Government operations and workforce · Advisory committees

Executive Order 13038: Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters

President: Bill Clinton

Created an advisory committee to recommend how digital television broadcasters should meet public-interest responsibilities.

Status: Revoked. Is Executive Order 13038 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13038 was revoked. See Federal Register record.

What does Executive Order 13038 do?

EO 13038 created a committee of up to 15 members to advise the Vice President on public-interest obligations for digital television broadcasters. The group examined children’s programming, political discourse, access for people with disabilities, emergency information and other issues arising from the transition to digital spectrum. Later orders adjusted its membership and deadline. It issued Charting the Digital Broadcasting Future in December 1998 and was abolished in 1999.

Administration position: The order requested recommendations; it did not itself impose new broadcast licenses, content quotas or enforceable public-interest rules.
SignedMarch 11, 1997
Original membership cap15
Final reportDecember 18, 1998

Before and after

Before the order

The transition to digital broadcasting raised unresolved questions about how longstanding public-interest duties should apply to new spectrum capacity.

After the order

The committee delivered recommendations for policymakers and regulators; implementation required separate FCC, congressional or executive action.

Who had to do what

Agency / officeActionTiming / position
Advisory committeeStudy and recommend digital-broadcast obligationsCompleted
Commerce DepartmentProvide administrative supportDuring committee life
Vice PresidentReceive the reportCompleted

What happened next

EO 13038 created the committee.

The committee submitted its final report.

EO 13138 abolished it.