function news_ticker_off(){
  var numItems=$('newsticker').childElements().length;
  for(var i=0; i<numItems; ++i){
    $('newsticker').childElements()[i].hide();
  }
  window.setTimeout("news_ticker_on()", 100);
}

function news_ticker_on(){
  var numItems=$('newsticker').childElements().length;
  $('newsticker').style.width='5%';
  $('newsticker').nextWidth=10;
  $('newsticker').childElements()[$('newsticker').nextToShow++].show();
  if($('newsticker').nextToShow>=numItems) $('newsticker').nextToShow=0;
  window.setTimeout("news_ticker_wider()", 100);
}

function news_ticker_wider(){
  $('newsticker').style.width=$('newsticker').nextWidth+'%';  
  $('newsticker').nextWidth+=5;
  if($('newsticker').nextWidth<=100){
    window.setTimeout("news_ticker_wider()", 50);
  }else{
    window.setTimeout("news_ticker_off()", 4000);
  }
}

$('newsticker').nextToShow=0;

news_ticker_off();