I would like to thank each of the members of the Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters, especially co-chairs Norman Ornstein and Leslie Moonves, for their careful consideration of broadcasters' obligations to the public.

I am encouraged by the Committee's clear recognition of broadcasters' public interest obligations. I urge broadcasters to commit to the practices recommended by consensus by the Committee -- particularly the recommendation to air voluntarily five minutes nightly of free time for political candidates for the 30 days prior to an election. A prompt, broad and deep commitment by broadcasters to this and other recommendations would be a strong signal of their willingness to respond to public interest needs as we enter the digital age. I encourage the FCC to work with broadcasters to achieve that goal.

If broadcasters choose to reject the call for free time on a voluntary basis, we believe the Federal Communications Commission will have a duty to take appropriate action. For its part, Congress ought to help us move forward on this issue on a bipartisan basis -- and not continue to threaten the FCC with further legislative reprisals to tie its hands in this area.

The President and I continue to believe strongly that there should be mandatory, universal free time for candidate centered discourse. It is unfortunate that the opposition from a few members prevented the Committee from adopting such a recommendation unanimously.

The Committee rightly recommends that broadcasters seize the opportunity of digital television to enhance diversity. More needs to be done. I continue to be concerned that minorities have not participated fully in the growing opportunities in broadcasting. I believe we must work towards the day when the voices and views on our airwaves reflect the diversity of our country.

I encourage broadcasters and manufacturers to hold a dialogue on how to use new innovative technologies to improve disaster warnings, ensure the v-chip works, and enhance closed captioning and access to digital television for people with disabilities.

Working together, we can and should make the advent of digital television a boon for the American public.