Just Another Toaster

[Commentary] Television is "just another appliance -- it's a toaster with pictures." Those are the memorable words of Mark Fowler, who chaired the FCC during the Reagan administration. The image of a toaster with pictures neatly deflates the notion that broadcast television is somehow special. That attitude of "specialness" is so out of kilter with the contemporary digital video landscape that it is causing repeated policy crashes in Congress -- on indecency, media ownership, and cable must carry mandates. Public interest groups have a history of backing broadcasters push to force cable operators to carry their signals. But that's not the case in the digital TV era. Some groups no longer believe the promises to air local, educational or civic programming. That's why they've ditched the quest for "public interest" obligations, and argue against must carry rules. But it hasn't been without disagreement. Philanthropist Charles Benton says that notwithstanding "the cynicism on the part of many people in the public interest community, we are reaching out to the NAB." His foundation played a key role in orchestrating a 1998 report -- by the so-called Gore Commission -- on broadcasters' public interest obligations for digital television.