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Media Access
Project Praises Gore Announcement of Panel to Review Public Interest
Obligations
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TV Main Page
Digital
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STATEMENT ON DIGITAL
TELEVISION ADVISORY COMMITTEE
February 6, 1997
Washington, DC -- Gigi B. Sohn,
Executive Director of Media Access Project, praised yesterday's
announcement that the White House will name an advisory committee
to recommend public interest obligations for broadcasters as
they transition to digital television:
"We are pleased that the
Administration has taken action to ensure that broadcasters provide
the public with new, enhanced public service obligations in the
digital age. Broadcasters are soon to receive - for free - billions
of dollars worth of publicly-owned spectrum to convert to digital
television. This will permit them to provide multiple channel
feeds, including new program and pay services. It would be criminal
not to require a dividend of public service in exchange for this
multi-billion dollar gift of a scarce and valuable public resource.
We urge the Administration to
appoint advisory committee members who will reflect the various
segments of the public interest community. Educators, media advocates,
campaign finance reform supporters and civil rights leaders should
all be at the table. We hope that the broadcast industry - which
has virtually refused to talk to the public interest community
about this issue - will participate in good faith and with new
ideas.
The Administration's actions
do not absolve the Federal Communications Commission of its duty
to ensure that the public interest is served by grant of these
new licenses. Before it issues licenses for digital TV, the FCC
must require broadcast- ers to commit to tangible and quantifiable
public interest obligations that compensate the public for the
enormous new opportunities broadcasters will receive."
The Media Access Project (MAP)
is a twenty-four year old public interest law firm that represents
the public's rights to speak and receive information over new
and current technologies. MAP, which has been working on the
issue for eight years, is recognized as the leading public interest
advocate on digital television. MAP's Executive Director testified
before a special FCC hearing on digital television in December,
1995. In that testimony, she urged the Commission adopt new public
obligations for broadcasters as payment for the new spectrum.
For information, call Gigi Sohn
or Andrew Schwartzman at 202-232-4300.
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