OFFICE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY STUDIES AND RESEARCH CONTRACTS AT FEB. 16, 1973-Continued

Year contract let

Dittberner Associates...

Purpose

Total

amount

$95,000

Jack Faucett Associates.
General Electric..

Clendenon & Brown..
Mitre Corp..

Teleconsult Inc..

Arthur D. Little, Inc.

FISCAL YEAR 1973

Law Enforcement Assistance
Administration.

Courtest Associates..

To identify and qualify the economic impacts of alternative policies for
interconnection of customer-owned equipment, including privately
operated systems, to the common carrier network, for a range of alterna-
tive interconnection.

To study muiti-part tariffs in pricing selected common carrier services.....
To develop the analytic models defining the trade-offs between com-
munications, computation and storage in teleprocessing systems; to
develop the analytic models necessary to examine the economies of
scale in large-scale teleprocessing systems when all factors in addition
to pure computation power are considered.
Survey potential utility of closed circuit television with 2-way voice by
Federal departments and agencies.

To determine the potential effectiveness of modern communications
facilities and services for improving operations of Government, and
to survey the Executive Office of the President, as representative, to
recommend changes and improvements for enhancing operations.
To survey existing institutional arrangements affecting United States-
Latin American telecommunications and to assist in developing recom-
mendations for improving such relations.

To purchase a comprehensive study describing the telecommunications
industry in 35 countries and integrating a broad cross section of
telecommunications data relating to the complex relationships among
technology, markets, economic development and regulatory policy.

To support the Los Angeles Command Control Communications project to assist in the development of an innovative command and control system. Provide the necessary personnel, services facilities and materials for the Conference on Communications Policy Research (Nov. 17-18, 1972). To identify, describe and analyze alternative technological systems for delivering broadband communications services to rural areas together with estimates of their costs as a function of selected service levels. International Data Systems Corp.. Tutorial report on controlled access in teleprocessing systems. Special

University of Denver.

attention will be given to the present and potential access problems,
to formulate the management, legislative and regulatory options avail-
able to complement technical solutions to the problem, and evaluate
those options.

Dr. Donald J. O'Hara..
Dr. Marshall Jamison..

Study economic efficiency of the use of the radio spectrum with principal
reference to 2700-2900 MHz bands.

Transcom, Inc..

Analyze economic aspects of the mix of telecommunications facilities in
the Pacific Basin.

Prepare a detailed cost study and report setting forth and evaluating
the significant cost elements of a typical direct broadcast satellite
(DBS) system.

14.800

2,500

RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY EXECUTIVE BOARD OF COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA

BROADCASTING OR "NARROW CASTING"?

The language of George Orwell's "1984" was "Newspeak," by which truth became falsehood and freedom became slavery.

Recent activities of the Executive Office of the President has indicated that the Nixon Administration has made an Orwellian policy decision to continue its attacks on the First Amendment to the Constitution, by attempting to bring the free press under White House control. If the Administration succeeds, it will make broadcasting into "narrowcasting."

The key issue in the "Pentagon Papers" case was that for a 2-week period, the First Amendment was in a state of suspension by a court edict, which was rolled back by a 1-vote margin in the Supreme Court. Regardless of the merits of the Vietnam war, the press should have been free of government interference in the publication of the papers, since genuine national security was not involved. In November 1969, Vice President Agnew opened the administration attack on the free press, by his criticism of the broadcasting industry. Since that time, he and others speaking for the President have increased the drum-fire of hostility toward broadcasters and other news media.

Late in 1972, the Administration succeeded in its attempt to subjugate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which had been established by the Congress in 1967 as an independent entity. The Administration has all but eliminated effective public affairs programing on the public broadcasting network. Its efforts

included the "divide and conquer" strategy, which pits the local public stations against the Corporation on fund allocation, program content and other important matters.

In December 1972, Dr. Clay T. Whitehead, Director of the White House Office of Telecommunications Policy, unveiled the latest assault on the free press. In the guise of helping broadcasters by increasing the licence period from 3 to 5 years, the White House is also intending to make broadcasters hesitant to present network news and programing by exercising more "local responsibility."

Dr. Whitehead's December 18 speech is replete with high-sounding phrases about ways in which broadcasters can "offer the rich variety, diversity and creativity of America" on television, and how "the truly professional journalist recognizes his responsibility to the institution of a free press."

In connection with a discussion of the "Fairness Doctrine," Dr. Whitehead stated: "For too long we have been interpreting the First Amendment to fit the 1934 Communications Act," calling that interpretation an "inversion of values." Dr. Whitehead has proposed that Congress enact his bill, which would have as sweeteners the 5-year license renewal and more stringent reqirements for citizens groups to challenge license renewals. The dangerous part of the Whitehead proposal is that government takes unto itself power to determine whether the individual station has been programing to meet vague and undefined government standards. The Communications Act, in its 38 years, never has given government the power to intervene in program content. The Whitehead bill would have that practical effect.

The Executive Board of the Communications Workers of America, recognizing the fragile nature of our First Amendment freedoms, hereby condemns the White head proposal and urges the Congress to take no action thereon.

773-3