Media Access Project: MEDIA ACCESS PROJECT: FCC VOTE ON DIGITAL TV "MEANS GOOD GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS GOOD PICTURES"

MEDIA ACCESS PROJECT: FCC VOTE ON DIGITAL TV "MEANS GOOD GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS GOOD PICTURES"

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April 3, 1997

Public interest group praises FCC for "getting the most out of an imperfect law."

Best features of the decision: public interest obligations, rapid rollout of digital service, "giveback" of existing channels by 2006, early auction of channels 60-69.

Veteran telcom advocates say broadcasters' "greedy tactics backfired."

Washington -- The Media Access Project issued the following statement on today's FCC vote to condition its award of digital TV licenses on broadcasters' acceptance of firm obligations to provide additional public service programming:

Today's vote means good government as well as good pictures. Broadcasters tried to evade new public service obligations, but their greedy tactics backfired. Chairman Hundt has laid the groundwork for policies that will give Americans a dividend of vastly expanded public service. We look forward to working with the President's newly-created advisory committee to define exactly what this should include. At a minimum, we want free time for political candidates, more programming addressing the educational needs of kids, and more time for community leaders to discuss local issues.

We would have preferred an entirely different approach. Unfortunately, in the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Congress directed the FCC to give broadcasters digital spectrum for free. Today's FCC action gets the most out of an imperfect law, by directing a rapid rollout of digital service in the major markets and directing that spectrum used for today's "analog" TV service is promptly returned to the government for auction, by 2006. In light of the broadcasters' stalling tactics, it is especially important that the FCC chose a specific date for return of this public property.

The FCC has done a terrific job in adopting President Clinton's approach towards "repacking" the spectrum used for TV channels 60 through 69. This is not only technologically efficient, but offers the prospect of realizing revenues to bring new technologies to the nation's schools and libraries.

The decision today should bring an end to the NAB's disingenuous bellyaching. Nobody forced them to go digital; they lobbied for, and received, the gift of exclusive access to public airwaves for digital TV. The outrageous claim that they should keep their current channels as a "loan" is all too typical; it is an interest-free gift. We're glad the FCC is making it end by 2006.

[Media Access Project is a 25 year-old public interest law firm which represents the public on telecommunications policy issues. It has been the primary representative of viewers' interests on the digital TV issue for most of the last decade.]

CONTACTS: Gigi Sohn
Andrew Jay Schwartzman

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