd expect.

Lemonade

Mark Cuban, you so smart!

Hello, God?

Get religion from your long-distance carrier

The View From the Bottom

What's it like surviving the telecom bust? Numbers alone don't tell the story.

Bill soon due

Dallas beat the telecoms, but guess who pays the price?

Ring Ma Bell

When heavyweight Southwestern Bell gets into a brawl with AT&T at the Legislature, consumers--that's you--are the ones who get beat up

Cyberbunk

Kevin Massey is no 'cyberstalker.' But when he tangled with another bullheaded loudmouth on the Internet, their 'flame' war spawned a great publicity stunt.

Funny money

Kimberly-Clark gets benevolent with Florida county's cash

BeloWatch

The mouse that roared

How telecommunications deregulation will help Disney--and other media giants--rule the world