The passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 inaugurated a new and highly volatile era in telecommunications.
The first major overhaul of U.S. communications law since 1934--when no one had a television set, a cordless phone,
or a computer--the Act was spurred into being by broad shifts in technology use. Equally important, this book shows,
the new law reflects important changes in our notions of the purpose of communications regulation and how it should
be deployed. Focusing on the evolution of the concept of the public interest, Aufderheide examines how and why
the legislation was developed, provides a thematic analysis of the Act itself, and charts its intended and unintended
effects in business and policy. An abridged version of the Act is included, as are the Supreme Court decision that
struck down one of its clauses, the Communications Decency Act, and a variety of pertinent speeches and policy
arguments. Readers are also guided to a range of organizations and websites that offer legal updates and policy
information.
"This book offers a substantial and thorough guide to the communications legislation that defines our new
media world. In clear and concise language, Aufderheide brings us up to speed on what the law is today and what
important and vital problems remain. Her book ought to be required reading for everyone who is struggling to make
sense of the current situation, from 'inside the beltway' policy makers to average citizens. Simply one of the
most important books ever published on communications law and policy."
--Douglas Gomery, College of Journalism, University of Maryland
"This book achieves the impossible--making legislative history readable. Drawing upon her 'parallel life'
as one of the nation's leading pop culture critics, Aufderheide turns the story of the 1996 Telecommunications
Act into a book that is actually fun to read."
--Andrew Jay Schwartzman, Media Access Project, Washington, DC
Table of Contents
Introduction
1. Background
2. The Shaping of the 1996 Act
3. Overview of the Act
4. After the Act
5. The Public Interest beyond the Act
Bibiliographic Resources
References
Annotated Guide to Analyses of the Act, 1996-1997
Resources for Active Citizens
Appendices
GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
A. Abridged Version of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Dean Thomas Krattenmaker
B. Syllabus and Opinion of Supreme Court Opinion No. 95-611, Janet Reno, Attorney General of the United States,
et al., Appellants, v. American Civil Liberties Union et al., June 26, 1997, with concurrence by Justices O'Connor
and Rehnquist
POSITION PAPERS ON REGULATION AND THE PUBLIC INTEREST
C. Serving the Community: A Public Interest Vision of the National Information Infrastructure (abridged), Computer
Professionals for Social Responsibility (1993)
D. Seven Public Interest Principles of the Telecommunications Policy Roundtable (1993)
E. Cyberspace and the American Dream: A Magna Carta for the Knowledge Age, The Progress and Freedom Foundation
(1994)
F. Technorealism: An Overview, D. Bennahum, B. Biggs, P. Borsook, M. Bowe, S. Garfinkel, S. Johnson, D. Rushkoff,
A. Shapiro, D. Shenk, S. Silberman, M. Stahlman, and S. Syman (1997)
G. Why Government Is the Solution, and Not the Problem, Gigi Sohn, Executive Director, Media Access Project (1997)
H. Interview with an Umpire, Michael Katz (1995)
FCC SPEECHES
I. The Hard Road Ahead: An Agenda for the FCC in 1997, Chairman Reed Hundt, Federal Communications Commission
J. The Light at the End of the Tunnel vs. the Fog: Deregulation vs. the Legal Culture, Chairman Reed Hundt, Federal
Communications Commission (1997)
K. Remarks by William Kennard, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission, to the National Association of State
Utility Consumer Advocates (1998)