Benton launches its Headlines newsletter, a free, reliable, and non-partisan daily digest that curates and distributes news connecting communications, democracy, and public interest issues.
Sound Partners for Community Health (1996-2006), a national regranting program, brings public television and radio stations and community partners together to produce public health programs. Sound Partners is funded by The Robert Woods Johnson Foundation with $10 million over ten years.
The Clinton administration names Benton the legatee of the National Information Infrastructure Advisory Council.
Benton and Consumer Federation of America release Universal Service: A Historical Perspective and Policies for the 21st Century.
Benton and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) jointly sponsor the Up for Grabs: Communications Practice and Policy in the Public Interest conference. The conference brings together 250 policymakers, industry representatives, and community service providers to discuss implications of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and applications of advanced telecommunications technology in improving health care, education, and civic participation.
Paul Simon, former U.S. Senator for Illinois (1985-1997) and Terry Tinson-Saario, former Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Education Department in the Carter Administration, join the Benton Board of Directors.
- President Clinton re-elected.
- Congress passes the 1996 Telecommunications Act which creates 1) the E-rate program at the FCC, a federal commitment to connect all public classrooms and libraries to the Internet, and 2) a fund to connect rural healthcare centers.
- The Library Services and Technology Act sets new goals for the use of federal funds to support libraries' role in providing access to information technology.