In 1970, President Nixon created the White House Office of Telecommunications Policy (OTP) and appointed Clay T. Whitehead as its first director. This young office has attained influential power in the broad field of telecommunications and, some say, has jeopardized the independence of the public's communications custodian, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In a series of powerful steps, the OTP has been able to successfully lobby for several major decisions affecting mass communications in the United States. The OTP forced the FCC to initiate an "open skies" policy on domestic communications satellites that weakened the dichotomy between private and public administrative power, giving private corporations free reign on domestic satellite control. The control structure of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) changed dramatically after a White House initiated funding bill was passed by Congress. The FCC's long abolition of distant signal restrictions for cable television operators in major markets was overturned by the OTP at the behest of large network broadcasters. (MC)