Thinking out loud... ???
My previous research into infomercial programming (and my previous post) got me thinking about this, though it may be somewhat antiquated and moot at this point.
We all complain on this board about how the overall quality of TV and TV stations has gone down in recent years, and how we wish the FCC would grow some gonads and do something about it. Reviving the Fairness Doctrine and/or the Television Code would be a good place to start, but the lobbyists will somehow make sure those things never happen (they've already killed off a return of the Fairness Doctrine). But short of that, I think someone should take a good look at the licenses of the over-the-air stations, examine their programming, and go from there. Perhaps the way to slowly begin cleaning up programming quality is to reform the way stations are licensed.
I propose four classes of full-power, terrestrial television station licenses:
1) The standard Commercial would apply only for current network affiliates (ABC, CW, CBS, Fox, ION, MNTV, NBC) and general-entertainment independents (like KCAL, WSBK, KTXA, WLNY, etc.). The insipid E/I rules would be abolished, public-affairs requirements would be strictly enforced, and stations would be limited to no more than 20 hours per week of paid programming (pay-for-pray included).
2) The standard Non-Commercial/Educational would remain for PBS member stations only.
3) Commercial/Ethnic, a new category, would cover the non English-speaking commercial stations, such as affils of the Spanish-language networks (Univision, Telefutura, Telemundo, Azteca America, KWHY-TV) as well as stations which carry a large amount of other foreign-language programs, as long as the airtime is not paid for or leased. The framework for this would be similar to the ethnic programming policy already in place in Canada, where stations must be licensed specifically to provide foreign-language programs. The same requirements placed on English commercial stations would apply here, though a minimum amount of hours -- say, 60 percent of their weekly schedules -- must consist of foreign-language programs. Several of the large markets already have several stations devoted to programming that is not in English or Spanish (KSCI and WMBC-TV come to mind); this enables them to continue to do so with the protection of not being flipped on a whim or because of a sale.
4) Non-Commercial/Ethnic or Religious, another new category. This type of license would regulate stations that sell or lease time to foreign-language broadcasters as opposed to producing such programming on their own. It would also govern religious networks such as TBN and Daystar and similarly-formatted stations, as they are not advertiser-supported.
Each of these different license categories would have their own requirements, but the idea is to clearly define which stations can be used for a certain purpose. Stations which "straddle the fence" -- like ION O&Os, home-shopping/infomercial hybrids, and general-entertainment/religious hybrids (like the LeSea group) will need to get their acts together. And, situations such as general-entertainment indies or non-comms being sold to religious broadcasters (WGTW and KDTN [and almost KOCE] come to mind) or English stations being sold to Spanish-language networks (the former HSN stations going to Univision, forming the basis for Telefutura) would never happen again unless the FCC converts the license from one class to another.
Wishful thinking, right? Comments, anyone?
My previous research into infomercial programming (and my previous post) got me thinking about this, though it may be somewhat antiquated and moot at this point.
We all complain on this board about how the overall quality of TV and TV stations has gone down in recent years, and how we wish the FCC would grow some gonads and do something about it. Reviving the Fairness Doctrine and/or the Television Code would be a good place to start, but the lobbyists will somehow make sure those things never happen (they've already killed off a return of the Fairness Doctrine). But short of that, I think someone should take a good look at the licenses of the over-the-air stations, examine their programming, and go from there. Perhaps the way to slowly begin cleaning up programming quality is to reform the way stations are licensed.
I propose four classes of full-power, terrestrial television station licenses:
1) The standard Commercial would apply only for current network affiliates (ABC, CW, CBS, Fox, ION, MNTV, NBC) and general-entertainment independents (like KCAL, WSBK, KTXA, WLNY, etc.). The insipid E/I rules would be abolished, public-affairs requirements would be strictly enforced, and stations would be limited to no more than 20 hours per week of paid programming (pay-for-pray included).
2) The standard Non-Commercial/Educational would remain for PBS member stations only.
3) Commercial/Ethnic, a new category, would cover the non English-speaking commercial stations, such as affils of the Spanish-language networks (Univision, Telefutura, Telemundo, Azteca America, KWHY-TV) as well as stations which carry a large amount of other foreign-language programs, as long as the airtime is not paid for or leased. The framework for this would be similar to the ethnic programming policy already in place in Canada, where stations must be licensed specifically to provide foreign-language programs. The same requirements placed on English commercial stations would apply here, though a minimum amount of hours -- say, 60 percent of their weekly schedules -- must consist of foreign-language programs. Several of the large markets already have several stations devoted to programming that is not in English or Spanish (KSCI and WMBC-TV come to mind); this enables them to continue to do so with the protection of not being flipped on a whim or because of a sale.
4) Non-Commercial/Ethnic or Religious, another new category. This type of license would regulate stations that sell or lease time to foreign-language broadcasters as opposed to producing such programming on their own. It would also govern religious networks such as TBN and Daystar and similarly-formatted stations, as they are not advertiser-supported.
Each of these different license categories would have their own requirements, but the idea is to clearly define which stations can be used for a certain purpose. Stations which "straddle the fence" -- like ION O&Os, home-shopping/infomercial hybrids, and general-entertainment/religious hybrids (like the LeSea group) will need to get their acts together. And, situations such as general-entertainment indies or non-comms being sold to religious broadcasters (WGTW and KDTN [and almost KOCE] come to mind) or English stations being sold to Spanish-language networks (the former HSN stations going to Univision, forming the basis for Telefutura) would never happen again unless the FCC converts the license from one class to another.
Wishful thinking, right? Comments, anyone?
