Because the Federal Communication Commission's (FCC) decision to deregulate commercial radio has created great controversy over what constitutes "public interest" in broadcast deregulation, this paper provides a brief historical analysis of the bases for defining the public interest standard in broadcast regulation and examines the use…

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…

The history of the Federal Communications Commission's content regulation of broadcasting is a history of policymaking in a vacuum. A review of the literature reveals that no one has yet attempted to show whether the Fairness Doctrine results in poorer or better broadcast journalism. To remedy this, content regulation should be explored from…

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 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…

To help citizens and citizen groups who are trying to make television and radio more responsive to public needs, tastes, and desires, a handbook sponsored by the United Church of Christ spells out government regulatory policies and the public role in them. Sections describe the various roles of the Federal Communications Commission, Congress, the…