*Pages 1--2 from  Microsoft Word - 4209.doc*
 PUBLIC  NOTICE  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12th  St.,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Fax-  On-  Demand  202  /  418-  2830  TTY  202  /  418-  2555  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov 
 ftp.  fcc.  gov 
 Released:  October  12,  2000 
 COMMISSION  RELEASES  PRELIMINARY  AGENDA  FOR  EN  BANC  HEARING  ON 
 PUBLIC  INTEREST  OBLIGATIONS  OF  TV  BROADCAST  LICENSEES 


 As  announced  on  October  3,  2000,  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  will  hold  an  en  banc  hearing 
 on  Monday,  October  16,  2000,  examining  the  public  interest  obligations  of  television  broadcasters.  The  hearing 
 will  commence  at  9:  00  a.  m.  at  the  Commission’s  headquarters,  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.,  Washington,  D.  C. 


 The  Commission  hearing  will  consist  of  three  panels:  (1)  serving  children  in  a  digital  television  world,  (2) 
 protecting  children  from  the  effects  of  sexually  explicit  or  violent  programming,  and  (3)  using  digital  television  to 
 better  serve  local  communities.  A  preliminary  agenda,  including  expected  panelists,  is  attached.  FCC 
 Commissioners  will  moderate  and  participate  in  the  hearing. 


 The  en  banc  hearing  transcript  will  be  included  in  the  record  that  the  Commission  is  developing  as  it 
 considers  the  public  interest  obligations  of  broadcasters  as  they  transition  to  digital  television.  All  interested  parties 
 may  submit  written  testimony  or  other  material  for  the  record  until  October  23,  2000.  Once  the  record  has  been 
 fully  developed,  the  Commission  will  examine  the  steps  it  may  take  to  ensure  that  television  licensees  continue  to 
 serve  the  needs  of  their  communities  and  to  address  the  needs  of  children  in  the  digital  television  era. 


 The  hearing  is  open  to  the  public,  and  seating  will  be  available  on  a  first  come,  first  served  basis.  At  the 
 end  of  each  panel,  we  will  provide  the  audience  with  an  opportunity  for  a  short  question-  and-  answer  period.  All 
 interested  persons  are  invited  to  attend.  Internet  users  may  listen  to  the  real-  time  audio  feed  of  the  hearing  via  the 
 FCC’s  Internet  Audio  Broadcast  Home  Page.  Step-  by-  step  instructions  on  how  to  listen  to  the  audio  broadcast,  as 
 well  as  information  regarding  the  equipment  and  software  needed,  are  available  on  the  FCC’s  Current  Audio/  Video 
 Events  Home  Page.  The  URL  address  for  this  home  page  is  http://  www.  fcc.  gov/  realaudio/. 


 A  transcript  of  the  hearing  will  be  available  ten  (10)  days  after  the  event  on  the  FCC’s  Internet  site.  The 
 URL  address  of  the  FCC’s  Internet  Home  Page  is  http://  www.  fcc.  gov/.  Transcripts  may  be  obtained  from  the 
 FCC’s  duplicating  contractor,  International  Transcription  Service  (ITS)  at  (202)  857-  3800,  or  fax  (202)  857- 
 3805,  or  TTY  (202)  293-  8810.  ITS  may  be  reached  by  electronic  mail:  its  inc@  ix.  netcom.  ITS’s  Internet  address 
 is  http://  www.  itsdocs.  com.  Audio  and  video  tapes  of  the  hearing  may  be  purchased  from  Infocus,  341  Victory 
 Drive,  Herndon,  VA,  20170,  by  calling  Infocus  at  (703)  834-  0100  or  faxing  Infocus  at  Infocus  is  (703)  834-  1470, 
 extension  2278. 


 Mass  Media  Bureau  contacts:  Susanna  Zwerling  (202)  418-  2600;  Kim  Matthews  (202)  418-  2120;  Julie  Barrie 
 (202)  418-  2120. 


 ########## 
1
 2 
 EN  BANC  HEARING  ON  THE  PUBLIC  INTEREST  OBLIGATIONS  OF 
 TV  BROADCAST  LICENSEES 


 PRELIMINARY  AGENDA 
 October  16,  2000 
 9:  00  –  9:  30am  Opening  Statements  from  Chairman  and  Commissioners 
 9:  30  –  10:  45am  PANEL  I:  SERVING  CHILDREN  IN  A  DIGITAL  TELEVISION  WORLD 
 James  P.  Steyer,  Chairman  and  Chief  Executive  Officer,  JPKids 
 Anne  Sweeney,  President,  Disney/  ABC  Cable  Networks 
 Kathryn  Montgomery,  President  and  Co-  Founder,  Center  for  Media  Education 
 Susan  Altman,  Producer,  It’s  Academic 
 Patricia  Nugent,  Senior  Director  of  Children’s  Programming,  PBS 


 11:  00  –  1:  00pm  PANEL  II:  PROTECTING  CHILDREN  FROM  THE  EFFECTS  OF  SEXUALLY 
 EXPLICIT  OR  VIOLENT  PROGRAMMING 


 Vicky  Rideout,  Vice  President,  Entertainment  Media  and  Public  Health,  Henry  J.  Kaiser 
 Family  Foundation 
 Nadine  Strossen,  President,  American  Civil  Liberties  Union 
 Robert  Corn-  Revere,  Partner,  Hogan  &  Hartson,  L.  L.  P. 
 Dale  Kunkel,  Professor,  Department  of  Communications,  UC  Santa  Barbara 
 Joanne  Cantor,  Professor,  Department  of  Communications  Arts,  University  of 
 Wisconsin  at  Madison 
 Henry  Jenkins,  Director  of  Comparative  Media  Studies,  MIT 
 Robert  Peters,  President,  Morality  in  Media,  Inc. 


 1:  00  –  2:  00pm  LUNCH 
 2:  00  –  4:  00pm  PANEL  III:  USING  DIGITAL  TELEVISION  TO  BETTER  SERVE  LOCAL 
 COMMUNITIES 


 Henry  Geller,  Director,  Washington  Center  for  Public  Policy  Research,  Duke 
 University 
 Paul  La  Camera,  WCZB,  Boston,  Massachusetts 
 Jamin  B.  Raskin,  Professor  of  Law  and  Co-  Director  of  Program  on  Law  and 
 Government,  American  University 
 James  F.  Goodmon,  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer,  Capitol  Broadcasting 
 Company 
 Paul  Taylor,  Founder  and  Director,  Alliance  for  Better  Campaigns 
 Sister  Mary  Parks,  Secretary  for  Communications,  Diocese  of  Altoona 


 During  each  panel,  the  panelists  will  provide  5  minute  statements,  followed  by  a  discussion  with  the 
 Chairman  and  the  Commissioners.  There  will  be  a  short  question-  and-  answer  period  for  the  audience  at  the  end  of 
 each  panel. 
2