>> you're watching booktv on c-span2 with top nonfiction books and authors every weekend. booktv, television for serious readers. >> next, "the communicators" with fcc chair tom wheeler. then vice president biden and former house speaker john boehner honored by the university of notre dame. after that filmmaker and activist spike lee is the commencement speaker at johns hopkins university in baltimore. and live at 9 a.m., a forum on how to improve the effectiveness of civic groups. speakers include consumer advocate ralph nader. >> this week "the communicators" goes to the intx show in boston, the internet and television expo sponsored by the national cable and telecommunications association. we interviewed fcc chair tom wheeler. >> host: as a regulator and a

consumer, what's your view of the cable industry today? >> guest: so, you know, i was listening to pat, and he was talking about roots 40 years ago. and i was saying, golly, 40 years ago i was working at ncta, and so my relationship with the cable industry goes back a long, long time. and it was always a great privilege, i thoughting, to be associated with this industry at that particular point in historiment -- history. and, you know, michael powell was kind enough after i balm chairman to ask me to come and meet with the ncta board. and i sat down and i said, you

know, folks, everything that i believe about the relationship between government and industry were, was a philosophy that was developed while i was at ncta. because that was a period in time when the cable industry was the voice of competition and innovation. and those who did not want things to change -- in those days it was the broadcasters and hollywood and the telephone company all working together to try and hold back the cable industry -- those who did not want things to change used government to maintain the status quo to the detriment of

consumers. and so the philosophy that i developed coming out of that kind of experience is that the job of government is to promote competition and to let consumers enjoy the benefits of that with the full understanding that those who are the incumbents never like change. but the thing that's impressive to me here is that the cable industry has said, wait a minute, we're not the cable industry. we're intx. we're the broadband business. we're the next generation of products. and if that kind of

innovative -- it's that kind of innovative thinking that drives consumer welfare, consumer benefit, creates competition. and so as we look at the policy issues that result from that and the consumer issues as you appropriately say looking at things from a consumer point of view, the evolution from yesterday's cable industry to tomorrow's broadband industry is requiring of everybody how to rethink the relationship of the consumer, how to rethink the relationship with government. and i think it takes you back to those basic concepts that i developed at ncta that it should be all about government

promoting competition and stepping out of the way when there is competition. so let me give you an example. the decision that there was effective competition in the video business was a 3-2 decision at the fcc. and as you know, the effect of that was to deregulate rate regulation for local franchising authorities across the country. it was a 3-2 vote of the commission. now, i know you've reported and a lot of folks have reported, hey, every since we've been there, it's been 3-2 votes. that was me voting with the two republicans, that's the thing that was interesting. because i believe that, yes, there is competition in the delivery of video services that no longer warranted the kind of

regulation that had historically been imposed on cable companies. and we're now defending that position in court, because the cities took us to court, and we're defending that position. that's the same kind of thought process i wanted to bring to all the other issues dealing with. again, whether they're set-top boxes or open internet or special access or all the other issues. how do we make sure that we're focusing on competition and the government's role to insure, encourage competition so that government can then step out? >> host: mr. chairman, as you know, your successor, michael powell, in his speech on monday used the term, used this phrase: the fcc is launching a relentless government assault on cable.

now, you've got an audience out here that probably disagrees with your position on net neutrality, set-top boxes. what's your message to them? how do you -- what do you tell them? >> guest: well, it's really interesting, you know? michael and i having switched jobs as we did -- with a few years in between, i might point out -- you know, if anybody understands the reality of a job like michael's, i do. and, you know, i can think back to when i was lobbying chairman powell. and i think that the way in which lobbying campaigns tend to work these days is, first, you set up a scenario of, well, you

know, there's too much being done. we're being persecuted. and then you talk about, about what i call imaginary horribles. the awful conceptual things that could happen if they do this or or do that. and i look at -- i'm now on the other side receiving this, and you say, okay, wheeler, turn about's fair play, isn't it? but you also understand what's going on. but there is an important step that has to follow that, peter. and that is that it's not enough just to say we're against this, this is awful. s it is incumbent on both the

regulator and the regulated to deal with finding solutions, not just slogans. and i think, again, from my experience i can think of one specific incident with michael when he was chairman. when i wished i had been presenting more solutions. i think the opportunity that exists now is whether you go down the list with set-top boxes or access, special access or any of the other issues of which there there's some tension, we're at a make or break point where

there's a choice. are you going to say no and do everything possible, or are you going to say how do we make this work for consumers first in a way we can live with? and in the course of a rulemaking, that's what rule makings are designed to elicit. how do you get from a point where we put out an idea, people react to the idea? neither one of those is going to be the finished product, but there is going to be a finished product. and how do we focus on the real needs, the real challenges and work together to get there for the benefit of consumers?

>> host: chairman wheeler, one of your mantras is competition, competition, competition. when you look ahead to 2017, to the rest of this year and beyond, how do you view what that competition is going to look like in light of a couple of big mergers that the fcc has approved, etc., and some of the disrupters and some of the new technology that's out there? >> guest: well, i think this is the point about why i think, you know, intx is a great theme, why the disruption is a great theme for this particular meeting. because there are going to be multiple new alternatives for consumers. and in the -- you know, i'm amture historian. -- amateur historian. >> host: and the author of a

couple of books. >> guest: i've been trying to study recently the history of networks, the evolution of networks over time. and i've reached one absolute truth, and that is that those who tried to stop the change always failed. and i don't mean most of the time, i mean always failed. those who said here is a new opportunity, how do i seize it, how do i see things less in terms of protecting myself and more in terms of expand markets, that's -- expanding markets, that's what was so exciting about this industry back in the '70s and '80s when i had the privilege of being here at ncta. we were saying here's a new opportunity, how do we change the way consumers get information?

and, by golly, we sure did. >> host: so given your history here at ncta, the fcc, the wireless industry, where do you see the future of pay tv going? >> guest: so i think there is going to always be a future for pay tv. i think that it's going to be -- and let me just, let me back up a second, peter. what i think is irrelevant because i'm just an observer in all of this. but it seems to me as though as you look at things, you see the evolution of the nature of television, the explosioning of video -- explosion of video alternatives. you see increased talk about smaller bundles and how that changes the relationship with the consumer. you see alternative pathways to the consumer over ning -- n+1

type of devices and that we have the potential to be entering the best era ever for consumers, for programmers and for those who deliver. and, again, in that environment the regulatory challenge becomes how do you make sure that those alternatives come to pass? and, you know, let's leave this industry out of it, you know? the telephone company didn't do a great job of delivering new alternatives until there were competitors to them. and so i think that there will be, i think the future is exciting both as a consumer and as a person looking at it from a historical point of view. >> host: conversely, as these video delivery systems mature,

do you see that they will fall under fcc regulation and scrutiny? >> guest: i think that that is very much in the hands of the industry. remember i said that the job of government is to encourage competition because competition is a lot better than regulation, particularly in a fast moving industry like this. but if you can't have competition, you know, i was really excited to see last year on this stage i talked about the potential for cable operators competing with each other. tom rutledge is now going to be doing some of that. at&t, as a result of the directv merger, is going to be doing some significant overbuilding. you know, there's a lot of talk

in set-top boxes about how it's not boxes anymore, it's apps. totally agree. you combine apps and an open internet, and all of a sudden you don't have to exist just in your franchise area. you rework the contracts with your programmers, you could be delivering that kind of service in new and innovative bundles across the country. competition will create an environment that discourages and makes it unnecessary for government to get involved. but government has a role saying, excuse me, first we have to get to competition. so i think the answer to your question is that. are we going to evolve into a competitive marketplace? and i think our job at the commission is to say how can we

help that happen. >> host: chairman wheeler, you've referenced the fact you've been here the last couple years, given a speech to these folks. did you come here with a specific message that you wanted to make sure that they heard from you? >> guest: golly, peter, i hope you've heard it. [laughter] you know, yes. let me go back to what i said at the outset. you know, pat and i were talking backstage, and i was congratulating him for being in the hall of fame and being selected for the hall of fame. i know it was a privilege when i was inducted into the hall of fame, and it was an emotional moment. and pat was talking about how it was an emotional moment for him because there were so many powerful things that were happening when i was for chew nate enough -- fortunate enough

to be at ncta. and, again, the core of them was, the core of what was happening was how do we bring a competitive service that drives innovation at a time when those who didn't like the idea of competition were doing everything possible to shut it down? and so my only thing is i haven't, i haven't changed. that's the same belief that i have when i cast votes at the fcc today. >> host: one of the things we talked to your colleagues about yesterday were, was the way the fcc operates. the fact that all four were sitting up here on this stage -- >> guest: was probably a violation of the sunshine act. >> host: and the fact that they could not do that at your offices in washington. >> guest: right. >> host: should there be a change in how the fcc is

mandated to meet and some of those rules, only of the sun -- some of the sunshine laws? >> guest: you know, the interesting thing, peter, is i think my thoughts on that have evolved, and i have become a traditionalist. there are a lot of good reasons why the procedures of the commission are as they are and have been in this way for decades. and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction is the kind of thing that makes you think, wait a minute now, is this really something we ought to be challenging at this point in time? so i think that it is always worthwhile to explore, to ask the questions, to have the dialogues, to talk among our colleagues, to talk with those on capitol hill who write the rules. the question is, is there a necessity to change that which

for the last multiple decades has been operating pretty successfully. >> host: chairman wheeler, how do you get your video? what's your experience as a consumer? >> guest: i get it every way possible. let's see. i get it on multiple devices. i am a happy comcast subscriber in washington d.c. i am a happy atlantic broadband subscriber in oxford, maryland, where we have another house. and i use both broadband and cable to deliver the content to me. >> host: experience good? satisfied with the service? >> guest: i said i'm a happy subscriber. [laughter] >> host: okay. one of the complaints that you hear often from people who have cable is the cost of sports.

are you a sports fan? is there, is there something you would like to see done with that? >> guest: am i a sports fan. you know, when i was running ncta, i went to a small school in the midwest called the ohio state university, and every fall we play a sport there with a funny-shaped ball. and the networks never were delivering the content i wanted to see. and so gus hauser and the folks at cube in columbus who were cable casting ohio state football games every saturday would send me overnight a videotape of the game. and on monday i would have a party for all the congressional folks from the ohio delegation saying -- who all care a lot

about ohio state football -- saying here's the football game, we can all watch it. and by the way, if we had choices in television rather than just the three networks, you could see a lot more of it. i think we have reached that point. we have seen, we have seen the plethora of sports that has resulted, and i think that's a great thing. and i never miss an ohio state game because i'm either in the stands or i'm on cable. >> host: final question. is there too much focus on the chairman of the fcc? michael paul's fcc -- michael powell's fcc, tom wheeler's fcc. >> guest: first of all, this is a collegial body of five votes. it takes three votes to get anything done. and i think that what has happened is it becomes easy to -- you've got to hang a name on it. and so rather than the 2013-20 whenever it is chairman was, you

know, they hang a name with it. but the other thing is that it is a strong chairman structure. and so it creates an opportunity to put ideas before your colleagues for their reactions. but i go back to the fact that you've got to get three votes, and that's very much a cooperative process that happens every single day. >> host: ladies and gentlemen, tom wheeler, the chairman of the fcc. >> guest: thank you, peter. [applause] >> next week "the communicators" talks with the four other fcc commissioners. you've been watching "the communicators" on c-span. if you'd like to see some of our previous programs, go to c-span.org. >> today the center for study of responsive law begins a four-day conference on civic mobilization. speakers look at ideas to make

civic groups more effective. among those scheduled to speak, consumer advocate and former presidential candidate ralph nader. live coverage begins at 9 a.m. eastern here on c-span2. >> vice president joe biden and former speaker of the house john boehner recently received the university of notre dame's latarre medal at the 2016 commencement ceremony. they were honored in recognition of their leadership, civility and dedication to our nation. it's the latin word for rejoice. this is 25 minutes. [applause] >> father jenkins, vice president biden, graduates, it's truly an honor and a privilege for me to be here with all of you today.

just a regular guy who used to have a big job. [laughter] you know, it's been six months since i left public service, and it's given me a little time to reflect. something that occurred to me a few months ago about the difficult task of what we call governing. governing, in my view s the art of the possible. politicians these days are constantly being pushed to promise the impossible. and this being a presidential election year, you've been hearing a lot of impossible promises. [laughter] but governing isn't about promising the impossible. governing in its essence is the art of the possible. governing requires us to look for common ground where it can be found without compromising our principles. and as speaker, i always drew a distinction between compromise and common ground because i

truly do believe they're different things. and fact of the matter is you can find common ground with the other side without compromising your core beliefs. ladies and gentlemen, vice president joe biden is one of those people. joe and i had many disagreements on many different issues. [laughter] i can imagine what he's doing back here. [laughter] but, you know, i learned the art of being able to disagree without being disagreeable growing up at my dad's bar. but even as we disagreed, we both always understood the need to keep looking for things that we could agree on. because while i'm a republican and joe's a democrat, the fact is at first we're both americans. so, mr. president, it is an honor to share the stage with you today..

thinking about what i was going to say -- [applause] applaud for joe. [applause] come on. [applause] i was thinking about what i was going to say this morning and decided that, you know, the speech that i have is not really the speech i want to give. when i was sitting in these seats out here like you over 40 years ago, i could never have imagined a that i would have spent some 34 years in public service. never could have imagined what the path in life i would take. and so i began to think about what's really important. and i know a lot of you are thinking about what am i going to do, what am i going to do. let me tell you something, you can think about that tomorrow, you can think about it next week and, frankly, you can think about it next year. but what you can't think about right here, right now is who do you want to be. you know, i played football in

high school for a guy named jerry faust at muller high school who came up here and didn't win as many games as he'd like to have won as your head coach -- [laughter] but i learned a lot of things from jerry faust. yes, i learned a lot of things about playing football, but i said more hail marys in high school than i'll say the rest of my life. [laughter] and i say some every day. but when i look back on my life, jerry faust. you know, i'm a high school guy. he taught us how to be men, taught us how to be leaders, taught us what was required of us. another good friend, lou holtz. he won a lot of games here, including a national championship. you've never met a man that was more optimistic, more hard-charging but always having a smile on his face. there was another person impacted my life, pope francis. i tried for 20 years to get a pope and address a joint session of congress.

i never quit trying. and thank goodness, pope francis decided to come. now, after he decided to come i found out that my oldest daughter was pregnant with my first grandchild, and my grandchild was going to be born right before the pope came to the u.s. and so the cardinal and some others were working the vatican over to try to get the pope to baptize my grandson. [laughter] well, you have to remember the vatican has a 2,000-year head start on bureaucracy over the u.s. [laughter] make a long story short, they told us the holy father would be happy to bless your grandfather, but he really doesn't want to do a baptism outside of the church. so we get to the appointed day. my grandson was born on august the 11th, and the pope came on september 24th, and my chief of staff and i greeted the pope, lights, cameras, we got rid of all that, and the pope and i

went to sit down. i realized there were seven cardinals, the pope, my chief of staff and i, i looked at him and said why are we here? [laughter] we had a very nice meeting. as the meeting was breaking up, the pope was standing i up, my family was many an adjoining room, and they began to come in. and the pope turned to his assistant and said, give me a glass of water. really? [laughter] so i watched the assistant go get a glass of water, and he brought it back to the pope, and the pope had it in his right hand, and he put it in his left hand, and i was waiting for him to bless it, but he just took a drink. [laughter] the greatest head fake in history. [laughter] but as our morning was ending and after his address, well, the pope was getting ready to depart the capitol. and we were standing in the first floor of the capitol, and i realized that it was just the pope and me.