AU Professor Untangles the Telecommunications Act of 1996 in New Book

WASHINGTON, D.C.--American University Professor Pat Aufderheide untangles The Telecommunications Act of 1996--the first major overhaul of U.S. communications law since 1934, when no one had a television set, cordless phone or a computer--in her new book, Communications Policy and the Public Interest, The Telecommunications Act of 1996 (Guilford Publications).



"The public interest was once linked to the obligations that monopolies owed to the rest of us," says Aufderheide. "This new law makes explicit that the new standard of the public interest is a vigorous, competitive economic environment.



"What exactly do broadcasters owe the public, as they cling to the concept of public trusteeship? How exactly should regulators match up the old promise of universal service with an emerging competitive telephone environment? And what happens if vigorous competition does not emerge?"



Consumers cannot depend on the dream of open competition to answer their concerns. As they will continue to need regulatory structures, and in the case of cable--the most flagrant example of price gouging--consumers will continue to need price regulation for some time to come, according to Aufderheide. Consumers also will need some protection to guarantee quality service from newly competitive providers. She explains that although the new law ushers in an era of competitive communications services, that era does not mean an end to government regulation of communications.



In Communications Policy and the Public Interest, Aufderheide clearly states the law today and what important problems remain. She examines how and why the legislation was developed, provides a thematic analysis of the Act, and charts its intended and unintended effects in business and policy. Aufderheide gives context and political insight to the technological, regulatory, political, economic and legal ramifications of the Telecommunications Act of 1996.



"This book achieves the impossible--making legislative history readable," said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project. "Drawing upon her 'parallel life' as one of the nation's leading pop culture critics, Aufderheide turns the story of the 1996 Telecommunications Act into a book that is actually fun to read."



Included in Communications Policy and the Public Interest are an abridged version of the Act, the Supreme Court decision that struck down the Communications Decency Act, speeches, policy arguments and listings of organizations and websites that offer legal updates and policy information.



"The Telecommunications Act has unleashed a wave of powerful, but often contradictory forces, which are reshaping our global society," said Jeffrey Chester, executive director, Center for Media Education. "Communications Policy and the Public Interest is an essential tool for anyone who wishes to understand where our electronic media system is heading in the digital age."