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FCC Policy Question: Is There A Reg/Rule Prevents Selling Audience Tickets?

C

Casablanca

Guest
There is a raging debate on the Boston board as to whether radio and television stations can sell audience tickets to any live shows they may broadcast.

The history is that network shows have never sold audience tickets probably going back to old radio days. Today, all the network shows from Letterman to Leno and all other shows do not sell audience tickets.

I had heard that the the FCC prevented them from doing so.
Searched the FCC Regs but it would probably take a year to find the right reg.

Does anyone know if these tickets can be sold and if so why they have never done so.
Thanks
 
Casablanca said:
There is a raging debate on the Boston board as to whether radio and television stations can sell audience tickets to any live shows they may broadcast.

The history is that network shows have never sold audience tickets probably going back to old radio days. Today, all the network shows from Letterman to Leno and all other shows do not sell audience tickets.

I had heard that the the FCC prevented them from doing so.
Searched the FCC Regs but it would probably take a year to find the right reg.

Does anyone know if these tickets can be sold and if so why they have never done so.
Thanks
Click to expand...

There is no such rule preventing the sale of show tickets. But most have not as the priority has been to fill seats.
 
Interesting but I am sure show like Idol could make a fortune ... or at least a good piece of change if they charged admission of the course of the weeks it is on. Why don't they?

Now, I am waiting for some TV or Radio program to break this 70year trend and start charging admission.
 
Casablanca said:
There is a raging debate ...
Click to expand...

Not much of a debate. One person started a thread claiming that it was "illegal" and "against FCC rules". The only support for that side of the argument was a local law (not FCC/federal) and the policy of a company (not a FCC restriction on them, just a choice not to sell their tickets). But I digress.

As Ed stated, the priority of the shows that don't charge admission is to fill seats. As stated over on the Boston thread, many of the seats are filled by VIPs and (for some programs) hired audiences. Most have no reason to deal with ticketing.

But for something major, like the Imus appearance you are complaining about in the Boston thread, why not make extra money? If people are willing to pay for the event and they want to bother with the hassles of paid ticketing then it is THEIR CHOICE. No FCC rule is standing in their way.
 
I'm rusty on the rules, both FCC and IRS, so take this only as food for discussion.

Under the rules in effect at the time I gave a rat's a$$ about such things, a station selling tickets to a concert would have to log as "commercial" any announcements concerning them. Couldn't call 'em "promotional". Also there have to be some sort of accounting for the value of the advertising though I can't remember how. In some circumstances the concerts were organized by a subsidiary of the ownership of the station and then an exchange of checks made a good paper path.

Anybody know what's in order these days?
 
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