The
Telecommunications Act of 1996 was the first significant overhaul of
United States telecommunications law in more than sixty years, amending the
Communications Act of 1934. The Act, signed by President
Bill Clinton, represented a major change in American telecommunication law, since it was the first time that the
Internet was included in broadcasting and spectrum allotment. One of the most controversial titles was Title 3 ("Cable Services"), which allowed for
media cross-ownership. According to the
FCC, the goal of the law was to "let anyone enter any communications business to let any communications business compete in any market against any other. " The legislation's primary goal was deregulation of the converging
broadcasting and telecommunications markets.