Telecommunications Sector

The Voice Talks Black Voter Support for Gay Marriage with Michelangelo Signorile on Sirius [AUDIO]

We're approaching, if not looking in the rearview mirror at, a watershed moment in American civil rights history. A majority of the American public now supports marriage equality for same-sex couples. And, despite what detractors have been saying and predicting, this includes black people, too. An ... More >>

New York's Broadband Infrastructure Will Suck for The Next Eight Years (UPDATE)

Yesterday, the Voice reported on New York's tech industry, said to be the fastest growing in the U.S., according to a just released study. Now with some good news came some bad news. Sure, the recession didn't prevent 486 tech companies from starting here since 2007, nor has it slowed the flow of ... More >>

The Pirate Bay: Soon To Be Banned?

The Pirate Bay has taken some hard hits in the past few months. Though the file-sharing site announced in February that it would delate torrents and move entirely to magnet links, law enforcement has continued to mobilize against the operation. In March, for instance, a leaked doc suggested Swed ... More >>

RettighedsAlliancen's Maria Fredenslund Pressures Danish Court to Ban Grooveshark

A Danish court just decided that Grooveshark violates copyrights and is ordering an Internet service provider to block the American music-streamer, marking a huge victory for a cohort of record-industry insiders -- and a major blow to Web-freedom advocates. The group of entertainment companies, Ret ... More >>

Cell Service in Subways Is Here! What Your Service Provider Has to Say About It

​Well, the much anticipated (or feared) cell service on subways is here, at least on certain subway platforms around New York City and, some are reporting, even in the friggin' tunnel. As of today, the cell pilot is live at the A, C, E at Eighth Avenue and 14th Street; the L at Eighth Avenue a ... More >>

Reno Air Crash Kills 3; States Oppose AT&T Merger; UAW and GM Reach Agreement

​At least three people died yesterday when a plane at an air race in Reno, Nevada crashed near a grandstand. Jimmy Leeward was piloting a P-51 Mustang at the National Championship Air Races and Air Show when he lost control of the aircraft. Witnesses say he managed to pull up before impact, pr ... More >>

I'm Appearing At The LGBT Center!

​ In an OutProfessionals event. This Wednesday, September 14, at 630 PM, Sirius XM OutQ's Frank DeCaro will chat with me about my new book, Fork on the Left, Knife in the Back, and we'll no doubt dig into all kinds of gossipy topics with reckless abandon.

Even More Wi-Fi Coming To City Parks

​Didn't we hear in June that AT&T was bringing Wi-Fi to parks this summer? Yes! And now we've learned there are even more hotspots on the way. According to a press release announcing the city's renewed deal with Time Warner Cable and Cablevision Systems, 32 parks will be provided with Wi-Fi ... More >>

Royal Wedding Looks Pretty Groovy

Look at how the Archbishop of Canterbury gets down. Would that this were real, but alas, it's a T-Mobile ad. [rgray@villagevoice.com] [@_rosiegray]

AT&T Buying T-Mobile For $39 Billion

Strange bedfellows.​And lo, one crappy service provider acquires another. AT&T announced today that it's buying T-Mobile USA for $39 billion from Deutsche Telekom. If the two companies fully merge, the deal will give AT&T another 46.5 million customers in America, pushing it way past Veriz ... More >>

Kevin Sorbo: Versace Had His Hand Up My Thigh

​ Kevin Sorbo, the model who gained fame as TV's "Hercules," served up his misty memories of almost wearing Versace (meaning the man himself), as told on Sirius XM Satellite Radio's "The Frank DeCaro Show". Sorbo said that after he got a job modeling for Versace in Milan, he get a phone call ... More >>

THE CABLE GUY

Matt McCarthy is a commercial success

TV With Dirty Words: NY's Public Access Debuts

​Clip Job: an excerpt every day from the Voice archives. July 8, 1971, Vol. XVI, No. 27 The electric soapbox: 'This is your channel' By Robin Reisig "We spent 10 hours last night taking out all the dirty words -- there must have been 100 fucks and cocksuckers -- and now they want us to put t ... More >>

Paul McCartney

Coming Soon: Cell Service Literally Everywhere ... Starting With Grand Central

​If your dream of the future involves constant wireless connectivity and the ability to Tweet or text or update your Facebook status from, like, anywhere, your dream is nigh. The MTA has approved a licensing agreement to construct "a state-of-the-art, multi-carrier wireless commercial network" ... More >>

Fox and Time Warner cut a deal

​After weeks of high-stakes brinksmanship and a last-minute extension, Time Warner Cable cut a deal Friday night to pay an unspecified per-viewer fee to transmit Fox programming from News Corporation-0wned stations broadcasting in New York, Los Angeles, and a number of other major cities. Fox ... More >>

Fox-Time Warner War Heads to Inevitable, Customer-Gouging Conclusion

​You may have seen ads in the papers and on TV -- one in the form of a ransom note -- warning you that Fox TV may go off the air, and that it's either Fox's fault or carrier Time Warner's, depending on who is paying for the advertising. Fox wants the cable company to pay a "retransmission co ... More >>

The Schnitzel Truck's 15 Minutes

New Yorkers expressed their affection for Schnitzel & Things earlier this year when it nominated the food truck for a Vendy Award. Now, the rest of country will get to see one of our favorite food trucks on a regular basis in an ad for T-Mobile, starring, um, a texting priest. It's a split-second ... More >>

Bloomberg Keeps His Billions Separate From His Mayoral Obligations? Yeah, Right!

Sirius Debt May Bankrupt Satellite Radio Company

Many citizens facing a worsening recession are looking at their car dashboards and thinking, "why am I paying for radio?" So Sirius XM, home to Howard Stern and a bunch of other v/o celebs, is facing bankruptcy. The Times says it has $175 million in debt payments due at the end of the month and is ... More >>

Can You Hear Me Now? Verizon, Unions Settle

The FISA Bill: Why Did Four of NY's House Democrats Fold?

Hold That 'Sweetheart' Verizon Cable Franchise, Advocates Warn

BITTERSWEET SYMPHONY

A three-day tribute to a downtown maverick

"Quantico Circuit" Creates Government Wiretapping "Big Brother Scenario"

Top 10 Reasons Why NSA Wiretapping is Bad For America

Telecom Immunity: Just Say No

Food, Wine, and Sarcasm in Brooklyn

Google: The New Port Authority

A juggernaut gets ready to inject a big glob of silicon into New York City

Screen Gems

Tivo alerts, anchors aweigh: Favorite moments from the year when TV went topsy-turvy

TXTmobs take on the GOP

Protesters spend real bucks, save real headaches with text messaging

Window Shopping

Spend the Extra Money Now on XP Pro or Face the Headaches Later

Mob Bell

How Tele-Savvy Wiseguys Bought a Midwest Phone Company

They've Got Your Number

Switching Cell Phone Services Without Losing Your Digits

Phony War

How the Phone Unions Turned Verizon's Strike Preparation Against It

Showdown for the Phone Union

With a Nod From Washington, Verizon Prepares for Battle

Music

Phone Sexy

Should I Buy a Snazzy New Cell Phone?

Broadbandits

Getting Greened

Did Memories of the 2001 Mayoral Race Kill the Gubernatorial Primary?

Verizon Gets Earful

Customers Squawk Back Over DSL Service

The Incredible Shrinking Internet

When Cable Monopolies Rule the Web, Everyone Loses

Broadband for the Masses

Vermont Puts New York to Shame

Europe Unplugged

The Global Village Protests Its Connection Fees

Cable-Ready or Not

Giuliani and the City Council Fight for Control Over Franchises