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STATEMENT OF
CHAIRMAN JULIUS GENACHOWSKI
Re: Standardized and Enhanced Disclosure Requirements for Television Broadcast Licensee Public 
Interest Obligations and Extension of the Filing Requirement for Children’s Television 
Programming Report (FCC Form 398), MB Docket Nos. 00-168 and 00-44
On my first day as Chairman, I said the FCC should and would “use technology and new media 
to . . . improve [the] overall operations of the FCC – running efficiently [and] communicating effectively” 
with the American people and all stakeholders. Moving from paper to digital, and from offline to online, 
is central to this commitment.  
We have been doing this consistently. Some examples: 
· We’ve revised our rules for the filing of all tariffs electronically, decreasing burdens on 
carriers and the Commission.  
· We now permit staff to notify parties electronically about docket filings instead of 
mailing copies.  
· We’ve expanded the use of electronic notifications of fees owed. 
· And we’ve harnessed modern technology to open our workshops, hearings and 
communications to people online, on multiple distribution platforms.
Moving processes and information online is important for several reasons. It drives additional 
broadband use; it empowers app developers and consumers to use public data in innovative ways; and it 
drives process efficiencies that reduce costs both for the private sector and for government.    
Look at e-government.  Our government spends hundreds of millions of dollars each year on 
paper communication with citizens, with most of those interactions with communities that are also low 
broadband adopters. By moving more services from paper to the Internet in smart and creative ways –
showing citizens the value of Internet access – we can both incentivize broadband adoption and make 
government more efficient, ultimately generating significant savings that we can reinvest in knocking 
down barriers to adoption.  
Today, we’re applying the common sense principles of moving information online to rules 
relating to television broadcasters.
Broadcasters have long been required to disclose certain information as part of its public interest 
obligations. This information is commonly known as the “public inspection file.”  Right now, this 
information is disclosed in paper form. And the “public inspection file” is in a filing cabinet at the stations 
themselves.
In a broadband world, that just doesn’t make any sense. 
With this item, we propose to move the public file from paper to the Internet, and to host this 
information at the Commission so there’s efficient public access, another important step in the 
Commission’s efforts to ensure effective public access to information.  
Making this information easily accessible will let the public see the large number of broadcasters
that are doing a strong job of meeting their public interest obligations, and also those that are not. 
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This disclosure proposal we adopt today was featured in a major FCC report on how the 
information needs of communities can best be met in the Internet age. And it has already drawn support 
from leaders of the broadcasting and public interest communities, who are often at odds, but agree that 
there should be a streamlined and non-burdensome online mechanism for broadcasters to disclose key 
information about their service to their communities. I am pleased that we are able to take action on this 
recommendation of the Information Needs of Communities Report, and we intend to act on another 
recommendation – the Enhanced Disclosure NOI – in the very near future. By moving these matters 
along, we expect to complete the process on both of these proposals by next spring.  
I look forward to hearing from all stakeholders on our NPRM and of course additional ideas 
about how to continue integrating digital technology into the way we work here at the FCC.
I thank the staff of the Media Bureau and the Managing Director’s Office for their excellent work 
on this issue.