NEWS                                                     January 18, 1996


         KAREN E. WATSON ASSUMES NEW POSITION AS SENIOR ANALYST,
                    TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND EDUCATION
                                    
                                    
     FCC Chairman Reed E. Hundt announced today that Karen E. Watson will move to
the Office of Plans and Policy to assume a new position as Senior Analyst,
Telecommunications and Education.  She is currently Director, Office of Public Affairs. 
Watson will continue her work with Rich Lee and Beverly Baker on the reinvention task
force  to review overall public information functions of the Commission.

     Hundt said, "One of my biggest priorities at the FCC is to bring the tools of the
information revolution into America's classrooms. Karen Watson's extensive experience in
public affairs and in public broadcasting programming and the development of educational
material for the classroom gives her a unique background to help pull together all issues
involving connecting our classrooms. I am delighted that she has agreed to take on this new
responsibility and challenge at the FCC."

     Watson was appointed Director of the Office of Public Affairs in February 1994.
Prior to joining the FCC, she worked as the Deputy Project Director for WGBH-TV in
Boston and as the Associate Director of News and Public Affairs for the Public Broadcasting
Service.

     Watson said, "I am anxious to get started in this new position that will allow me to
work in areas in which I have been interested my whole career.  This an exciting time to be
working on projects that will help our children get connected to the information
superhighway and prepare them for the future. Chairman Hundt's leadership on these issues
is well known and I look forward to helping him in this area."  

                                  - FCC -