Localism Proposals to Ensure Programming is Responsive to Needs of Local Communities

LOCALISM PROPOSALS TO ENSURE PROGRAMMING IS RESPONSIVE TO NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
The Federal Communications Commission took measures to help ensure that broadcast stations offer programming responsive to the needs and interests of the communities that they are licensed to serve. The Report on Broadcast Localism and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking sets forth proposals to increase local programming content and diversity in communities across America. The Report makes tentative conclusions regarding the following proposals, for which it seeks comment: 1) Qualified LPTV stations should be granted Class A status, which requires them to provide 3 hours per week of locally-produced programming; 2) Licensees should establish permanent advisory boards (including representatives of underserved community segments) in each station community of license with which to consult periodically on community needs and issues; and 3) Commission adoption of renewal application processing guidelines that will ensure that all broadcasters provide some locally-oriented programming. The Report also states that the Commission will: A) Better educate members of the public as to the obligations of broadcasters and the Commission's procedures so that viewers and listeners can become more actively involved in ensuring that stations offer locally oriented programming; and B) Investigate other ways to assist prospective radio licensees to identify suitable available commercial FM spectrum in the communities in which they wish to broadcast, including authorizing the development of software to do so.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-279043A1.doc

* FCC Pushes to reinstate Localism mandates
[SOURCE: tvnewsday, AUTHOR: Harry A. Jessell]
http://www.tvnewsday.com/articles/2007/12/18/daily.15/

* Chairman Martin: "Establishing and maintaining a system of local broadcasting that is responsive to the unique interests and needs of individual communities is an extremely important policy goal for the Commission. Indeed, a strong commitment to serving their local communities is at the heart of broadcasters' requirement to serve the public interest."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-279043A2.doc

* Commissioner Copps: "At the same time that we have shamefully ignored the need to encourage media ownership by women and minorities, we have also witnessed a dramatic deterioration of the public interest performance of all our licensees. We have witnessed the number of statehouse and city hall reporters declining decade after decade, despite an explosion in state and local lobbying. The number of channels have indeed multiplied, but there is far less local programming and reporting being produced."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-279043A3.doc

* Commissioner Adelstein: "After four and a half years, during three of which the Commission did nothing on this proceeding, today we finally adopt this Report and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Regrettably, it merely recites the issues of public concern, repackages previous Commission actions, and proffers yet another set of proposals. There are no final rules - nothing concrete to foster a better relationship between broadcast licensees and the public they are licensed to serve."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-279043A4.doc

* Commissioner Tate: "This concept of "localism" has come to mean many things to many people. Historically, the FCC sought to preserve what we believe is true "localism," by imposing public interest obligations on broadcasters, making license renewals contingent on fulfilling these obligations, and protecting the rights of local stations to air "programming that is responsive to the needs and interests of their local communities of license." .... The FCC should encourage local broadcasters to continue these practices and require those that do not, to start. However, I also think it is important for local news outlets to establish processes that work best in their own communities, rather than being forced to implement an edict from Washington, DC."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-279043A5.doc

* Commissioner McDowell: "I have concerns ... about the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. There, we tentatively conclude that broadcast licensees should convene permanent advisory boards made up of community officials and leaders to help the licensees ascertain the programming needs of the community. We also tentatively conclude that the Commission should adopt processing guidelines, such as minimum percentages to ensure that stations produce a certain amount of locally-oriented programming."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-279043A6.doc

* FCC Chairman Martin Proposes Local Boards of ‘Good and Great’
[SOURCE: Media-Space-Place-Network, AUTHOR: Fred Johnson]
[Commentary] FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is indulging in one of the FCC’s oldest, time honored traditions: making a lot of noise about “localism” and local programming, while creating policies that are destined to have the opposite effect. Martin proposes some tired old worn out concept like toothless community advisory boards of the ‘Good and the Great’! If you are having trouble imagining what that might look like then take a look at the boards that run the your local public television stations ­ you do know there are such boards don't you? Well, the kind of advisory boards Martin is proposing would be even more conservative and enamored with the status quo and elitism, and they would be powerful allies of the entrenched incumbents holding media power in our communities. Rather than thinking of Martin’s proposal in terms of incremental regulatory change, we should see this as a panicky move to stave off the coming wave of media change, particularly at the community level.
http://fredjohnson.mwg.org/?p=64