PUBLIC NOTICE
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
1919 M STREET, N.W.
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20554

News media information 202/418-0500. 

Report No. DC 95-129          ACTION IN DOCKET CASE        
October 19, 1995

          COMMISSION TO HOLD EN BANC HEARING ON DIGITAL
TELEVISION
                           (MM DOCKET NO. 87-268)

     The Federal Communications Commission will hold an en banc
hearing on Digital
Television ("DTV") on Tuesday, December 12, 1995. The Commission
has determined that
it would be useful to hear oral presentations and a direct
exchange of viewpoints on the
issues raised in the pending Digital Television proceeding.  The
issues that the
Commission would like addressed include: (1) business visions and
concerns for digital
television; (2) the effect of the transition to digital
television on broadcasters, including the
nature of a broadcaster's public interest obligations in a
digital world, the impact on
noncommercial stations and stations in smaller markets and the
nature of "must carry"
obligations in a digital world; and (3) the impact on consumers
of the transition from analog
to digital television.  The Commission had earlier issued several
Notices in this proceeding,
the most recent of which was a Fourth Further Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking and Third
Notice of Inquiry, adopted July 28, 1995.  Comments responding to
the issues raised in
that Notice are scheduled to be filed on November 15, 1995, and
reply comments are
scheduled to be filed on January 12, 1996.

     Parties wishing to make oral presentations and appear on
panels to discuss and
debate issues at this hearing should submit written requests by
close of business Friday,
October 27, 1995, to:

     Saul Shapiro
     Mass Media Bureau
     Federal Communications Commission
     1919 M Street, N.W. - Room 314
     Washington, D.C.  20554

     Such requests should clearly identify the speaker, the
organization represented (if
any), relevant experience and training and the specific topic(s)
he/she wishes to discuss. 
Depending on the number of requests, it may be necessary to limit
the number of
presenters.  If so, we will select speakers for the hearings in
order to achieve broad
representation of different viewpoints.  With this in mind,
interested parties wishing to
present similar material are encouraged to propose a single
representative or consolidated
presentation.  The Commission reserves the right to select
panelists who have not
submitted a request to appear.  The precise format and schedule
for the en banc hearing,
as well as a list of the selected presenters, will be specified
in a future public notice; 
however, initial presentations will be limited to no more than
five minutes.
                                   (over)
                                    - 2 -

     Persons selected to appear will be required to submit to the
Secretary, by close-of-
business Tuesday, November 21, 1995, an original and 9 copies of
their proposed
remarks, a summary of those remarks of no more than two pages, a
brief speaker
biography, and a description of the organization represented.  In
addition, 10 copies of the
material submitted to the Secretary must be submitted to the
Policy and Rules Division,
Mass Media Bureau, by close of business on November 21, 1995. 
Persons wishing to
respond to testimony presented at the hearing are invited to do
so by the reply comment
deadline, January 12, 1996.

     For more information contact Saul Shapiro, Mass Media
Bureau, (202) 418-2600. 
Members of the media should contact Maureen Peratino, Office of
Public Affairs, (202)
418- 0500.

                                    -FCC-