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Statement of Gloria Tristani, Managing Director, Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc.
OC, Inc.
WASHINGTON, DC -- Oct 4, 2004: Today, as the Federal Communications Commission begins to educate the American public about the importance of the transition to digital television, the FCC continues to leave the public, the public perspective, and the public interest out of the picture. The public has not been invited to the FCC-television industry panel discussions regarding how the public is to be educated and/or served.
At the same time, 5 years after the FCC asked the question on how television stations should serve the public interest with their increased digital capacity, the FCC remains silent. Digital television has the enormous potential to enrich our democracy by providing Americans with greater access to local civic and electoral programming. That will only happen when the FCC defines the public interest in digital television.
The FCC's failure to define the public interest in digital television is an abdication of its responsibility to ensure that the public airwaves benefit the American public. The FCC needs to act now and put the public back in the picture.
-- The Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc. (OC, Inc.) was established in 1959. Throughout its history, OC, Inc. has advocated for persons historically excluded from the media, especially women and people of color; petitioned the FCC to issue EEO rules; sought to guarantee educational and informational children's programming; defended the Equal Time Rule for political candidates; supported efforts to establish low-power FM radio; protected affordable access to emerging technologies; and urged strengthening of basic corporate character requirements for those who transmit images and data. OC, Inc. is a member of the Public Interest/Public Airwaves Coalition. Gloria Tristani, OC, Inc. Managing Director, is a former FCC Commissioner (1997-2001).
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