To examine the success of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) 1982 decision not to select a standard transmission system for AM stereophonic broadcasting (instead leaving it to the marketplace), this paper documents and analyzes the first 7 years of the AM stereo marketplace. Following an explanatory introduction, the paper's first…

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)

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…

The Federal Communications Commission's opening of the 900 MHz spectrum for use by the land mobile radio community was a landmark event in the history of mobile radio in the United States, as this action almost doubled the amount of spectrum available. This report describes the current regulatory environment, analyzes the applicability of 900 MHz…

Chronicles the development of public broadcasting from early attempts to develop noncommercial radio through organizations such as the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Public Broadcasting Service. Discusses the need for federal support and the resulting conflicts. (JMF)

In debating the merits of the deregulation of broadcasting, policy makers should be cognizant of the conditions that led originally to that regulation. An examination of (1) the letters and speeches of Secretary of Commerce, Herbert Hoover, the first regulator of broadcasting; (2) the congressional debate over the regulatory issues of monopoly,…

Discusses the federal government's role in supporting and, therefore, influencing the policy-making processes of the public broadcasting industry. (JMF)

This analysis of government regulation of America's broadcast service provides: (1) a historical view of radio and television regulation, including the doctrines of scarcity and public trustee and other areas affected by deregulation in particular; (2) an analysis of the argument for deregulation; and (3) an assessment of the First Amendment, the…

The 20-year conflict of the United Church of Christ (UCC) with the broadcast industry concerning discrimination is described in this report, which first details in part how UCC's challenge to the license renewal of station WLBT-TV in Jackson, Mississippi, established important legal precedents. It then describes UCC's groundbreaking work in…

The Congressional Research Service prepared this compilation of articles and bibliography to facilitate student research on the regulation of mass media in the United States, the 1979-80 intercollegiate debate topic. The selection of articles reproduced in Section A and the citations chosen for the bibliography in Section B are representative of…

Examines the changing realities that require new policies to promote the First Amendment, to evaluate existing government programs designed to promote the First Amendment, and to propose affirmative actions designed to protect First Amendment values. Available from University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Sacramento, CA 95817; reprint…

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is empowered with a delicate balance of executive, legislative, and judicial powers, putting the Commission in a vulnerable position whenever its decisions are reviewed. This paper takes the position that a "super-regulatory" title is unjustified when applied to the legally sanctioned role…