Localism Divides Religious Groups

The Federal Communications Commission's proposals for increasing public interest reporting requirements and other steps to promote broadcast localism have drawn a flood of comments from understandably worried broadcasters. But they have also revealed a potential new battleground in this issue: a schism between religious groups. On one side of the faith divide over the proposals are the Conference of Catholic Bishops and the United Church of Christ, which support some form of new licensing guidelines tied to a fast-tracked renewal process. On the other is the National Religious Broadcasters, which represents some 1,400 members, primarily radio and TV stations. Evangelical in nature but nondenominational in makeup, the NRB argues the proposals could “strangle” Christian media and create an “official orthodoxy” on what is acceptable local programming.
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