Facing “market environment that was simply not conducive to our efforts” to secure additional funding, Geocast Network Systems announced Thurs. that it was ceasing operations, effective immediately. In e-mail to investors and employees late Wed., Chmn.-CEO Joseph Horowitz cited “adverse economic conditions” as reason for closure (CD March 1 p9). He said Geocast would “retain only a small skeleton staff to conduct a sale of our assets.”

House Telecom Subcommittee has scheduled its next 3 hearings, all on Thurs. at 10 a.m. On March 8, panel will review educational technology, which is of special interest to new Chmn. Upton (R-Mich.), in Rm. 2322 of Rayburn. On March 15, it will look at DTV, getting “Private Sector Perspective on the Transition.” On March 29, it will review new FCC Chmn. Powell’s agenda and plans for FCC reform. Latter 2 hearings will be in Rm. 2123 of Rayburn.

News Corp Chmn. Rupert Murdoch said “due diligence” had slowed negotiations with DirecTV, which now were “moving slowly.” He admitted in Front Row Conference sponsored by Variety in N.Y.C. Tues. that deal might take longer to finalize than some earlier reports had indicated (CD Feb 8 p9). Some industry analysts had predicted deal would be completed by end of last week, but latest Murdoch comments would seem to indicate no deal was imminent. He didn’t elaborate on status of talks, but indicated both sides were making thorough inquiry into and review of individuals and records involved in transaction. Industry reports indicated Microsoft might be involved in 3-way due diligence process, which could also have complicated situation in last few days. GM also denied deal with Murdoch was close to completion.

GE Americom and Globecomm Systems announced deal for each to access other’s resources. GE Americom will have access to Globecomm’s “Internet in a box” system to provide satellite-based technical services, and Globecomm can use GE Americom’s satellite fleet. They also announced that Globecomm made prelaunch commitment for bulk bandwidth on 2 next-generation transoceanic satellites.

Nearly 700 employees of Cingular in Mich., Ohio and Wis. gained CWA representation through card check conducted by American Arbitration Assn., CWA said Wed. They bring to 1,900 number of Cingular employees in Ameritech region who have joined CWA since card check recognition took effect 7 months ago at wireless company, union said. CWA represents total of 10,000 Cingular workers, counting areas outside Ameritech.

Geocast informed its investors by telephone last Fri. that it had been unable to obtain bridge financing and was going out of business. Firm was formed 3 years ago with goal of using broadcast DTV spectrum to deliver data to home computers, and also by satellite through deal with EchoStar. Major TV groups and manufacturers who are investors (up to $10 million each) include Allbritton Communications, Belo Corp., Liberty Media, Hearst- Argyle, Philips, Thomson. Geocast official had no comment at our deadline but indicated there may be “news” this week.

Disposing of more assets, AT&T agreed to sell cable systems in several more states to Charter Communications and considered offering its 25.5% stake in Time Warner Entertainment (TWE) to public investors. AT&T, which has already shaved its debt load to $46 billion from high of $65 billion last year, aims to raise as much as $12 billion through 2 separate actions. Analysts still expect company to take further steps to pare down its debt, including spinoff of its Liberty Media programming unit and sales of its stakes in Comcast, Cablevision Systems and European wireless operations that it inherited from MediaOne.

PBS announced agreements Wed. with Triveni Digital and Wavexpress for interactive TV trials in 7 markets. Tests involve broadcast of interactive TV enhancements of 4 episodes of Scientific American Frontiers, airing on local PBS stations beginning March 27. Trials with Triveni, digital enhanced data and metadata solutions provider, will be first digital terrestrial broadcast of interactive TV enhancements using Advanced TV Enhancement Forum (ATVEF) Transport Type B specification that allows enhanced content to be aired with program without requiring connection to Internet, they said. Program-related enhancements will be encoded and distributed via satellite through PBS to member stations. Additional enhancements, customized to local audiences, will be inserted into local broadcast of each participating station, PBS said. On Wavexpress’s platform, 4 enhanced episodes will take advantage of features to integrate national and local enhanced broadcast applications synchronized to program, including seamless integration of TV and Web. Triveni’s SkyScraper data broadcasting systems will be used by PBS and 7 participating stations. Zenith is supplying ATVEF-enabled set-top boxes for 100 participants in trial markets. In certain markets, select viewers will install Wavexpress TVTonic TV/Web browser software and digital tuner card on their PCs, enabling them to have single screen integration of TV and enhanced content overlays, including 2-way polling, PBS said. TVTonic users will be able to chat and engage in peer-to-peer communication with other viewers while watching PBS programs. Participating in trial are: WETA Washington; Ore. Public Bcstg., Portland; N.J. Network; Me. Public Bcstg. Corp., Lewiston; Twin Cities Public TV, St. Paul/Minneapolis; WHYY Philadelphia; KQED San Francisco. PBS Interactive Senior Vp Cindy Johanson said Interactive TV trials demonstrate PBS’s vision to seamlessly blend local and national content through digital TV: “By forging new ground in the development of interactive television programming, PBS sends a clear message to leading cable, satellite and digital terrestrial platforms that the content community is anxiously waiting the deployment of ATVEF compliant receivers.” Triveni Pres. Mark Simpson said that in both educational and commercial use, being able to provide easily navigable enhanced programming without requiring connection to Internet would be one of driving forces of digital TV for both broadcaster and users.

Paul Allen’s Portland Trail Blazers of National Basketball Assn. said it would start nation’s first HDTV cable sports channel in July, focusing on professional, collegiate, high school and community sports in Ore. and southwest Wash. Team said new channel, known as Action Sports Cable Network (ASCN), would feature 25 to 30 Trail Blazer games per year as well as preseason football games of Allen’s Seattle Seahawks and games of his Portland Fire women’s basketball team. Plans call for ASCN to broadcast games in 1080i digital format. Team spokeswoman said Trail Blazers were negotiating agreements for basic or expanded basic carriage with AT&T Broadband and other area cable operators. Trail Blazers COO Harry Hutt estimated 1,000-2,000 homes in target areas now had HDTV sets.

House Commerce Committee Chmn. Tauzin (R-La.) and Rep. Boucher (R-Va.) will keynote CEA’s “Digital Download” conference March 6 at Mayflower Hotel in Washington, with another key legislator expected for morning keynote. Other speakers will include Fritz Attaway, exec. vp, MPAA; Mark Cooper, Consumer Federation of America; Jonathan Potter, Digital Media Assn.; Linda Golodner, National Consumers League; Dennis Mudd, CEO, MusicMatch; Cary Sherman, gen. counsel-RIAA; Matthew Zinn, TiVo; and several academics and attorneys -- www.ce.org.