Television broadcasting in the United States has a long history of public interest requirements attached to it. Children's shows and local programming, for example, have been required in order to maintain a broadcast license. Now, the next generation of television -- digital television (DTV) -- is coming, and those public interest requirements must be updated to match the technology.

An advisory committee, known as the Gore Commission, was appointed by President Clinton in 1997 to recommend what public interest requirements for DTV broadcasting should be. It's now in the hands of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to decide the final standards.

And it's asking for your help.

You can submit your comments to the FCC until April 25, 2000, about what you think the new public interest requirements for broadcasting should be. This piece will give you some background to help you make your suggestions. It will cover:

History: How DTV Came To Be

Standards:A History of the Public Interest Requirements

Gore Report: Recommendations for the Digital Future

Airtime: Free Airtime For Candidates

Pay or Play: Is Money in the Public Interest?

The Future: Where DTV Is Headed

Keep in mind that decisions being made now will affect what you see on TV in the years to come.

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