(a) The administrative hearing officer shall regulate the course of the proceedings, in conformity with the pre-hearing order, if any.
(b) To the extent necessary for full disclosure of all relevant facts and issues, the administrative hearing officer shall afford to all parties the opportunity to respond, present evidence and argument, conduct cross-examination, and submit rebuttal evidence, except as restricted by a limited grant of intervention or by the pre-hearing order.
(c) In the discretion of the administrative hearing officer and by agreement of the parties, all or part of the hearing may be conducted by telephone, television or other electronic means, if each participant in the hearing has an opportunity to participate in, to hear, and, if technically feasible, to see the entire proceedings while taking place.
(d) The hearing shall be open to public observation pursuant to Title 8, Chapter 44 of the Tennessee Code Annotated, unless otherwise provided by state or federal law. To the extent that a hearing is conducted by telephone, television or other electronic means, the availability of public observation shall be satisfied by giving members of the public an opportunity, at reasonable times, to hear the tape recording and to inspect any transcript produced, if any.