Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 7, 1993 TAG: 9312070032
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
FCC Chairman Reed Hundt in an interview called the nation's telecommunication policy the "beating heart of American growth," because modern employment is so reliant on fast and high-quality information systems.
Hundt, 45, a Washington lawyer who became chairman of the five-member commission a week ago, said he sees an important role for the FCC in helping all businesses grow and create jobs.
A prep-school friend of Vice President Al Gore and law-school mate of President Clinton, Hundt enjoys a close personal relationship with the White House.
He will guide the way the FCC and its staff of about 2,000 lawyers and communication specialists regulate broadcast and cable television, radio, wireless and wired telephones and any other communication systems that use the airwaves.
In a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press on Friday, he used some of the same words frequently heard from the White House when telecommunication policy is discussed.
He also spoke of "reinventing government" at the FCC by making the agency more accessible to the public.
Since being sworn in last week, Hundt has pushed for faster installation of computer systems to enable better communication among the FCC staff. Electronic mail and telephone voice mail will be used for the first time.
"Here," he said, as he patted a personal computer on the credenza behind his desk, "is the first computer ever installed in the FCC chairman's office."
Hundt said he hopes to have FCC information available soon on the Internet computer network, which is available to anyone with a personal computer and modem. And he said he wants those who file briefs and information to the FCC to be able to do it electronically soon.
Hundt comes to the FCC from the Washington office of the Los Angeles-based law firm of Latham & Watkins, where he gained a reputation as an antitrust specialist.
That expertise is expected to serve him well in a period when mergers among cable TV, telephone companies, Hollywood studios and broadcast companies seem to occur almost daily.
He emphasized that companies can grow very large and not be monopolies, but said that "part of the FCC's job is to guarantee the potential for competition."
Many of the mergers are aimed at transforming television into an interactive medium that could serve as a telephone or computer, as well as an entertainment center. Viewers would be able to dial up the shows they want instead of being tied to a predetermined programming schedule.
Cable and telephone companies are rapidly upgrading their wiring to accomplish the change.
Over-the-air broadcasters say they don't want to be ignored as this so-called "information infrastructure" develops.
Hundt didn't speak specifically about an expanded role for broadcasters but said that even as new video systems are evolving - with the promise of 500 interactive cable channels - broadcast television must be preserved.
There are "tremendous social benefits" in free, over-the-air television supported by advertisers, he said.
Hundt said he expected to be called before Congress early next year for hearings on a variety of telecommunication issues, including TV violence.
Nine bills have been introduced that would restrict violent programming in some way. Hundt would not offer an opinion about any bill specifically but said "there are serious First Amendment issues" to be considered.
He said he wanted to read more about the effects of violent programming on viewers. He indicated it may be possible to find a balance between free speech rights and concern about dramatized murder and mayhem.
by CNB