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Nicholas Johnson is best known for his controversial term as a dissenting Federal Communications Commission commissioner, 1966-1973, and his book, How to Talk Back to Your Television Set. He currently teaches at the University of Iowa College of Law, with an emphasis on communications and Internet law.

His Who’s Who in America entry, full biographical description, 300-page bibliography, and links to the full text of his books, F.C.C. opinions, many articles, and all publications, speeches and other documents since 1996 – among other things – are available from his Web site, [1].

Johnson was born (1934) and raised in Iowa, to which he returned in 1980. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin, served as law clerk to U.S. Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, Judge John R. Brown and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo L. Black. He began his law teaching career at the University of California, Berkeley, practiced with Covington & Burling, Washington, and held three presidential appointments, including Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration, and F.C.C. commissioner. Following the F.C.C. service he chaired the National Citizens Committee for Broadcasting in Washington, and ran for Congress from Iowa’s Third Congressional District.

In 1972 Canadian filmmaker Red Burns, who'd served on the National Film Board of Canada (NFB)'s Challenge For Change and George C. Stoney, who'd likewise served a guest role, worked with Johnson to make the FCC Cable Access requirements. In the book How to Talk Back to Your Television Set, Johnson, FCC commissioner, 1966-1973, in part discusses prototype community media. He appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone #79, from April 1, 1971.

He hosted the PBS program, “New Tech Times,” wrote a nationally syndicated newspaper column, “Communications Watch,” and lectured through the Leigh Lecture Bureau during the early 1980s. He became involved in online education in the mid-1980s, when he taught for the Western Behavioral Sciences Institute and Connected Education. He has served as co-director of Iowa’s public health organization, the Institute for Health, Behavior and Environmental Policy, as commissioner with the Iowa City Broadband and Telecommunications Commission, and school board member of the Iowa City Community School District.

He has traveled and lectured in many countries, and served on numerous boards and advisory boards, such as Common Cause (national board), World Academy of Art and Science (executive board), Volunteers in Technical Assistance (board), and Project Censored (editorial judge).

Details available at [2].

• Public access television
• International Leadership Forum

• Nicholas Johnson on the International Leadership Forum