| U2 auctions guitars for Katrina victims
The beloved Gibson Les Paul guitar owned by U2's The Edge fetched $US240,000 ($A287,300) and Bono's sunglasses pulled in $US20,000 ($A23,900) at an auction to benefit musicians who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. Yesterday's auction at New York's Hard Rock Cafe by Julien's Auctions raised $US2.44 million ($A2.92 million), including a 20 per cent buyer's fee, for Music Rising, a charity set up by The Edge and other musicians after the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricane. It marked the first time such a wide selection of U2 memorabilia was available to collectors, organisers said. Among the more than 200 items sold were Jimi Hendrix's 1966 Red Fender Mustang guitar, which fetched $US400,000 ($A478,800), former US President Bill Clinton's saxophone ($US54,000/$A64,600) and a pair of John Lennon's round, blue-tinted sunglasses ($US30,000/$A36,000).
FCC plans for 700 MHz draw heated debate
Nearly drowned out in broad policy debates over controversial public-safety and broadband wireless proposals are pressing questions about how the Federal Communications Commission will craft the 700 MHz band plan.
A coalition of 21 small- and medium-sized wireless and wireline carriers and state regulatory agencies are worried the FCC is leaning toward a 700 MH band plan largely favoring large geographic wireless licenses over small ones for auction later this year.
This is a matter of great importance given the unique technical attributes of the 700 MHz band, which make it ideally suited to serve many of the more rural areas that are served or are proposed to be served by the proponents of the Balanced Consensus Plan, the group told the FCC.
Included in the coalition are Alltel Corp., Aloha Partners L.P., Dobson Communications Corp.
Nigeria Awards Preferential Bidding Rights
Ten foreign and local companies have been given preferential rights on 20 blocks under Nigeria's right of first refusal system in the country's latest bidding round. Under the terms of the right of first refusal deals bidding companies pledge to invest in new infrastructure in exchange for choice exploration blocks .
Wright's Barnyard auctions off its memorabilia
An amusement center in Lansing run by the same family for half a century was sold off in bits and pieces Tuesday, but the mood was anything but somber. Wright's Hollywood Park -- known for decades as Wright's Barnyard -- closed its doors in December, but an auction to sell off everything from garbage cans to arcade games felt more like a party. .
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