The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) standards for diversity in radio broadcasting apply only to news and public affairs programing--not to entertainment programing. In addition, the FCC has defined diversity solely in terms of what any one station broadcasts regardless of what other stations in the same service area may be programing.…

While print media are protected by the First Amendment, the electronic media are subject to content regulations. Gives an historical overview, showing how the Federal Communications Commission came to regulate radio. There should be a constitutional solution, an amendment protecting electronic media from government regulations. (CS)

Discusses and draws lessons from the failure of KIPC-FM, the radio station of the All Indian Pueblo Council (AIPC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico, which operated from January 1976 to September 1977. (GT)

Reviews the empirical evidence cited by the FCC in favor of increasing the allowable number of radio and TV stations owned by one group. Argues FCC was biased in favor of deregulation despite weighty evidence indicating continued need for regulation. (MS)

For nearly half a century, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has been exercising its authority to grant and deny applications for broadcast licenses. In the process of comparison used by the FCC to assess qualified new applicants, two considerations weigh heavily: (1) the best practicable service to the public, and (2) maximum diffusion…

Of all the mass media, radio is the most abundant, both in terms of the number of radio stations in operation and the number of radio receivers in use. Unfortunately, given the dynamics of a competitive market and the Federal Communications Commission's reluctance to interfere with a licensee's discretion in the choice of format, format…

This paper, the third in a series exploring future options for public policy in the communications and information arenas, argues that the communications spectrum--e.g., public mobile service, private radio, and domestic satellites--is a valuable but limited resource that should benefit all Americans. After a background discussion, it is…

This paper contains transcripts of two speeches given by the chairperson of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) outlining his philosophy concerning the function of that agency and its relationship to the telecommunications industry. The first transcript discusses the primary management objectives identified by the FCC as follows: (1) to…

Commercial broadcasting seeks to maximize profit by developing a strong position in the marketplace and by attracting the audiences advertisers are likely to pay the most to reach. Broadcasting also serves many societal functions: it sells products, serves as educator and babysitter, and entertains and sedates. More people will be served by…

Summarizes the presentations of more than 30 leaders in the field of communications who met recently to discuss how telecommunications are going to affect our lives in the 1980s with particular regard to publishing, advertising, retailing, broadcasting, and cable television. (CHC)

"FCC v. Pacifica Foundation," a 1978 case involving a radio broadcast considered to be indecent, was the first United States Supreme Court litigation using the right of privacy, or the right not to hear, as a rationale for broadcast regulation of programing. The issue of pornography best illustrates the judiciary's understanding of the…

This speech by the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission discusses some of the issues facing the broadcasting industry concerning the First Amendment such as guidelines for the percentage of adult informational programing, the Fairness Doctrine, government censorship, regulation of news programs, and access of the electorate to…

A review of national presidential election campaigns since the passage of Section 315 of the Communications Act of 1934 indicates the inadequacies of that section and the need for its revision. Section 315 stipulates equal access to the mass media for all legally qualified political candidates. Basically, the difficulty with Section 315 is that it…

In the 1978 "FCC v. Pacifica Foundation" ruling, the United States Supreme Court considered the authority of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to regulate indecent radio programing, finding that the public has a constitutionally protected interest in being protected against objectionable programing. The FCC suit, arising out of…