Around the region in Rochester is mostly sunny and 64. It's cloudy and 47 in Duluth and Saint Cloud. It's fair and 53 and the Twin Cities. Mostly sunny and 59 that's news from Minnesota Public Radio on Karen borta on 6 minutes past 12:00. Welcome back to mid-day here on the FM news station. I'm Gary eichten off we go now to the Minneapolis Hilton Hotel in Downtown, Minneapolis.Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I Advanced Offerman present of West publishing and buys shares Minnesota meeting. It's a pleasure to welcome all of you to today's meeting especially so many of you. I would also like to welcome our radio audience throughout the Upper Midwest. We're hearing this program on Minnesota public radio's midday program. Broadcast I Minnesota meeting are made possible by the fine law firm of Oppenheimer Walton Donnelly with offices in Minneapolis-Saint Paul major cities in the United States and Europe. Members of Minnesota median represent this community As Leaders on corporations government the academy and the professions 12 times a year to hear from and to question leaders of national and international status. This is our 14th year in the marketplace of ideas. As many of you know, this year's program has a special Focus Minnesota meets the information age. We have discussed the business social and political ramifications of the digital Revolution. Now underway whole Industries including my own business of publishing information to be radically changed before our eyes other media to from television to radio to newspapers will look completely different in just a few years. To help us think through some of these changes we have with us today. Mr. Delana Lewis president and chief executive officer of National Public Radio. Dell is the co-chair of the United States advisory Council on the national information infrastructure of which I was also a member. I have to tell you the Dell was the finest culture II I ever had the honor to serve with in that capacity has been much of the last several months examining how different communities are using the internet to create their own news and Information Services in the process to gain the power inherent in Access and control of information. Dell is going to tell us about some of those communities and what they're up to you also provide their perspective of leaving executive a one of the nation's most respected and influential news organization National Public Radio. NPR is now. We're not only on our radio. but also in cyberspace if you've got a decent computer in a modem and access to the internet, you can hear all things considered anytime you want or pick and choose what NPR stories you want to hear and when Dell was named CEO of national public radio in January of 1994 prior to that appointment dellrose from the public affairs manager to president and CEO of CMP Telephone Company a subsidiary of belt when I take before they at in the 1960s Dells career included stands as a staff attorney in the Department of Justice as a director of Peace Corps activities in Nigeria and Uganda and is a legislative aide in Capitol Hill. Dell's address is title Open Access moving all Americans in the information age when he has finished his address. He would take questions from the audience. Jane macek and Kim darling of the Minnesota meeting to manage the question and answers session is now my great pleasure to introduce my good friend. Louis. Good afternoon. I'll try it again. Good afternoon. Thank you. We have students at the office in the audience. So good to bring us back to the classroom. Advanced thank you for that beautiful introduction if my mother and father could have heard that my father would have been very proud of my mother would have believed all those things that you said about me, but I really appreciate it and it's a real honor to be here Vance not only served on the national information infrastructure advisory Council, but he was a valued participant and co-chaired one of our a subgroup. I want to buy make a project groups did an outstanding job. I think he was probably one of those members that attended almost all of our meetings and we met for 2 years every 6 to 8 weeks in Washington and around the country. I valued his passion his activism his opinions and his support of that of that work that I'll talk to you about in a few minutes and also from traveling around Minnesota and being around the last couple days. I know how West publishing company in his efforts. He's better find corporate citizen in this state as well. But I also wanted to acknowledge a few other people that are here. It's important. It's being carried live and I want to make sure that we get our in PR people involved Bill Kling who's president and CEO of Minnesota Public Radio icon in the business a man who I came to see you shortly after I was appointed who's done of tremendous job in bringing public broadcasting to this date in this region and his well respected throughout public broadcasting industry. We spent a lot of time together yesterday and I just think his is broadcasting entity is one of the best. I also failed to mention another member the magic Council who was not in town in the last couple days with Stanley Hubbard and Hubbard Communications. Also a valued member of our Council. So Minnesota should be very proud at least two of its members. So I came from the state and serve that counts of river. Well another member from Public Radio International. The person that I'd like to acknowledge is Steve Sawyer and Steve is here with his colleagues from Public Radio International Steve is also one of those and I met when I first came on board who came to Washington to greet me and to acclimate me to this industry and we talked immediately about ways in which we may work together Nashville Public Radio and at that time American public radio, that's now a Public Radio International and we came up with the idea of working overseas as what effort and we put together through the help of Corporation public broadcasting broadcasting in Europe and Eastern Europe. It's called America one. So if you travel in Europe and Eastern Europe with the help of our manager in Munich Germany, I threw an ashtray satellite. You can hear Morning Edition All Things Considered Talk of the Nation Marketplace and Minnie the programs that you were here and enjoy United States. So I wanted to acknowledge Steve the other person know I didn't choose my Chief Operating Officer Petey Pablo. He has been on about a year or so it with me and Nashville Public Radio and we knew each other in, Washington. In business and cultural activities and I'm pleased it appears sharing this activity with me today. It's all the students are in the audience. I met some of the reception and some here and then I get a chance to meet you, but I want to walk on my students in the Twin Cities were interested in broadcasting and journalism to let you know that it is possible to have a career. I've had a number of careers probably have a career in journalism and Communications. I've had three careers that you've heard, but I wanted you to know that a lot of my some of my important part of my life started right here in st. Paul Minneapolis and you heard about my years in a federal government and in telecommunications and now NPR, but you may not have known that in the summers are 57 and 58. I live in St. Paul Minnesota. I was a waiter on the Great Northern Railroad one of the best jobs ever had in life. I waited tables from Saint Paul to Seattle two and a half days out two and a half days back. Absolutely beautiful. Help me pay my way through college and I waited tables while I was in University of Kansas, but a great experience here. I lived on Rondo Avenue, which I understand now is a freeway which is maybe some issue for some people but I remember my days and summers in St. Paul. But so I feel at home here and people at the West Publishing Company Advanced Hospitality have really made me feel at home in the last couple of days my thanks and congratulations on outstanding form for leaders around the world, Minnesota meeting and to executive director James mracek and her staff and to the chairman of Minnesota meeting Ron James who was not able to be here and all the Minnesota meeting directors and I might say again my background brought me to Minnesota many times when I was in telecommunications and I'm at Ron James when he was an executive with u.s. West so I was sorry I didn't get a chance to see him on the Strip. But again, I'm pleased to be here and I'd like to also acknowledged Paul Peterson. Before I move on and Paul Peterson is a general manager of wcal insane office College in Northfield Minnesota. And when did an interview with WCA all this morning? I will be broadcast throughout the week. But Paul Peterson at his station wcol is one of our oldest members of Nashville Public Radio. I think they started with us in 1971 and that's what we're celebrating our 25th year together. So again, thank you for allowing me to give the plug for national public radio. And before I move on one more thing to tell you that to everyone will probably ask me where are we in terms of Fundy? I'll answer any questions you have but I will just say with your help to help of the stations in this reason to help the station is country and the help of the listeners throughout this country. We made tremendous progress. We have reduced funding and 96 and 97 98. The number was going to be zero other federal subsidy, and we got 240 million out of the house and 260 million out of the Senate so they had to come on some compromise number in 1999 and Beyond we're not talking. Elimination of the system were talking about how to preserve the system and there's even talk of a trust fund which will preserve us on into the future. So legislation pending now on our future about not elimination with preservation of public broadcasting. So I want to thank those listeners because you have helped us in the lobbying efforts liberals conservatives Independence Republicans Democrats. They told Congress they value the service of Nashville Public Radio, and it did not want to see it eliminated and you're the ones who turned the tide. So I want to say thank you. It's a privilege to join the roster distinguish speakers who have enjoyed this form and I'm pleased to have a chance to talk to you today or early this week. I spoke before the broadcast Education Association as they were holding their annual convention in Las Vegas with the National Association of broadcasters the NAB Convention Services showcase for the newest technology in all the big communication companies were there and all the Fantastic satellite electronic communications devices. I was talking to Bill Kling. He says that's the place we are to have our Public Radio. Reference because that's where the future is with broadcast and wireless devices to bring audio and video to our homes and businesses with email electronic fax and file transfer with phones and computers and direct telecommunications. It's all there with all electronic forms of communication channels upon us. It's rather special and rather unusual to be able to speak face-to-face. Don't you think these days if you're not online you made me out of line and if you don't have a portable personal Communications device are satellites powered pager, you just not in touch and I like to take another moment to tell you about Minnesota Public Radio who's already online Minnesota Public Radio was deeply involved in an online Revolution is conducting a major national Symposium call the economic War among the states which in which states battle to keep and lure businesses. It will have a conference in Washington a print magazine component produced by the Federal Reserve Bank. Minneapolis and right now is running an online case study and was put together exclusively for this project by Harvard University. So indeed MPR Minnesota Public Radio is out front on online technology and has as hot Wired Magazine said is leading the way and it's running a feature on the project. So that's just one piece of what we're doing on online Communications. It's just the beginning of the communications Revolution. That's come our way even before we reach the 21st century our ability to communicate with other people around the world is beyond any place. Our imaginations would have taken us just a few years ago as for myself just a few years ago. I was president of what used to be called a telephone company the telephone company provided you with a telephone and ran a telephone line to your home or business for a monthly feet you made a call and when I went over a landline and was completed at somebody else's telephone. That's what we did. Today the telephone companies don't make telephones and other companies can run a line to your home and telephone calls fly between cells without lines and the telephone companies are headed toward maybe becoming broadcasters. And as you know what the of the deregulation of Telecom bill that was just passed everybody's going to be in everybody's business. I remember the early 1980s offering my telephone company Executives the opportunity to get into cable television business by building the transport system for a cable TV in Washington DC. I want to tell you that I had the hardest time not convincing the politicians toward the bid to us. I had the hardest time convincing the executive inside the telephone company that we ought to be involved with cable companies. It took a lot of persuasion to get them and understand I'll Telephone Company could do business with a cable company a phone company in the Cable telephone business while that idea was unbelievable. And now look at us where we are. That was 85 and 86. Bright say to you that it did happen DC Cablevision was farmed. They've partnered with c&p telephone. I was the president at that time and we bid on the system. We won the bid are we built the system for cable in the District of Columbia. It was a win-win situation the cable company made money the telephone company made money and our viewers have cable in Washington. That was then this is now all over the country. The new telecommunications companies are partnering with buying parts of an competing against cable and broadcast television companies little did I know back in the 1980s that would become part of the broadcasting family that I would have the opportunity to lead the country's Premier public radio network and membership organization in 1994. When I join National Public Radio, we were wondering where we would fit. What is broadcast radio future is what and how were they want to receive our programs new technologies offer both opportunities. Threats as you know, what public radio listeners turn off the radios and tune into their computers. Will we be able to keep up with the hardware and software development and what other Revenue implications and a partnership opportunities and most importantly, how can we sustain our Public Service Mission while seeking new opportunities to expand our audiences. These are few things. We we know for sure about the future communications, but we do know our world will ever be changing and I technology will also be ever involving we must continue to provide the products and services to our viewers and listeners and give them what they expect as well as supplementary and auxiliary services. So the first day that I came on to NPR. I got a call from secretary Ron Brown of the Department of Commerce and he asked me on that day. What eye coach are the National information infrastructure Council and I was quite honored to do so my other coach are Was Ed McCracken of silicon Graphics in Silicon Valley and we began our work of two years and I want to say to you that it was a magnificent opportunity for me and I'll share with you some of the things that we we accomplished. But before I do I would just like to have a special reference to to Taron Brown for a moment because what we did and this task force really was officially what Ron Brown's Vision was all about. He believed strongly. And bringing people into the process secretary brown with someone who can make things happen by virtue of his own vision of America and of the world he had amazing energy level and was able to connect people at all levels in DD saw Communications among people fuel by commerce between countries as a way to Foster world. Peace and Global Prosperity America will miss Ron Brown, but we can hold him up as a model of how individuals can make a difference in our country and in our world and on a personal note. I knew Ron for over 20 years when he first came to Washington with the National Urban League, I worked him on Democratic party matters. I worked him and cultural and business matters in the city and I want to tell you he was not only a role model for African Americans. Ron Brown was a role model for America. I want to thank those of us who were wrong and I see you had a chance to work with Ron. We remember how he added his special Vision to our work America's Information Network and we're proud to carry on his legacy are charged from the president through vice president Gore and secretary Brown. What's advise the president on a national strategy for the development of America's information infrastructure and ultimately the Global Information infrastructure. I want to take a moment to define the national information infrastructure or the ni to make sure we all understand the vast scope of the communications Network Verizon collection of public and private high-speed interactive Niro and Broadband networks that deliver information and content to homes businesses and other public and private institutions. It is also the content that flows over the infrastructure weather in the form of data the written word film music picture or computer software. It is also the mechanisms by which the information reaches us. The computers the telephones the televisions the radios the satellite dishes and all the devices that transmit or receive content. You may have heard this describes the information superhighway. It was a council's belief that then I has the potential to be America's most significant asset in the knowledge-based economy in the coming Century. We work together as a council for 2 years to develop policy recommendations and three broad areas first to establish the goals of information infrastructure. And Vance Opperman co-chaired that Mega project along with James Smith Patterson of North Carolina, looking at the goals and visions of information superhighway as it applies to the applications of healthcare electronic Commerce and education and lifelong learning. second we wanted to ensure universal access to the ni bird Roberts chairman of MCI and Carol fukunaga the state representative Ohio of Hawaii co-chair that project and they were about the business of looking at universal access to examine recommend policy on privacy security and intellectual property issues Esther Dyson was a co-chair Along with the adventures I think is that her company and she co-chaired it with John Cook of the Disney Channel and we spent many spirited hours talkin about intellectual property security and privacy as we meet forward move forward with his issues. We discovered the complexity and scope of the dialogue that was required and how best to handle this do this 37 member passports and I want to tell you the fact that you had these 37 members with two co-chairs to come to decisions was a real real effort. You had very very high-caliber intelligent people from all walks of life who really had varying views about the unfolding of this information superhighway, but we divided them up into those three Mega projects as I said before, but I would like to review with you quickly the principles with which we adopted and we're in darts by a council members the first principle Then I must be ubiquitous and affordable. It must enable all the individuals who use it to be both consumers and producers of information. We shouldn't develop a system of information. He has information Have Nots we also said that the second principal in II it must serve consumers well to be successful. Then I must be user-friendly and Innovative offering a broad range of products and services. Could that be a better match than with the current burgeoning ever diversifying Market Reformation Services many languages mini lifestyle miniaturist many viewpoints. It's really America. It's a key element of our success in this nation Arthur principle of Ni is this the primary responsibility for the design the deployment and operational than I belongs to the private sector. We really felt as we started at work that there was some Talk of the administration of the federal government. Guiding developing controlling the infrastructure. It was this council's belief and we all came from public-private and Community sectors. We believe it really should be engineered and driven by the private sector. There's tremendous potential for the deployment of new business new jobs new entrepreneurship within my biggest competition can help spur the development of the communications Network that's already happening today. This is not to say the government does not have the important role and then I deployment it does we talked about that in our final report government can work with Private Industry to develop and deploy and uses for Network Services and socially beneficial areas such as education Public Safety cultural Richmond and Healthcare and that was our fourth principle. We also talked to local governments local governments can pay you can play a very active role in the proliferation of community services Computer Services by fostering public and private sector Partnerships by establishing fall. Thinking regulatory environment and by developing mechanisms by which those least able to afford Computer Services will have access to them in my life and the Telecommunications whirl I probably spent 20. I was 21 years in the regulatory Arena and I can tell you that I would push hard for having Regulators with an understanding of not only their ability to oversee but their understanding that you need to incent private sector in building the information Highway. So as we talked through those particular subjects, we came down to our final work. Those were a basic principles and we came down to our final reports. The council recently issued to reports as a result of our work one was entitled a nation of opportunity. We laid on findings and policy recommendations for America's Communications Network among these recommendations is a need for government and business to work together to guarantee maximum access opportunities for all Americans the report spells out guidelines for balancing the rights of content providers as well as the content receivers along with the council's report on their work of two years the council published a second report based on actual practical examples of successful projects call the kick-start initiative. And if you have not seen those two documents, I'm sure we can get them through you through Minnesota meeting or through Radio will get you copies of those documents. The one nation of opportunity gives out our principles and policy recommendations, but the kickstarter initiative was one we felt would probably remember longer. We didn't want to bring a report that you would put on a shelf and leave it there. The kick-start report was a how to manual not only did we meet to talk policy, but we travel around the country and talked to a number of groups. We had an Outreach component of what we did we had groups tell us how to do it. We went into school districts. We went in the community centers and we decided to develop in the kick-start initiative how to connect School's library and community centers to the information infrastructure. We it we had Mackenzie and company gave us pro bono the cost data analysis on how to do it. We talked to leaders and various communities and they said here are successful ways to get your school administration motivated here is to get your community leader. Your politicians involved it is a model on how to do it. We believe strongly that the kick-start document although in the next year or two may be outdated, but it will give the initiative to exactly how to get this done. This was a beauty of and I work we able to gather and share information about how America's are Americans are using Innovations in technology to improve life in their communities and bring information and knowledge to their fellow citizens. And for the most part these are private-sector initiatives. Although many are partnered with government entities. Let me give you a couple examples. For instance the San Francisco Bay senior net brings together two million older Americans online. It helps them stay involved in life stay in touch with friends and family can stay on top of their Investments and finances in St. Louis a photo processing company was among the first companies to offer downloadable coupons on their web page that customers can redeem in their local franchises a local benefit from a national firm results and better Communications and bitter customer service. Tennessee's virtual school has trained more than 11,000 of Estates Elementary and high school teachers to be fully computer literate. These educators are not sharing the benefits of worldwide electronic resource with their students and stay in touch with each other to share a teaching plans and classroom projects finally in Baltimore, Maryland students at the Rosa Parks Elementary School came on. On a 1994 until that time the park school was ready to close because the falling enrollment low test scores and low faculty Morrell. Thanks, the partnership of MCI Communications the park school has been able to use technology to bring student achievement to the above average level morale among students and teachers alike is up and the school is thriving. So these are just a few examples of how we can make America's Communications Network. Only a model of successful business and commerce but a social responsibility and educational Excellence for people of all ages and backgrounds many of you already participating in This Magnificent experiment through your own companies academic institutions and other organizations and are beginning to realize the benefits. I heard you to continue to use your imaginations your commitment to your communities and your resources in the Quest for lifelong learning and are multimedia country with a national network that works for everyone. We can achieve the goals our nation's Founders set for us. It is our responsibility and our privilege. Let us move forward together rapidly with a common purpose in mind the successful future of our nation. I like to close with my reason for joining National Public Radio. I left a exciting Telecommunications to join national public radio so that I can be a partner in this information infrastructure. I believe that through public information becomes public knowledge and becomes power that can make a difference in this country and in the world, I believe it can happen in public broadcasting. I think it be happening with a Enlighten citizen. So I want you to work with me as we continue through this information superhighway to connect people at the link people together to let Nate to to connect neighborhoods and communities who are not together to begin to this process to break down barriers barriers of that that cause Prejudice and ignorance began to bring understanding of different cultures and religions. I believe we can do this we can do it together and I look forward to our travels together along the information superhighway. Thank you very much. Thank you. Mister Lewis for a radio audience. You're listening to Delano Lewis the president and CEO of national public radio and also the co-chair of the national information infrastructure Council. We have a first question here from Erica whitlinger, who is the CEO of whittling or Capital Management and also a commentator a regular commentator on sound money on NPR Erica. Adele a lot of people use the web like it because of their feeling of being connected to other people and organizations and so on have the sound money portion of Minnesota public radio's website provides content on personal finance and Investments, but since sound money is a call-in show, we also get dozens of questions from listeners every week. And the best that we can do is pick a couple of seemed representative to answer on the now. How do we Foster a sense of personal connectedness between web users and their favorite public radio shows in personalities without creating interactive monsters question. I think a lot of its going to just sort of evolved over time. I don't think everybody is going to be on a website or are be interested at not everybody's going to have a computer. I just think we've got to be there with that kind of information in that kind of content to develop the kind of an activity that would be positive and stimulating to our audiences. So I'm not so sure where we're not sure exactly what the evolutions going to be over. Time we hope that we don't develop monsters. We hope that we can control that kind of activity. But I think the very fact that it is it is evolving and that public broadcasting is there I can give you one example of a r programming initiative and NPR we chose not to do gavel to gavel of the OJ Simpson trial we gave current updates as to what was happening some of our other commercial colleagues did the other but we felt for our listeners we would just keep them current but we did talk about it on our home page on on the entry and right after the verdicts. We got a number thousands of hits at NPR's web page and why the reason was they knew what the verdict was they knew how they felt they knew how others failed in their communities, but they really wanted to know how listeners of NPR might feel because they were connected to that audience. So the connectedness of our audience people who Subscribe to public radio. They wanted to have a sense of their feelings and understanding so it was a connectedness. It wasn't interaction. It was a sharing of information and ideas. So I just think you carry on that basic culture into other kinds of distribution mechanisms and internet is one and it may be many others that evolved from that overtime, but we can make it positive and keep it positive. Thank you very much. Mr. Lewis. We do have as you mentioned some students here from all over the city. We've got to a small group from the anwatin Middle School, which is sponsored by Dain Bosworth and like MacKenzie from and wants got a question for you. I was wondering how could we get more money for the internet so we can have public access to like radios know cuz out of out of 625 75 students. There's only two modems, you know, so I was just wondering what is a record question is how we can get resources to allow the schools to be connected and how many schools are not as fortunate others. We did it we dealt with that information advisory Council and we talked about Partnerships with the with the corporate America and with businesses and other groups, and we think that that's going to happen and is happening that those Partnerships Adam. Popping which will allow for those resources to become about we believe strongly that if you read the kick-start initiative, it really talks about a ways in which that could happen. We also said schools are one natural place to connect people in to teach people about these new technologies button libraries, and I didn't spend a lot of time on it in my prepared remarks, but we spent a lot of time we had a library professional on information superhighway and we can feel that many libraries depending upon the the economics of various regions summer in varying states of existence, but we believe that network is there and that network is basically not as costly as some other forms and you can go into the library and also make use of these kinds of up of infrastructure. So the library's other system the other thing we talked about it and kick-start was community centers that they're all kinds of community centers and I feel that that's another place that in communities whether it's in a church or whether it's in a homeless shelter or what it's in a senior citizen Community Center or a YMCA or YWCA there maybe chances to use technology to connect people. So again, it goes down to the initiative of people one of the things that came out strongly Bar Council strong and kick-start. This should not be us relying on government local or federal but individual initiative can begin to make this happen. If you can walk into Corporate America, you can make appointments and say look I need your help here is a program I think would be a value to this community. Why don't you partner with us? Get your local ptas get your local church groups began to establish your own website get people excited about the infrastructure it can happen and we have models to do that. Yes. It's a matter of dollars and sense. But I think you can find those dollars and sense. If you would just use it just your own initiative. Thank you, Mr. Lewis and little Segway. Cuz we do have a member of the Minneapolis city council here. So we don't want to rule out local governments completely. Can you show us it? How about a question? Well, welcome to Minneapolis particularly pleased to see the students here today and in commercial broadcasting we're finding the people are learning about issues through 15 20 seconds sound bites and that's why public broadcasting is so important. What is your research show about two young people. Will they have to be doing it through the net or will we see larger percentages of the young people listening to public radio and a public television. I wish I could answer that with some specifics we need to do more on research and data. We have some you know anecdotal data about about what young people are thinking and doing but we don't have enough we can give you some some hopes and aspirations. One of my goals is to expand audiences of public broadcasting to minardi audiences and two younger people and we're doing that on working with many of our colleges universities and with our high school. I can just give you Quick example National Public Radio a purchase the building in Washington DC in a eighth neighborhood that was changing. We did that with the help of a floating industrial revenue bonds. It's 635 Massachusetts Avenue beautiful up-to-date Center for Public Broadcasting in Washington, but immediately we did not want to say to this local community that we're a National Organization and we don't care about you. So we developed a community outreach to the area that we serve right around the right around our office and we invited them in so they'll know who we were and what we were about we partnered with McKinley Penn High School in our area and through our efforts. We're building a radio room in the high school and we are teaching the high school students about radio journalism by people who working in Nashville Public Radio. So we not only preach it but we we walk what we talked and we are doing that partnering with young people in the Washington DC area, but are they just going to be relying on computers? I think it's a good chance that they will I'm now grandfather have six grandchildren and I understand I know what they're going through their learning computers from the day, they walk into their schools and they have computers many of their colleagues have computers at home. So I know that young people are a certainly become associated with computers and it's new technology new technology very very early, but I meant you to say that the radio as we know it will still exist but they're going to be other forms like the computer and internet that we must be involved. So yes, we're going to follow young people. We're going to encourage him to understand public broadcasting and that's one of our objectives. Thank you very much. Mr. Lewis. We're going to move now to Ian Ellis who's with the Ellerbe Becket architectural firm in Minneapolis. Yes, my question had to do with the content on the internet currently people are only paying for access to the internet and they don't pay for the content that they're enjoying and I'm reading and that sort of thing. How would you see that changing in the future? It's a really tough question of the content that hole we discussed that at the council we discuss it right now in terms of intellectual property and and and property rights and and all of those things and it's not a clear answer about how do you guard and protect your own property once it gets out into cyberspace. I mean, you can read how we grappled with it at the council there. No clear answers on the protection of it there certain guidelines today that we that we know they're guidelines and intellectual property that that we are certainly support him up, but they're obviously some real risk on that. I don't know exactly how we're going to control. The big question is people say what who controls the internet. I mean, it's it's just one of those things that grew from the Department of defense's, you know, there's no quote. Owner is not quite regulated. Although Congress is moving or try to move to to do something on terms of pornography and regulating it. So it is still a lot of unresolved questions. I don't have an answer. I don't know if Vance and others might want to want to take a crack at it. I'll throw it over to someone else if you like. I see everyone shaking their head next question. Mr. Lewis from I'm Sheldon Maine to the coordinator of something called Minnesota eat democracy that organized the first electronic debate senatorial debate on the internet 2 years ago Sheldon. Thank you for being here. The electronic superhighway is it doesn't has been called. A lot of people are afraid that it's going to be coming electronic superhighway only to shopping malls. This this country was democracy was based on Town Hall's Town squares were people could talk. Are there going to be those public spaces? And how are you going to ensure their created? And how how are you going to make sure there are not controlled by either government or specific commercial interest? Well, you directing that question to the wrong person. I'm just a CEO of national public radio. I don't have that. Thank goodness. I don't have that authority to or obligation responsibility to deal with regulatory efforts of of all of this. Is it emerges our government certainly going to be grappling with those questions that you ask commercial interests to go to be grappling with it? Because commercial interests are about the business of selling your products and services. They like to be less controlled and less regulated. I did I did part of my life there understand what that's about but at the same time the consumer wants some protections and the government that usually ways and heavily to protect the rights of consumers and hopefully the rights of the commercial players as well. How do you how do you say I have I have no idea. We we know that we grappled with some of those same issues and our final report some of these issues. We we didn't feel that we had the temperature. Used to come to conclusions. I think of ultimately what you have to say is that this is a democracy or representative form of government and people must make their views known and somehow we will develop regulations are we will develop policies and we will develop legislation if necessary to began to make this an orderly transition. It happened when we moved from an agrarian economy to an industrial economy. Now, we're moving from an industrial economy to an information-based economy and the same kinds of questions will arise and with the same kinds of issues will come about and we going to have to have some people figure out how to solve them. And so yes, there should be public space for people to talk them through. Yes, that should be forms for you to meet your legislators and regulators. And yes, there should be the freedoms for you to speak and the freedoms for you to act as an individual in the freedoms of this country. So yes all that's going to happen how it's going to be resolved your guess is as good as mine, but I think all of us working together will resolve it peacefully and orderly Thank you very much. Mr. Lewis, sci-fi radio audience. You're listening to Delano Lewis who's the president and CEO of national public radio. He's speaking to the Minnesota meeting at the Minneapolis Hilton and Towers in Downtown Minneapolis with a question from Andrew all to study American history at the University of Minnesota. Hi there. One question. I had was one difference. I know it's between national public radio and internet is the fact that radio for the most part it's free and internet is usually but paid service. How do you see that? The fact that people have to pay for internet access in the future how will that affect who gets to use it and its ultimate effect a question of your choice of words are very interesting because I grapple with this notion that Public Radio is free, right Bill Clinton Steve Sawyer. We would like to see that it is it it is no there's no charge will be like for you to pay. We'd like for you two would like for you to support us. We'd like you to voluntarily give up because we don't put a tax on your radio. We don't put a tax on your television as they do in Europe, but we do say here it is if you can afford to buy radio before to buy TV, it's yours and but we hope that you do appreciate. And that you will somehow support us in terms of the internet is evolving and maybe a cost gets that issue of universal service in universal access and it's one that we grapple with we ended up talking about a lot about it and we end up saying there's bound to be some subsidies for those who can't afford it are we ended up staying somewhere along the line either through government or some such an incentive to the private sector there's going to be there should be some subsidy for those who can't afford it. So we did say in order to make this is as open as possible to everyone is probably going to have to be some balancing of the equities here. But again we eat without the private sector should still take the lead government shouldn't send private sector to bring everyone in as best we can yes, you're right if it continues to go in the direction of being too expensive or charges for the use of it in terms of internet and computer. It's going to certain exclude people. That's why we talked about schools. That's why we talked about Library. That's why we talked about community centers. That's why we talked about community of Interest. Coming together and collectively providing it as close to free-to-the-public as you can there's not much in this world. It's free. Are you going to pay one way or the other? Thank you. Mr. Lewis. We have time for a couple more quick questions and quick answer is America freezing who's an on-air reporter for Minnesota Public Radio. This your boss. Okay, nevermind. Okay good to go. I was never known to ask a quick question. But I'm glad to see you here and ended glad to see your connection with the Regulatory and policy and governmental issues. So full of leader in the information Highway. The question I have is who's carrying the torch for Content after all the discussion of of all this dazzling array of technological stuff and all the opportunities who's carrying the who's carrying the torch for content for wisdom and for knowledge Well, I'm glad you asked a question and I didn't prompt you on that question make the audience realize that but it's a perfect lead-in to what we consider the value of public broadcasting the value of public radio. We believe strongly now that we are viewing ourselves not as just broadcasters but its content and context providers. We believe strongly that what we do is in the public interest. We are really content people very creative and we really believe that we have something to offer not only to the public but there are commercial colleagues as well in my old life TuneIn Bell Atlantic. We talked about video-on-demand we talked about 500 channels. I need to say to myself sitting in my office. First of all who was going to watch 500 channels and secondly what was going to be on 500 Channel and then I went into public radio on I said, you know that is a connection why the world would you leave telecommunications and move into public radio people said what is a businessman doing running public radio? There is a real connection. It's all commuter. I happen to be interested in those Communications now that are in the public interest, but if we could partner with those who are in who have other interests and not lose what we are about I think we can reach more audience and will be evolving into the 21st century. So I really believe that where we are now in public broadcasting is a tremendous opportunity to carry the torch for knowledge for content for wisdom for a thought that's interesting for thought that stimulates people to think. I mean, I think it's a great opportunity for us and that's what I plan to do in one of the reasons. I came to public radio. Thank you very much. Mr. Lewis we have time for just one more question is going to come from Mark Lynch who's the manager of the educational division at Twin Cities public television in educational technology actually very close subject and certainly on behalf of the public television stations of Minnesota. We welcome our sister of radio of which I was interested in what you have to say. We're very proud of you that leadership that Nationally, you mentioned the importance of individual initiative and the principles of universal access and a healthy public discourse on which of democracy depends are Central issues in the information infrastructure Revolution that we find ourselves in yet much of the American public are either not aware or really not very knowledgeable of the tremendous impact of the things such as the Telecommunications bill that just passed. And with forms like this being helpful, it seems that both commercial and public broadcaster's and news media have a different difficult time reporting on something. So complex. What advice do you have for reporters editors and Publishers regardless of the media to help the American public understand some of these greater issues and I would encourage my commercial colleagues to get involved in in approaching it just as you mention that these issues that are complex and need to be explored but I do believe that's a central role for Public Broadcasting the commercial interests have their own clock that they watch their own commercial interest. Someone mentioned the sound bite etcetera and I'm not in their business. I'm in a business that really believe that we can take time to do it. We can give the issues the the time that it needs from varying perspectives. We can spend several weeks on a subject matter. We can spend 5 to 10 or 15 minutes on a piece or an issue. Oh, that's really our role to educate and to inform are we have what we call the election project at NPR and we're working with the print media and Community groups on election of 96 and it's not just reporting on what candidates are saying and an election forms, but it's also getting the communities involved on the issues surrounding the election. So you're not just talking about some of the same old things that politicians talk about you talking about what people want to know what interest people what concerns them and I would just close to say that public broadcasting has that unique opportunity to bring those things together public radio and I appreciate public television, but public radio has that unique ability to have to develop a relationship with a listener. It is one of those exciting medium that I don't think we'll go away that you develop you develop a relationship. It's portable. It's not as expensive as some medium and it really is an effort to inform to entertain in to educate and I believe that public missions going to make a difference in this country and we're out to prove that and to make Work, so I really appreciate all of you at Minnesota meeting. Thank you. Eleanor Lewis who is the president and chief executive officer of national public radio is also the co-chair of the national information infrastructure committee speaking today after Minnesota meeting at the Minneapolis Hilton Hotel in Downtown Minneapolis. The talk was called Open Access moving All-America into the information age broadcasts of Minnesota meeting are made possible by Oppenheimer wolf and Donnelly with offices in both Minneapolis and st. Paul providing legal services to businesses around the world. Well that does it for our mid-day program today Gary I can hear thanks so much for joining us. We're going to be rebroadcasting. Mr. Lewis's speech at 9 tonight on the FM news station. So I get a second chance to hear what he had to say and all the questions and answers 9 tonight. That is the case most occasions. Occasionally. We put something else on at 9, but almost always you can hear our noon hour broadcast repeated at 9 tonight. So you might to file that away in the back of your head. If you ever hear about a program that you had to miss or simply want to hear it again and almost all instances. You can know you're that program again at 9 in the evening. Now Monday, we're going to shift our attention and talk about volunteers. Next week is volunteer recognition week around the world around the country. And in fact Tuesday a special day is National Youth service day recognizing a youth to volunteer their services. And on Monday. We're going to do a focus on volunteerism in America. First of all going to be hearing from Mario Cuomo former New York governor who was in town recently to talk at a recognition dinner for some Minnesota volunteers to kids who've been giving their time interesting speech on Mario Cuomo course has always been one of the nation's better public speakers and he has some interesting things to say about the value of volunteerism why it's so not only good for society, but why it's good for volunteers. So you learn from Mario Cuomo and then we're going to do us spend some time taking calls on. What specifically I went kind of volunteer opportunities are actually available here in Minnesota Dave Cummings it was with the Minnesota law office of volunteer services you'll be in our Studios as well Susan Nikolai she is the youth Ambassador with the National Youth Leadership Council and the Minnesota Commission on National and community service. So kind of an overall view of volunteer activities in Minnesota and a specific function on what to volunteer activities are available for young people that's coming up Monday here on midday. Sarah Meyer is the producer of our midday Program help this week from associate Producer Mike McCall pangra and Todd Mo helped out as well. Our engineer is Randy Johnson without this week from Jeff Conrad our editors you and care Mike Edgerly and our executive producer Kate Smith. Thanks for joining us. I'm John Raby and on the next All Things Considered portrait of the Artist as a soul man a new show at the penumbra Hannibal Peterson All Things Considered weekdays at 3 on the FM news station k n o w FM 91.1 You're listening to Minnesota Public Radio. It was sunny sky 59° at the FM news station, Canada.