FCC

1. Do broadcasters use radio and television to quickly and effectively respond to the local communities needs and interests? Give examples to support your answer.

I personally do not believe that broadcasters use radio and television to quickly and effectively respond to local communities needs and interests. This is because most of the stations are based nationally. For example, television stations such as NBC, ABC, CNN, etc. are all national stations, and are also the most popular. Radio stations are more localized simply because they have to be. One would be unable to receive a national radio signal. Even so, I know that the radio stations I spend my time listening to do not focus much on local issues and public interest.

In my opinion, much of the material that is broadcast is often biased or simply based on a topic that specific communities may or may not be interested in. As Newman and Scott explain, many citizens are now more aware of what is going on than ever before, and they know they regardless of how they feel about a particular cause, it is unlikely to go very far without some form of media that will report their view and message fairly. In order to solve this issue, the authors suggest that we, the average citizens, must demand a new system in which we are able to ask bigger questions and become more aggressive. Within this new system, the people would become the decision makers.

2. Are there certain kinds of local programming (Public Media Values) that should be available, but are not being provided by broadcasters? what could some examples of these be?

I do feel that having a couple of localized television stations could prove to be beneficial. Especially in a particular county during a time of emergency, these stations could provide citizens with only the information that they need to know during their time of need. I do not feel that this type of programming is always necessary, seeing that the popular stations for entertainment purposes do tend to be the national channels. For instance, I know that I rarely watch MCTV (the Marist College television station), but if some kind of major event occurred at Marist, and our news team was reporting on the station, then I would definitely be interested. For my nightly entertainment, on the other hand, I will still turn to channels such as ABC, NBC, etc.

3. What could the Federal Communication Commission do to promote localism in broadcasting? Explain three of these examples of public-service-oriented projects that are already in process across the US.

If the FCC mandated public programming, then there would be no choice in the matter but for localized programming to exist. However, this does not mean that the stations will get any viewers. And without viewers, I have to wonder how they will create revenue and stay on the air. If the FCC were to provide a segment of their budget to these stations, perhaps they would succeed. The FCC could also require radio hosts to discuss local issues and stories of interest for a designated amount of time each day. Again, I do not know if average citizens would actually be interested in this type of information, but perhaps if it was specifically geared toward their community they would pay attention.

An example given in the article revolved around LPFM stations. These stations provide a unique medium that is a tribute to those who work at the local stations and who are more than likely members of the community. It also honors the local listeners who are also community members.