The FCC's Priorities: Public or Profit?

Reprinted w/o permission from Extra! Update * February 1995

(a publication of Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting).

The Federal Communications Commission is supposed to make sure the

airwaves are used in the public interest. More often, it has ensured

that they are used for corporate profit.

Questions of control of broadcast licenses rarely get rasied by the

corporate-owned media. Something of an exception occurred recently

when two networks questioned each others' broadcasting licenses:

NBC alleged that Fox, owned by Ruper Murdoch's News Coporation,

is a foreign-owned company and therefore under FCC rules should not be

allowed to control U.S. staions; Fox retored that GE, which owns NBC,

is a corporate felon - which could jeopardize NBC's own licenses.

(See Extra!, 11-12/94).

Even this limited public debate over corporate control of broadcasting

seems to be too much for the FCC. "One source close to the case said

FCC chairmen Reed Hundt thinks press coverage of this has become a circus,"

Daily Cariety (12/9/94) reported. The FCC for a time imposed a gag

order on the NAACP's pending challege to Fox's licenses on the grounds

of foreign ownership.

But more rather than less coverage is needed of decisions involving

who gets to control the airwaves, which - according to U.S. law - are owned

by the public. Otherwise, corporate interests' behind-the-scenes influence

will prevail. Well before the news broke of Newt Gingrich's $4.5 million

offer from the Murdoch owned HarperCollins, Daily Variety (12/9/94) already

noted that "Republicans in Congress may be ready to rally to Rupert

Murdoch's rescue" by intervening with the FCC. Rep. Mike Oxley (R-Ohio)

has called for an end of restrictions on foreign control and even

suggested that Fox should not be penalized even if it has been violating

the law (Variety, 12/12/94).

The FCC has already granted Fox numerous favors, waiving restrictions

on syndicating its shows, allowing Fox to broadcast into the U.S. from

Mexican stations, and granting Murdoch a waiver allowing him to own a

TV station (WNYW) and a newspaper (the New York Post) in the same market.

Meanwhile, the FCC is seriously considering easing limits on ownership

(Variety, 12/19/94) - such as allowing networks to own an unlimited number

of TV stations, as long as they don't reach more than 50 percent of the

U.S. population. (Currently, networks are limited to 12 stations and 25

percent of the population.)

While this deregulatory spree seems tailored to please the corporate

broadcasters the FCC is supposed to be regulating, the agency is getting

tough with at least one broadcaster: The FCC is trying to silence

Free Radio Berkeley, a 15-watt radion stations that operates without

a license. (The FCC will only grant a license to stations with

100 or more watts, putting broadcasting beyond the reach of most

individuals.) The FCC was particularly perturbed that Free Radio Berkeley

founder Stephen Dunifer was teaching other people how to set up their

own micro-watt radio stations (without interfering with other stations)

for less than $1000.

ACTION ALERT: You can contact FCC Chair Reed Hundt to let him know what

you think the FCC's regulatory priorities should be. Write to him at

the FCC, 1919 M Street NW, Suite 814, Washington, DC 20554.

(fax: 202-418-2801;

e-mail: rhundt@fcc.gov).

Please send copies of your letters to Sam Husseini at FAIR.

To find out more about microwatt broadcasting, contact

Free Radio Berkeley

1442 A Walnut St. #406

Berkeley, CA 94709

phone 510-464-3041

e-mail: frbspd@crl.com

End of article.

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