by Kurt E. DeSoto

If you are like me, you might have made it one of your New Year's resolutions to attend more meetings, presentations, hearings, oral arguments, tutorials or workshops to keep abreast of the latest proposals or actions of decisionmakers and policymakers in the communications industry. But, of course, often on the day of a particular event you get tied up taking care of an emergency . . . and before you know it, you are too late to attend. One more resolution broken.

Or is it?

There are now countless Internet websites that provide either free or subscription-based access to live and archived audio, video and transcript files of newsworthy events. Thus, the presentations you miss can now be reviewed the next day, the next month, or even the next year . . . whenever you finally have the time.

I would like to recommend a few of these sites in this article. Before I begin, however, let's look at the equipment you will need to take advantage of these sites.

Equipment Requirements: In order to play streaming audio or video over the Internet, your PC will need at a minimum:

· A sound card;
· speakers;
· streaming media software (such as RealPlayer or Windows Media Player, usually pre-installed on PCs or downloaded for free)

If you would like to record the presentation to listen to later (assuming it is permissible), you will need a recording device, such as a cassette recorder or minidisc player. These devices can be used either with a microphone placed next to your speakers or -- to get a better quality recording -- with a cable connected from the audio output of your PC to the audio input of your recording device. Then play the audio files, for example during your commute, over a set of headphones or over your car's receiver (via a cassette, a cassette adapter unit, or an audio cable connecting your recorder to the receiver's input port). By the way, these same devices can also be used to make live recordings of meetings or telephone conferences, when permissible, for review at a later time or for posting on the web.

Minidisc recorders are superior to analog cassette recorders; they can record digitally up to 320 minutes of audio onto a disc that costs less than two dollars and offer improved sound quality. Check with an electronics store near you or online at a variety of sites, including www.minidisco.com, www.crutchfield.com, www.circuitcity.com; or www.planetminidisc.com. Audio cables are available from your local Radio Shack or from one of the many stores online, such as www.soundprofessionals.com or www.bettercables.com.

Noteworthy Websites: As the Internet has grown, so too has the number of websites containing live and archived materials in multimedia formats. Indeed, there are too many to be listed here. I recommend that you surf the Internet on your own to find the ones that appear useful to you and then bookmark them in a subfolder on your browser for easy access. Nevertheless, I would like to identify a few sites I have found particularly helpful.

For FCC events, of course, log on to the agency's homepage at www.fcc.gov and click on the "All Audio/Video Events" link at the bottom left side of the page. This link will take you to its webpage listing both live and archived materials. This page also has convenient links to other sites that will allow you to download and learn how to use the RealPlayer software needed to play its A/V files.

You can also get streaming audio and video coverage of FCC events (and selected other agency events) from George Mason University's Capitol Connection service, accessible online at www.capitolconnection.gmu.edu/. GMU also provides telephone access to most events, in case you are away from a computer.

For Congressional hearings, the best sites are:

www.capitolhearings.org (audio)
www.C-SPAN.org/watch (audio, video)
www.fednet.net (audio, video)
www.hearingscom (audio)

For linked references to a variety of domestic and international multimedia resources, I recommend a site created by Gary Price, MLIS, located at http://www.freepint.com/gary/audio.htm, or the portal hosted by the University of Albany, located at http://library.albany.edu/internet/reference/multimedia.html.

Some of these sites are subscription-based, but include helpful additional features that are worth the extra cost (ranging from a la carte pricing to negotiated subscription rates for multiple or heavy users). For example, they offer more extensive live and archived materials, guaranteed or unlimited connections, notifications of upcoming events, advanced search capabilities, and customer support. Some cover other agencies as well, including SEC, FTC, NTSB, FERC, and FDA. Capitol Connection and Hearings.com also provide telephonic access to most of the events they host.

For more information, contact Dave Reininger or Shirley Aljarani about Capitol Connection at (703) 993-3100 or Ms. Carla Flug about Hearings.com at (202) 966-2211.

A Final Plug: the FCBA offers cassette recordings of its CLE seminars at reasonable prices. To view a listing of the topics covered, log on to www.fcba.org/publications/cassettes.shtml.

So, there are now fewer excuses for breaking your New Year's resolution to attend more presentations. You can now listen live or via an archived file from your office, home, or anywhere you might happen to be and at any time . . . day or night. An insomniac's dream!? _______________________________________________________________________ Mr. DeSoto is an attorney at the law firm of Wiley Rein & Fielding LLP. He practices in the areas of wireless and wireline telecommunications, telephone company ratemaking, and equipment authorization. He previously worked in the FCC's Common Carrier Bureau. Updated 05/2004


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