Edited Transcript of Chairman Hundt on America Online 7/24/95 REHundt: It's great to be here. I'd love to open up discussion on any topics. I often say that the FCC has jurisdiction over all five lanes of the info highway: cable, broadcast, satellite, wire, and wireless. Lately, everyone seems to be talking in particular about broadcast: the question of whether tv and radio are impacting negatively on our society. Perhaps this is a good place to start? CSEmcee2: We will begin our questions now: Question: What are your ideas behind sensorship? REHundt: I start with the idea that the FCC should not stand for the Federal Censorship Commission. On the other hand, shouldn't parents have the power to choose and something to choose for their kids? Question: Could you comment on the deregulation of the broadcast radio stations ownership rules. Do you believe this is a good thing, and when do you think any action might be taken ? REHundt: This question is up to Congress right now, as you may know. I expect a vote as early as next week. The key goal, at a minimum, should be to concentrate on whether there is competition vs. overconcentration in local markets. In addition, we are moving at the FCC to introduce new radio competition from the air, by licensing satellites for national radio broadcast. Question: What do you think about on-line poranagraphy? REHundt: It's not my taste. But I imagine you're asking about government involvement. I think the Cox/Wyden approach in the House as a lot of merit. Question: what is the best way to keep my children from seeing or reading things that are unappropriate for children on the internet REHundt: Here are the best ideas I know of so far: go on the Internet with the kids; talk to them about what they're doing; try the new software being developed to screen certain inputs; and keep your eyes open. This is an emerging issue and one where I don't think we can expect to find all the answers right away. Question: Any ideas on how to censor the net, while keeping all Constitutional guarantees in place? REHundt: The Constitution doesn't guarantee any rights at all to obscene communications. On the other hand, censorship is specifically not a power of the FCC. Question: so how did Rupert Murdoch buy the FCC off? Obviously the Fcc is lossening its regulations when it comes to hie ownership of tv stations etc. REHundt: That's what we call a leading question, in the litigation world I come from. Of course neither Rupert Murdoch nor anyone else has bought me off, or ever will. Nor is it 'obvious' as you put it, that we are loosening regulation w/r to ownership of tv stations. In fact, this FCC is the first ever that investigated ten years worth of allegations about exactly what did happen when Mr.Murdoch first purchased b/c properties in the U.S. I am satisfied that we got to the bottom of those events in 1985, and we concluded that he did not intentionally deceive the Commission. Whether the FCC asked him all the questions it should have....that's a different issue. Question: You currently cannot define your rules on radio. Can we expect the same vauge rules on the net ? REHundt: If you're asking about indecency, we have very sound rules on indecency that have been repeatedly upheld by the highest courts in the land. Question: Mr. Hundt: If the so-called "V" chip becomes available, are you going to make it a mandatory addition to TV's and VCR's? Is the FCC going to pre-screen all the shows on TV? If not, who is? REHundt: As a matter of law, the tv has to contain, e.g., the closed caption chip, UHF channels, and the authorized transmission system. Congress could well ask us also to mandate the Vchip or for that matter any other hardware/software in the television. As to watching all shows, there are approximately 28,000 hours of tv broadcast daily. It's not practical or desirable to ask government to "prescreen" these shows. Nor does anyone intend to do so. On the other hand, asking broadcasters to inform ontheir own their audiences of what they think is appropriate or inappropriate for children isn't too different, I'd say, the drugstore. Question: I just joined this discussion and have a question slightly off topic...What role does the FCC play in a world where competing radio stations can cut the transmission wires for broadcast and let the guilty party off with barely a fine? REHundt: Of course I don't know the specifics of the situation to which you refer. However, if you have a problem call our Compliance and Information Bureau at 202 418 1000, and tell them I sent you. Question: I am a CPA who audits telephone companies, do you think audits will increase as deregulation increases? REHundt: There is a strong body of opinion in the new Congress that the FCC should be diminished in size and resources. If that view prevails our currently limited ability to do audits will shrink. Comment: why is every one on howared sterns case he is just trying to make a living REHundt: The Stern cases concern indecent broadcasts during times of day in which children are likely to be, and in fact are, in the audience. Because this is broadcast it is by nature intrusive and not specfically invited by the listener. That is the reason the DCCircuit recently upheld our regulations, which in turn implement a specific Congressional mandate. Question: Mr. Chairman, is this your first time on interactive chat? REHundt: Second. Question: Sir, why has the FCC continually fined Howard Stern and none of the afternoon talk shows that have strong sexual, gratuatous content REHundt: We respond to individual complaints. In the wake of the recent DCCircuit case we will be moving on 84 pending complaints, about 34 of which relate to tv as opposed to radio. I don't recall which hours of the day the broadcasts allegedly occur. We respond to all complaints but of course don't rule adversely on all of them. The over-whelming input we receive from the people of this country is that they want broadcasts of indenct material to be confined to times after 10 pm,and that's our duty under the law. CSEmcee2: Here is a positive comment. Comment: You're doing a good job. Keep up the good work! REHundt: Thanks.but what about my typing skills? Question: You currently cannot define the rules of decency on radio. You arbitrarily hand out fines ie Stern). What makes you think you can do anything worthwhile on the net ? Why are you abandoning your previous defense of the first amendment? REHundt: Sorry to disagree so stridently: we do define rules of indecency so clearly that approx. 99.9% of all radio b/c fit within category of decent, and the industry knows acutely well what the rules are. Further, we don't arbitrarilyfine anyone. If we did,we woudl lose in court.But in fact we win in court. Lastly, I have never abandoned the defense of the First Amendment. But the First Amendment is not a commandment that the public property of the airwaves be used for indencent broadcasts, and as I said, we all live in this country together, and receive radio and tv as a group (it's free,and over the air), so we need to have some sensitivity to the concerns of the majority. Question: Mr Chairman Newt Gingrich's "think tank" said the FCC should be abolished and the spectrum privately owned. I think that is insanity. What do you think? REHundt: I think that the FCC should be smarter, different, flexible,and, in my case, younger and more energetic. As far as spectrum is concerned, I agree with the think tank that generally spectrum should be auctioned. Generally it should be made available either for shared uses or for flexible proprietary uses where sharing is not practical. But I think it should always be leased, since it always has been and always should be public property. To privatize it means to abandon any notion of public interest as to the use of the spectrum. I'm against that. Question: will audits of telcos increase in deregulation? REHundt: The need for audits exists as long as we have regulated monopolies. Whether deregulating, or lifting barriers against competition, will cause the monopolies to go away is of course the debating game of Washington right now. But until that really happens, we'll need to do audits if we want to ensure compliance with fair rules of pricing by monopolies. Whether we have the resources in this antigovt climate is another question. Question: What do you think about freedom of speech? Have we gone to far in permitting cursing, and violence on the net, tv, etc? REHundt: Difficult and complex questions, of course, that,as it happens, I am supposed to speak about at National Press Club on Thursday. In fact I'm hoping this discussion is going to help me with the speech. Question: Why don't people realize that violence has been in films and other art since the beginning. Did the 3 Stooges really corrupt people who lived in the 30's???? REHundt: I have spent a fair bit of time studying this issue. For what it's worth, violence in the media has, in the opinion of almost 3,000 scientific studies, contributed to an increase in violence in our society. For example, scientists believe that increasingly violent portrayals of many different scenes in tv is one of the contributing causes to a 400% increase in teen suicide since 1950. The science suggests that violence alters behavior for the whole country to the degree that about 5-15% is the additional increment of violence experienced in society due to violence in the media. Just to give you an example, an 18 year old in this country will have spent about 3 years of his/her life in front of the tv (more time than devoted to anything except sleeping) and will have seen 100,000 different acts of violence. This, scientists conclude, is a profoundly desensitiz- ing experience, and one that no other country has ever inflicted on its youth. Question: What role does CD-ROM and online communications play in K-6 education as supported by the govt? REHundt: A very few pilot projects are supported by the fairly skimpy funds allocated to the Department of Commerce for these purposes. Even these are under threat right now. In my own view the chief goal of communications policy in the country today should be to find a way to build communications systems into every classroom of every school in the country. We have "wired" about a 100 schools so far; we have 100,000 to go. Question: What direction do you see the FCC moving in the future? REHundt: The telcom reform legislation pending in Congress would delegate to the FCC a massive number of duties. Should be exciting. CSEmcee2: We have time for one more question. Question: Instead of the spectre of censorship always being brought up why not have FCC mandate public service anouncements teaching parents how to change the channel or turn off the tv? REHundt: You probably could not have thought of any idea more inimical to the interests of broadcasters. Turning it off is exactly what they don't want. On the other hand, I totally agree with your focus on empowering parents to select what they want, including deciding to turn the thing off. OnlineHost: All good things must end. We've run out of time for this event. REHundt: Bye and thanks.R. CSEmcee2: Mr. Hundt, thanks for being our guest tonight and answering our questions. REHundt: We very much need the help and input of everyone in the country to try to get right the important questions before us. So keep your comments coming, including over the Internet. As the first chairman ever to have a computer on his desk (really) I like to use it.R. CSEmcee2: Thanks again, Mr. Hundt! We certainly enjoyed hearing about the FCC. Thanks to the audience members for their good questions. Good night, Everyone! REHundt: I welcome comments or questions, which you can send to FCCINFO@fcc.gov. CSEmcee2: I hope they got that address. OnlineHost: Our thanks to Chairman Hundt, Chairman of the FCC, : for joining us this evening. If you missed any of : the event, be sure to stop back to keyword: : "CENTER STAGE" for the edited transcript which : will be available within 24 hours. Thank you and : good night! : Copyright 1995 America Online, Inc. All Rights : Reserved.: