The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has published a noteworthy working paper that presents an historical review of key decisions by the Commission that have helped to shape the communications landscape in the United States.
The working paper, entitled “Transformative Choices: A Review of 70 Years of FCC Decisions,” was authored by Sherille Ismail, a senior attorney at the Commission. According to Ismail, the paper addresses the oft-asserted view that Commission decisions in the 1970s represented a significant turning point in its oversight of participants in the communications industry, and a shift from policies and regulations that protected incumbent players toward those that promoted increased competition.
Indeed, the working paper asserts that there have been several periods during the FCC’s history in which the Commission crafted policies designed to promote market participation by new entrants, most notably in commercial radio, cable television, telephone equipment and direct broadcast satellites.
Read the complete text of the Commission’s White Paper, “70 Years of FCC Decisions.”
