Telecommunications, Broadcasting, and Information

"Telecommunications, Broadcasting, and Information: Law, Policy, and Regulation is a collection of readings designed to accompany an upper-level undergraduate course that introduces students to the challenges confronting regulators, practitioners, stakeholders, and the public as a result of the convergence of information technologies and their towering impact on democracy and on quality of life. The approach adopted in this anthology introduces students to basic concepts of economics, law, competition, and regulatory governance, and to the fundamentals of communications and antitrust policymaking, in order to set the foundation for class discussions on issues pertaining to what have been distinct industries-telecommunications and broadcasting-as they become one-the information industry. The issues covered in this collection range from indecency regulation and political speech to interconnection oversight and network neutrality; from media ownership and the role of public and educational broadcasting to the technological underpinnings of the American regulatory system and the quest for universal service. Short introductions accompanying each of the readings set them in the context of the field of knowledge needed to fully comprehend the framework in which they are embedded.

Amit M. Schejter (Ph.D., Rutgers) is associate professor of communications and co-director of the Institute for Information Policy at the College of Communications of Penn State University. His books, law reviews, and academic studies on communications policy have been published and presented worldwide in four languages. Sangyong Han (M.A., Indiana University) is a doctoral candidate and research fellow at the Institute for Information Policy at the College of Communications at Penn State University. Previously, he has held managerial and marketing positions in the Korean telecommunications industry."