The Gore Commission

According to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the Federal Communications Commission may issue digital television licenses to station owners under the condition that the broadcasters remain subject to public interest obligations as determined by the FCC (see The Telecommunications Act of 1996 and Digital Television). In Executive Order 13038, President Clinton created the Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters _ otherwise known as the Gore Commission. The Commission will issue a report to Vice President Gore recommending a program of federally mandated public interest obligations for broadcasters in the digital age. These obligations may cover such subjects as children's programming, free air time for political candidates, and television ratings, as well as other yet-to-be determined areas of public concern. The task of the Commission is to study and define the public interest in broadcasting, investigate the various forms digital broadcasting may ultimately take, and recommend obligations that are technologically and economically feasible, effective in serving legitimate public interests, and sensitive to the First Amendment rights of broadcasters as speakers.

The Commission is co-chaired by Leslie Moonves of CBS Television and Norman Ornstein of the American Enterprise Institute. It will consist of up to 23 other representatives from the private sector including broadcasters, public interest groups, electronic media executives, and academics. The group plans to issue its final report in October, 1998.