From: GLAADSFBA@aol.com Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 14:27:37 -0500 Subject: TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT (Press Release/Advisory PRESS RELEASE and ADVISORY The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation/San Francisco Bay Area FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 9, 1996 CONTACT: Al Kielwasser, 415-861-2224 or Kristy Billuni, 415-861-3021 ______________________________________________________________ C L I N T O N S I G N S P R O - C E N S O R S H I P , A N T I - G A Y T E L E C O M M U N I C A T I O N S A C T ** New Legislation Panders to Ignorance, Violates Public Trust ** Key Regulations Appease Christian Coalition and Others "Drunk With Dysfunction" ______________________________________________________________ San Francisco & Washington, DC - Passed by Congress on February 1, a sweeping telecommunications bill (S652 - H Rept 104-458) was signed into law yesterday by the President. Both Congress and the Clinton Administration lent enthusiastic support to the new legislation, while critics point to the law's gross violation of free expression and the public trust. The San Francisco chapter of GLAAD -- the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation -- has joined with numerous progressive organizations in condemning the legislation. "We are calling upon our members to support any and every effort to challenge, resist or defy these unacceptable regulations," said GLAAD managing director Kristy Billuni. Touted as a telecommunications "deregulation" and "reform" bill, this legislation actually imposes substantial content regulations affecting both television and the Internet. These new rules pose at least three major obstacles for lesbians and gays: * By diminishing the scope of a broadcaster's public accountability - and allowing even further concentration of media ownership and control - this legislation is likely to discourage rather than encourage real diversity in programming. * If history is any indicator, the new v-chip technology will be applied indiscriminately to "block out" programs that deal in any way with homosexuality, bisexuality or transgender issues. Moreover, such technology replaces media literacy (the ability to critically understand certain content) with media stupidity (the ability to automatically avoid certain content). * Finally, the criminalization of "indecent" online communication will further chill an already icy Information Superhighway. Lesbian and gay youth will particularly suffer; in our fiercely homophobic society, the Internet is often a literal life-line of information and support for these youth. "To appease the dysfunctional addictions of Christian Coalition lobbyists, these regulations pander to homophobia and sex-negativity," said GLAAD spokesperson Al Kielwasser. "This legislation is NOT about protecting young minds. It's about projecting old fears." Founded in 1988, the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of GLAAD is an independently-incorporated, nonprofit organization dedicated to cultural advocacy and media activism. GLAAD/San Francisco promotes the fair, accurate and diverse representation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lives. GLAAD/San Francisco is the oldest GLAAD chapter in the nation, and one of the largest lesbian/gay membership organizations in California. -- 30 -- ______________________________________________________________ 1. F o l l o w - U p S t o r i e s. Members of the MAINSTREAM press are advised NOT to "drop the ball" on this story. Though the legislation passed into law yesterday - and the court cases might be some way off - there are still urgent stories to be told TODAY. GLAAD encourages investigative reporters, columnists and beat journalists to bring much-needed attention to the on-going impact this new legislation will have on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media consumers (e.g., the deleterious consequences for gay youth). The additional contacts provided below provide various starting points -- and points of view -- to stimulate and broaden news coverage in this area. 2. M e d i a S o u r c e s & R e s o u r c e s. *** Cathy Renna, Chair, GLAAD/National Capital Area, tel. 202-429-9500, fax 202-857-0077. Renna is the point person for GLAAD's Washington, DC chapter. *** Karen Wickre, Director, Digital Queers, 1360 Mission Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103, tel. 415-252-6282, fax 415-252-6290, e-mail kwickre@aol.com or info@dq.org, URL http://www.dq.org/dq/. Digital Queers is a gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender nonprofit that promotes activist/community use of new computer technologies. For angry citizens who want to (easily) send messages to their members of Congress, DQ recommends E-Mail Democracy on the web (http://www.primenet.com/solutions/congress/democracy.html). For the full text of the telecommunications act, go to the Thomas web site (http://thomas.loc.gov/); Bill Clinton's home page is located at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/. *** Jeff Cohen, Executive Director, Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting, 130 West 25th Street, New York, NY 10001, tel. 212-633-6700, fax 212-727-7668, e-mail fair@igc.apc.org, URL http://www.fair.org/fair/. F.A.I.R. is a national news-media watchdog, which has specifically encouraged the mainstream press to investigate and report on widespread claims that the telecommunications bill will encourage marketplace competition and expand the range of consumer choice; according to F.A.I.R., "a more accurate description would be that it will encourage monopolies . . . Issues of how we can create access for other, noncommercial voices, have not been addressed, since such voices played such a small role in writing this bill." *** Jerry Berman, Executive Director, The Center for Democracy and Technology, 1001 G Street NW, Suite 500 East, Washington, DC 20001, tel. 202-637-9800, fax 202-637-0968, e-mail jberman@cdt.org or info@cdt.org, URL http://www.cdt.org. CDT advances public policy that supports democratic values and constitutional civil liberties in new computer and communications technologies; the group is planing a court challenge to the new telecommunications law. *** Leanne Katz, Executive Director, National Coalition Against Censorship, 275 Seventh Avenue, new York, NY 10001, tel. 212-807-6222, e-mail ncac@netcom.com. NCAC works through 46 national participating organizations to inform and educate the public about the dangers of censorship and how to oppose it; The NCAC newsletter (Censorship News, No. 60) notes that: "Self-styled 'decency' groups are now powerful players in lobbying Congress for Internet censorship, and are being characterized as moderate in mainstream media." *** Robert Bray, Field Director, National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, 1360 Mission Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103, tel, 552-6448, e-mail rbray@ngltf.com, URL http://www.ngltf.org. Bray is a media contact on many issues for NGLTF, a Washington DC-based organizations which has opposed recent efforts to legislate "communications decency." *** Mike Spanola, F.I.S.H. and GLAAD/Eye on the Right, 1360 Mission Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA 94103, tel. 415-861-2244, e-mail queerfish@aol.com. F.I.S.H. monitors and responds to Right Wing "fundamentalist" activities, media and organizations. *** Chris Kryzan, Director, OutProud: The National Coalition for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender Youth, P.O. Box 24589, San Jose, CA 95118-4589, e-mail CKryzan@aol.com, URL http://www.outproud.org/outproud/. OutProud's database can point the way to youth organizations and services across the country; Kryzan monitors Internet use/access issues as they impact children and youth. *** National Gay and Lesbian Rights Project, American Civil Liberties Union, 132 West 43rd Street, New York, NY, 10036, tel. 212-944-9800 ext. 545, URL http://www.aclu.org. The ACLU immediately vowed to mount a court challenge to the constitutionality of the "indecency" regulations provided in the new telecommunications act. *** Journal of Technology Law & Policy, University of Florida, College of Law, P.O. Box 117640, Gainesville, FL 32611-7640, fax 352-377-7655, e-mail techlaw@grove.ufl.edu, URL http://grove.ufl.edu/~techlaw. One of several academic journals that serves as platforms for in-depth analysis. JTLP is "devoted to exploring the legal and policy issues raised by emerging technology;" issues are published on the web to promote access. For additional media referrals or story ideas, contact Al Kielwasser or Kristy Billuni (see above) or GLAAD/San Francisco's public information coordinator, Ann McClintock (tel. 415-861-2244, e-mail AnniMcC@aol.com). 3. A d d i t i o n a l S t o r y B a c k g r o u n d (New Concentration & Content Provisions) The new telecommunications regulations are rather detailed and expansive. Broadly speaking, however, the more-objectionable aspects are those regulations covering media concentration and content. As summarized by Congressional Quarterly, these key provisions address: ** Media Concentration & Cross-Ownership - Networks, previously limited to owning stations that reached a total of 25 percent of the nation's televisions, will now be allowed to reach 35 percent. A cap on owning more than 20 FM radio stations and 20 AM stations has also been rescinded. The law also lifts a provision of the 1984 cable deregulation law (PL 98-549) that banned a television station from owning a cable company in the same area (or vice versa), although this type of cross-ownership may still be illegal under an existing FCC rule. ** Restrictions on Content - With regard to so-called "Cybersmut," the new law bans dissemination of "indecent" material on the Internet and online services. It allows a legal defense for services and Internet access providers if they make a good faith effort to block "indecent" material. The bill also requires television sets with screens of at least 13 inches to include special computer devices called "v-chips," which will allow parents to "screen out" objectionable material. The cable and broadcast industry have one year to develop ratings for sex and violence, which will be electronically sent to television sets. If broadcasters and cablecasters do not do so, the FCC may draft such ratings. ______________________________________________________________ GLAAD/San Francisco Bay Area 1360 Mission Street, Suite 200, San Francisco, California 94103 Administration 415-861-2244 Facsimile 415-861-4893 Hotline 415-861-4588 E-Mail GLAADSFBA@aol.com World Wide Web http://www.ccnet.com/gaytrek/glaad.html