Statutory Authority The Goal [To protect and enchance] the right of the public to receive suitable access to social, political, esthetic, moral and other ideas and experiences. Communications Act of 1934 Established the Federal Communications Commission Authority to Regulation broadcasting "in the public interest, convenience, and necessity." Telecommunications Act of 1996 The most far-reaching revision of telecommunications law since the Communications Act of 1934. Selected Content-directed Sections: SEC. 502. Obscene or Harassing use of Telecommunications Facilities... "initiates the transmission of, any comment, request, suggestion, proposal, image, or other communication which is obscene or indecent, knowing that the recipient of the communication is under 18 years of age, regardless of whether the maker of such communication placed the call or initiated the communication" Sec. 509 Online Family Empowerment Act Encourages the development of blocking and filtering technologies to protect children from objectionable content on the Internet. Protects the "good faith" efforts of Internet providers or users "to restrict access to or availability of material that the provider or user considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected" Sec. 551. Parental Choice in Television Programming "Voluntary" Rating Code THE "V-Chip" The FCC's Telecommunications Act Page Licensing Areas of Regulation The FCC Mass Media Bureau COMMISSION EXTENDS THE LICENSE TERM OF MOST BROADCAST STATIONS TO 8 YEARS Technical Structural Reed Hundt's Revolution      Content Alcohol and Tobacco on the Web: New Threats to Youth In the Matter of Policies and Rules Concerning Children's Television Programming (1996) Staff Reports on Children's Educational Television FCC Children's Educational Television Information Page