function startTicker()
{
  // Reset tracker vars
  curLength = 0;
  itemNo = -1;
	
  if (document.getElementById)
  {
    runTicker();   	
  }
  else
  {  
    return true;
  }
} // function startTicker

// Ticker main run loop
function runTicker()
{
  var pauseTime;
  aTag = document.getElementById("ticker");

  // Get next news item
  if(curLength == 0)
  {
    itemNo++;
    if(itemNo >= itemCount)
    {
       itemNo = 0;
    }
    itemNo = itemNo % itemCount;
    curItem = tickerItems[itemNo].replace(/"/g,'"');
    curURL = tickerURLs[itemNo].replace(/"/g,'"');
    aTag.href=curURL;
  } // if
	
  // Display text
  aTag.innerHTML = curItem.substring(0,curLength);  

  // set string length
  if(curLength != curItem.length)
  {
    curLength++;
    pauseTime = charTimeout;
  } // if
  else
  {
    curLength = 0;
    pauseTime = itemTimeout;
  } // else
	
  setTimeout("runTicker()", pauseTime);
} // function runTicker