Groups to FCC: Digital TV lacks Public Benefit

GROUPS TO FCC: DIGITAL TV LACKS PUBLIC BENEFIT
[SOURCE: tvnewsday]
A coalition of 28 groups (including the Benton Foundation) said in a filing at the FCC that over the past 12 years, the FCC “has repeatedly failed to redefine broadcasters’ public interest obligations in light of the nation’s ongoing transition to digital television.” The groups’ filing came in the FCC’s third periodic review of the conversion of the nation’s broadcast television system from analog to digital television on Feb. 18, 2009. In its rulemaking, the FCC proposed procedures and rule changes necessary to complete the transition, but, the groups claim, “once again failed to address broadcasters’ obligations to serve local communities’ educational, informational, civic, minority, disability and emergency information needs—or how these services should be disclosed to the public.” FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said about the filing: "For years I have argued that the most important part of the DTV transition is to ensure that it increases localism and diversity on our airwaves. Broadcasters will be able to air up to half a dozen different digital program streams, so here is a wonderful chance for them to get away from all the homogenized, nationalized programming that big media has foisted on us in favor of covering the people and communities they actually serve. Digital technology can be a huge boon for all of us--but only if we make sure this spectrum serves the public interest. The FCC has been asleep at the switch on this one, refusing to address what is really the heart-and-soul of DTV. I welcome the comments of the 28 groups who came together to ask the Commission to get serious about defining how this transition will benefit not just broadcasters, but all the American people."
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/08/15/daily.9/

* Commissioner Copps' statement
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-276017A1.doc

* Press release
http://www.benton.org/node/6814

* Filed comments
http://www.benton.org/benton_files/bentonetal_Final.doc