Like Politics, Television Should Remain Local

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[Commentary] Former Speaker Tip O’ Neil said it best, “All politics is local.” The framers of the Communications Act understood this fundamental fact and licensed broadcast stations to specific local communities. Congress and the Federal Communications Commission have created a system that emphasizes local service including the need to have outlets for local political candidates and self-expression. Given this time-honored federal policy, it is disturbing to see that FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler is proposing to eliminate rules which serve as a lynchpin of America's irreplaceable system of local television.

Operating smoothly for decades, the FCC's local “exclusivity rules” allow television stations to enforce their bargained-for exclusive rights to the programming they air in their local markets by preventing cable systems from importing broadcast television stations from distant markets. These “exclusivity rules” provide a self-enforcing mechanism to preserve localism by ensuring that cable and satellite subscribers have access to the local stations serving their communities. Ultimately, the policy undermines the economic foundation of a local station, making it difficult to finance local news operations.

[David Donovan is the President of the New York State Broadcasters Association]


Like Politics, Television Should Remain Local