Report No. DC 95-58    ACTION IN DOCKET CASE    April 19, 1995
     
                                         
              FCC PROPOSES TO ALLOW DIGITAL DATA
     TRANSMISSION WITHIN THE VIDEO PORTION OF TV BROADCASTS
     (MM DOCKET NO. 85 - 42)
     
                             The FCC proposes to amend the Commission's Rules to define the rights and
     responsibilities of television broadcast licensees with respect to providing ancillary
     digital data service within the video portion of their broadcast signal.  It also seeks
     comment on whether specifying a particular method or methods of embedding such
     data would facilitate the provision of this service to the general public.
     
          Expanding TV licensees' ability to transmit data provides for more efficient use
     of available spectrum and permits the introduction of new telecommunications services
     to the public.  At the same time, the potential for degrading the TV picture or sound
     quality needs to be fully considered.  Moreover, ancillary data uses might be initiated
     by third parties, rather than the Commission licensee.  The Notice proposes that
     broadcasters would remain responsible for their stations' signals regardless of the
     source of the ancillary data embedded within it, and seeks comment on this issue.
     
          Action by the Commission on April 10, 1995 by NPRM (FCC 95-155). 
     Chairman Hundt, Commissioners Quello, Barrett, Ness and Chong.
     
                                    - FCC -
     
     
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