Description
The passage of the 1996 Telecommunications Act resulted in a major revision of the Communications Act of 1934 to address the emergence of competition in what were previously considered to be monopolistic markets. Since its passage, however, the advancement of broadband technology to supply data, voice, and video; the growing convergence of the telecommunications and media sectors; and the growth in demand for usable radio frequency spectrum has led to a consensus that the laws that govern these sectors have become inadequate to address this rapidly changing environment and have, according to a growing number of policymakers, made it necessary to consider revising the current regulatory framework. This book provides an overview of selected topics that, while far from a definitive list, provide a broad overview of issues that are central to the telecommunications/media convergence debate. The issues covered in this book include broadband deployment, broadband regulation and access, broadcast media ownership rules, funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, emergency communications, legal issues regarding facilities siting, Federal Communications Commission oversight and reform, Internet governance and the domain name system, reauthorization of statutory copyright and communications provisions in the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act, spectrum policy and wireless broadband deployment, and Universal Service Fund reform.
Chapter
LEGISLATION IN THE 110TH CONGRESS
LEGISLATION IN THE 111TH CONGRESS
LEGISLATION IN THE 112TH CONGRESS
LEGISLATION IN THE 113TH CONGRESS
Chapter 3 ACCESS TO BROADBAND NETWORKS: THE NET NEUTRALITY DEBATE*
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION ACTIVITY
Chapter 4 SPECTRUM POLICY IN THE AGE OF BROADBAND: ISSUES FOR CONGRESS
SPECTRUM POLICY PROVISIONS IN THE MIDDLE CLASS TAX RELIEF AND JOB CREATION ACT OF 2012
EMERGING SPECTRUM POLICY ISSUES
APPENDIX A. COMPETITION AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY
APPENDIX B. SPECTRUM-HUNGRY TECHNOLOGIES
Chapter 5 THE FCC’S BROADCAST MEDIA OWNERSHIP AND ATTRIBUTION RULES: THE CURRENT DEBATE*
THE RADIO/TELEVISION CROSS-OWNERSHIP RULE
NEWSPAPER/BROADCAST CROSS-OWNERSHIP RULE
LOCAL TELEVISION OWNERSHIP RULE
LOCAL RADIO OWNERSHIP RULE
SHARING AGREEMENTS AND ATTRIBUTION RULES
Chapter 6 THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING: FEDERAL FUNDING AND ISSUES
CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING
PUBLIC RADIO: NPR AND PRI
Chapter 7 ONLINE VIDEO DISTRIBUTORS AND THE CURRENT STATUTORY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK: ISSUES FOR CONGRESS*
THE CURRENT STATUTORY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
THE OVERARCHING POLICY ISSUE WITH RESPECT TO ONLINE VIDEO DISTRIBUTORS: ACCESS TO PROGRAMMING
THE POLICY ISSUES RAISED BY THE ENTRY OF ONLINE VIDEO DISTRIBUTORS
APPENDIX. THE LEGAL ISSUE CURRENTLY BEFORE THE FCC AND THE COURTS
Chapter 8 INTERNET GOVERNANCE AND THE DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM: ISSUES FOR CONGRESS
WHAT IS INTERNET GOVERNANCE?
HOW IS THE INTERNET CURRENTLY GOVERNED?
DEBATE OVER FUTURE MODEL OF INTERNET GOVERNANCE
Chapter 9 INTERNET DOMAIN NAMES: BACKGROUND AND POLICY ISSUES*
ISSUES IN THE 113TH CONGRESS
APPENDIX. CONGRESSIONAL HEARINGS ON THE DOMAIN NAME SYSTEM
Chapter 10 THE FIRST RESPONDER NETWORK ANDNEXT-GENERATION COMMUNICATIONS FORPUBLIC SAFETY: ISSUES FOR CONGRESS*
INTEROPERABILITY WITHIN THE 700 MHZ BAND
CONSIDERATIONS FOR CONGRESS
Chapter 11 THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION: CURRENT STRUCTURE AND ITS ROLE IN THE CHANGING TELECOMMUNICATIONS LANDSCAPE
OVERVIEW OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
FCC OPERATIONS: BUDGET, AUTHORIZATION, AND REPORTING TO CONGRESS
FCC-RELATED CONGRESSIONAL ACTION—113TH CONGRESS15
APPENDIX B. FCC-RELATED GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE STUDIES
Chapter 12T HE NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION (NTIA): ISSUES FOR THE 113TH CONGRESS
FISCAL YEAR APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET REQUESTS
ISSUES FOR THE 113TH CONGRESS
Chapter 13 HOW THE SATELLITE TELEVISION EXTENSION AND LOCALISM ACT (STELA) UPDATED COPYRIGHT AND CARRIAGE RULES FOR THE RETRANSMISSION OF BROADCAST TELEVISION SIGNALS
ISSUES ADDRESSED IN STELA