TELECOM DEREGULATION CLEARS HURDLE

The most far-reaching proposal toreform telecommunications lawsin 61 years got an unexpected boost late Thursday when the House Commerce Committee voted 39-5 to send the measure to the House floor. The bill would lift protections on cable TV rates and break down barriers between the phone and cable industries.Suneel Ratan, Washington economics correspondent for TIME,notes that past deregulation efforts have failed when it came time towork out the details. Members of Congress, he says, will have to strike a difficult balance between the powerful interests of Baby Bells on one side and those ofcable and long distance companieson the other.