[Download] "Electronic Oases Take Root in Mr. Minow's Vast Wasteland (Television)" by Federal Communications Law Journal ~ eBook PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Electronic Oases Take Root in Mr. Minow's Vast Wasteland (Television)
- Author : Federal Communications Law Journal
- Release Date : January 01, 2003
- Genre: Law,Books,Professional & Technical,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 252 KB
Description
The famous "Vast Wasteland" speech that Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") Chairman Newt Minow delivered to a roomful of broadcast industry partisans in 1961 has influenced telecommunications policy, as well as perceptions of television itself. (1) Newt Minow's blunt assessment of the contemporary media fare offered by the marketplace, coupled with his stalwart defense of public interest telecommunications policy, captures the essence of many telecommunications policy debates today. Whether the subject is children's television, the E-rate, access to Internet content, labeling issues, alcohol advertising, or the general fights and obligations of FCC licensees, imbuing marketplace competitors with obligations addressing those societal needs that the marketplace fails to meet adequately is part and parcel of current debates in Congress and at the FCC. Since 1961, public interest-based telecommunications policy has certainly had its high points and its setbacks. We have made some progress in populating the "wasteland" of the Minow FCC era with additional viewer choices of educational, cultural, and informational merit. Moreover, significant policy battles have resulted in a better articulation of the public interest obligations of recipients of FCC licenses and the public trust. Although advances have been made in certain areas, much of Newt Minow's public interest critique abides. In my view, the awesome power of our technological resources still has not been harnessed fully to meet the challenges facing society today.