var newsItemId = 0;
var NEWS_DELAY = 7000;

function setFirstNewsItem()
{
    var dataString = "PreviousNewsItem=" + newsItemId;
    $.ajax({
        type: "POST",
        url: "NewsTicker.aspx",
        data: dataString,
        success: function(msg) {
            var newsItem = JSON.parse(msg);
            newsItemId = newsItem.itemId;

            $('#divNewsItems').html(newsItem.itemText);

            setTimeout(newsTicker, NEWS_DELAY);
        },
        error: function(msg) {
            //alert(msg);
        }
    });
}

function newsTicker()
{
    var dataString = "PreviousNewsItem=" + newsItemId;
    $.ajax({
        type: "POST",
        url: "NewsTicker.aspx",
        data: dataString,
        success: function(msg)
        {
            $('#divNewsItems').fadeOut('slow', function()
            {
                var newsItem = JSON.parse(msg);
                newsItemId = newsItem.itemId;
                $('#divNewsItems').html(newsItem.itemText);
                $('#divNewsItems').fadeIn('slow', function()
                {
                    setTimeout(newsTicker, NEWS_DELAY);
                });
            });
        },
        error: function(msg)
        {
            //alert(msg);
        }
    });
}