Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters; Notice of Open Meeting

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of Digital

Television Broadcasters; Notice of Open Meeting

ACTION: Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Advisory Committee

on Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters,

created pursuant to Executive Order 13038.

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SUMMARY: The President established the Advisory Committee on Public

Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters (PIAC) to

advise the Vice President on the public interest obligations of digital

broadcasters. The Committee will study and recommend which public

interest obligations should accompany broadcasters' receipt of digital

television licenses. The President designated the National

Telecommunications and Information Administration as secretariat for

the Committee.

Authority: Executive Order 13038, signed by President Clinton on

March 11, 1997.

DATES: The meeting will be held on Monday, October 26, 1998 from 9:30

a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and on Tuesday, October 27, 1998 from 9:30 a.m. to

12:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The meeting will take place in Washington D.C. The location

of the meeting will be announced in another Federal Register notice to

be issued shortly. Updates about the location of the meeting will also

be available on the Advisory Committee's homepage at www.ntia.doc.gov/

pubintadvcom/pubint.htm or you may call Karen Edwards at 202-482-8056.

The meeting will also be broadcast over the Internet. The broadcast can

be accessed via the Advisory Committee's homepage at www.ntia.doc.gov/

pubintadvcom/pubint.htm.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Edwards, Designated Federal

Officer and Telecommunications Policy Specialist, at the National

Telecommunications and Information Administration, U.S. Department of

Commerce, Room 4720, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue, N.W.,

Washington, DC 20230. Telephone: 202-482-8056; Fax: 202-482-8058; E-

mail: [email protected].

Media Inquiries: Please contact Karen Kirchgasser, the Office of

Public Affairs, 202-482-7002.

[[Page 55092]]

Agenda

Monday, October 26

Opening remarks

Committee deliberations

Public Comment

Adjourn

Tuesday, October 27

Reconvene

Committee deliberations

Public Comment

Closing remarks

This agenda is subject to change. For an updated, more detailed

agenda, please check the Advisory Committee's homepage at

www.ntia.doc.gov/pubintadvcom/pubint.htm.

Public Participation

The meeting will be open to the public, with limited seating

available on a first-come, first-served basis. This meeting is

physically accessible to people with disabilities. Any member of the

public requiring special services, such as sign language interpretation

or other ancillary aids, should contact Karen Edwards at least five (5)

working days prior to the meeting at 202-482-8056 or at

[email protected].

Members of the public may submit written comments concerning the

Committee's affairs at any time before or after the meeting. The

Secretariat's guidelines for public comment are described below and are

available on the Advisory Committee homepage (www.ntia.doc.gov/

pubintadvcom/pubint.htm) or by calling 202-482-8056.

Guidelines for Public Comment

The Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of Digital

Television Broadcasters welcomes public comments. Oral Comment: In

general, opportunities for oral comment will usually be limited to no

more than five (5) minutes per speaker and no more than thirty (30)

minutes total at each meeting. Written Comment: Written comments must

be submitted to the Advisory Committee Secretariat at the address

listed below. Comments can be submitted either by letter addressed to

the Committee (please place ``Public Comment'' on the bottom left of

the envelope and submit at least thirty-five (35) copies) or by

electronic mail to [email protected] (please use ``Public Comment'' as

the subject line). Written comments received within three (3) workings

days of a meeting and comments received shortly after a meeting will be

compiled and sent as briefing material to Committee members prior to

the next scheduled meeting.

Obtaining Meeting Minutes

Within thirty (30) days following the meeting, copies of the

minutes of the meeting may be obtained over the Internet at

www.ntia.doc.gov/pubintadvcom/pubint.htm, by phone request at 202-482-

8056, by email request at [email protected] or by written request to

Karen Edwards; Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of

Digital Television Broadcasters; National Telecommunications and

Information Administration; U.S. Department of Commerce, Room 4720;

14th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W., Washington, DC 20230.

This notice of open meeting will be published thirteen days prior

to the meeting date because of uncertainty created by the

unavailability of suitable meeting space to accommodate the Committee

and members of the public. This unavailability is caused by the

unprecedented number of business and cultural events taking place in

Washington around the meeting dates. Postponing the meeting is not

possible because the next meeting date where the majority of Committee

members could attend would leave the Committee insufficient time to

prepare and submit its report.

Larry Irving,

Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information.

[FR Doc. 98-27576 Filed 10-13-98; 8:45 am]

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