FCC Reading Response

1. Do broadcasters use radio and television to quickly and effectively respond to the local communities needs and interests? Give examples to support your answer.

* There is not a complete yes or no answer to this question. In some instances, I feel that radio and television quickly respond to local issues, but I don't feel that it is done as quickly and effectively as it could be. If I may be clearer, I don't feel that radio does a good job in effectively responding to local issues, at least the stations that people are listening to. There may be talk radio stations that cater to the needs and views of the local community, but many music stations, which is what my age demographic generally listen to don't focus on local issues that resonate in the community unless it is of relevance to them, their station, or in promotion of some sort of affiliate or corporate partner. Local television news shows do tend to be more local in their broadcasts, but I am noticing that they are no longer as community oriented either. For example, national coverage is put on the political election of our new presidential leader. However, there is less coverage on local elections and positions available. Overall, I feel that the television and radio could do more in focusing on the needs of the community and not just what is interesting to them. I think to accurately answer this question, we need to separate the needs of a community verses the interest and desires.


2. Are there certain kinds of local programming (Public Media Values) that should be available, but are not being provided by broadcasters? what could some examples of these be?

* Local programming and Public Media Values should be available and provided by broadcasters in my opinion. Local news programs should be provided as well as local coverage on important events that are highlighted in the community. For example, a local high school commencement should be covered in local news programs because it is relevant to the city and community. This is local news that people will really care about because it will relate to them. I think that access to local programming is made available to citizens, but the loopholes and things you have to do to access these opportunities makes it so it is almost unattainable. For example, my local news channel in Milwaukee allows for kids to read the lunch menu for the city school system and will sometimes highlight local artists and theater, but those usually come at the end of a segment or are a short segment at the end of the program when no one is watching anymore.


3. What could the Federal Communication Commission do to promote localism in broadcasting? Explain three of these examples of public-service-oriented projects that are already in process across the US.

* Localism in broadcasting can be promoted by allowing time for community representatives giving community news. This would be done in collaboration not only with news shows, but with networks to allow access to broadcasting at affordable rates for citizens. Examples of localism that are in affect currently are:
One example is the UTOPIA ( Utah Telecommunication Open Infrastructure Agency), which is a project that will provide quality, low cost cable services by considering cable and the upkeep of them as general city costs. It is a large investment and is definitely localist, but will cause a lot of issues when it comes to larger cable and media providers.
Another example is the wireless public airwaves to give high-speed, wireless access in a way that is public and beneficial to the people. This would allow local community members to voice their opinions without worrying about the major companies over charging or pushing their big, broad, thoughts and ideas.
Another example of localism is the licensing of noncommercial community radio stations. Groups such as the Prometheus Radio Project in Philadelphia have helped to pioneer the movement that promote the local community citizen and artist to dedicated community listeners.
The last example I will use to describe localism is through my personal experience living home at Milwaukee, WI. Although stations are syndicating shows and are forming large conglomerates, the Milwaukee Public School system has an hour show on Saturdays I believe that highlight community happenings within the school system. I think this is an example of localism and local communities taking advantage of media access.

extras:
What Stanford professor and lawyer that we have discussed before is mentioned in this essay? What organization is he the founder of?


What is the "spectrum" that the authors refer to?